Short Reflection from Hosea 1-14

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (OVU) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

[2:29 pm, 01/01/2022] S.R: ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒𝟙:𝟙𝟘

'Yet the number of the sons of Israel Will be like the sand of the sea, Which cannot be measured or numbered; And in the place Where it is said to them, 'You are not My people,' It will be said to them, 'You are the sons of the living God.'"

The first book of Minor Prophets begins with the revelation of God's amazing love for His people. Never doubt the love of God, friends!

The Israelites were so rebellious that God decided to discipline them, but He wouldn't destroy them completely. Rather, He would turn their designation from "My people" to " My sons."

No longer only random people, but God's children. We, Christians are likewise, children of God. Let's live like sons and daughters of God in assurance, confidence, and righteousness!

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕤 𝟚:𝟙𝟞

"'It will come about in that day,' declares the LORD, 'That you will call Me Ishi And will no longer call Me Baali.'"

Another deeper expression of relationship after discipline. Earlier, God was Israel's Lord (Baali, in Hebrew); after the discipline, God shall be Israel's husband (Ishi, in Hebrew).

God is not only your Boss, but your Babe (Lover/Husband!) 😉😅😎👍 Church's husband is Christ. We, both males and females, have a husband, He is Jesus, our Lord!

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟛:𝟙

"Then the LORD said to me, 'Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.'"

They say, "You never truly get over with your first love." 😂 I don't know how true is that!

And we never know whether Gomer was Hosea's first love, but the narrative portrays us that Gomer was unlovable. Still, Hosea went to call her back to portray God's unyielding love for His people!

If you are really down with spiritual deadness, Hosea is a good book to give you, life, seeing God's love is greater than your stubbornness!

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟜:𝟙

"Listen to the word of the LORD, O sons of Israel, For the LORD has a case against the inhabitants of the land, Because there is no faithfulness or kindness Or knowledge of God in the land."

Society deteriorates when there's no faithfulness, kindness, and knowledge of God. A person's life becomes hard when there's no faithfulness, kindness, and knowledge of God.

When we read the following verses it's clear that faithfulness is referring to an adherence to the word of God. In other words, living by the laws of God. Kindness is referring to our actions as a result of our faithfulness to the word of God. Indeed, godly people demonstrate godliness in all things. Chief of them is kindness to all! Knowledge of God is referring to the understanding of the Scriptures.

Hosea's warning is true for us as well. Our society deteriorates. There's no knowledge of God, no faithfulness, and no kindness. Let's watch ourselves how we talk and treat the vendors, auto drivers, shopkeepers, all people. Where is our kindness? That kindness is a result of God's word working in us by the Spirit. That's why we read God's word daily and put up an update in this group that His words may have an effect on us.

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟝:𝟙𝟝

"I will go away and return to My place 𝕌ℕ𝕋𝕀𝕃 they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me."

What a beautiful word "until" is in this judgment! There's a limit to God's judgment because He is merciful. God is not like a man who loses his temper. God is totally cool and under complete control! He punishes his sinning people so that they may realize that the way of a transgressor is hard, and true happiness is found in obedience to Him. That they have to acknowledge: their sins and desire to walk with God.

Indeed, ice cream is nice, sin is sweet, but God is sweeter!

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟞:𝟞

"For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings."

God wants us to be faithful. To be loyal to Him. To walk with Him. To obey Him. To stick with Him. Like a wife sticks with her husband. To love only Him. To adore only Him. A wife can hang out with other men in a workplace, and a wife can love other men, but never as she would with her husband.

And to be faithful, one needs the knowledge of God. We must know what God hates and what pleases Him, and be obedient to that!

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟟:𝟙𝟞

"They turn, 𝔹𝕦𝕥 ℕ𝕠𝕥 𝕌𝕡𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕕, They are like a deceitful bow; Their princes will fall by the sword Because of the insolence of their tongue. This will be their derision in the land of Egypt."

Our cry, our sadness, our wailing, and our pain should drive us upward, to God. Recognizing God is above all, that He is able to save us, that He is our solution, that He has a good (the best) plan for us, that His ways we shall accept!

Alas! The Israelites didn't turn upward. Their turnings were all without a benefit!

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟠:𝟙𝟚

"Though I wrote for him ten thousand precepts of My law, They are regarded as a strange thing."

The same could be said of our generation, church, and even us individually. There shall be no excuses in the days of the Lord.

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟡:𝟙𝟜

"Give them, O LORD--what will You give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts."

Look! What's Prophet Hosea doing? He is cursing (making an imprecatory prayer) his people for their unfaithfulness!

How shall I curse those who are unfaithful in our (this) WhatsApp group, who refused to keep their commitment? 😬😆😂😎 Actually, there's one group, where I did it! 😎 He was so lazy. So, I had wished for him that every girl will reject his marriage proposal this year, that every girl he approaches will turn him down until he is responsible enough to lead his wife in sanctification! Will happen soon in this group as well! 😂😎

Btw, there's no reason one cannot put up one Bible verse at least for one day in this group within these 30 days!

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟙𝟘:𝟙

"Israel is a luxuriant vine; He produces fruit for himself. The more his fruit, The more altars he made; The richer his land, The better he made the sacred pillars."

If we aren't familiar with the biblical vocabulary, we will think this is a good verse. Actually, this is a tragic verse! The "altars" and "sacred pillars" are referring to the idolatry of the people. So, the meaning is, the more they prosper, they forget God, they depart from God, and they live like the other nations.

Again and again, from the first commandment of the Mosaic Ten Commandments, the Scriptures reveal how much God hates, despises, loathes idolatry.

Do you go to a party when you get your salary, or to a movie hall? Well, next time, think about what you are doing and see, if you have become more like the Israelites!

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟙𝟙:𝟠

"How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I surrender you, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned over within Me, All My compassions are kindled."

This is the God who has also loved us and made us His children! If the Father loves us so much, may we keep loving our family members of faith without giving up! 👍🙏

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟙𝟚:𝟙

"Ephraim feeds on wind, And pursues the east wind continually; He multiplies lies and violence. Moreover, he makes a covenant with Assyria, And oil is carried to Egypt."

Wow! Look at the imagery! It's totally a worthless and useless endeavor! What's their fault? Not depending on God.

Friends, a life lived without God is a worthless life! C. T. Stud is right, "Only one life, ’twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last."

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟙𝟛:𝟡

'It is your destruction, O Israel, That you are against Me, against your help."

He that quarrels with his Maker is a miserable man! He who does not delight in God is living a hard life. There were times when I didn't delight in God, and when I even quarreled with the Lord. Well, God's Grace is real too!

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟙𝟜:𝟡

"Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; Whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right, And the righteous will walk in them, But transgressors will stumble in them."

I have seen in real life that the way of a transgressor is hard.

Short Reflection from Daniel 1-12

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (LRAU) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

𝔻𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟙:𝟝

"The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king."

Three years Degree course to be an administrator, huh? Three years of preparation for the preliminary exam!

 

𝔻𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟚:𝟜𝟡

"And Daniel made request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego over the administration of the province of Babylon, while Daniel was at the king's court."

Daniel was promoted, and he was able to promote his friends.

Esther became queen and she was able to influence the king to promote Mordecai to the highest.

Joseph became great in Egypt and he was able to bring his whole family to Egypt during the time of great famine.

If you are a manager in a company, hire all your friends, even if they aren't the smartest guys. 😂

 

 

𝔻𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟛:𝟙𝟜

"Nebuchadnezzar responded and said to them, ‘Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up?’"

Nebuchadnezzar mandating everyone to bow down before the image is parallel with the government mandating us to bow down to the image of public health (coronavirus).

Godly people are brave people!

 

𝔻𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟜:𝟛𝟟

"Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride."

God shall humble the proud because He is just!

 

𝔻𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟝:𝟙𝟟

"Then Daniel answered and said before the king, ‘Keep your gifts for yourself or give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription to the king and make the interpretation known to him.’"

God's people do God's work not for money.

 

𝔻𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟞:𝟛-𝟜

"Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom. Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him."

Jealousy. Faithfulness. Courage. Reward. Vindication.

 

𝔻𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟟:𝟚𝟠

"At this point the revelation ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself."

Why didn't Daniel tell others? Was it because there weren't competent people? If Daniel, himself, couldn't understand the depth of the vision, surely, none will understand. Opinion of others would create only more confusion and cheap. He had to make sure the vision is well guarded against corrupt interpretation.

Hmmm! Daniel kept the matter to himself!

 

𝔻𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟠:𝟚𝟞

"The vision of the evenings and mornings Which has been told is true; But keep the vision secret, For it pertains to many days in the future."

Keep the vision secret. Well, we don't need to know everything, yes even what's written in the Bible.

 

𝔻𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟡:𝟙𝟡

"O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name."

Leaders ought to pray for the people like this!

 

𝔻𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟘:𝟙𝟟

"For how can such a servant of my lord talk with such as my lord? As for me, there remains just now no strength in me, nor has any breath been left in me."

The humility of Daniel. He did desire his prayer to be answered but didn't expect to be answered by an angel of God. Certainly, he didn't consider himself worthy of the attention of an angel! Yet v19 vindicated Daniel to be a man of high esteem, a worthy man on the surface of the earth!

 

𝔻𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟙:𝟜𝟝

"He will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him."

No matter the identity of those mentioned in this chapter. They are bad but under the control of God. Christians can remain calm that in the end we shall win and reign!

 

𝔻𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟚:𝟙𝟘

"Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand."

Christians, count yourselves blessed that you know Christ, not just because of the surpassing worth of the knowledge of Christ, but also because it is impossible to become one, if not by the grace of God.

Those who read Bible regularly, count yourselves blessed because it's impossible for a natural man to thirst after godly discipline.

Count yourselves blessed when you understand what the Bible says because God has sealed up the truths of the Bible to the wicked so that they might perish, yet He has revealed them to us.

Short Reflection from Ezekiel 33-48

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (LRAU) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟛𝟛:𝟙𝟚

"And you, son of man, say to your fellow citizens, 'The righteousness of a righteous man will not deliver him in the day of his transgression, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he will not stumble because of it in the day when he turns from his wickedness; whereas a righteous man will not be able to live by his righteousness on the day when he commits sin.'"

Most people believe that their good deeds outweigh their bad deeds or will at least cancel out their bad deeds. The standard of God is different!

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟛𝟜:𝟙𝟝

""I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest," declares the Lord GOD."

Even if the human shepherds are bad and unfaithful, God will not give up on His church. Somebody said, "If your pastor is bad, don't leave the church so soon, pray him out (let him leave)"

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟛𝟝:𝟙𝟛

"And you have spoken arrogantly against Me and have multiplied your words against Me; I have heard it."

The Lord held them accountable for their words and boasting against God. Many people do the same these days, they too shall be held accountable on Judgment Day!

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟛𝟞:𝟚𝟞, 𝟛𝟙

26 "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."

31 "Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations."

We need a new heart to loathe sin and love God!

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟛𝟟:𝟜

"Again He said to me, "Prophesy over these bones and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.'""

Preachers when they are with the non-Christians are like this. With the dead ones in sin, whose bones are dried up.

Even many professing Christians are like this. Dead or dried: weakened or broken, God promises the preaching of His words to transform lives!

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟛𝟠:𝟚𝟛

"I will magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and make Myself known in the sight of many nations; and they will know that I am the LORD."

Magnify

Sanctify

Simplify

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟛𝟡:𝟚𝟟

"When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies, then I shall be sanctified through them in the sight of the many nations."

Sure, such action of God will make the other nations want to have a God like Yahweh!

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟜𝟘:𝟜𝟠

"Then he brought me to the porch of the temple and measured each side pillar of the porch, five cubits on each side; and the width of the gate was three cubits on each side."

I’ve read this chapter 4,5 times trying to find a verse that I can meditate upon since no verse caught my attention at first reading. Still, not sure.

Just that one of the most repetitive words in this chapter is “measurement”. God cares that its measurement is known and precise. Not anyhow, there's a rule, a measurement, a standard. Indeed, for every God's action!

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟜𝟙:𝟙

"Then he brought me to the nave and measured the side pillars; six cubits wide on each side was the width of the side pillar."

Measurements are made known. It was important, necessary. If God cares about the physical building, won't He care about how we worship Him?

There’re measurements, rules, standard for how we should do, not anyhow we please!

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟜𝟚:𝟙𝟜

"When the priests enter, then they shall not go out into the outer court from the sanctuary without laying there their garments in which they minister, for they are holy. They shall put on other garments; then they shall approach that which is for the people."

There's such a thing called sacred and secular. There are some dudes, who profess themselves to be wise, who say that everything is sacred and that every day is the Lord's Day, not just Sunday. While I understand their desire for everyone to live every day before the Lord, they are unwittingly robbing the sacred things (Sunday, dressing, manners, prayers, teaching) of their significance. If everyone is important nothing is important. ₹20 denomination is not as important as ₹2000. They will fight tooth and nail for it.

So, there's such thing called holy and defiled clothing, places, etc. Ezekiel says so.

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟜𝟛:𝟟

"He said to me, "Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the sons of Israel forever. And the house of Israel will not again defile My holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their harlotry and by the corpses of their kings when they die""

It's more wonderful to transform an evil person into a good person than to just execute him.

And it's more wonderful if one can endure the depth of wickedness of someone and still forgive him and transform him.

That's God. He will transform the Israelites again. He is transforming us too, day by day! God is not tired, surprised, or worried.

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟜𝟜:𝟚𝟛

"Moreover, they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean."

There's such thing called clean and unclean; sacred and secular; holy and profane; acceptable and unacceptable; and God's people must be taught and learnt of them.

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟜𝟝:𝟡

"Thus says the Lord GOD, "Enough, you princes of Israel; put away violence and destruction, and practice justice and righteousness. Stop your expropriations from My people," declares the Lord GOD."

Power tends to corrupt, abuse, oppress, and suppress the common people. I have been the victim sometimes. And I must have been the perpetrator in some areas.

Examine yourself in the light of God's word: to repent — both to forgive and to restore.

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟜𝟞:𝟠-𝟡

"When the prince enters, he shall go in by way of the porch of the gate and go out by the same way. But when the people of the land come before the LORD at the appointed feasts, he who enters by way of the north gate to worship shall go out by way of the south gate. And he who enters by way of the south gate shall go out by way of the north gate. No one shall return by way of the gate by which he entered but shall go straight out."

The exit gates for the prince and the people are different. And the prince is to be an exemplary man of spiritual integrity. Position comes with responsibility.

I as a pastor get to stand up on the stage almost anytime which most church members never get or dare to. And that stage is not there for me to popularize myself. I must be the leading example to demonstrate that I must decrease and Christ must increase.

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟜𝟟:𝟚𝟚-𝟚𝟛

"You shall divide it by lot for an inheritance among yourselves and among the aliens who stay in your midst, who bring forth sons in your midst. And they shall be to you as the native-born among the sons of Israel; they shall be allotted an inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. And in the tribe with which the alien stays, there you shall give him his inheritance," declares the Lord GOD."

Aliens (non-Israelites) are part of the program of God. Which reminds us to love all people. We must be kind, gracious, and compassionate to all people around us.

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟜𝟠:𝟛𝟠

"The city shall be 18,000 cubits round about; and the name of the city from that day shall be, 'The LORD is there.'"

The LORD is there. That's it. What is better than that? Heaven will not be heaven if the Lord doesn't dwell there. With the Lord, everything is at its best!