Monthly Archives: August 2024

PROVERBS 2 ON TREASURING GOD’S WORD AND HIS LAWS

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September 4

PROVERBS 2

My son, if you receive my words
    and treasure up my commandments with you,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom
    and inclining your heart to understanding;
3 yes, if you call out for insight
    and raise your voice for understanding,
4 if you seek it like silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasures,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
    he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 guarding the paths of justice
    and watching over the way of his saints. – Proverbs 2:1-8

PROVERBS 2 ON TREASURING GOD’S WORD AND HIS LAWS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When one accepts the laws of the Lord and follows it

They are inclined to be attentive to wisdom and insights

If you search for “understanding” like it is a hidden treasure

Then you will come to know God and begin to fear him.

Treasuring God’s word and his laws brings promises. In verse 5, the promise of understanding the fear of the Lord and finding the knowledge of God is one of those benefits that a truth seeker will receive. In verse 6, God promises wisdom in such a way that they will be able to speak wisely and understand his truth. In verse 7, his promise to enrich the righteous with lots of sound wisdom and integrity. In verse 8, God promises protection and justice and guidance to all those who live uprightly. So, how come some Christians fail to treasure God’s word and his laws as if it were a prized possession? We live in a corrupt world where we are in constant battle with our own flesh and the devil.

REFLECTION

  • Share the ways you manifest treasuring God’s laws and his word.

PROVERBS 1 WHEN ONE HATES KNOWLEDGE

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September 3

PROVERBS 1

27 when terror strikes you like a storm
    and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
    when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
    they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge
    and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof,
31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,
    and have their fill of their own devices.
32 For the simple are killed by their turning away,
    and the complacency of fools destroys them;
33 but whoever listens to me will dwell secure
    and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”– Proverbs 1:27-33

PROVERBS 1 WHEN ONE HATES KNOWLEDGE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When one defies wisdom and embraces the ways of the wicked

Anxiety and distress are not far from their lives; it imprisons them

Because they hate knowledge and did not choose to revere the Lord

They won’t have fruitful lives but will be destroyed by the ways of the world.

In this book of Proverbs, Solomon continues to warn us of the consequences of not heeding the call of wisdom in our lives. He mentions that anxiety and distress will be constant visitors in those who do not heed such wise counsel. As a result of hating knowledge and not fearing the Lord, they will be left on their own foolishness and be destroyed by such rebellion against wisdom. Verse 32 points out that those who do not heed wisdom will be killed and those who are complacent will be destroyed. It sounds harsh but it is true that the foolish will never produce any good outcome because they refuse to see the good. On the other hand, the wise will be secure and safe.

REFLECTION

  • Share someone you know who defied knowledge and its outcome in their lives.

PROVERBS 1 WISDOM CRIES OUT

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September 2

PROVERBS 1

20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice;
21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?
23 If you turn at my reproof, behold,

 I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.

24 Because I have called and you refused to listen,
have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
25 because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you,

                                                                – Proverbs 1:20-26

PROVERBS 1 WISDOM CRIES OUT

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The Lord announces his wisdom by giving us his words

He cries it out loud so all people can navigate this world

He pours out his Spirit so we can be able to walk in love and truth

He wants us to allow all things written in his word to take root in us.

It is interesting how Solomon personified “wisdom” as a woman in this chapter. It is like a woman who is so concerned for her people and constantly warning them to follow what is good for them. In the following verses, especially in verse 23-26, the “wisdom” is like a very caring mother warning her children to follow her instructions and advice.

Why does Solomon talk about wisdom’s voice out loud in the markets, noisy streets, city gates entrances? According to bibleref.com the reason for staging this image in the marketplace is visibility. The market is a crowded, public area, one where everyone in the community needs to go. In other words, Solomon is suggesting that wisdom is accessible to anyone and everyone who actually wants it. And, because she “cries aloud” and “raises her voice” in a public place, even those who aren’t specifically seeking her are going to encounter her, at least by accident. Wisdom does not hide itself. It is clear and present. Even those who don’t seek wisdom will stumble into it, at times. The only way to completely avoid wisdom is to purposefully ignore it.

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think some people ignore wisdom when it’s available to all?

PROVERBS 1 ON OBEYING YOUR PARENTS

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Sept 1

PROVERBS 1

Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching,
9 for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;
let us ambush the innocent without reason;
12 like Sheol let us swallow them alive, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
13 we shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder;
14 throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse”—
15 my son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths,
16 for their feet run to evil,  and they make haste to shed blood.
17 For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird,
18 but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives.
19 Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain;

 it takes away the life of its possessors. – Proverbs 1:8-19

PROVERBS 1 ON OBEYING YOUR PARENTS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The Lord God assigned parents to give you life

He chose your father and mother according to his plan

Obey your father’s instruction and neglect not your mother’s teaching

If you follow their guidance and honor them, you will live a long life.

The only command with a promise is the fifth commandment stated in Exodus 20:12. Why do you think God commands us to obey and honor our parents? What if they are neglectful and abusive or unhealthy? When God assigned parents to us, he already knew what to become of us. “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. ‘”-Jeremiah 29:11. You may wonder why God allows bad things to happen to a child when parents are not responsible and not bringing up their children in love. God knows all this and he can change the hearts of anyone or use the bad things for good. Verse 9 says they are graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.

REFLECTION

·       Why do you think God wants us to obey and honor our parents?

PROVERBS 1 THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM

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August 31

PROVERBS 1

The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

2 To know wisdom and instruction,
    to understand words of insight,
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing,
    in righteousness, justice, and equity;
4 to give prudence to the simple,
    knowledge and discretion to the youth—
5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning,
    and the one who understands obtain guidance,
6 to understand a proverb and a saying,
    the words of the wise and their riddles.

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
    fools despise wisdom and instruction.

                                                         – Proverbs 1:1-7

PROVERBS 1 THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Every form of knowledge and wisdom is from the Lord

No one can claim that they are wise when they don’t know God

God is the giver of life and only though him can we receive wisdom

Without the fear of the Lord, we will be foolish, ignorant and dumb.

In our current information age, many people assume that gathering and having information is enough for them to navigate this corrupt world. Sadly, this is a big lie. Having information isn’t the same as knowledge and wisdom. In the book of James, he mentions that we cannot just be hearers of the word, but we must also be doers of the word too. What good is it to have knowledge and not put it into use?

In the book of Proverbs, Solomon gives us the source of wisdom. It is the fear of the Lord that begins wisdom. In other words, those who do not know God may never experience wisdom. They may have head knowledge of something, but they do not know absolute truth which only comes from believing that God is the source of all things. He is wisdom himself, so, if we acknowledge and believe and serve him, we automatically become wise.

REFLECTION

  • What do you think is the difference between being intelligent and being wise?

EXODUS 36 GOD PROVIDES THOSE WHO SUPPORT HIS KINGDOM

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August 30

EXODUS 36

25 For the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty frames 26 and their forty bases of silver, two bases under one frame and two bases under the next frame. 27 For the rear of the tabernacle westward he made six frames. 28 He made two frames for corners of the tabernacle in the rear. 29 And they were separate beneath but joined at the top, at the first ring. He made two of them this way for the two corners. 30 There were eight frames with their bases of silver: sixteen bases, under every frame two bases.31 He made bars of acacia wood, five for the frames of the one side of the tabernacle, 32 and five bars for the frames of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the tabernacle at the rear westward. 33 And he made the middle bar to run from end to end halfway up the frames. 34 And he overlaid the frames with gold, and made their rings of gold for holders for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold

                                                                   – Exodus 36:25-34

EXODUS 36 GOD PROVIDES THOSE WHO SUPPORT HIS KINGDOM

According to the inspired scriptures.com website, the symbolism of the building supports the Tabernacle in the context of giving is that each aspect of the support system pointed toward Jesus. The acacia wood symbolized His incorruptible body (Ps. 16:10(b); Acts 13:35). The gold symbolized His divinity, which makes our salvation possible (Jo. 1:1, 14; 3:16). The silver symbolizes redemption (Matt. 26:14-16). It is only through Jesus that our redemption is possible. The bronze symbolizes judgment (Ex. 38:2; Rev. 1:15; Rom. 16:20). He bore the judgment for each believer (2 Cor. 5:21; John 1:29; Acts 3:19; 1 John 2:2). He is the boards and the sockets which hold the Church together. He is also the veil or door which leads into the Tabernacle and fellowship with both Jesus and the Church in heaven (Jo. 14:6). When God’s people generously gave to build the tabernacle, God will provide for all those who supported to build his kingdom. All the materials he required to be used for frames and supports for the tabernacle were very specific. It symbolized how God’s provision for all those who contributed in building his kingdom were going to have stability and firm foundation. All these materials pointed to Jesus. He is the firm foundation that we need to anchor our lives on so that we will have that stability we need to navigate the very corrupt world we live in. God wants us to anchor our whole existence on Jesus.

REFLECTION

  • Share a time when God blessed you more than what you offered for his church.

EXODUS 36 CURTAINS FOR THE TABERNACLE

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August 29

EXODUS 36

14 He also made curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle. He made eleven curtains. 15 The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. The eleven curtains were the same size. 16 He coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves. 17 And he made fifty loops on the edge of the outermost curtain of the one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the other connecting curtain. 18 And he made fifty clasps of bronze to couple the tent together that it might be a single whole. 19 And he made for the tent a covering of tanned rams’ skins and goatskins.

20 Then he made the upright frames for the tabernacle of acacia wood. 21 Ten cubits was the length of a frame, and a cubit and a half the breadth of each frame. 22 Each frame had two tenons for fitting together. He did this for all the frames of the tabernacle. 23 The frames for the tabernacle he made thus: twenty frames for the south side. 24 And he made forty bases of silver under the twenty frames, two bases under one frame for its two tenons, and two bases under the next frame for its two tenons. – Exodus 36:14-24

EXODUS 36 CURTAINS FOR THE TABERNACLE

In Genesis 27:11,15;37:31-34;1 Sam.19:12-17, they talk about the goat skin symbolizes sin. During Atonement Day, the high priest cast the sins of the nations upon a goat and drove it away as Lev.16:10,20-22 indicated. This account foreshadows our Lord Jesus Christ who cast our sins away as 2 Cor. 5:21 says: Like the goat, he will carry away our sin. “The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29; Acts 3:19;1 John 2:2).

According to inspiredscriptures.com, the fact that there are 50 bronze clasps signifies the freedom from judgment that comes from Christ’s completed work on the cross. In Romans 8:1, we are no longer condemned because of our sins since they were already taken away by Jesus’ death on the cross. In Hebrews 8:12, God even promised that he will forget your sins.

The rams’ skins dyed red symbolized the substitution of guilt that is made for every believer. According to Matthew Henry, the shelter and special protection that the church is under are signified by the curtains of hair-cloth, which were spread over the tabernacle and the coverings of ram skins and badger skins over them. God has provided for his people a shadow from the heat and a covert from storm and rain which Isa.4:6 mentions.

REFLECTION

  • Share a time when God covered you in his protection.

EXODUS 36 BUILDING THE TEN CURTAINS FOR THE TABERNACLE

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August 28

EXODUS 36

8 And all the craftsmen among the workmen made the tabernacle with ten curtains. They were made of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns, with cherubim skillfully worked. 9 The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. All the curtains were the same size.10 He coupled five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he coupled to one another. 11 He made loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain of the first set. Likewise he made them on the edge of the outermost curtain of the second set. 12 He made fifty loops on the one curtain, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was in the second set. The loops were opposite one another. 13 And he made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains one to the other with clasps. So the tabernacle was a single whole.

                                                                   – Exodus 36:8-13

EXODUS 36 BUILDING THE TEN CURTAINS FOR THE TABERNACLE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

After the Lord assigned all the craftsmen to work on the tabernacle

All the craftsmen began making the ten curtains of the house of the Lord

Blue, purple and scarlet yarns were used for the building of this place

All the curtains were similar in sizes and grouped in two sets of fives.

There were only specific types of materials used which were fine twined linen and only three colors which were blue, purple and scarlet. According to the inspired scripture.com website, the fine linens pointed toward the unified and purified body of Jesus.2 Peter 1:4 and Colossians 1:22,27 says that as a believer, Jesus has imparted some of His righteousness to believers by making them holy with his blood. Blue symbolizes heaven. It is only through Jesus that we can have access to heaven. Purple symbolizes his royalty as “King of kings.” As mentioned in Revelation. The scarlet material symbolizes his blood that was poured out to atone for our sins as revealed in Revelation 7:14 and Hebrews 9:14. The ten curtains joined together as one symbolizes the divine order that comes from living out of love and not obligations and the 50 loops and clasps symbolize the freedom from sorrow that comes from living within the protection of his Covenant.

REFLECTION

·       What can you learn from the making of the ten curtains by God’s chosen craftsmen?

EXODUS 36 OVERFLOWING CONTRIBUTION FOR THE SANCTUARY

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August 27

EXODUS 36

 “Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the Lord has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded.”2 And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the Lord had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work. 3 And they received from Moses all the contribution that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning, 4 so that all the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, each from the task that he was doing, 5 and said to Moses, “The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do.” 6 So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, “Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing, 7 for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more. – Exodus 36:1-7

EXODUS 36 OVERFLOWING CONTRIBUTION FOR THE SANCTUARY

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When the Lord asked the Israelites to take part in building the sanctuary

He required them to give a contribution from their hearts & out of their generosity

The freewill offerings came every morning so that the task was done by the craftsmen

But it came to a point when the overflow was too much that they were restrained.

What an interesting account that proves God’s blessings on all those who contributed willingly and generously out of their hearts. The Lord God assigned craftsmen to execute his detailed plan for the sanctuary, but he also provided the materials that came from each of their plunder from the Egyptians when they were let go by them. I think that they realized that after they sinned against God with the golden calf, they can no longer use the material wealth given to them for their own purposes, but to give back to God what they have actually received from their Lord who provided everything for them.

Whenever we give out something from our hearts to glorify the Lord, He multiplies what we supply. Because the Lord is a generous God, he expects us to be like him too when we give. After all, everything belongs to him.

REFLECTION

  • Why is it important for Christians to be generous to give for God’s work?

EXODUS 35 ARTISTIC GIFTS FROM GOD

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August 26

EXODUS 35

30 Then Moses said to the people of Israel, “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, 32 to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, 33 in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft. 34 And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. 35 He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver—by any sort of workman or skilled designer. – Exodus 35:30-35

EXODUS 35 ARTISTIC GIFTS FROM GOD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When God assigns people to do his artistic design

He chose Bezalel and Oholiab from his various tribes of Israel

To Bezalel, he gave him talent to cut silver, bronze and gold

He was also given the ability to cut stones and carve wood

Oholiab was filled with engraving and embroidering skills

He is able to work with the various yarns and weave linens.

The two people whom God entrusted to oversee the building of the Tabernacle were Bezalel and Oholiab. They were filled with God’s Spirit so they can execute the ornate and very detailed design that God himself created. In order that a divine design can be implemented, he had to ensure that he equipped the people he assigned with the craftsmanship in the building of the Tabernacle. Aside from that, he also gave them the ability to teach and to be knowledgeable in God’s truth.

I am especially honored that not only God gave me the artistic abilities in painting, photography, theatre arts, musical and culinary arts, but also in the literary arts which I have been gifted with much later in life. I never thought that I could write poetry and commentaries for spreading God’s word until I was in my late fifties.  He also gave me a hunger for his word and a longing to know him deeply. All these gifts are from God and they need to be used to give him glory.

REFLECTION

·       How can God’s gifts be misused by some people?