The BOOK – Love Song

The Song of Songs can be called the Christian’s love song. Many readers of this book have wondered why the “Song of Solomon” is in the Holy Bible. It appears very unique from the other Scripture in that it seems to make no mention of the Lord, his Law, history or prophesy. While it is classified with the Psalms and Proverbs, it is different from them as well. 

This is a song of love in marriage. The characters in the song are Solomon, the Shulamite maid, his wife and the daughters of Jerusalem. The love of Solomon and his wife illustrates the love between Jehovah and his people. This is seen in many passages in the Bible. Solomon as a lover was a type of Christ Jesus (Ephesians 5).

Personal love to Christ is the greatest need of the Church today. The knowledge of sin forgiven and of Christ’s redeeming work has drawn us to him.

When reading this book, may the Spirit of God enable you to understand the true love of Christ to you. In accordance with his love, may the Spirit guide you to lead the Holy life, which God desires, and be a true faithful servant of him.

The BOOK – Preacher

Ecclesiastes is an autobiography or the book of experience. It contains the meditations and sermons of the wise man, Solomon.

God has given us this book of Ecclesiastes the record of all that human thinking and natural religion has ever been able to discover concerning the meaning and goal of life. The arguments in this book are not God’s arguments, but God’s record of people’s arguments. The writer is Solomon, and the book is a dramatic biography of his experience and reflections while he was out of fellowship with God. Solomon may have been wise, but he did not follow his own wisdom.

The message of Ecclesiastes is that, apart from God, life is full of weariness and disappointment. The problem that faced Solomon was how he could find happiness and satisfaction apart from God (Ecc 1: 1-3). He sought the following things

·         He sought satisfaction in science (Ecc 1:4-11)

·         He sought it in Philosophy (Ecc 1: 12-18)

·         He found pleasure (Ecc 2: 1-11)

·         He tried materialism (Ecc 2: 12-26)

·         He tried natural religion, wealth and morality (Ecc 5, 6, 7).

But in all these, he was not able to get an answer.

The conclusion message is found in Ecclesiastes 12:13.

“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter; Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind”

The best and possibly good way to be wise and be with God is found in Ecclesiastes 11:9 – 12:1. The mention of being youth in growing up is interesting. It simply points out that in order to know God and have a life worth living, it is better to know him when you are young.  Instead of having a worldly life, with the so called best friend, girlfriend, boyfriend, and having affairs and get ditched in life, it is always good to live a life according to the word and know about God and live according to his principles.

May the Holy Spirit enable you to live a life according to the scriptures and know God to live a holy and faithful life.

The BOOK – Christ through Proverbs

The Proverbs are for Christian walk. Here you can find the duty towards God, to your neighbours, duty of parents and children and our obligations as citizens. When you come to Proverbs with a cleansed and surrendered heart and mind, you will get most out of the book.

The Author Solomon wrote more wisely than he lived. Solomon wrote 400 years before the seven wise men of Greece. The wise give heed to the commands of God and obey tem. The foolish ignore God’s will. This book divides people into 2 classes – wise and foolish.

Proverbs is divided into 3 sections:

·         Counsel for young men (Proverbs 1 – 10)

·         Counsel for all men (Proverbs 11 – 20)

·         Counsel for Kings and rulers (Proverbs 21 – 31)

The book closes with one of the most beautiful chapters in the word (Proverbs 31), a chapter on women’s rights. 

When you read the book of Proverbs, put Jesus Christ in place of “wisdom” in the verses, and you will see wonderful power in this book. (1 Corinthians 1:30). God wants to give us his wisdom – the wisdom that created heavens and earth, that we might use it all of life (James 1:5). Human wisdom can never solve life’s problems. Only God knows the ways of people. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10; Psalm 111:10).

Praying that you will walk with God and with the anointing of the Holy Spirit and by the wisdom and knowledge from the word of God, you will overcome all evil forces and live a testimonial life, Amen.

The BOOK – Portray Jesus

Psalms is the best loved books in the Old Testament. Every Psalm is a direct expression of the Soul’s consciousness of God. This book is full of Christ. They describe the whole program if his suffering and death. Many quotations from this book are found in the New Testament. Lots of verses directly refer to Christ and his life and death. 

Psalms 1 to 41 is about Man, what are the things he should not do and the things he should do. The things not to do are:

·         Refuse to walk in the counsel of the ungodly and do not take their advice or follow the pattern of their lives.

·         Refuse to stand in the way of sinners. When you stand in sin, it shows that you have been brought under the spell of evil.

·         Refuse to sit in scorner’s seat. The scorner sits idly watching the struggles of others and cares not that many are losing fight.

The things a man has to do are:

·         Read the Bible

·         Delight in it.

·         Meditate upon it.

When a Christian follows the dos and donts, see the result:

·         Planted – he is planted by streams of water – settled life.

·         Prosperous – leaves does not wither – abiding happy life.

·         Purposive – Yields its fruits in season – productive life.

Psalms 22 tells of the good shepherd giving his life for his sheep. Psalms 23 tells of the great shepherd keeping his sheep and Psalms 24 tells of the Chief Shephard in his glory rewarding his sheep.

Psalms 42 – 72 tells about Israel. From 42 to 49, it talks about Israel’s ruin, 50 to 60 talks about Israel’s redeemer and Psalms 61 – 72 talks about Israel’s redemption.

From Psalms 73 to 89 we see the sanctuary mentioned to in almost every one. We see God’s counsels in relation to the sanctuary.

Psalms 90 to 106 talks about Earth. 90 – 94 talks about the blessings needed, 95 – 100 talks about the blessings anticipated and Psalms 101 – 106 talks about the blessings enjoyed. 

All the teaching from Psalms 107 to 150 is around the word the God. It starts with Psalms 107; He sent his word and healed them (Psalms 107:20).

Psalms is the book for all who are in need, the sick and suffering, the poor and needy, the prisoner and exile, the person in danger and the persecuted. It is a book for the sinner, telling him or her of God’s great mercy and forgiveness. It is a book for the child of God, leading him or her into new experiences with the Lord. It tells of God’s law in its perfection and pronounces blessings upon the one who will keep it. 

May the Almighty bless you with his word when you read Psalms, so that it will pierce into your heart, talk to you and help and guide you to walk along with it, Amen.

The BOOK - Educate from Job

The book of Job is one of the old, if not the oldest, books in the Bible. Trials and suffering are for our education and training. The athlete is not put under strict discipline for punishment, but merely to make him ready for the race. Christ is ever preparing us for the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1-2). The theme of the book is “why do Godly people suffer?”  

The disciples of Christ thought that suffering was the result of sin in a life (John 9:2). The book of Job was being honoured by God. It was the truth that God could trust Job to remain faithful to God in spite of everything. 

The story of Job is a simple one. It opens with a scene in heaven and then tells of job’s fall from prosperity to poverty. This is followed by the great discussion between Job and his 4 friends: Eliphaz, the religious dogmatist, much like an ancient Pharisee; Bildad, who sought to comfort Job with worn-out platitudes; and Zophar, who thought he had a corner on all religious wisdom. Then comes Elihu, the impetuous youth. Finally, the climax is reached when God speaks. Job answers, at last in a humble spirit, and the problem are solved. 

God has a wise purpose in all of our suffering. God wants to show his manifold wisdom (Ephesians 3:10). He wants the trial of our faith to work patience. He wants to bring out the gold as by fire. He wants to reveal real character. This book tells us much about human suffering. Job’s friends, as thousands do today, made the mistake of thinking that all suffering was God’s way of punishing sin. They asked, “Who, being innocent, has ever perished?” (Job 4:7). God allowed Stephen to be stoned (Acts 7:59) and Paul to have a thorn in his flesh to buffet him (2 Corinthians). Even Jesus knew suffering. Job’s friends concluded that Job must have sinned greatly to account for such exceptional suffering.

Job had a conscience right toward God. He knew his heart was true and so he could accept the accusations of his friends. He finally could show them that their conclusion was wrong and that the wicked often prosper in this world (Job 24:6). When Job was in the midst of his anguish, he realized it is only the gold that is worth putting the fire.

God kept dealing with Job till he came to the very end of himself. Hear him speak again, “Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. My ears had heard of you but my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:3-6). We find Job a chastened, softened servant. God turned the tide and his prosperity was given back to him doubled – twice as many sheep and oxen, asses and camels. He rejoiced again in his son’s and daughters, just the same number as before. 

Job was right with man and with God, and remember it was God who said this. God added, “There is no one on earth like him” (Job1:8). What an honour God gave to Job to use these words to describe him. Job honoured God and obeyed God. I pray for everyone who reads this book of Job, live a life as Job and get the credit from God himself, Amen.