Reana's Reminiscence

Psalms 108 - 110 (24th May)

2007-05-24T00:09:00.000+08:00

Psalm 108

Psalm 108:1-5 are repeated in Psalm 57:7-11
Psalm 108:6-13 are from Psalm 60:5-12

Psalm 108:9-talks about Moab, Edom and Philistia were Israel’s enemies to the east, south and west respectively. They despised the Israelites and Israel’s God.

In verse 13, rest assured that with God’s help we can claim more than mere survival, we claim victory! Look for ways God can use your distress as an opportunity to show His mighty power. He will deliver you and lift you up if only you choose to take that step of faith to believe and place your focus and dependence upon Him…

Psalm 109

David was upset at being attacked by evil people who slandered him and lied. However, he remained faithful in his prayers to God. God wants us to still shower love and forgiveness upon those who have done evil or treated us wrongly as we are called to hate sin but to love that person. Doing this in our own strength is never easy but with His strength, we will be able to follow David’s example.

In verse 6-20, a call for God to judge the wicked. David was asking God to be swift in his promised judgment of evil people.

In verse 21 …for your name’s sake---means in accordance with God’s character

Psalm 110

In verse 1, this is one of the most quoted psalms in the New Testament because of its clear references to the Messiah. In Matthew 22:41-45, Jesus recited the words of this verse and applied them to Himself. Verses 1 and 6 look forward to Christ’s final and total destruction of the wicked (Revelation 6-9)

In verse 2, prophesies of Christ’s reign on the earth. Revelation 20:1-7

In verse 3 and 4, tells Christ’s priestly work for his people. Heb 5-8

In verse 5 and 6, look forward to the final battle on earth when Christ will overcome the forces of evil. Revelation 19:11-21

Numbers 31 - 32 (8th Mar)

2007-03-08T00:52:00.000+08:00

Numbers 31

Midianites were responsible for enticing Israel into Baal worship. God commanded Israel to destroy them (25:16-18). When we discover sin in our lives, we must deal with it completely. Never let any traces of sin live in you…When the Israelites later entered the promise land, it was their indifferent attitude to sin that eventually ruined them. Sin will subtly destroy us. Moses dealt with sin promptly and completely. When God points out sin, response immediately with action to remove it from your life.

V48-50: After carefully accounting for all their men, the officers discovered that not one soldier had been lost in battle. At once they thanked God. After going through tough times, we should be quick to thank God for delivering us and protecting us from severe loss.

Numbers 32

The land on the east side of Jordan had been conquered. The hard work was done by all the tribes together-unity counts. But the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh did not stop after their land was cleared. They promised to keep working with the others until everyone’s land was conquered-perseverance and overcomer spirit. After others have helped you, do you make excuses to escape helping them? Finish the whole job, even those parts that may not benefit you directly.

Numbers 28 - 30 (7th Mar)

2007-03-07T01:17:00.000+08:00

Numbers 28
Instructions concerning offerings:
Following strictly the rituals as instructed by the Lord God took much time and effort, but this gave the people the opportunity to prepare their hearts for worship. Unless our hearts are ready, worship is meaningless. By contrast, God is delighted and we get more from it, when our hearts, mind and spirit are ready to come before the Lord God in worship and thankfulness.
Let us come before the Lord always with the right attitude and heart of worship, always willing with the desire to please God, obey and learn from Him all the time!

Verse 9-10: Why were there extra offering made on the Sabbath day? The Sabbath was a special day of rest and worship commemorating both creation (Exodus 20:8-11) and the deliverance from Egypt (Deu 5:12-15).

Numbers 29
God placed many holidays on Israel’s calendar. The Feast of Trumpets was one of the 3 holidays celebrated in the 7th month (The Feast of Tabernacle and Day of Atonement were other two). These holidays provided a time to refresh the mind and body and to renew one’s commitment to God. We need time to rest in the Lord, to be recharged to serve Him and know His purposes for us again. We need to be separated from our daily routine and concentrate on renewing our commitment to God. So take time to have a retreat with God! Very important, you know!?

Numbers 30

Moses reminded the people that their promises to God and others must be kept. In ancient times, contracts not drawn up. A person’s word was as binding as a signature. To make a vow more binding, an offering was given along with it. Trust is still the basis of our relationship with God and others. Let your yes be yes and no be no. Learn to say no at the right time and with the right reason. When you say yes, make sure you stick to it and fulfill your promise to God and others.

Numbers 18 - 20 (3rd Mar)

2007-03-03T00:35:00.000+08:00

Numbers 18

Duties of priests and Levites

The Levites, who acted as ministers, had to tithe to support the Lord’s work. None was exempted to return to God a portion of what was received. The Levites owned no land and operated no great enterprises. They were to treat their income the same as everyone else did by giving a portion to the needs of Levites and the tabernacle. The tithing principle is still relevant. So let’s tithe monthly without fail.

Numbers 19

When a person touched a dead body, he was considered unclean (not able to approach God in worship). This ritual purified the unclean person so that he could offer sacrifices and worship God. (Death was the strongest of defilement as it was the final result of sin). The special sacrifice-a heifer (a young cow that has not had a calf) was required-had to be offered by someone who as not unclean. When it had been burned at the altar, its ashes were used to purity water for ceremonial cleansing. The unclean person washed himself, his clothes and belongings with this purified water which serve as an act of becoming clean again. Thank God, now we don’t need to go through this ritual and have the privilege to go direct to the Lord Jesus to ask for forgiveness of sins and the freedom to worship God!

Numbers 20

After wandering in the desert for 40 years, Israel arrived at Kadesh, where Miriam died. There was not enough water and the people complained bitterly. The people were always quick to blame Moses but failed to realize that the problem was the result of their parents’ and their own sin—often problems came about due to our disobedience, lack of faith and stubbornness. Don’t blame God for our own sins. The Lord told Moses to speak to the rock but Moses disobeyed by striking the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out from the rock and gave enough water for the people and livestock. Moses sinned against God when he also took credit- “we bring you water out of this rock”. He was hence forbidden to enter the promised land. Sin can hinder the blessings of God for us.

May all of us be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and choose to obey God and be quick to repent when we sinned against God.

Numbers 1 - 2 (23rd Feb)

2007-02-23T23:10:00.000+08:00

Numbers 1

Written by Moses
The Israelites had camped near Mount Sinai for more than a year. They had received all the laws and regulations passed down to them recorded in the book of Leviticus. They had been transformed into a new nation and equipped for God’s purpose for them. Moses and Aaron were told to number all the men who were able to serve in the army. This book is named for this census, or numbering of the people.
Taking a census is long and tedious, but very crucial task. Those involved in the military had to be counted to know the military strength before entering the Promised Land.
**Whenever we are at a crossroad, important to take inventory of our resources, reflect, pray and move on with hope in the Lord.

Numbers 2

The nation of Israel was organized according to 12 tribes:

1) It was an effective way to manage and govern a large group of people,

2)Made dividing the Promised Land easier,

3) It was part of the culture and heritage,

4) made it easier to keep detailed genealogies

5) made travelling much more efficient.

As the people left Mount Sinai and traveled across the desert, they began to complain, grumble and disobey. Soon problems surfaced and Moses was not able to effectively manage the people. The books of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers present a contrast between how much we can accomplish when we obey God and how little when we don’t

Leviticus 22 - 23 (20th Feb)

2007-02-20T00:07:00.000+08:00

Leviticus 22

God wanted the priests to serve Him and the people. The priests help people draw near to God and worship Him. But after Christ’s sacrifice for us, we are given the freedom and privilege to draw close to God directly. Animals with defects of any form were not acceptable as sacrifices to the Lord because they did not represent God’s holy nature. When we give the best of ourselves to the Lord, we show the true meaning of worship and testify to God’s supreme worth.

Leviticus 23

The purpose for the appointed feasts of the Lord is that God wanted the people to set aside special days for the people to come together to 1) rest 2) receive refreshment 3) remembering with thanksgiving all He had done for them. The feast of the unleavened bread reminded the people of Israel their escape from Egypt.

The consumption of unleavened bread shows:
1) The bread was unique – rep. Israel’s uniqueness as a nation.
2) Yeast was a symbol of sin – the bread rep. the people’s moral purity.
3) The bread reminded the people to obey quickly.

The feast of first-fruits – shows that people can only eat from their harvest after they have offered to God.
The feast of weeks represents a festival praising God for a bountiful harvest.
The feast of tabernacle, also known as the feast of in gathering was a special celebration involving the whole family. It teaches the family about God’s nature and what he had done for them and was a time of renewed commitment.

Exodus 33 - 35 (10th Feb)

2007-02-10T01:56:00.000+08:00

Exodus 33

God and Moses talked face to face in the Tent of Meeting like friends. Isn’t that awesome? How I wish I can do that with God…Why did Moses receive such privileges from God? Not due to his talents, gifts or character…but simply because God chose Moses in the first place and Moses obeyed, relied and followed what God asked him to do. Though we can’t talk with God face to face, we can still talk with God and Jesus will always be a friend to us. We just ended today’s Friendship event at MagicBox. God is really reminding us that He is our friend yesterday and today and forever. Praise the Lord!

Moses told God not to send them up to where God wanted them to go if the Lord God won’t be there. I fully agree. I will never want to do something or go somewhere if God will not be there with me. I want His guidance, His blessings and His presence to be with me at all times. I am sure all of you will fully agree with me. But pause again, sometimes, we do things without really praying and seeking His approval…hence, stop and invite God to be with you at all times and in doing all things.

Exodus 34

God did not give Moses the vision of His power and majesty, rather His love. God’s glory is revealed in His mercy, grace compassion, faithfulness, forgiveness and justice.

God mentioned-Do not worship any other god, for the Lord whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. God wants us to give Him wholeheartedly-our heart, mind, time, money…

Moses’ face was radiant after he spent time with God. Although we are not like Moses, we still need to spend time with God - reading and mediating upon His words, praying and simply taking delight to be with Him all the time. We can then radiate the beauty of God in us. This is the beauty that will last. Have you seen someone who is physically not that pretty or handsome, but when you spend time with this person, you find this person so beautiful as the beauty of God is reflected through him/her. I definitely want this type of beauty.

Exodus 35

Tabernacle construction- the people were called to construct the tabernacle based on God’s specific instructions. God gives each of us a gift, a talent. We are to use them to His glory. Thank God for whatever gift or talent you have and for some of us who are not sure what are our gifting, ask God to reveal to you and use it for His glory.

Exodus 28 - 29 (8th Feb)

2007-02-08T01:00:00.000+08:00

Exodus 28
Give us some details about the priests. Not only was a priest from the tribe of Levi, but also a descendant of Aaron (Moses’ brother), Israel’s first priest. The priests performed the daily sacrifices, maintained the tabernacle and provide counsel to the people how to follow God. They are the representatives of God and they need to live worthy lives. Aaron was in charge of all the priests and Levites. Now, Jesus is our high priest as he had sacrificed himself on the cross for the atonement of our sins. PTL! No need for daily sacrifices anymore! Safe us the time for marketing!

Exodus 29
Sin prevents people from approaching God. God then appointed priests from the tribe of Levi and set up a system of sacrifices to help the people approach God. God is actually preparing the people for the coming of Jesus Christ. Our God is a holy God. The holiness of God is greatly emphasized-the priests, the clothing, the tabernacle and the sacrifices had to be clean and consecrated as a preparation to meet God. Let’s come before God with reverence and repentance daily.

In verse 45-46- shows God’s GREAT desire to be with the people and to protect them. God wants to live among us in our hearts and minds. Allow God to dwell and participate in every aspects of our lives. Let God be the Lord of our lives!

Exodus 25 - 27 (7th Feb)

2007-02-07T00:57:00.000+08:00

Exodus 25 – 31 gives the full record for the building of the tabernacle based on God’s directions.
Exodus 35-39 tells how these instructions were to be carried out.

Exodus 25
The high qualities of the precious materials used to build the tabernacle shows God’s greatness and transcendence. The curtain surrounding the most Holy Place shows God’s moral perfection symbolized by His separation from the common and unclean. The portable nature of the tabernacle shows God’s desire to be with His people as they traveled. Till now, God still desires to want us draw close to Him. Indeed, Christianity is not a religion but a relationship with God!

Exodus 26
Food for thought: When Jesus died on the cross, the curtain in the temple (which had replaced the tabernacle) tore from top to bottom (Mark 15:38) symbolizing our free access to God because of Jesus’ death. No longer do we need to approach God with sacrifices and through priests

Exodus 27
The altar of burnt offering was the first thing the Israelites saw as they entered the tabernacle courtyard. They could only go to God through sacrifices but now Jesus has made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us.

Exodus 22-24 (6th Feb)

2007-02-06T00:01:00.000+08:00

Exodus 22

These are God's principles in action given to the Israelites. They serve to guide, protect and bless the people if they choose to abide to the principles. God also stressed the principles of restitution-making wrong RIGHT! If you have done someone wrong, make a point to make wrong RIGHT as this will

1) help ease any pain you have caused

2) help others more forgiving and

3) cause you to think before doing the wrong thing again.

Exodus 23

Laws of Justice and Mercy, Sabbath Laws, The Three Annual Festivals...again God gave out a list of laws for the people to follow, so that they will live right before the eyes of the Lord, God.

God is such a merciful and loving God who is always there to want to guide us, warn us so that we do not fall into the trap of sinning against Him and need to bear the consequences of our sins and hence miss out His blessings for us. God's angel to prepare the way---most likely the angel was a manifestation of God. God was the angel the same way He was present in the pillar of clouds and fire for the Hebrew people.

God will never leave nor forsake us...He is and will be there for all of us, in whatever situation we are in, at any point of time in our lives, He chose to want to be there for us---shows how wonderful and loving God is to us.

Exodus 24

God confirmed the covenant. God chose Moses alone to approach Him. Moses wrote down everything the Lord had said. Moses then built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up 12 stone pillars representing the 12 tribes of Israel to worship and honour God.

God called Moses to go up to the mountains and He gave Moses the tablets of stone with the law and commands written for the people's instructions. Moses was with the Lord, God for 40 days and nights. Awesome, right?

Job 38 - 39 (14th Jan)

2007-01-14T02:01:00.000+08:00

Job 38
The finale finally comes-God speaks…He answered Job out of the storm…Hmm, God seems to like water…after the flood, now storm…
God did not answer Job directly, instead He asked Job a series of questions that no human could possibly answer. Amazing, right? God knows Job, just like God knows us. He handles each of us differently, using different approaches. With this approach of God on Job, Job finally responded by recognizing that God’s ways are best. God used Job’s ignorance of the earth’s natural order to reveal Job’s ignorance of who God is. Since Job was not able to explain some common events in nature, how could Job possibly explain or question God?

In Job 39, after asking Job about nature, God questioned Job about the animal kingdom. Interesting, right? Poor Job, physically so tired and unwell, still need to crack his head to think. God’s intention was to show how awesome God is and how limited was Job’s knowledge about things around him. God was not interested in Job’s answers, rather, God wanted Job to recognize and submit to God’s power and sovereignty. Only then could Job hear what God was really saying to him.

****Suffering causes us to trust God for who He is, not what He does.

Job 35 - 37 (13th Jan)

2007-01-13T01:48:00.000+08:00

Job 35
I am sure Elihu must have waited for a loooong time before he was given the chance to speak. It shows Elihu having great patience…something to emulate. But he sure has great stamina to speak…hen duo kou sui… it just flowed like waterfall. Though he claimed that Job’s attitude had become arrogant as he tried to defend his innocence, we can learn a lot about God through his speech too.

Whatever circumstances, trials, problems or challenges that you have in life, rest assured that God has and will always be there for each of us. God is still concerned even though he doesn’t intervene immediately in every situation. God executes justice! Don’t lose Hope! Wait upon God! Don’t Quit when tested! Persevere till the very end and enjoy His blessings---in the case of Job, God blessed Him doubled as much as he used to have.

Elihu continued…waterfall still flowing…heez
In Job 36, Elihu talked about how incomprehensible God is and there is no way we can completely fathom God! That is why He is the God Almighty! Though we can know God by reading His Word, praying, worshipping…we can never know enough to answer all of life’s questions, to predict the future or to manipulate God for our own benefit (Pls read Eccless 3:11). So each time you do not get an answer to the “Why? How come?” Pls stop asking as He may not give you the reason or answer to some of your sufferings and trials. There were many things in my life that I wish to know the reason…but after some time, I know that God will never tell me…perhaps even if He really explains, I may not fully understand…so I eventually stopped asking…

In Job 37, Elihu continued to talk about nothing can compare to God. God is awesome, all powerful, and majestic in all ways. When He speaks, we must obey as disobedience is sin and we reap the consequences of our own choices if we choose to do otherwise-that is a risk to take! Do not speak for God, take Him for granted, or to interpret His silence to mean that God is not there or does not care. Do not play God!
Elihu concluded by saying that faith in God is far more important than Job’s desire for an explanation of his plight. He came so close to helping Job, but…just after this, God speaks. A great relief for Job.

Job 10 - 13 (6th Jan)

2007-01-06T17:37:00.000+08:00

Hey family, I really enjoyed reading His words since 1st January 07… Hope all of you are catching the same excitement as me :o) Though kinda challenging, especially since school has started, returning to work and waking up early to prepare breakfast for my lovely 2 - Joash and Janna, I am glad by His strength I am able to squeeze out whatever time I have to maintain the consistency of reading His Words… now having panda eyes due to lack of sleep, but each time when I managed to finish what has to be read for the day, I can’t help but to beam with joy…

As I read Job, I am very much encouraged by the fact that (Job 1:6-12) Satan is limited by God’s power and can do only what he is permitted by God. Because Satan can do nothing without God’s permission, God’s people can overcome his attacks through God’s power. Awesome, right? Satan cannot see into our minds or foretell the future…that’s why he did not know if Job can overcome the trials and affliction but God knows.
Adversity strengthens real faith by causing believers to dig their roots deeper into God in order to withstand the storms.

As I read Job… the adversities plagued upon him is so much and intense. I really salute to his tenacity to press on (though he did become impatient and upset, blaming God)… but he did not reject and curse God.

When faced with trials, try asking God –What can I learn and how can I grow?

I know its easier said than done…this is the attitude that God wants from every child of His.

By our strength - Impossible. By His strength, POSSIBLE.

Interestingly, as I read Job’s reply in Job 10, I can’t help but to feel that though Job was suffering, his words were so poetic and his way of putting the words were so beautifully phrased…

v10 - Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese,

v11 - clothe me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews? … even when he was angry.

For us, when we are angry, don’t think we can respond with such poetic and beautiful structure of words… heez…

In Job 11, the last of Job’s friend - Zophar
Zophar was even more unfriendly and arrogant in his words to Job, accusing Job of sinning against God due to his plight and saying Job deserved to be punished. Sad , right? My heart goes out to Job… sob, sob. Zophar was indeed very, Super-duper insensitive and shows no brotherly love and compassion… I am sure he is the last person that Job wants to see if given the chance.

In Job 12 -14, Job’s reply to Zophar
This time, Job was sure heated up, he responded to Zophar with great sarcasm. Job once again emphasized that his 3 friends had misunderstood his suffering. Job stressed that he did not sinned against God to end up like this. Job was very adamant about asking God for an explanation to his plight.