Sorry this is late, I've been driving all day coming back from North Carolina.
Genesis 1-2; Psalm 1; Proverbs 1:1-6; Matthew 1:1-2:12
Okay, so this is a really good example of what I'm talking about when I say let's read the bible with new eyes allowing God to show us new things.
I'm reading Genesis chapter one...which I've read more times than I can count. I'm tempted to gloss over it a little because it is so familiar, (I know that's bad, it's only the first day) then suddenly I come to verse 14; "Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;" Do you know what that is saying? It's not just about creating stars and constellations, "signs and seasons, and for days and years." HE WAS CREATING TIME! Think about it, everything we know about time is based on the sun and moon. Our calendar year, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes...all based on the movement and phases of the sun and moon which God created. Why do we worry about God's timing again? He made time, He probably has a pretty good idea of how to use it. I don't know...that's just really cool to me.
As an interesting teaching note. Wherever you see the name God used during the story of creation, it is from the Hebrew word "elohim." What is interesting about this word is that it is plural. In other words the name God or Elohim speaks of the plural nature of the Trinity as God and all their involvment in creation.
Psalms 1 & Proverbs just confirms why we're doing what we're doing here.
Psalm 1 talks about the results of meditating on the "law of the Lord." This is refering specifically to the first 5 books of the bible, since that what was written at this point in time. We can take it to mean meditating on the whole bible. And as we do our life will be blessed.
Proverbs speaks of gaining wisdom, knowledge and so on. This is why we are reading the bible, to gain all these things.
Matthew starts off with a geneology of Jesus. His earthly family tree. As we read through the OT you'll see a lot of these. What you'll notice is that they rarely if ever mention the women that "begat" all these boys. But here in the line Jesus we see four women besides Mary mentioned. What I've always found cool about who is mentioned is that each one of these women were involved in some sort of scandal back in their day. Matthew takes the time to show readers that it doesn't matter where ya come from, you can still have a royal lineage. Kind of like us...it doesn't matter what we've done in the past, we can still be sons and daughters of the King.
I want to encourage you again to comment as you read. It doesn't have to be long or what you consider profound, just talk. Some days I'll have a lot to say, other days my just be a sentence or two about one of the scriptures. Don't be shy, we're family.
OK, so this year as I read the Bible through I decided to join this blog. Now I remember why I’ve always had to use a Bible without any references, definitions or concordance in it. I ‘chase’ absolutely too many rabbits. I mean how much time can you spend pondering 15 minutes of reading? At 2:30 this morning I was still writing commentary on what I had read at 9 am and did very little else yesterday. Pray for me, I am too analytical! So now I shall try to condense it.
ReplyDeleteGenesis 1-2 I got hung up on the light part of chapter 1. I have decided that my theory on the timeline has no significance in what I am seeing here.
Just as the sun and the moon and the stars reflect the light to the earth...we, are to reflect His light to the world; verse 18 "…to make a separation between the light and the darkness." God will see that it is good. The moon is the brightest object in the night sky, but is does not produce any of its own light. When the moon "shines" it is actually just reflecting light from the sun.
2 Corinthians 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Psalm 1 clearly distinguishes the differing results of being righteous or being ungodly. Verse 2 tells us we should be meditating on God’s Word day and night. I believe the result is being a tree of righteousness. As such, we are to produce the fruit of the spirit. Galatians 5:23 says the fruit is love. Joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness and temperance are all parts of this fruit. Trees do not consume their own fruit and if left unharvested it will rot. So why are we to produce this fruit? Jude 1:21- 23 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have mercy, who are in doubt; and some save, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Proverbs 1:1-6 is an introduction to Wisdom. It is our responsibility to seek wisdom. Again, I ask “Why?” 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Matthew 1 records the lineage and introduces the Savior of the world. Chapter 2:12 reveals the ongoing battle between darkness and light. The wise men were in tune to God and obedient to His warning. By spending time in the word and in His presence we can be as swift to hear and obey.
These are just my random thoughts I wrote down while I was reading....
ReplyDeleteGen 1:1
God created the heavens and the earth...That really made me think...Even God had to start somewhere and when I feel overwhelmed I should remember that the beginning is where I should start and do things ONE day at a time. I have read this passage many times in my life and saw it simply as a timeline for how God created everything but he is showing us that even He, who could have commanded it all to be done in a instant, took His time and it was GOOD. I too, should take my time and not rush things and it will be GOOD.
Not sure why but the word GOOD really stuck out to me in Genesis...maybe because it has been used 10 times already but it makes me curious about what God would consider GOOD...I am going to look it up and read other places in the Bible that use the word GOOD. I believe the Word is telling me something I should further investigate.
Gen 1:14-17
He knew man (US) would want to keep time and dates, so he created ways to distinguish day from night and season to season...though we weren't made yet...More proof that he really does know each and every one of us and our needs before we speak them. He knew me before I was in my Mothers womb...He knows ALL of us...from the first, Adam, to the child that entered the world this very second.
Gen 2:2
...he rested...
Wonder what God does to rest? Seriously...What would that consist of? Think he watches a game of football with the angels? MAYBE hooks up with Jesus and has lunch to talk about how things are going...I don't mean this to be funny exactly but what would you think God does on his day of rest? I just don't know...
Gen 2:24
Therefore a man should leave his mother and father and be joined with his wife and become one flesh
Reading this makes me more convinced that we as people of God are confused about our roles given to us from the beginning.
I read Matthew twice and some things stuck out to me but it was history questions not so much "how does this apply to my life" questions. I found it interesting that they quoted the Old Testament. I like when the Bible reconfirms for me that the WHOLE Bible is connected and not just a bunch of random stories. What was told to be true of the future in the OT is confirmed it the NT.
Psalms 1:1-6
Summarizing...It is clear you have two options
1. The way of the righteous
2. The way of a sinner
Righteous GOOD, sinner not!
Proverbs
Just a good start and explanation to what Proverbs will be...That's the way I see it.
I realized something when I was going back in forth in the Bible. Though it is all one piece of the Word, it is not in order per say...not like a regular book I read from cover to cover and it all flows...the Bible is a manual of sorts...Each book containing different lessons and ways of teaching...some books are history, some are for teaching lessons with analogies, some are very specific in what is expected of us, some just to praise God...I think God did this because he knows that we all learn differently and understand things that relate to us.