A LOT.
I figure if I read through the big books in about a week (30+ chapters) and smaller books in a few days, we can do it! :) The minor prophets and epistles can probably be tackled a few a day!
I finished Genesis a few weeks ago. I wasn't too super ecstatic to read through Genesis and read the Creation account...again.
But being able to read through huge chunks at a time showed the, um, "epicness."
There were a few points that struck me differently than normal.
1. Genesis 3:20-24 "God's Grace & Mercy"
~~~"Then the man--Adam--named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live. And the LORD God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife. Then the LORD God siad, "Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take the fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!" So the LORD God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. After sending them out, the LORD God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life."~~~
Despite Adam & Eve breaking the one and only rule God had set, He showed them mercy.
He could have thrown His hands up and said, "You had ONE job." He could have just left them and start all over. That's usually how we try to function. Something goes awry and we give up or plow through with a certain flair of animosity. But God demonstrated His patience, mercy, and grace. Yes, He confronted them, exposed their rebelliousness, and showed them the consequences of their actions but He didn't just leave them with that.
He left them with HOPE.
I could imagine God in that moment, like a loving parent cleaning up the mess his children had made, sacrificing the animal and creating clothing to cover his children. But, unlike a parent, He knew the plan already and foreshadowed the plan of Christ's redemption once and for all in that moment. He showed His grace.
Adam & Eve didn't fully understand the repercussions of their decision to eat the fruit. They weren't given the fine print. Yes, they now saw good and evil--but so much more came upon them. God showed mercy in casting them out of the garden, away from the tree of life. The punishment was actually merciful for to live forever would only mean a forever of pain.
2. Abram's Life "God's Timing"and "Idols"
I've heard Abraham's story since I was a tike in Sunday School. But I absolutely LOVE his story. The faith is incredible.
Genesis is giving a bunch of genealogies and all of a sudden, there is Abram being called to leave everything he knew and to go somewhere that he didn't even know yet. Then, he left. Then he lies about his wife (twice, actually). He goes to save his nephew. He is promised a son in his old age. He decides to take that into his own hands (well, his wife tells him to do so). 14 years later he FINALLY has his promised son through Sarai and then....he's told to sacrifice him. BUT, God intervenes at the moment he's about to kill Isaac. And again, he saves Lot.
He definitely had ups and downs in his walk of faith.
But, this time what stuck out to me was the 14 years between the birth of Ishmael and Isaac. That's a long time to wait for a promise to be put into effect. I know for me it is easy to start out in faith, to be all gung-ho about the next step in life and then *gulp* the details come in. But God has a different time table and His Will WILL be done in His time.
I will always be amazed by Abraham's faith when he was told to sacrifice his son. I constantly have to surrender and be willing to sacrifice things in my own life. Idolatry of the heart is something I'm prone to--especially if it is given by God. I decide I need to control it. But, God is greater than my control and able to remove from my grip anything He desires. Often when we seek to lay down our "good" idols (things and relationships that aren't wrong, but have simply been given too much attention) He gives them back and we have much more freedom knowing that HE is the ultimate Sovereign.
3. Joseph's Life "Purity & Prosperity"
Joseph has always been my favorite Bible character. I would watch Joseph: King of Dreams, over and over when I was little. What amazed me was that despite his terrible circumstances (being sold into slavery and then thrown in prison) he was still a man of God. I mean... how?
Living by faith doesn't seem as hard when we read biographies because we know the outcome. But, what about when we are given life-changing news that isn't exactly in our favor?
Joseph worked hard and worked his way up to be in charge of EVERYTHING in Egypt. God caused him to prosper and used him to save the descendants of Jacob and Egypt. He recognized that God was his shepherd his entire life.
There's so much more to gain from reading through Genesis and taking bigger portions of it at a time. But these were just a few pieces that I wanted to share! :)
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