Short Reflection from Isaiah 1-10

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

[2:59 pm, 01/01/2022] S.R: 𝕀𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟙:𝟛

"An ox knows its owner, And a donkey its master's manger, But Israel does not know, My people do not understand."

Israelites were bought and brought out of Egypt. God is their owner twice: first, He created them; second, He redeemed them from Egypt.

When we say "Lord" to Jesus, we are also confessing His ownership of us. Indeed, Jesus is our Owner, He has bought us with His life.

Pets (cats and dogs) love their owners, recognize their owners, and are happy to be with their owners. Humans who were created specially above all creations have fared poorly in comparison to animals. This is the lament, accusation, and a challenge! Let's know our God, much more, this year through His words!

 

𝕀𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟚:𝟛

"And many peoples 𝕎𝕚𝕝𝕝 ℂ𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝔸𝕟𝕕 𝕊𝕒𝕪, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕒𝕪 𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕔𝕙 𝕦𝕤 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕨𝕒𝕪𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕨𝕖 𝕞𝕒𝕪 𝕨𝕒𝕝𝕜 𝕚𝕟 𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕡𝕒𝕥𝕙𝕤." For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem."

Notice the tense. It's future tense. This is what should happen and will surely happen!

Now, look at what they are doing! They love to go temple. They are inviting people. [And how many of us show up to church with friends gladly? Hmm!]

Look at their intention:  They go to the temple to be taught and to obey exactly! [Many professing Christians don't want to be taught. Even when they are taught, they don't learn anything, they don't obey anything nor remember anything! 😬]

Takeaway: Church is not for entertainment, nor for emotional satisfaction, or to meet friends primarily. It's to know the ways of God and walk/obey them!

 

[7:22 pm, 02/01/2022] S.R: @Anipe @Beckham Delhi @Dr Gailiang @Mermie @Gaijuan Delhi @Haoboi Geologist @Lalit Pune @Melody GCD @Pts Amit @Suanlal Delhi @Timothy Guwahati

Dear beautiful friends,

Since none of you have expressed your desire to leave this group even after multiple notifications, you are requested and required to put up your reading update for the next 30 days!

Do you remember Messi and Barcelona? Messi wanted out but had to stay back in Barcelona in 2020. Same Rule! 😎😂

 

𝕀𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟛:𝟙

"For behold, the Lord GOD of hosts is going to remove from Jerusalem and Judah Both supply and support, the whole supply of bread And the whole supply of water;"

It's God who let His city be plundered! Both prosperity and poverty, everything happens under the watch of our sovereign God!

This is God's world! In the words of Luther, even the Devil is God's devil! So, on heydays and doom days, good times and bad times, godly places and wicked places, around good people or bad people, anytime and every time, God is our very present help. He is never far, almighty to save!

[10:41 am, 03/01/2022] S.R: Dear @Beckham Delhi @Timothy Guwahati

It's already a New Year, Day 3, you are reminded, required, and requested to start your update for the next 30 days! 👍🙏

 

𝕀𝕤𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟜:𝟛

"It will come about that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy--everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem."

Why do people want to be mainstream? Why do people want to stick with the majority?

Btw, Christianity is not a religion of the mainstream. It has a narrow gate. Not only the gate is narrow, but the way is also narrow. Not only the gate and way are narrow, but only a few also find them. Even among the few who find them, only a few enter through the narrow gate, the narrow gate to life.

The Bible always portrays God to be a narrow God, a God of remnants! Do you want to have a broad mind? Not in this matter, my friends!

Isaiah wrote that God will purge His city, and only the remnants will be saved, blessed, and prosperous!

Choose to live for God. Only a few among the few do that. You don't need to leave your profession. You can still serve God and glorify God even by killing people (enemies) if you are in legitimate military service. King David thanked God for training his hands to kill his enemies. Olympic gold medalist Eric Liddell ran for God's glory.

Worship God. Acknowledge God. Fear God. All these start with knowing God through His word. That's why we read our Bible every day and put up an update in this group to remind and encourage one another! 👍

 

𝕀𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟝:𝟙

"Let me sing now for my well-beloved A song of my beloved concerning His vineyard. My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill."

Isaiah referred to God as "My beloved." When was the last time you told people that God is your Beloved?

Do we address God with love language? Or do you love your spouse, gf/bf more than God?

Of course, I don't recommend you address God "babe" or "sweetheart" or "Choco-pie" 😬😂

But, let's come up with some loving words! Let's improve our vocabulary and affection for God!

 

𝕀𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟞:𝟠

"Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?' Then I said, 'Here am I. Send me!'"

Isaiah saw the glory of God and that changed him. He, an unworthy guy was made worthy. He, a fearful guy was made courageous.

John Piper was a timid guy, but when He realized the supremacy of the glory of God, he became a preacher!

We need to see the glory of God daily to strengthen our life!

 

𝕀𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟟:𝟟

Thus says the Lord GOD: "It shall not stand nor shall it come to pass."

Living in this world for quite some years has given me an observation that bad things happen easier and more frequently.

There's even Murphy's Law, which says, "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." Even the famed movie, Interstellar made a reference to this law, though in a positive light!

However, this verse is a delivering light! God can stop. God can make certain things never happen. Trust God, Ask God, Pray to God, are some of the implications.

 

𝕀𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟠:𝟙𝟛

"It is the LORD of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread."

God requires a courageous minister of God. The church needs courageous leaders. Our generation needs courageous people.

One thing I pray to God is to make me a courageous man! A courageous man is a fearful man of God.

Oh! Why fear what the world fears? The world fears government, diseases, power, poverty, insults, oppression, and so on. A man of God would suffer anything because his fear and dread is God. Paul Washer is right in suggesting to pray, "Increase in me to fear Thee!"

 

𝕀𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟡:𝟚𝟙

"Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh, And together they are against Judah. In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away And His hand is still stretched out."

One of the recurring refrains in this chapter is "His anger does not turn away," at least 3 times. It reveals the nature of God's justice and judgment! No surprise, only the death of God's Son satisfied the wrath of God!

 

𝕀𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟙𝟘:𝟙𝟝

"Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it? That would be like a club wielding those who lift it, Or like a rod lifting him who is not wood."

God hates the proud, yes even spiritual pride. Let's guard against pride!

Short Reflection from Song of Songs 1-8

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

[10:44 am, 29/07/2022] S.R:

I am not sure what book to read (begin) today: Maybe I will choose Song of Songs (SoS) to be a little bit romantic: 😃😎😆. It's a book that celebrates the beauty of marriage between a man and a woman. And in deeper comprehension, we see how satisfying it is for us to have Jesus as our spouse (husband). So, even if you don't enjoy your gf/bf, 😬 or can't afford to have one, you still have the right/privilege to enjoy your relationship with Jesus. And interestingly, the Scriptures euphemized all or almost all the sensual descriptions.

Mark Driscoll is wrong to regard SoS as a textbook on sex. SoS only seems to whisper about sex with all the metaphors. Certainly not erotic literature. On the other side, JD Greear is wrong too. The Bible didn't whisper about sexual immorality. It has the greatest denunciation, even more than idolatry. We shouldn't read SoS like Abraham Piper for illicit pleasure but to enjoy and prepare for the gift of God.

 

[11:09 am, 29/07/2022] S.R: 𝕊𝕠𝕟𝕘 𝕠𝕗 𝕊𝕠𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟙:𝟠, 𝟙𝟝

"If you yourself do not know, *𝕄𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕓𝕖𝕒𝕦𝕥𝕚𝕗𝕦𝕝 among women, Go forth on the trail of the flock And pasture your young goats By the tents of the shepherds."

"How 𝕓𝕖𝕒𝕦𝕥𝕚𝕗𝕦𝕝 you are, my darling, How beautiful you are! Your eyes are like doves."

Judging objectively, I am sure, she wasn't the most beautiful woman. But when he had eyed her, he regarded her to be the most beautiful one. Guys, learn to satisfy with your spouse. Do not have multiple eyes. Be committed, faithful, and contented.

And he repeated again, saying how beautiful she is. And if you think only boys should give a compliment to a girl, look at the following verse, 16, the Shulamite reciprocated the compliment.

In Amos 3:2, God said of the Israelites similar to this that God had known and loved only the Israelites among all the people groups in the world. Hmm! Indeed, in Jesus God has loved us perfectly more than the love you crave from anyone.

 

𝕊𝕠𝕟𝕘 𝕠𝕗 𝕊𝕠𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟚:𝟟

"I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the hinds of the field, That you do not arouse or awaken my love Until she pleases."

Let me copy-paste from one commentator:

v7 "Women of Jerusalem, make a promise to me.

 Think about the wild gazelles and deer as you make this promise.

 Do not think about love until the right time.

So she asks the other women to make a promise. She reminds them about wild animals called gazelles and deer. These animals do not mate before the proper time of year. And, like them, she does not want to marry Solomon until she is ready. This young woman is not yet ready to be Solomon’s wife. She loves him. But her attitudes are not yet mature enough.

As Christians, we often love God deeply. But our attitudes are not always mature. God invites us to serve him. But we hesitate. God wants us to work for him. But we have other ideas. So we do whatever we want to do. We are not always loyal to God. But God still loves us. And he will teach us to love him better, if we are ready to learn.

Let's learn to wait, ladies and gentlemen. Keep your marriage bed pure. In Delhi, I heard story after story, about ladies going to the bedroom of their boyfriends. And there's a lesson for boys too in v9.  He keeps himself pure. He stays outside, behind the wall so that everyone sees and knows that he is pure. Don't be anywhere that will make people suspicious of you.

 

𝕊𝕠𝕟𝕘 𝕠𝕗 𝕊𝕠𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟛:𝟙

"On my bed night after night I sought him Whom my soul loves; I sought him but did not find him."

Bible Interpreters think this is a dream she had after sending her man away. In her dream, it was confirmed to her that she really loved him and wanted to be with him.

Sometimes, I wake up in the night having a very emotional dream; and indeed, dreams, though many times are stupid for me, a few times, it makes me love and pray for such and such people.

 

𝕊𝕠𝕟𝕘 𝕠𝕗 𝕊𝕠𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟜:𝟙𝟙

"Your lips, 𝕄𝕪 𝔹𝕣𝕚𝕕𝕖, drip honey; Honey and milk are under your tongue, And the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon."

I don't know what girls talk about when they are together, but I grew up in a boys' hostel, and I heard this and that. My point is:

If you are tempted to speak to your gf like it is written in v11 or v5 of this chapter. Be watchful. Remember this is chapter 4. And if you have been reading carefully, chapter 1-3 is the premarital engagement. Chapter 4 is about the wedding, that's why the girl is addressed as "my bride,"

Certain talks, certain compliments are fitting only when that person is your wedded spouse. Both of them have been restraining their thoughts, desire, and expression until chapter 4, their wedding.

The intimacy of words or text or images or video, or even thoughts, not just the physical relationship before the wedding is well guarded by these lovebirds of Song of Songs.

Notice, how many times, "my bride" is mentioned in this chapter; and so is the description. When I was 11 years old in JNV Tamenglong, some of my classmates referred to this book to write a love letter to their gfs. Those were the days! 😂

 

𝕊𝕠𝕟𝕘 𝕠𝕗 𝕊𝕠𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟝:𝟡

"What kind of beloved is your beloved, O most beautiful among women? What kind of beloved is your beloved, That thus you adjure us?"

These women believed all men are the same but the Shulamite believed her man is different — the best ever (v10).

She has turned him away again (v3). But this made her think about him and now we have her positive descriptions of him in v10-16, pretty long compared to such a small book.

Trials, Arguments, Misunderstandings, etc., in a relationship, may not be the end, it might be just a blessing in disguise to reflect more upon one's priority. And, this is just chapter 5.

Btw, God is better than even this ideal lover of this poem. People may say this and that of God, but we Christians know whom we have believed (2 Tim. 1:12).

 

𝕊𝕠𝕟𝕘 𝕠𝕗 𝕊𝕠𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟞:𝟚-𝟛

"My beloved has gone down to his garden, To the beds of balsam, To pasture his flock in the gardens And gather lilies. I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine, He who pastures his flock among the lilies."

This woman knows where his man is and what he is doing. The other women thought his man is like any other man. And certainly, they didn't know where to find him.

Ladies, do you know your man as Shulamite? Gentlemen, do you have a reputed character that your lady will not doubt you?

Christians, do you know God and trust Him no matter what the world talks about God and the happenings of this world?

 

𝕊𝕠𝕟𝕘 𝕠𝕗 𝕊𝕠𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟟:𝟙𝟘

"I am my beloved's, And his desire is for me."

This is the third time a similar expression is used so far but this time, she doesn't express her emotion. She is satisfied that he deeply loves her.

It's enough that God has loved us. Our love for God is tiny compared to His love. Sometimes, we even wondered whether we loved God more or our own sin; but God's love remains perfect, never more, never less.

 

𝕊𝕠𝕟𝕘 𝕠𝕗 𝕊𝕠𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟠:𝟚

"I would lead you and bring you Into the house of my mother, who used to instruct me; I would give you spiced wine to drink from the juice of my pomegranates."

This woman is a wife of a king. Still, she worked hard. She had pomegranates. Notice the word "my", it's not bought, it's the fruit of her hard labor. In 1:5 she said she was black because she worked hard under the sun having a sunburn. Still, she worked hard. The excellent woman of Proverbs 31 is also a hard-working woman. Ruth the wife of Boaz was also a hardworking woman.

Guys, if your gf wants to be a princess and doesn't learn anything, please dump her. Ladies, if you don't want to work hard and want to be a princess, please don’t get married. Please die off 😬😂, we don't want such species. 😂

The Bible requires every one of us male and female to work hard and enjoy God's world!

Book Review: The Letters of John Newton

 The Letters of John Newton

By John Newton

(Copyright © Monergism Books)

 

I love John Newton for the hymn “Amazing Grace,” especially a self-abashing statement like “That saved a wretch like me.” I am no stranger to the amazing grace of God, and so, is everyone. We just need to discover more and acknowledge it for our joy and the exaltation of God. It seems to me Newton knew more about it (or at least promoted more through his story and song) than anyone. So, I decided to read one of his books expecting to see the exaltation of God’s grace in the abasing of self in the spirit of John the Baptist – He must increase but I must decrease (John 3:30).

I chose to read the Letters of John because Letters are personal correspondence between two people, unlike books which are written to a wide personally unknown audience. I expected it to have a lot of letters, each one of them to be short, simple, pastoral, polemical, specific, and edifying; and indeed, it didn’t disappoint me.

This edition is made available by Monergism Books. It has 1502 pages, and a word count of over 6,05,150. That is almost the size of the Old Testament in the English version (KJV has 6,09,269 words in OT). I read it in 12 days making over 700 annotations on my pdf copy. If I were usually a deep reader, a patient thinker, and a good writer, I could have come up with a series of worthwhile blogposts; that’s seldom me, I will post only one.

It has hundreds of letters – to a friend, to a pastor, to church members, to leaders, to a daughter, to a wife, to specific individuals, etc. Some of the letters are like a sermon; a few of them also look like an essay, articles, or short books. This edition is, btw, not the same as Banner of Truth’s edition, which has 416 pages. The Monergism Books version included “Memoirs” published by Richard Cecil. I enjoyed this Memoirs (p1246-1365) and His letters to his daughter Betsy (p673-710), and his friend William Bull (p323-517) the most.

No doubt John Newton is a Calvinist, but I think the nature of this writing being letters to a specific person(s), he presented God as the sovereign Lord who we can rely on him in all circumstances. He comforted his readers to trust God and submit to His providence. He also wrote about affliction, indwelling sin, angels, and controversy with great insight.

I would like to republish here a few excerpts from this book which I have put up on my WhatsApp status update while I was reading through the book:

Desires Unrealized, 1772, (p.159)

Alas! How vain is man in his best estate! How much weakness and inconsistency, even in those whose hearts are right with the Lord! And what reason have we to confess that we are unworthy, unprofitable servants! It were easy to enlarge in this way, would paper and time permit. But, blessed be God--we are not under the law, but under grace: and even these distressing effects of the remnants of indwelling sin are overruled for good. By these experiences the believer is weaned from self, and taught more highly to prize and more absolutely to rely on Him, who is appointed unto us of God, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. The more vile we are in our own eyes--the more precious will Jesus be to us. A deep repeated sense of the evil of our hearts is necessary to preclude all boasting, and to make us willing to give the whole glory of our salvation where it is due. Again, a sense of these evils will, when hardly anything else can do it, reconcile us to the thoughts of death, yes make us desirous to depart that we may sin no more, since we find depravity so deep rooted in our nature, that, like the leprous house, the whole fabric must be taken down before we can be freed from its defilement. Then, and not until then, we shall be able to do the thing that we would: when we see Jesus we shall be transformed into His image, and have done with sin and sorrow forever!

 

Writing to his pastor-friend William Bull (p.440)

October 1, 1784.

Mon Cher,

I must decline all letter writing for a good while, except what is absolutely necessary. I have a writing project before me, purposing, if the Lord pleases, to treat you and the public with two volumes of sermons ("on the Messiah"], which I suppose will, in quantity, be equal to Cardiphonia.

God still gives me liberty in the pulpit, which is the chief thing; and I believe no minister can be more comfortable and happy with his people than I am. Mr. Whitfield used to call his pulpit, his throne. When I am upon my throne, I can look down upon the poets, philosophers, artists, archbishops, cardinals, popes, and kings of the earth — with pity. If they know not my Lord and Savior — they are to be pitied indeed. I would not exchange the honor of proclaiming his glory and grace, and preaching his gospel to sinners a single day — for a whole life of what they account the best and the greatest.

We join in love to you, to Mrs. Bull, and Tommy. Write if you please, and when you can; but whether you write or no, remember to pray for your truly affectionate friend and brother,

John Newton

 

4^th letter to a fellow pastor (p.547.)

January 26, 1775.

Dear Sir,

Were a stranger to judge of me by what I sometimes say in the pulpit, he might think that, like the angels, I had but two things in view—to do the will of God, and to behold his face. But, alas! would he not be almost as much mistaken, as if, seeing Mr. G. in the character of a tragedy hero, he should suppose him to be the very person whom he only represents! I hope Satan will never be able to persuade me that I am a mere hypocrite and stage-player; but sure I am, that there is so much hypocrisy in me, so many littlenesses and self-seekings insinuating into my plan of conduct, that I have humbling cause to account myself unworthy and unprofitable, and to say, "Enter not into judgment with your servant, O Lord."

 

John Newton wrote this in a letter to his young daughter, who wasn’t coming home, on August 10, 1783, (p.690)

If I could teach you a lesson, which, as yet, I have but poorly learned myself—I would teach you a way to be never be disappointed. This would be the case—if you could always form a right judgment of this world, and all things in it.

If you go to a bramble-bush to look for grapes—you must be disappointed; but then you are old enough to know that grapes never grow upon brambles. So, if you expect much pleasure here in this world— you will not find it. But you ought not to say you are disappointed, because the Scripture plainly warned you beforehand, to look for crosses, trials and hindrances, every day. If you expect such things—you will not

be disappointed when they happen!

 

There’s another interesting one, a letter to a single pastor about marriage, dated February 03, 1775, on p880-882. It’s over a 700-word letter, so I would not post it here.

 

A letter to a pastor dated January 21, 1776 (p896)

This is not always sufficiently considered. We are ready to expect that others should receive upon our testimony, in half an hour's time, those views of things which have cost us years to attain! But none can be brought forward faster than the Lord is pleased to communicate inward light. Upon this ground controversies have been multiplied among Christians to little purpose; for plants of different standings will be in different degrees of growth.

 

Other quoteworthy excerpts:

“The holiness of a sinner seems principally to consist in self-abasement, and in admiring views of Jesus as a complete Savior—these are the main principles from whence every gracious fruit is derived” (p925).

“Evidences, as you call them, are of use in their place; but the best evidence of faith—is the shutting our eyes equally upon both our defects and our graces, and looking directly to Jesus as clothed with authority and power to save to the very utmost.” (a letter to a pastor p.925)

But I tell you, my friend, God will sooner make windows in heaven, turn stones into bread, yes, stop the sun in its course, than he will allow those who conscientiously serve him, and depend upon him, to be destitute.” (p.1045)

And not afflictions only, prosperity likewise is a state of temptation; and many who have endured sharp sufferings, and came off honorably, have been afterwards greatly hurt and ensnared by prosperity! To this purpose the histories of David and Hezekiah are in point.: (p.1210)

"Ministers over-rate their labors, if they did not think it worthwhile to be born, and spend ten thousand years in labor and contempt, to recover one soul." (p.1345)

The rod had a voice; and it was the voice of the Lord. I understood the meaning no less plainly than if He had spoken audibly from heaven, and said, "Now contemplate your idol! Now see what she is, whom you once presumed to prefer to Me!" Even this bitter cup was sweetened by the patience and resignation which He gave her. When I have said, "You suffer greatly;" her answer usually was, "I suffer, indeed— but not greatly." And she often expressed her thankfulness, that, though her body was immovable, she was still permitted the use of her hands. (On his dying wife p.1482)

I would not pretend to believe that through this blog post I will succeed in encouraging anyone to read through this 1502-long book, nor do I think it is a compulsory read for everyone. It’s just too long. However, reading a selective portion like a letter to his wife, to his daughter, to his friend, to a pastor(s), memoirs, etc., I think, will edify every reader.