Our Favorite Bible Reading Plan (and why)

This is a guest post by the one and only... Hugh!

Looking back at the year 2017, one of the most memorable parts was reading through the Bible. I used the Read Scripture reading plan, which is affiliated with the Bible Project. One of the most helpful parts of this plan was that it includes overview videos for each book of the Bible that help guide ones reading. I also like how the plan organizes the Old Testament books in their original Hebrew arrangement (e.g., 1-2 Chronicles comes last). The plan divides the Bible into 16 “chapters”:

1. Creation and Fall (Genesis 1-11),
2.  Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12-50),
3. The Exodus from Egypt (Exodus 1-18),
4. The Covenant at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19-Leviticus 27),
5. The Wilderness (Numbers and Deuteronomy),
6.  The Promised Lane (Joshua and Judges),
7.  Rise and Fall of Israel’s Kingdom (Ruth – 2 Kings),
8. The Prophets Before the Exile (Isaiah, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah),
9. The Wisdom of Israel (Job, Psalms 1-2, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon)
10. The Prophets of the Exile (Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel),
11.  Return from Exile (Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther),
12.  Prophets After the Exile (Daniel, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi),
13.  The Story So Far (1-2 Chronicles),
14.  Jesus and the Kingdom (Matthew, Mark, John, Luke, Acts),
15.  The People of the Kingdom (Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude), and
16.  The Revelation (Revelation)

Having the books organized into these named “chapters” helps me remember that the books of the Bible form one “unified story that leads to Jesus” (Bible Project mission statement).

In addition to each day’s reading, the plan has you also pray through a Psalm or part of a Psalm; I really enjoyed reading a Psalm and praying the words back to God.

I plan to do this plan again in 2018 and I would recommend it to you. To get started with this plan you will need the following:

1.     Access to the plan (Read Scripture app or via a PDF of the plan)

2.     Bible (physical or electronic)

3.     Access to videos (the Bible Project website: OT and NT, Youtube: OT and NT, Vimeo)

During the video, the narrator illustrates a pictorial guide to the book being covered.  Here is an example of the finished product for the book of Genesis.

The plan takes about 15-20 minutes each day for Bible reading and each summary video is about 8-10 minutes. Most books have one summary video, but a few of the longer books such as Genesis or Romans have two. (Towards the end of 2017 I started reading out loud rather than silently, and I found that this practice helps me slow down, focus, and read more meditatively.)

Since it can be hard to stick with a reading plan once life gets back to full speed after the holiday break, here are some tips. First, I recommend doing the plan with someone. Leanna and I both did the plan in 2017 and towards the end both of us benefitted from each other’s encouragement to stick with it. Second, if you get behind you can catch up by listening to the Bible while you drive, do housework, etc. There are a number of ways to listen to the Bible for free, including the Bible.is app.

Here is another example of the Bible Project's helpful pictorial guide, this one for the books of 1 John - 3 John.

Finally, here are some extra tips to make the most out of your reading. First, the Bible is a complex book that can be challenging to read! To help guide you as you read, I recommend using a reading aid such as a study bible (e.g., the ESV Study Bible) or How to Read the Bible Book by Book. These resources will point out what you should be looking for as you read. In addition, before you read each book, it is a good idea to read a short description of the book as can be found in a good study bible or a Bible dictionary (e.g., the New Bible Dictionary). This will help you get “the lay of the land” before you start reading, understanding things such as literary genre, relationship to other books, etc.

May the Lord bless your bible reading in 2018!

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Fighting Sin

When Paul says to put to death the deeds of the body “by the Spirit” (Romans 8:13), I take him to mean that we should use the one weapon in the Spirit’s armor that is used to kill. Namely, the sword. Which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17).

So when the body is about to be led into a sinful action by some fear or craving, we are to take the sword of the Spirit and kill that fear and that craving. In my experience that means mainly severing the root of sin’s promise by the power of a superior promise.

This is from a really good post by Piper this morning here on fighting sin.  He goes on to list a handful of his most used promises from Scripture that are powerful in killing the lure of sin's promises.

I appreciated this insight into his life, and I think this is one of the few lasting ways to kill sin.  I'd encourage you to go and check out his post and pick out one or two for yourself.  My favorite is Phil. 4:19, so I think I'll work on memorizing it today.

 This is Piper's final encouragement:

Be constantly adding to your arsenal of promises. But never lose sight of the chosen few that God has blessed in your life. Do both. Be ever-ready with the old. And every morning look for a new one to take with you through the day.

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Challenge

Well, I have a challenge for all of you blog readers out there...  As you may have realized over the extended weekend, the beginning of June is upon us!  This blows me away, mainly because we are moving sometime before July comes.. eek!!

Anyway, to celebrate the beginning of June, I wanted to challenge each of you (who are not already doing so) to commit to reading through the Bible in a year.  So far I have been keeping up with my reading plan (even though I have been a little slack in posting each book's theme), and it has really been beneficial for me.  In my opinion, reading the Old Testament gives so much more depth and insight into the New Testament.  I think that this says it all:

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.   (2 Timothy 3:16-17) 

Now, I know that many of you have excuses for why you can't do a reading plan.  Believe me, I had my own excuses too!!  So let me offer you a few ways to overcome some of the most common excuses:

1. I don't have the time.  Try picking an accommodating reading plan then.  The plan that I use, the Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan, requires less than 20 minutes per day.  It is also very forgiving of busy schedules because there are only 25 daily readings per month.  I also appreciate the way that it splits up the Old Testament and the New Testament so that you have 2 readings per day from the OT and 2 readings per day from the NT.  It's VERY doable.  The other option for those who are crunched for time would be to do 1/2 of the daily reading each day so that the year-long plan extends to cover 2 years.  The point is not how fast you can read through the Bible but is more so being regularly engaged with all of Scripture.  

2.  I don't like/am not good at reading.  Try listening to an audio Bible then.  There are several good ones that you can buy, but there are also many free options too.  Bible Gateway has great audio recordings by Max McLean (I know this is true for the ESV translation, anyway).  If you go to their website and search for the passage you should read (ex. 1 Kings 1-3), just scroll down and under the translation/page options heading, you'll see a grey bar with options for moving forward or backward.  To the right of that bar is a red volume button, which if clicked will bring a pop-up window (pop-ups must be allowed) with the audio recording of exactly what you searched for, even if it's more than one chapter.  

3.  I'm not organized enough/can't keep up with where I am in the reading.  This was a huge one for me because I'm such a perfectionist..  But trust me, you don't have to make this into a huge perfect project.  Keep it simple.  Try using some kind of page marker (see my example in the image to the right) to keep up with exactly what chapter you are on (this is just a cut up sticky note) that way you can use the reading plan as a guide (not a perfectionistic rule).  For example, even if I'm only supposed to read two chapters of 1 Kings, sometimes I lose track of the chapters because the story is so good, and the next thing I know, I'm three chapters past where I should have stopped.  No problem, just mark it!  In that case, I might skip the 1 Kings part of my reading plan during the next day's reading (since I'm already ahead on it) and just resume it on the following day.  See, no need for perfectionistic tendencies to keep you from enjoying reading through the Bible.  :)

4.  The Bible is just too hard to understand. But it really isn't...  I agree that you probably won't have the same level of understanding as someone with a seminary degree the first or second time that you read through it, but the Bible really was written to regular people, like you and me.  My advice is twofold: read thoughtfully and try to understand the way that each passage fits into the greater redemptive story that God has given us perfect insight into, and then reference a good study bible (like the ESV Study Bible) from time to time when you really get hung up.


Welp, there you have it.  Those are the main reasons that have kept me from being faithful in reading through the entire Word of God for so long.  And believe me, they are overcome-able (if that's even a word..), so don't let silly excuses keep you from committing!!   Give it a go and stick with it!
You will not regret it.

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God is Mighty in Battle - Joshua

Well, the book of Joshua depicts a huge pinnacle for Israel -- God finally brings them into the promised land, the land that he had promised Abraham so long ago (Gen. 12:1-3).  There are many amazing details to this story, and there are many themes that come out, such as God's faithfulness, his covenant, his justice and wrath, etc.


The theme that I was most struck by, however, is that of God being mighty in battle.  Yeah, you heard me right, God being mighty in battle.  Yes, of course, he also empowered the Israelites to fight well, but there are so many examples in Johsua of God, himself, being the sole cause of a victory.   Please, allow me give you a handful of examples...

God's Might in Battle

1.  The Lord parts the waters of the Jordan so that the people (again) cross over on dry land.  Although this may not seem like a "battle", it is one of the ways that God chooses to show his might to confirm to the Israelites that he will give them the land.. check out the underlined part:

And Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God.” And Joshua said, “Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan. Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man. And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.”   (Joshua 3:9-13, emphasis mine)

2.  When five kings attempt to attack one of Israel's allies, the Lord again displays his might by actually killing more than the mighty men of Israel did...

So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you”… And the Lord threw them into a panic before Israel… And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the Lord threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.  (Joshua 10:7-8, 10a, 11)

3.  This summarizes a few other battles that the people fought:

And Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel.   (Joshua 10:42)

4.  And one last one at the end of Joshua:

And you have seen all that the Lord you God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the Lord your God who has fought for you.   (Joshua 23:3)

Now, there is one other thing I should point out relating to God's might in battle, and that is that God didn't always give the people victory.  There are examples in Joshua when the people blatantly disobey God, which results in our holy, just God separating himself from them because of their sin.  You would think that after having seen the amazing acts of God in giving them the promised land, that no one would disobey, but no, that's not how the story goes... The times when Israel disobeys ultimately show the innate rebellion inside the hearts of men, and even now our own hearts live in the same rebellion.

In my humble opinion therefore, the most mighty act of God in battle was not accomplished in Joshua's time.  It was when Jesus died on a cross, taking our sin upon himself to mightily battle the power of sin & death, which as a result of our own rebellion separates us from God.  And rising from the dead three days later proved his ultimate victory in battle - bringing us back into right standing with God.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.  By his wounds you have been healed.  (1 Peter 2:24)

God was most certainly mighty in leading Israel into the promised land, and thus fulfilling his promise to Abraham.  But oh the depths of God's might and grace in fulfilling the other part of that promise in blessing the nations through the redemptive death of Jesus, and thus winning the battle that we ourselves could never win.

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Parental Responsibility - Deuteronomy

Ok, I have to admit up front that I've really been seeking knowledge and understanding into how the Lord desires parents to raise godly offspring.  (I'll definitely be writing more about that in days to come because the Lord has been so faithful in teaching me so much!)  Anyway, it's quite likely that this quest has shaped my view about Deuteronomy's theme...  It is possible that the next time I read this book I may see a totally different theme emerge, but maybe that's true with each of the books I've read and written about so far.  I mean, the word of God IS living and active and DOES cut into our lives in amazing ways that teach, reprove, correct, and train us.  So I am convinced that reading through Deuteronomy has indeed taught me one of the major ways that the Lord desires to use parents in raising their children to know Him.

All that said, I feel like the recurring theme throughout Deuteronomy is Moses impressing upon the Israelites the importance of them obeying the law (out of their fear of the Lord) and teaching their children to obey it (out of their (the children's) fear of the Lord).  

Yes, there are certainly many other important things that happen in Deuteronomy:

• Leadership is transferred from Moses to Joshua (Deut. 3:28)
• Ten Commandments are recounted to the Israelites (Deut. 5:6-21)
• Details of the law are expounded upon
• A new covenant is established (Deut. 29:1)
• Moses dies (Deut. 34)

But I just want to spend some time camping out on this recurring theme of parental responsibility to teach children to know the Lord.  It was quite encouraging/convicting/challenging for me, especially in reviewing for this blog post.  So, here we go...

The parental responsibility of teaching children to fear and obey the Lord

Here are a sampling of the verses related to this theme (I believe they speak for themselves):

“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children—"   (Deut. 4:9)

 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise."   (Deut 6:4-7 and similar in Deut 11:18-21)

  

"Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law,  and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”  (Deut. 31:12-13)

One other issue that goes along with this theme is the fact that parents have to make their hearts right before God before they can teach their children to do the same.  Moses continued to drive this point home because the people of Israel had been rebellious before, and obedience is a heart issue.  He knew it was important for them to understand, and, oh, how important it is for us to understand as well.  

 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,  and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good? Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. Yet the Lord set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.  (Deut 10:12-16, emphasis mine)

Our hearts are just as rebellious as theirs were.  I think this is why it is so important to be storing the word of God up in our hearts. 

“For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off… But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it."   (Deut. 30:11,14)

Also, see Psalm 119:9-16 for more about memorizing the Word.  

Well, that's it.  Reading Deuteronomy has been huge for me, and I'm so thankful for the edification:

• to fear and obey the Lord by
• treasuring His word in my heart so that I can
• teach my child(ren) to fear and obey the Lord

I'm definitely not there yet, but that's okay because I'm still finishing the race.  :)  Want to race along with me??

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The Spirit is at Work! - Acts

Acts is a difficult book to summarize because 1) it is a narrative and 2) a lot happens in it!!  After reading through it this time though, the work of the Spirit seems to be the most common, interwoven theme throughout.  If you've never read through Acts, I'd highly recommend that you give it a go because it is such a wonderful encouragement, not to mention a great picture of how followers of Jesus should live proclaiming the gospel.  To be honest, it is hard for me to only write one post about it... but here goes nothin'.

One major way that the Spirit works in the book of Acts is in proclaiming the gospel of Jesus to people. 

In chapter 2, the Holy Spirit empowers the apostles to speak in different languages to a large crowd of people from all over the world who were gathered because of Pentecost.  Every person who heard the gospel was able to listen in their own native tongue because of the Spirit's power. (we'll see the results of the gospel being proclaimed in this way under the next large header)

The book of Acts also ends with the gospel being proclaimed.  In Acts 21-28, Paul is arrested and his imprisonment gives him numerous opportunities to proclaim the gospel.  Here are a few:

• Jews in Jerusalem (Acts 22:1-21)
• Felix the governor (Acts 24:14-16, 24:24-26)
• King Agrippa, Bernice, and Festus the Governor (Acts 26:1-29)
• Jews in Rome (Acts 28:23-24)

Another important task that the Spirit accomplishes in Acts is saving the souls of men through the gospel of Jesus that is proclaimed - both Jews and Gentiles.

The result of the gospel being proclaimed to that large gathering of multi-ethnic people at Pentecost (in chapter 2 from above) is that many of them taste salvation.  Check it out:

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.   (Acts 2:37-41) 

An amazing example of the Gentiles responding in faith to the gospel is in Acts 10 when Cornelius and his friends and family receive salvation after hearing the gospel from Peter.   This ties in closely with the next point because Peter is willing to go and meet Cornelius only because he is led there by a vision from God and the Spirit.  Here is Peter later explaining what happened: 

[Peter has just explained the vision from God...] "And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man's house. And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning"… When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life."  (Acts 11:11-15, 18)

One other way that the Spirit works is by guiding Chritians where He desires.

Recall Peter following the Spirit's leading in the example above with Cornelius?  There is no doubt that the Holy Spirit was not involved in that - He ordained the entire thing!!  

Here's another good example- Paul & Barnabus are set apart by the Spirit to proclaim the gospel (leads to a missionary journey):

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.     (Acts 13:2-3)

Let me please end by saying that these examples only cover a fraction of the Spirit's work as shown in the book of Acts.  The entire book is full of such wonderful testimonies of God's good grace in sending Jesus to bear the burden of our sin in order to restore our relationship with God.  The apostles are continually preaching the message of belief in the risen Jesus and repentance from sin, and the Spirit is so faithful in drawing men to God through their proclamation of that gospel.

One of my biggest take-aways from the book of Acts is that I should be trusting the spirit to guide me and produce fruit as I proclaim the gospel.  Will you join me in believing this and in trying to live it out?

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Happy Resurrection Day!

I absolutely love the good news of Easter Sunday:

But the angel said to the woman, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.  Come, see the place where he lay.  

(Matthew 28:5-6, emphasis mine)

He has risen indeed!  What wonderful news to Jesus' followers then and now: Christ has risen from the dead, just as he said he would.

Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled."  Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.  You are witnesses of these things."

(Luke 24:44-48, emphasis mine)

Again, what amazing news- that the Messiah (the God-Man) would suffer and die (in our place because of our sin) and then rise from the dead (triumphantly) so that in his name (alone) we can find forgiveness of sins through faith and repentance.  incredible!!!!


Happy Resurrection Day!  I hope you can also find great joy in the incredible news!


I'm including a great song about Christ rising from the dead that I've been singing a lot lately (Matt Maher's Christ is Risen).  

 
Lyrics here..

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Memorizing the Word of God

This is a continuation from this post.

My new method of memorizing verses from the Bible is to choose a verse (or preferably a passage) out of a book that I am either reading through (via my daily Bible reading) or a book that I am studying (via my church or sunday school).  This really helps me in a few ways:

• I understand the context and true meaning of the verses much better.
• I am able to better remember what different books of the Bible are about.
• I am spending deeper time in the Word.
• I am letting the Word impact me more as I go through it (memorizing Scripture can be a practical way to apply what you read).

Here is HOW John Piper (from Desiring God) recommends memorizing the Scriptures (in condensed form):

So I would just encourage people to set aside 5 or 10 minutes, 
and then repeat, repeat, repeat. Read the verse 10 times, say it 10 times, 
close your Bible, and then review it during the day from a piece of paper.

I am trying to be diligent about following his advice and setting aside 5-10 minutes a day to do this.  It really does go a long way, and ANYONE can do it!  (Think for example of other things you memorize daily: lyrics, numbers or titles for work, etc.)

For a more detailed explanation of how to memorize, check out these Navigators' tips.  And if you don't know where to start, you could consider trying the Navigators' topical memory system here.  This is where I started years ago, but I did not review the context before I began memorizing... Don't make this mistake!  If you use their system, I recommend reading the entire chapter from which each verse comes so that you understand the verse in its context.   (I have a few other practical recommendations that I've used on and off that have helped me, but more on those later.)


Here's a great video from John Piper about WHY memorizing the Word is so vital for Christians.  If you are a Christian, you need to watch this!!


By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org

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Man Rebels - Numbers

My theme for the book of Numbers is the rebellion of the people of Israel.


At the beginning of Numbers, God prepares the people of Israel to enter the promised land, but when the spies come back with a bad report, "a land that devours its inhabitants and all the people that we saw in it are of great height," the people rebel against God (Numbers 13-14).

So God promises judgment on all who have rebelled:

...None of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it...

(Genesis 14:22-23)

Even Moses rebels against God at Meribah by striking the rock, causing God to also forbid him to enter the promised land.  By the end of Numbers, Israel really is ready to enter the promised land because of these two things:

1. The old generation who rebelled have all died in the wilderness (Numbers 26:63-65).
2. Joshua is appointed to lead the people into the promised land, thus replacing Moses (Numbers 27:16-20).

It seems that this truth is inescapable:  no matter how much of God's power or glory or _____ (fill in the blank) that we sinful people see, we always rebel and separate ourselves from God.  And so, once again, my Old Testament reading really is pointing back to the need for a perfect Messiah to come and change the rebellious hearts of man in order to restore our relationship with our holy God.  

--------------------*--------------------*--------------------*--------------------

One other part of Numbers that I was really interested by was the story of Balak and Balaam.  This story is referenced quite a few other times in Scripture, so I was happy to finally read its full context with the rest of the book of Numbers.  Anyway, what I found so interesting about it was the fact that even though Balaam is a greedy man who is hired by Balak to curse Israel, all Balaam can do is bless Israel and speak truth about God, literally.  Surprisingly enough, as I was reading Balaam's second blessing/oracle, I realized that I had actually memorized one of the verses around 4 years ago!

I wish that when I was memorizing this I would have looked into the context and significance of this verse more because it really adds great depth to the meaning.  I have now changed my method of memorizing the Word though, so that should keep me from doing this again (more on that later).

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On Raising Children

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them DILIGENTLY to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

(Deuteronomy 6:4-7)

diligent- characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic effort.

*******************************************************

{I pray that these verses shape the way I do life, especially parenting, in every aspect.}

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God is Holy - Leviticus

For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God.  You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

(Leviticus 11:45)

I have to admit that when I began reading through Leviticus I was a little overwhelmed by all of the details for sacrifices and uncleanness.  Then I came to the verse above.  It is remarkable that God acted first - He brought the people out of Egypt.  He claimed them as His own people, to be set apart...

You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.  

(Leviticus 20:26)

So the Israelites' holiness was important.  If they were to be God's people, then they must be holy.  This is the heart of Leviticus, I think, and thus the need for details about how to be clean.  How else could God dwell among them?

Enter the great goodness of God in giving the sacrificial system and  priests- because we are not clean, not in the midst of a holy & just God.  One other theme that kept coming up was how the sacrifices must be pure... they had to be 'clean' animals without blemish.

Again and again, this whole book made me realize just how amazing it is that God provided the ultimate sacrifice in Jesus.  The following passage in 1 Peter does well in summing up not only how He perfectly fit the pattern of Leviticus but also what our response should be in light of God's holiness.

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

(1 Peter 1:13-19, emphasis mine)

For more on how Jesus perfectly fulfills the Old Covenant and ushers in the New Covenant, read Hebrews.  It is rich. 

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God is Mighty to Save- Exodus

After reading through Exodus, I was really moved by God's mighty ability to save His people.  Most of you probably can easily recall the most popular story from Exodus, God bringing His people out of Egypt. As I read through the whole book though, there were so many other rich details that surprised me:

• The exodus happens because God hears His people's groanings and cries for help and because He remembers His covenant (Ex. 2:23-25) 
• Moses pleads with and cries to God on behalf of Pharoah and the Israelites -- And God answers him (Ex. 10:16-20, 15:22-25)
• The parting of the Red Sea only happened because God told Isreal to turn back so that He could 'get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that [He] is the Lord.' (Ex. 14:1-4)
• The people of Israel continually forget God's previous provisions for them (Ex. 17:1-7)

Here are a few of my favorite passages out of Exodus:

God showing His mighty saving hand through the Red Sea:
   "When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly.  And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord... And Moses said to the people, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today.  For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.  The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent... [Isrealites cross through the parted waters of the Red Sea and then the Egyptians drown in it.]...  Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.  Isreal saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses." (Ex. 14:10-14, 30-31)

Later in Exodus, Moses is given the Ten Commandments.  These verses (preceding the commandments) show that God wanted the people to trust and follow Him because of what He had already done for them in saving them from Egypt:
    "The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, 'Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.  Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.'" (Ex. 19:3b-6a)

God's declaration about himself:
    "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children to the third and fourth generation." (Exodus 34: 6b-7)


Of course, the Israelites couldn't and didn't obey God's voice or keep the covenant.  They, like we are so prone to do, continued forsaking the Lord by forgetting what He had already done for them and even turning against Him and worshipping other things.  Thus, what I really love about Exodus is that it not only shows God's mighty hand saving His people from oppressive Egypt and keeping His covenant, but it also shows our endless need for a Mighty Savior-- One would keep God's covenant and bear the guilt of the world. 

For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. 

(John 3:17)

The Lord is the strength of His people; 

He is the saving refuge of His anointed. 

Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!

Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

(Psalm 28:8-9)

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God is Faithful - Genesis

As I've been reading through the Bible this year, I've really been blown away by God. Who He is. What He does. What He commands. Just Him. So I've decided to try and blog about some large scale themes I see in each book of the Bible that I read through.

When I finished Genesis, I really felt the weight of God's Faithfulness.

"And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel--and God knew." (Exodus 2:24-25)

I know this verse is not actually in Genesis, but I think it summarizes God's faithfulness from Genesis in a magnificent way. God made a covenant (Genesis 12:1-3). He remembered it. He heard the people's groaning. He knew. Wow! (What follows in Exodus is even more of God showing His faithfulness by bringing the Israelites out of Egypt against all odds... more on that later.)

Another way that we see God's faithfulness in keeping this same covenant is in the fulfillment of "in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed," which God brought about through Jesus (Genesis 12:3). Jesus was from the line of Abraham (see Matthew 1), and he brought blessing to all the nations on the earth by offering Himself as their/our atonement for sin. He, as the second Adam, defeated Satan's ability to steal, kill, and destroy, and He offers eternal life to all who hear His voice and follow Him (John 10:9-10, 25-30).

But that's not the only covenant He kept. One covenant that we see God keeping quite regularly is the covenant He made with Noah: that He would never again destroy all flesh by a flood, which He put rainbows in the sky to remind us of (Genesis 9). What a beautiful sign of God's faithfulness in keeping His covenants.

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If you want to read through the Bible in a year, I highly recommend the reading plan I'm doing, which was recommended to me by our church. The Discipleship Journal organized it, and you can find it here. What I like most about it is that there are only 25 readings per month, so you have time to catch up if you get behind and time to think back over each month's readings to meditate on what you learned. I also highly recommend underlining and highlighting in your Bible as you read because 1) it makes you a more active reader, 2) it helps you see themes and other important things, and 3) it makes reviewing later much easier.

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