Thoughts on the readings for the week of 10/24.

It sure is good to be reading in the gospels.

Leave your thoughts or comments below.

Starting the New Testament

After more than 10 months of reading in the Old Testament, we are finally into the New Testament. Leave your thoughts below.

Psalms and the historical narrative

I’ve had some requests to get this discussion started again so here goes…

I think my favorite aspect thus of the chronological ordering is having the Psalms interspersed with David’s narrative. It gives the poetry more meat to know that this is not some supposed hardship for the sake of art, but rather honest reflections on real events. And to have the Psalm placed inline with those events brings out some much more of the meaning.

Balaam

After spending two weeks reading about the details of the Tabernacle, it is nice to be reading historical narrative again.

I have always been fascinated with the story of Balaam, mostly because it is so surprising.
* Why is God angry that Balaam went to Moab, when God had told him to go?
* Why did God choose to speak through a donkey when he had already spoken to Balaam directly.
* Why did God choose to speak through Balaam.

I guess there probably aren't clear cut answers to these questions. There is only the assurance that God's ways are higher than my ways.

The Exodus

It was amazing reading through the account of the Exodus again. What an amazing story that is.

What part of the story stood out to you as you read through it this time?

Genesis

We have been reading the Daily Bible for 22 Days and we have finished Genesis. How is it going? Are you enjoying reading the Bible this way? What are your thoughts thus far?

Curious Behavior

I find it interesting that in Genesis 46:3-4, God reassures Israel about going to Egypt, saying:

"I am God, the God of your father," he said. "Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes."

God never mentions anything about how the entire nation will be put into slavery and forced to do manual labor. It seems to me that this is an important detail. But God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. God certainly knew about the troubles that were to come for His nation. But He must have known that this was the way to turn them into a great nation, His nation.

In the same what that God worked with the nation of Israel, he works with us as individuals. He will let us go though hardship in order that we might be drawn closer to Him.

Liars and Cheaters

Louis Sperry Chafer once said “The Bible is not a book man could write if he would, nor a book he would write if he could.” The Biblical account of the patriarchs is great example of that. These guys are the fathers of the entire Israelite nation, but there story is told with all of their sins as mistakes. At times it is humorous how bad these guys look.

I believe. Help my unbelief.

As I read about Abraham and how he believed God’s promise, it is interesting to try and see things from his perspective. As we read the story we know how it ends. We have the rest of the Old Testament. We have history. We know that Abraham’s descendants have become “as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore (Gen 22:17)”. We know the promise came true.

But Abraham didn’t know that. He had no proof. He didn’t even have a child. On top of that, he and Sarah were past their child bearing years. But when promised that he would be the father of many nations, Abraham believed God even though it seemed impossible.

This is the kind of faith that I need to strive for. Romans 4, Galatians 3, and Hebrews 11 all hold up Abraham’s faith as a model for our own.