January 10, 2011

Bible in 90 Days - First Week of Reading


The first week of reading the Bible in 90 days is complete, and I am thrilled to say that I am right on target and have actually read one day ahead for those inevitable days that don't go as planned!  I have really enjoyed reading Genesis and Exodus as a whole to really be able to appreciate the history that began there.  When reading our bibles, sometimes the familiar can be skimmed over and we forget that God has something new for us each time we read.  Here are a few things that really came to light for me this week:

  • Genesis 1:26 quotes God saying, "Let US make man in OUR image, in OUR likeness..."  As believers I think we forget that Jesus did not just come on the scene when he was born in Bethlehem!  He has been with God for all of eternity.  Here we see God use the plural term for His trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit as being present during the creation.  Reference John 1:1-2 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning."  Remember the Word is another name for Jesus.
  • The crazy relationships between people always astounds me when I read the Old Testament.  So many wives, concubines, and children.  The family tree is a mess!  Do you have a list of things you'd like to ask God when you get to heaven?  Add this one!
  •  Through the reading of the history of the nation of Israel, I am always astounded at their stubborness to truly surrender to God and follow Him.  It seems they couldn't remember the awesome things that they had just seen: the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, the manna from heaven, water coming out of rocks, God speaking on the mountain, the pillar of cloud and fire to guide them.  The same thing will occur when Jesus begins his ministry.  His own people, the Jews, couldn't see Him for who He really is.  As I have run this through my mind all week, I have realized that we are no different.  God refers to the Israelites as stiff-necked people.  Upon pondering, I am sure that this generation is even worse.  We have removed God from our schools and public places, God's name is constantly defiled, everyone chooses for themselves what is right and wrong, we consider homosexuality and gay marriage as a person's legal right, society kills thousands upon thousands of unborn babies each year through abortion.  I could go on and on, but reviewing our society's wickedness is depressing.  All I can say is that I was very humbled this week and changed my attitude of arrogance toward the Israelites to kinship, because following God isn't easy, even when He blesses us beyond our imagination.
  • The history through Leviticus is a bloody mess.  I always pictured the Tent of Meeting to be a beautiful place of worship and atonement.  It certainly is a place of atonement, but it is covered in blood and guts from every kind of animal imaginable.  I don't know how I missed this before, but this is another great discovery that can only be found by reading it all together as a whole.  The penalty for sin is death and bloodshed.  The tent was filled with it day and night and it seems the Priest's job was anything from glamorous and this service was their calling from God.  Reading through this history makes the bloodshed of Christ all the more precious because He took the place of death for me and made himself the sacrifice for my sin.
I must confess that I will be happy to be done with the book of Leviticus, as it is making me queasy!  I hope those who are reading are being blessed and will continue the challenge.  I'd love to hear your thoughts about what the Lord has spoken to you through this week's readings.

4 comments:

  1. Congratulations! So great that you are keeping up with it. I remember reading Leviticus last year and I have to say It was not fun!

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  2. Leviticus is totally making me queasy too! As we continue to read I'm beginning to wonder what it smelled like with all of the blood from the sacrifices. Wheww! I'll bet it wasn't a good smell.

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  3. Nice summary of all you have read so far. Really enjoyed it as it brought back memories of BSF and our study of the Life of Moses. I hope you do this each week.

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  4. I am so proud of you for keeping up with it.

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I am so glad you that you stopped by today! What's on your mind?

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