Bible Reading

[Caedmon]

This is a special thread that isshinwhat and I decided to start. To make a long story short, we both really wanted to get the entire Bible under our belt, so we've decided to keep each other accountable, reading a few chapters a day together, writing journal entries, and saying a few words about each session here in this thread! You all are free to observe, and perhaps contribute a few thoughts, prayers, and encouragements along the way!

Well, here it goes... Pray for us.

 

[Caedmon]

The main thing I remember about this selection are the creation stories. I have read them in the past, and have found them to be quite an interesting study. I tend to use a mythic genre of interpretation. That doesn't mean I don't see them as truth, but rather as a different genre than we're accustomed to. I find it very difficult to interpret these literally, considering light is created before the sun, moon, and stars in the first account, and how the plants and animals are created after man in the second account(seeming to contradict the first). But I think the most important message I take away with me from this section is that God loves creation, and He loves life and procreation! The first account is an explosion of life on the face of the Earth. It uses wonderful imagery to illustrate God's love for life. *sigh*... It almost brings me to tears thinking about it. Of course, there is also the Fall in chapter three, which shows us the frailty of humanity, and our need for God and a Savior. Even though we are the culmination of God's creation, this story proves to us that we can still yield flaws, and through that, we later learn of the immeasurably intense love that our Savior has for us. *sigh*... What a wonderful story...

 

[ZooMom]

Wonderful idea. I'll look forward to watching you progress. I have read the entire bible, but didn't have anyone to discuss my thoughts and questions with. Would you mind if I came in to ask questions when ya'll cover something I have puzzled over?

Prayers are with you and Neal, and blessings on you both for your dedication to the Word.

 

[Hoonbaba]

Hey Joe,

This is a neat idea Mind if I share my thoughts too?? =)

-=Genesis 1-3=-

While I'm trying to understand which view of creation is correct, I think it's more important to focus on the spiritual aspects of creation, rather than the literal specifics.  With that in mind, here's a few things I came across:

1)  The Holy Spirit was involved in creation (Gen 1:2)

2)  God spoke things into being and whatever he said happened. 

3)  God said "GOOD" several times:

After God created light, He saw that it was good (Gen 1:4)

After God created the land and the seas, He saw that it was good (Gen 1:10)

After God created vegetation, He saw that it was good (Gen 1:12)

After God created the sun, moon and stars, He saw that it was good (Gen 1:18)

After God created sea creature, He saw that it was good (Gen 1:21)

After God created 'land' creatures, He saw that it was good (Gen 1:25)

After God created man and gave him authority, He saw that all he created was was very good (Gen 1:31)

4)  Then God said "NOT GOOD" for the man to be alone (Gen 2:18).  I think this would imply fellowship (not necessarily some sort of 'believer must get married' doctrine as many protestants claim)

5)  Mankind was created in God's image.  Thus man's actions were to ultimately reflect the very image of God. 

6)  Mankind was given dominion over the entire earth (Gen 1:29-30)

7)  God set apart the 7th day as a holy day, perhaps so mankind would follow in his footsteps by resting on that day

8)  Gen 3:15 is an amazing prophecy about Mary and Jesus

9)  After the Fall, Adam and Eve tried to cover up themselves (Gen 3:7), yet God in his mercy gave them better coverings made of skin (Gen 3:21).  Perhaps this implies the gospel message:  Adam and Eve tried to cover themselves, yet they couldn't, so God intervenes and provides them with clothes perhaps out of his love for them.  Compare the 'clothes' concept with the baptism we receive:

for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ (Gal 3:27)

Also, the clothes God provided were made to cover up their shame for being naked (Gen 3:7).  In Rev 3:18 and Rev 16:15, Jesus is saying how believers are to keep one's clothes on so they won't be left naked and shamefully exposed.  Interesting parallels, isn't it? 

God bless!

-Jason

 

[Hoonbaba]

I forgot about this verse:

"the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." (Gen 2:7)

May the lord continually breathe life into our souls

God bless!

-Jason

 

[isshinwhat]

I have often thought of God as loving His creation, but this time through Genesis it hit me. God's love goes much deeper than love for His creation. St. Peter's says in 2 Peter 1:4 that God "has granted to us his precious and very great promises, that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion, and become partakers of the divine nature." The first two chapters of Genesis reflect a time before an escape from corruption was necessary, a time when man lived as he was created: as a partaker of the Divine Nature.

Creation is nothing less than an outpouring of God's eternal love. It is His gift to us. God never desired that we be separated from Him, yet when we did, His first step was a call to repentance. "Where are you?" "What is this that you have done?" These were more than redundant questions from an omnipotent God, they were pleas from a loving Creator who knew what His children had just brought upon themselves.

I see Christ's parables of the Lily of the Field and the sparrow as a call back to the beginning of Creation. In Christ we die to the corruption that we brought upon ourselves, and are reborn into the life of God as His sons and daughters. That outpouring of love that was our beginning may now, once again, be our end.

 

[isshinwhat]

Thanks for the prayers, Sandy.

Where are you, Joe? You let me get a day behind!

 

[Caedmon]

Mwahaha!