Quick Thoughts from my Daily Bible Readings is a running, weekly list of ideas, concepts, thoughts, and reflections, that come to me as I do my daily Bible readings. I am amazed that after 60+ years of reading the Bible I still notice things anew. Theses are not fully developed but are nuggets for future development. I put them here hoping they will stimulate your thinking too. Leave me a note with your ideas and come back every day for updates. Check the category for past weeks. Subscribe so that you don’t miss anything!
Week of January 1 – January 7, 2025
Genesis 1
(Genesis 1:1) – I’m always reminded of the link here to John 1:1-4 where Jesus is revealed as the Creator. Jesus cannot be a created being if he is the Creator. That which does not exist cannot cannot create itself.
(Genesis 1:26) – Who’s God talking to? Man is not yet created. The idea of creating man surely predates Creation because the Bible says Jesus was foreknown before creation (1 Peter 1:20). We are witnessing the unfolding of an eternal plan.
(Genesis 2:2) – God rested. If the God of all rested, perhaps we should slow down and rest too?
(Genesis 2:9) – Herein is the beginning of human choice. We are free to make decisions to love or to sin. Because we know God always gives us what is best, it’s undeniable that choice is better.
(Genesis 3:8) – Man hide from God after sinning, thus separating himself from God.
(Genesis 4:4, 5) – What does it mean that God had regard to Abel but not Cain. More to the point, why the difference? One obeyed in faith, the other did not, See Hebrews 11:1.
(Genesis 16 – 21) – The Sarai/Hagar narrative would almost be funny if not so serious. The wife “approves” of a sexual encounter between her husband and her maiden. What could go wrong? It is here where Judaism, Christianity and Islam converge. All three honor Abraham as a prophet.
(Genesis 37 – 50) – We should remember that Joseph is not in the line of Christ. Judah, his older brother is the direct ancestor of Jesus. Still. there would be no line of Christ were it not for Joseph who preserved the family through his actions in Pharaoh’s dynasty.
(Exodus 1) – There is a lengthy gap between the end of Genesis and the opening of Exodus, about 400+ years.
(Exodus 2:1) – Moses, a type of Christ, is sent to one people, the Hebrews. He is a Levite which we know is significant from later passages but at the moment there is nothing special about his lineage.
(Exodus 2:11 – 4:17) – Records his time in the wilderness. He is away from any power or influence. Isn’t it true that all of God’s great men spend time in the wilderness? It’s where we are humbled and learn.
(Exodus 4:18 – 12:51) – The confrontation with Evil. I see a man (Moses) caught between the evil Pharaoh and the fearful Hebrews. Moses knew what he needed to do and did it regardless of the opposition.
(Exodus 13) – Passover comes at the end of the week-long Feast of Unleavened Bread.
(Exodus 14) – Repeatedly, now we will see God’s provision for his people. To me, his provisions are not surprising but the weak response, complaints, and forgetfulness of the recipients are. Then again, we aren’t much different. It’s necessary to remember that the behavior of Israel is quite the mirror of me.
(Exodus 18) – Jethro’s (Ruel’s) appearance shows that there were Worshippers of the true God apart from the Hebrews. (vs. 2) explains that prior to his journey to see Pharaoh, he left his wife in the safety of her father’s house.
(Exodus 19 – ff) – The Sinai narrative doesn’t end at the end of the 10 Commandments. In fact, the lawgiving has just begun. Most all of Israel’s laws are given at Sinai.
(Exodus 39 – 40) I am struck by the phrase “as the Lord had commanded Moses” in these two chapters. By my count, 13 times. The repetition, which serves to emphasize, is striking. The Lord respects constant, precise obedience. We seem to think occasional more-or-less precise should be sufficient. We should learn.
(Leviticus 1) – The bull, sheep, and goats must be “without blemish.” Surely, this is a foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice in Christ. But perhaps also pointing toward the life of the Christian. We may stand without blemish before God only because of the cleansing that comes through Jesus.
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