Review

I submitted my Daily Reading journal volumes 1-3 for review to a pastor-author-blogger by the name Randy Brown. Here is what I received from his reply on his blogsite.

His verdict?

Keng Tiong’s Bible Daily Reading Journals are well-written, well-structured, and easy to follow. They’re not dry and boring. I found them to be an interesting and fun read. They’re easy to recommend to anyone that wants a little guidance in reading through the Bible and understanding the main points of the text in its proper context, and getting some interesting facts along the way.

Read the full review here.

Randy A. Brown is a full-time pastor, an author, a WordPress writer by day and a Bible reviewer by night.

Blogsite: https://biblebuyingguide.com/

Coming Soon...

The Bible is an open and closed book at the same time. It is open for everyone to read, yet the discipline required to complete this large collection of 66 books has all but stumped the most determined readers despite its popularity and circulation. Among the few who managed to persevere through it from cover to cover, fewer still can lay claim to have a basic knowledge of its overall content, much less remember or retain what they read.

In this internet age, we have far more resources available to study the Bible than Christians in the past. However, the plethora of choices has created confusion or distraction to prospective students of the Word instead of clarity and purpose, more so in view of the shorter attention span arising from our modern, hectic culture.

BIBLE Fast Track is written with this in mind, giving young believers a quick and concise overview of the Bible, while seasoned pilgrims are presented with a novel approach that reinforces their grasp of familiar scriptural facts and figures. What seems like a hodgepodge of unrelated writings will suddenly make sense and become clear as the noon day sky.

 

Journal Structure

In writing my daily Bible reading journal, I opted for a two-page layout comprising a journal note of the reading for the day, a ponder and meditate to reflect on the lesson(s) learned, and sometimes an additional interesting fact when there's a related cultural or textual fact that is helpful for a better appreciation of the scripture involved.

An example:

Day 64 of the New Testament in 77 Days covers Hebrews 8-10. Since Hebrews is an epistle that describes the "better things" that Christ had accomplished in comparison to the Old Testament priesthood and sacrifices, the focus is to help readers understand what the writer is driving at when presenting his arguments.

Reading bits and pieces of a chapter will not let a Christian see the full extent or impact that the writer hoped to achieve, much like reading a personal letter in a fragmented way. There must be continuity to see the flow of thought, so reading three full chapters (8-10) is a necessity.

It may not be easy at first, especially for those who like to nibble here and there. But if we have the discipline and perseverance, we will reap the full spiritual benefits that comes from a systematic reading of the Word of God.

And as I stated in  my Foreword, it is my intention to help readers rediscover the joy of reading the Bible, and find gems that will have them coming back for more!

Sample Pages from Deuteronomy

Sample pages from Deuteronomy of the reading journal from Volume 2: The Old Testament - The Law and The Prophets:

 

Sample Pages from Numbers

Sample pages from Numbers of the reading journal from Volume 2: The Old Testament - The Law and The Prophets:

 

Sample Pages from Leviticus

Sample pages from Leviticus of the reading journal from Volume 2: The Old Testament - The Law and The Prophets:

 

Sample Pages from Exodus

Sample pages from Exodus of the reading journal from Volume 2: The Old Testament - The Law and The Prophets:

 

Sample Pages from Genesis

Sample pages from Genesis of the reading journal from Volume 2: The Old Testament - The Law and The Prophets:

 

Esther

The story of Esther fits between the first return of the Jews led by Zerubbabel, a descendant of David, and the second return under Ezra. It provided the only biblical record of the Israelites who had chosen to remain in Persia rather than returning to their promised land after the seventy-year captivity.

Although God was not mentioned in the book, Esther's story clearly shows that He was actively involved behind the scenes. On the surface, it appeared that different characters were at work, thinking or else scheming and bringing about the events that happened to the Jews residing throughout the regions of the vast empire. But God was in charge and working things out for His glory and the benefit of His people.

Esther was just a simple Jewess but rose to great prominence to become the new queen of the Persian king after the original was deposed for her contempt of the king's command. To be noticed and selected from a vast number of beauties through-out the empire was nothing short of a miracle—it was God's preparation and provision for a great peril ahead.

The chess pieces were in place to counter a genocide of ethnic proportion, and the first Jewish holocaust was averted because of the courage of Esther and the counsel of Mordecai.

4:14 For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Mordecai's words acknowledged a divine purpose in Esther's position, and is also a reminder to every believer to serve God's purpose by exercising his or her privilege and gifting for the good of their generation.

OUTLINE OF ESTHER

1. Feast of Ahasuerus (1:1-2:23)
Coronation of Esther
a. Queen Vashti deposed (1:1-22)
b. Esther crowned as new queen (2:1-20)
c. The king saved from murder plot (2:21-23)
2. Fast of Mordecai (3:1-4:17)
Persecution by Haman
a. Haman's rise and revenge (3:1-6)
b. The king's decree (3:7-15)
c. The Jews' response (4:1-17)
3. Feast of Esther (5:1-7:10)
Condemnation of Haman
a. Esther's first feast (5:1-8)
For the king and Haman
b. Haman's progressive downfall (5:9-6:14)
Secret plot | Self pride | Humiliation
c. Esther's second feast (7:1-10)
Against Haman
Revelation | Indictment | Judgment
4. Feast of Purim (8:1-9:32)
Commemoration of Deliverance
a. Mordecai promoted (8:1-6)
b. First decree countered (8:7-14)
c. Gentiles converted (8:15-17)
d. Jews delivered (9:1-16)
e. Purim celebrated (9:17-32)
Epilogue (10:1-3)

 

Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes (Hebrew title, Qoheleth) is fourth in the Megillot (five scrolls) of the Ketuvim (Writings) section in the Tanakh. The author is introduced as 'son of David, king in Jerusalem' which many scholars believed refers to Solomon.*

The book essentially discusses the purpose and pursuit of life within the context of its brevity and inconsistencies. Having explored through observation and exhausted all explanation of what life is like under the sun, the author could only exclaim in exasperation that whatever mortal man does or accomplishes is but a vain show—futile, fleeting and frustrating—because the end for every man, wise or foolish, is the same—death.

And though 'the preacher' endorses wisdom as a necessity for a well-lived earthly life, he does not ascribe eternal value to it. In light of this senseless and temporal existence, one should simply enjoy life fully and take pleasure in one's work, which are ordained by the hand of God (2:24; 3:22).

Solomon was certainly more qualified than anyone to speak about life, since he had everything life could possibly offer—health, wealth, power, wisdom, and the freedom to do anything he ever wanted or could dream of. Yet he concluded that life in itself is completely empty and devoid of hope apart from God, notwithstanding the abundance and enjoyment it affords.

In the end, the fickleness of a life without God stands in sharp contrasted against a fulfilled life that is lived in the fear of the Lord, as the book puts forth the ultimatum:

12:13 Fear God and keep his commandments; for that is the whole duty of every living person.

* According to Jewish tradition, Solomon wrote Song of Songs in his youth, Proverbs in the prime of his life, and Ecclesiastes in his declining years.

OUTLINE OF ECCLESIASTES

1. Vanity of Vanities (1:1-18)
a. Declaration of life's vanities (1:1-11)
A vicious cycle | Nothing new under the sun
b. Personal experience (1:12-18)
Diligent search | Futility of wisdom
2. Vanity of Doing (2:1-26)
a. Indulging in life's pleasures (2:1-11)
Partying | Projects | Possessions
b. Despairing life's emptiness (2:12-26)
Same ending for the wise and foolish
3. Vanity of Having (3:1-6:12)
a. Predetermination of life (3:1-22)
Happenings | Circumstances | Retributions
b. Injustices in life (4:1-16)
Oppression | Labor | Popularity
c. Inadequacies of life (5:1-20)
Religion | Philosophy | Wealth
d. Unpredictability of life (6:1-12)
Property | Posterity | Perspective
4. Vanity of Being (7:1-9:18)
a. Wisdom better than folly (7:1-29)
b. Things beyond our control (8:1-9:6)
Government | God's doings | God's judgment
c. Live and let live (9:7-12)
d. Unreliability of human wisdom (9:13-18)
5. Counsel on Living Well (10:1-11:10)
a. Some wise observations (10:1-15)
b. Some wise advices (10:16-11:10)
6. Counsel on True Living (12:1-14)
a. Remember your Creator (12:1-8)
b. Fear God and obey Him (12:9-14)