Reading this week
- Genesis 1-6
- Matthew 1-3
This is the first week of our Bible reading program. Since the new year begins on Thursday, we have only three days this week that part of 2009. So “Week 2″ of the plan will begin on Sunday Jan. 4. Each week I will write a short article introducing the sections of the Bible that we will read, but it is not intended to be a detailed commentary. I encourage you to post your own insights and questions as comments to these posts. Now on to our first week. . .
Genesis, the first book of the Bible, means “beginning,” which is a fit title to the book that describes how everything began. The open words, “In the beginning God…” informs us about the beginning of the created realm, but God is already there, since He is eternal. Genesis goes on to describe the beginning of the human race, how sin entered the world and the origin of the people of Israel. Understanding Genesis is essential to making sense of the rest of the Bible. This week’s reading takes us from the creation up to the flood.
Matthew, the first of the four Gospels, opens with the genealogy of Jesus. Many Bible scholars believe that Matthew was written especially for the Jews, so it is not surprising that it has more OT quotations than any of the other Gospels. It is important for Matthew to show from the start that Jesus is the fulfillment of the OT promises of a descendant of David who would be the Messiah. This week’s reading takes us from Christ’s birth through His baptism.
That’s the introduction to the first set of readings. Now it’s your turn. Please share your insights and questions below!
Elaine
January 1st, 2009 at 3:12 pm