Back to school season has wiped us out in the Giesman house. I have a few topics about which I’d love to spill some virtual ink, but I’m going to settle for something simpler this morning.
What I’m preaching – Still Hebrews. Still in chapter 4 for one more week. Still thinking about that elusive, paradox that is God’s rest, which we have to strive to enter. A few weeks ago, I wrote a lot about a book my wife recommended that touched on those themes. This week, I have a few thoughts about another book with overtones of rest, Hebrews, and more.
What I’m reading – The Bruised Reed – A Puritan Paperback classic by Richard Sibbes. The title and the book are based on Isaiah 42:3, also quoted in Matthew 12:20 in reference to Jesus: “A bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.”[1] I recently re-skimmed this one, mostly focusing on my underlines and highlights, a few which follow (along with some occasional commentary):[2]
- “There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us.” (page 13)
o I’ve heard this quoted many times, sometimes without attribution, which makes me wonder if it’s even more well-known than I realize.
- “It would be a good contest among Christians, one to labour to give no offence, and the other to labour to take none. The best men are severe to themselves, tender over others.” (23)
- “Where most holiness is, there is most moderation.” (33)
o Maybe this one needs more context, but it was intriguing enough to share. If the fruit of the Spirit includes self-control, then maybe this isn’t such a radical thought.
- “A spark of fire is fire.” (36)
o Much of this book focuses on the bruised reeds and the faintly burning wicks – those who feel beaten down, whose flame is almost extinguished. Here Sibbes reminds us that a faintly burning wick is still burning, that hope remains, and that Christ has promised to not douse that flame, no matter how small it is.
- “We ought to perform duties when our hearts are altogether averse to them.” (53)
o As I once heard someone else say – The above is not hypocrisy; it is maturity.
- “Grace is strengthened by the exercise of it.” (71)
- “If Christ should not be merciful to our weaknesses, he should not have a people to serve him.” (58)
- “Weakness with watchfulness will stand, when strength with too much confidence fails. Weakness, with acknowledgement of it, is the fittest seat and subject for God to perfect his strength in.” (96)
- “Since the fall, God will not trust us with our own salvation, but it is both purchased and kept by Christ for us.” (117)
- “Be thankful to God for the least measure of grace. … He who has the least measure is within the compass of God’s eternal favour. Though he is not a shining light, yet he is a smoking wick, which Christ’s tender care will not allow him to quench.” (124-125)
I hope that’s enough of a sample to encourage you to read (or at least skim) the rest.
Now, some quick hitters of what I’ve read lately:
- Encouragement for Today’s Pastors by Joel Beeke and Terry Slachter – I skimmed Beeke’s Pastors and Their Critics, as noted before, so I decided to follow up with this one.
o The following book may be of more use to a wider audience.
- Faith of our Father: Expositions of Genesis 12-25 by Dale Ralph Davis (or DRD to some). The charter members of the local chapter of the DRD Appreciation Society are Chuck Young (an elder in one of Davis’s prior churches), my wife, and I. Davis’s commentaries taught me how to read my Old Testament when I was in seminary. They’re easy to read as morning devotionals, since they’re broken up into manageable chunks. They’re also useful as sermon prep commentaries (though I have to read them last lest I be tempted to steal his outlines), including scholarly footnotes, which I assume are the insights he left out of his sermons. He’s written on seemingly half the Old Testament, including another volume on Genesis with a dynamite title – God’s Rascal: The Jacob Narrative in Genesis 25-35. I just re-started his volume on Abraham and Genesis 12-25, and I’m very excited about his soon to be released commentary on Ruth, one of my favorite books.[3]
With that, have a happy Friday, and may you find shelter under the wings of the Almighty (Ruth 2:12).
-Pastor Matt, 8-22-25
[1] An entire book on one verse of the Bible is a classic Puritan move. Other classic Puritan moves: face-melting book titles like, “The Sinfulness of Sin,” and titles and/or subtitles that seem to last an entire paragraph. I’ll spare you examples of the latter.
[2] If you think books are museum pieces, don’t loan me your books. Books are for study or enjoyment, and I love to dogear, underline, star, or highlight them.
[3] One of my pastor friends, Josh R, has been raving for years about Davis’s sermons on Ruth. I’ve never listened to them, but I look forward to reading this book that I assume is based upon them.