One Year Bible Week One
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If you’ve made it this far, congratulations! You are 1.6% through the Bible in 2018!
I hope to write a brief set of reflections on each of the four passages—Old Testament, New Testament, Psalm, and Proverb—each week. Life will no doubt get in the way of this project at times, but that is my intention. So, without any further introduction.GenesisIn the beginning God...This is the defining statement in all the Bible. This is truly where “two roads diverged in a wood (apologies to Robert Frost for the misquote).” A basic distinction in life is theist and non-theist. From the standpoint of a person who rejects the notion of God, the Bible is nothing more than literature. But for those of us who believe, the words of this book are God’s words of life for us.God’s covenant with Abraham is the singular most important event of the Old Testament. It would not be too far a stretch to say the singular most important event in all of human history. God’s singular purpose in the rest of the Old Testament is the fulfilment of this covenant. Even Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection can be viewed from the perspective of God fulfilling His covenant with Abram.I also find it interesting that God promised Abram before Abram believed.MatthewThe Sermon on the Mount is the basic ethical teaching of Jesus for His followers. We would do well to just focus on this teaching for a long time. I found myself frustrated that our reading takes this passage in such large chunks. I always find myself wanting to slow down and allow these verses to soak into my life thoroughly.PsalmPsalm 1 sets the tone for this reading plan and, in many respects, our lives as believers. We need to be meditating on God’s word. Our conception of God’s word is much broader than the law to which the psalmist referred. Our lives must be focused on Jesus, God’s word made flesh. By focusing on the Scriptures, and allowing them to penetrate our lives, our lives can be transformed into the image of God, by grace through faith. By living our lives based on biblical principles, our lives will work.ProverbsGod’s word serves as a warning to us. God has given us wisdom to live by and, generally, if we lie according to it, life will go well. But if we refuse to live according to God’s wisdom, we will suffer the consequences. Having said this, however, we have other passages, even within the wisdom literature, that express frustration about the fact that bad things do, in fact, happen to good people, and good things happen to bad people. This is one of life’s conundrums.We have already rubbed up against some serious Bible difficulties:1. Did God create all that exists in seven 24 hour time periods?2. God seems less than loving at times (the flood, Proverbs)3. The devastating consequences of sinYou may have more questions than answers at this point. That’s OK. Unfortunately, I will not be able to answer all your questions. I share many of your questions. But I do know this with absolute certainty: we serve a good God who loves us. He loves us so much that He sent His Son to live and die for us. The whole Bible must be read through this lens.Blessings to you all as we continue on this Bible reading journey together.[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]