A marathon reading on Shabbat

Saturday 30Apr2022
Jeremiah 24:1 - 52:34 RSV(786 verses)
John 6:1 - 10:42 ESV (266 verses)

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Shabbat Shalom. Today is the Seventh Day of the Biblical Week. Let us rest from all our work.

Having fallen behind in my daily Bible Reading last week, I decided to read a long portion of Old Testament scripture on this Shabbat Day.

I have spent the afternoon reading the book of the prophet Jeremiah, from chapter 24 all the way to the end of the book at chapter 52, covering a total of 786 verses of the Old Testament.

For my New Testament reading, I read chapters 6 to 10 of the Gospel according to St John, a total of 266 verses.

Tomorrow, the First Day of a new Biblical Week, i will begin reading the book of Lamentations from the Old Testament.

Three memorable verses from John chapter 4

Friday 29Apr2022
Jeremiah 11:1 - 23:40 KJV (296 verses)
John 1:1 - 5:47 NWB (213 verses)

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This morning I am reminded of three verses from John's Gospel that I used to memorise and keep in mind many years ago. Each of these memory verses carry a spiritual truth essential for disciples of the Anointed One.

They are verses 14, 24 and 34 from John chapter 4, as shown below:

John 4:13-14, 24, 34  RSV  Revised Standard Version

13-14 . . . “Every one who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.

34 . . . “My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work.

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, let us keep these three memorable verses in our hearts. Let us go to our Lord Iesus everyday to receive living water from Him, so that our spirits may never thirst. Let us worship God our Father in Heaven in spirit and in the truth that He is the Only True God (John 17:3). And let us follow the example of our Lord Iesus when He was on earth, to take the will of God and the completion of His work like food in our lives.

Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom

Thursday 28Apr2022
Jeremiah 1:1 - 10:25 ESV (280 verses)
Luke 18:1 - 24:53 WEB (356 verses)

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Today I finished reading the Gospel according to Luke. Tomorrow I will begin reading the Gospel of John for my New Testament reading. Meanwhile, in my Old Testament reading, I have begun reading the book of the prophet Jeremiah ben Hilkiah, covering the first ten chapters.

From chapter 9 of Jeremiah today, I am reminded of a passage which I had memorised before many years ago. Verses 23 and 24 record for us the word of the LORD telling His children not to boast in their own wisdom, might, nor riches. Instead, they should boast in their understanding and knowledge of the steadfast love, justice and righteousness of the LORD.

". . . in these things I delight" the LORD says in verse 24.

Jeremiah 9:23 - 24  ESV  English Standard Version

23 Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practises steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.”

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, let us refrain from boasting in our wisdom, our might, and our wealth. Let us instead "boast" of our knowledge of our God and in the things that He delights.

A parable and a prophecy

Wednesday 27Apr2022
Isaiah 52:1 - 66:24 ESV (250 verses)
Luke 13:1 - 17:37 NIV (169 verses)

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This afternoon, I am reminded of a parable and a prophecy about the Kingdom of God from my reading of the Gospel according to Luke.

In Luke chapter 16, our Lord Iesus told a parable that had appeared to me somewhat vague, even confusing to me, for many years. Two verses, in particular, seem to contradict one another in this Parable of the Dishonest Steward. They are verse 9 and verse 11, as shown below:

Luke 16:9, 11  NIV  New International Version

9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?

About nine years ago, as I pondered over the above passage again, it occurred to me that, unlike other parables, this parable carries two lessons.

The first one is that we should make use of our earthly ("ungodly") wealth to bring new friends into the Kingdom of God so that, when our earthly wealth fails, these friends will welcome us in the Kingdom.

The second is that, if we are dishonest and untrustworthy with earthly wealth, as the dishonest steward was, how then can we be trusted with the true riches of the Kingdom of God?

This realisation led me to write down my thoughts in September 2013, please see link entitled, "One Parable, Two Lessons" at the end of this page.

From the same chapter in my reading of Luke's Gospel today, I am also reminded of the words of our Lord Iesus who explained to his followers that, beginning with the coming of John the Baptist, the Torah and the Prophets were no longer proclaimed. Instead, the Kingdom of God is being preached, and everone is "forcing" their way into this Kingdom. See verse 16 below:

Luke 16:16  NIV 

The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it.

What does our Lord mean by the saying that everone is forcing their way into the Kingdom of God? I have written my thoughts and observations on this passage, with reference to a prophecy recorded in Micah chapter 2, in two blog posts: first in April 2014 and again in December 2017. (Please see links below:)

• One Parable, Two Lessons (22Sep2013)
• The Kingdom of God is at hand (19Apr2014)
• Breaking out into the Kingdom of God (16Dec2017)

Give us day by day our daily bread, Deliver us from the evil one

Tuesday 26Apr2022
Isaiah 40:1 - 51:23 RSV (276 verses)
Luke 9:1 - 12:59 WEB (217 verses)

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Luke 11:2 - 4  WEB  World English Bible
"When you pray, say,
'Our Father in heaven,
May your name be kept holy.
May your kingdom come.
May your desire be done on Earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."

This afternoon, my New Testament reading brought me to the passage above, a account of the Lord's Prayer as recorded in Luke's Gospel. In this prayer, Luke recorded the words of our Lord Iesus as saying, "Give us day by day our daily bread" rather than "Give us this day our daily bread." as recorded in Matthew chapter 6.

The final petition at the end of the prayer is rendered by Luke as "deliver us from the evil one" rather than "deliver us from evil" in Matthew's gospel.

Three years ago, I made a similar observation when reading the same passage in Luke chapter 11 using the Revised Berkeley Version. Please visit the link below:

• The Lord's Prayer according to St. Luke

Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die

Monday 25Apr2022
Isaiah 12:1 - 39:8 ASV (520 verses)
Luke 4:1 - 8:56 WEB (238 verses)

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In my long readings through the book of Isaiah today, I am reminded by a short passage in Isaiah chapter 22 of the imperative to stay sober, even to weep and mourn over our sins if necessary, instead of being reckless in eating and getting drunk with the excesses of life.

Isaiah 22:12 - 14  ASV  American Standard Version
12 And in that day did the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:
13 and, behold, joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine: Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we shall die.
14 And Jehovah of hosts revealed himself in mine ears, Surely this iniquity shall not be forgiven you till ye die, saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, when God our Father calls us to repentance, let us go to Him with weeping and mourning over our sins. Let us be found bald and girded with sackcloth. Let us beware, lest we be found intoxicated in reckless feasting and drinking, thinking "tomorrow we shall die". Such a sin will not be forgiven by the LORD of hosts.

Pondering in her heart vs Praising with their voice

Thursday 21Apr2022
Isaiah 6:1 - 11:16 ESV (131 verses)
Luke 2:1 - 3:38 RSV (90 verses)

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Luke 2:13  RSV  Revised Standard Version
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!”

Today in my New Testament reading, as I read the passage in Luke chapter 2 about the sudden appearance of a host of angels to the shepherds in the field, my attention is drawn to two contrasting reactions after the shepherds found the new-born infant Iesus and told Joseph and Mary what they heard and saw in the field.

Luke 2:19 - 20  RSV  Revised Standard Version
19 But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

The first reaction is that of Mary, the mother of the new-born child who was sent by God to the the Anointed One. Verse 19 tells us that she kept all she heard in her heart and pondered over them.

The second reaction is that of the shepherds who, in contrast, glorified and praised God as they left the scene of baby Iesus in the manger.

Why did Mary react so quietly, keeping the good news brought by the shepherds and pondering over it in her heart? Why didn't she rejoice, glorify God and praise Him loudly as the shepherds did?

About twelve years ago I looked through several passages in the Gospels about Mary keeping what she saw and heard in her heart. Between December 2009 and January 2010, I wrote out my thoughts in three blog posts, some of which I preached in my Sunday Sermons to the church where i attend. Please visit the links below:

• What Mary kept in her heart, Part One (Dec2009)
• What Mary kept in her heart, Part Two (Jan2010)
• What Mary kept in her heart, Part Three (Jan2010)

Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean

Tuesday 19Apr2022
Song of Solomon 5:1 - 8:14 ESV (56 verses)
Isaiah 1:1 - 5:30 ESV (115 verses)
Luke 1:1 - 80 RSV (80 verses)

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Many people would quote the well-known verse from Isaiah 1:18, "Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool." and use it to tell us how gracious our God is, that there is no sin too difficult for Him to remove from our lives.

Today, while reading Isaiah chapter 1, I saw that this verse is written as part of a call from God Almighty to the chlldren of Israel to get rid of evil deeds from among them, and so cleanse themselves from sin. The part about scarlet sins becoming white as snow and crimson becoming like wool is a promise from the LORD for those who "seek justice, correct oppression" and who bring justice to orphans and widows.

Isaiah 1:16 - 18  ESV  English Standard Version
Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;

cease to do evil,
- - learn to do good;
seek justice,
- - correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
- - plead the widow's cause.

“Come now,
let us reason together, says the LORD:

though your sins are like scarlet,
- - they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
- - they shall become like wool.

Brothers and Sisters in the Lord Iesus Anointed, let us be vigilant in removing evil deeds from among us. Let us seek justice and correct oppression to all who are suffering around us, especially to the fatherless and widows.

May our scarlet sins be turned white as snow.

Catching up with lost time

Monday 18Apr2022
Proverbs 27:1 - 31:31NWB (146 verses)
Ecclesiastes 1:1 - 12:14 ESV (222 verses)
Song of Solomon 1:1 - 4:16 ESV (61 verses)
Mark 7:1 - 16:20 WEB (430 verses)

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I have missed a few days of Bible reading over the past week. Today I availed myself of some additional time of devotion, reading longer portions of scripture to catch up with what I have missed.

I finished reading the last five chapters of the book of Proverbs and went on to read the entire book of Ecclesiastes followed by the first four chapters of the Song of Solomon.

In the New Testament, I read the gospel of Mark, starting from chapter 7 all the way to the end of the gospel in chapter 16.

Altogether, I have read 429 verses of the OT and 430 verses of the NT

The drunkard's poem

Saturday 16Apr2022
Proverbs 22:1 - 26:28 WEB (144 verses)
Mark 5:1 - 6:56 WNT (99 verses)

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Proverbs chapter 23 from my Old Testament reading today appears to me as a poem depicting the never-ending whirlpool into which a drunkard descends.

Proverbs 23:29 - 35   WEB   World English Bible

29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?

30 Those who stay long at the wine; Those who go to seek out mixed wine.

31 Don't look at the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it goes down smoothly:

32 At the last it bites like a snake, And poisons like a viper.

33 Your eyes will see strange things, And your mind will imagine confusing things.

34 Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the midst of the sea, Or as he who lies on top of the rigging:

35 'They hit me, and I was not hurt; They beat me, and I don't feel it! When will I wake up? I can do it again. I can find another.'

In the New Testament, Ephesians 5:18 tells us not to be drunk with wine, but instead to be filled with the Spirit of God.

Ephesians 5:18  KJV  King James Version

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Brothers and Sisters in Iesus the Anointed One, let us never drunk with wine. Instead let us always be full of the Spirit of God the Father Almighty.

Fruit of the mouth, Power of the tongue

Friday 15Apr2022
Proverbs 15:1 - 21:31 WEB (208 verses)
Mark 1:1 - 4:41 WNT (149 verses)

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My Bible reading continues to fall behind schedule because I have been occupied with my routine quarterly changing of passwords for all my online accounts

This evening I came across two verses from Proverbs chapter 18 that reminds me of the power of our spoken words.

Verses 20 and 21 tell us that the "fruit of his mouth" a man satisfies his hunger, and that life and death are in the power of his words.

In the New Testament, James writes in chapter 3 that our tongues can defile our whole body and "set on fire" the course of nature.

Proverbs 18:20 - 21  WEB  World English Bible

20 A man's stomach is filled with the fruit of his mouth.
With the harvest of his lips he is satisfied.

21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue;
Those who love it will eat its fruit.

James 3:6  WEB

And the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by Gehenna.

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, let us satisfy ourselves and fill our lives with good fruits from our spoken words.

Three days of readings, Two days of rest

Friday 08Apr2022
Proverbs 1:1 -33 KJV (33 verses)
Matthew 22:1 - 24:51 WEB (136 verses)

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Saturday 09Apr2022
Proverbs 2:1 - 9:18 KJV (223 verses)
Matthew 25:1 - 26:75WEB (121 verses)

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Tuesday 12Apr2022
Proverbs 10:1 - 14:35 KJV (151 verses)
Matthew 27:1 - 28:20 WNT (86 verses)

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I was busy over the last weekend, travelling to visit my late father's grave in the Hokkien Cemetery in Kajang, Selangor, for the annual customary cleaning of the graveyard and to pay our respects in memory of the departed. This tradition is called "cleaning and brightening" in Chinese.

As a result, I was able to read the Bible in only three of the five days from Friday 08Apr22 until today 12Apr22.

In this time, I have read fourteen chapters from the Book of Proverbs along with the last seven chapters of the Gospel according to Matthew.

I am still a little behind time, having read only 407 verses of the OT in five days, giving an average of only about 80 verses a day instead of 128 verses a day in my daily quota. Similarly, for my NT reading, I have covered only 343 verses over the same five days, averaging less than 70 verses a day instead of my planned 88 verses a day.

All in all, I have fallen behind by about 200 verses of OT reading and about 100 verses in my NT readings. I will have to catch up by reading longer portions for the rest of this week.

In Thy Book were written the days formed for me

Thursday 07Apr2022
Book 5 : Psalms 107 to 150
Psalm 120:1 - 150:6 RSV (326 verses)
Matthew 16:1 - 21:46 WEB (200 verses)

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Today I finished the remaining thirty-one psalms in Book 5 of the Psalms. This brings me to the end of five Books of Psalms. Tomorrow I will begin reading the Book of Proverbs.

While reading Psalm 139, I was awakened to a truth written in verses 14 to 18. In this passage, the psalmist praises the LORD for how wonderfully the LORD has created him, so wonderfully that even before he was formed, "every one" of his days were already written the the book of the LORD.

Psalm 139:14 - 18  RSV  Revised Standard Version

14 I praise thee, for thou art fearful and wonderful.
Wonderful are thy works!
Thou knowest me right well;

15 my frame was not hidden from thee,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately wrought in the depths of the earth.

16 Thy eyes beheld my unformed substance;
in thy book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.

17 How precious to me are thy thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
When I awake, I am still with thee.

Brothers and Sisters in the Lord Iesus, let us praise God our Father in Heaven for He has made us in a wonderful way.

The shortest Psalm

Tuesday 05Apr2022
Book 5 : Psalms 107 to 150
Psalm 107:1 - 119:176 KJV (375 verses)
Matthew 12:1 - 15:39 NIV (183 verses)

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I did not read the Bible yesterday, so I decided to read longer portions today to catch up. This morning in my OT reading, I read Psalm 107 through 119 in Book 5 of the Psalms. For my NT reading, I read chapters 12 through 15 of the Gospel according to Matthew.

While many of us know that Psalm 119, with 176 verses, is the longest Psalm, perhaps not many know that Psalm 117 is the shortest Psalm. It has only two verses.

Psalm 117:1 - 2  KJV  King James Version
1 O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.
2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.

Psalm 117 verse 1 calls upon all "nations" (meaning the Gentile peoples) to praise Yehovah. This is a rare and somewhat unusual call as the children of Israel have always been the only people who call upon the Name of the LORD Yehovah.

In Romans 15:11, the Apostle Paul quotes this verse as the basis for his assertion that the Anointed "has been made a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, that he might confirm the promises given to the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy" (Romans 15:8 - 9 WEB).

Romans 15:11   KJV 
And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, let us praise Yehovah our LORD.

Readings in the airport.

Sunday 03Apr2022
Book 4 : Psalms 90 to 106
Psalm 90:1 - 106:48 KJV (321 verses)
Matthew 9:1 - 11:30 WEB (109 verses)

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Today, the first day of the week, I took a short flight back from Changi Airport T1 to Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2. My Bible reading today was done while waiting to board the flight.

I managed to cover longer portions than my planned daily portions of 128 OT verses and 88 NT verses, reading a total of 321 verses from the OT and another 109 verses from the NT.

Today, I finished reading the entire Book 4 of the Psalms (90 to 106) using the King James Version.

A poetic passage

Saturday 02Apr2022
Book 3 : Psalms 73 to 89
Psalm 80:1 - 89:52 RV (180 verses)
Matthew 6:1 - 8:34 WEB (97 verses)

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There is a poetic passage in Psalm 85 that likens mercy, truth, righteousness, and peace to heavenly entities meeting and kissing each other, springing out of the earth, and looking down from heaven.

Psalm 85:10 - 11  RV  Revised Version
Mercy and truth are met together
righteousness and peace have kissed each other
Truth springeth out of the earth;
and righteousness hath looked down from heaven

Brothers and Sisters in the Lord Iesus, let us fill our lives with mercy and truth. Let us live in the righteousness and peace of God our Father.