Day 26..."Our Voyage Moves to Exodus and Parables"

The reading of Exodus transitions easier having just completed Genesis. Pharoah is threatened by the growing Israel population. He orders male children killed at birth and institutes slavery. The midwives refuse sighting the Hebrew women are "vigorous" and give birth before they can act! If you ask me...Pharoah is out of his league trying to command these midwives! Would you agree? A child is safely placed in the river as a baby and named Moses meaning..."I drew him out of the water." Quickly Moses grows in the Egyptian culture but will forever have a Hebrew social conscience. He kills a man he sees mistreating a Hebrew and then lives the the life of a fugitive. We will read more tomorrow. The Psalmist says... "O Lord, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells." Moses will be forever looking for his homeland in life. He will have the awesome life of being in God's holy presence. When we are in God's glory, we are home wherever we abide. Jesus tells why He teaches in parables. Some people do not respond to the obvious. Can we make any connections today? In this voyage of reading through the Bible, I hope all of us will be as the seed that fell on the good soil. In reading, hearing, and understanding, we will grow and be productive. Keep up the reading! There is more good soil ahead!

Day 25..."Endings and New Beginnings"

Congratulations...we have made it through the Book of Genesis! We began with..."In the beginning" and we end with a burial. Death was really acknowledged in Genesis. Jacob proclaims he is dying soon and lives 17 more years. Joseph also gives ample notice. Their lives and deaths signal an ending but also a new beginning for an entire people. Burials are not the end but a new beginning. We can see this as a metaphor even now. Jesus' burial prompted a new beginning through the resurrection! Jesus speaks of His burial in today's Matthew passage. Genesis is a Book of beginnings and even in death we have new beginnings! The Psalmist says..."His soul shall abide in well-being,and his offspring shall inherit the land." (13) The Bible does weave together themes. Jesus warns against leaving a clean house empty. Why? In this metaphor, we are to do more than rid ourselves of bad habits. We are to add new ones that fill the house. The concept is sublimation..."taking a lower nature and elevating to a higher nature." Well congratulations on reading through the first Book. Our voyage will move through Exodus beginning Friday.

Day 24..."From Famine to Blessing"

We have almost completed the Book of Genesis. Joseph and Jacob (Israel) are front and center in today's reading. As I see it...more is written about Joseph than any other person in Genesis. In following along, a severe famine is replaced with a season of blessing. God is faithful in fulfilling the vision through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph of a multitude of people...and blessing. Notice how Jacob says he did not expect to see his son Joseph again and God blessed him to see his children. God provides a way to move from famine to blessing...and even exceed our thoughts of the future. We will see this story repeated again in different ways throughout the story of Israel. We can make applications in our life today. How do we respond to God's blessings? Are we strong enough to endure scarcity? How do we respond to abundance? One way to keep everything in perspective is to follow the words of David. Everything on earth belongs to God the Psalmist tells us..."the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof." Jesus teaches He is Lord of the Sabbath. Sabbath is a huge issue of controversy in Jesus' ministry. An "ox in the ditch" (sheep) gives reason to be practical about matters of the Sabbath. We are made for the Sabbath and not the other way around. Ultimately we are known by how productive we are with our lives anyway. Jesus says our fruits and word tell the story.

Day 23..."Joseph Forgives...He Sees God's Hand"

Joseph is a big person. He sees God's overall purpose and forgives his brothers. What a story!
The scene is peaceful when the family is reunited. Is there a more peaceful writing than the 23rd Psalm? Why do we never grow tired of these soothing words? I never tire of reading them or hearing them. Our reading from Matthew makes our peaceful readings today complete..."Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." All three readings provide hope and acceptance! When we consider Joseph's "up" and "down" journey peace in this story is really something!

Day 22..."More Joseph, Jesus and the Psalm, John the Baptist"

The story of Joseph is captivating as we move through the final chapters of Genesis. The brothers are all still "sweating bullets." There is great stress in trying to satisfy Joseph on one end and their father Jacob on the other. Your sins do find you out. Do you think they might reconsider throwing Joseph in that well and selling him into slavery? Jesus quotes Psalm 22:1 on the cross..."My God, my God why has thou forsaken me?" After John the Baptist's introduction in each Gospel, he is almost invisible. Matthew reports Jesus sent word to John that the blind were seeing, the lame walking, lepers were healed, and the good news was being preached to the poor. This must been reassuring to John the Baptist in hearing his life purpose had been fulfilled (preparing the way for Jesus) before his execution. Was this the reason Jesus sent this word? To reassure John? Or could we assume Jesus and John the Baptist had many more conversations than recorded in the Gospels?

Day Twenty-One..."Joseph Lands on His Feet"

A sentence to prison could not keep Joseph from fulfilling a greater purpose for God. Joseph's ability to interpret dreams comes in handy for his release and for the good of all. What a dramatic role reversal. Joseph's brothers had him sold into slavery and later they would bow down before him. The "dreamer" was right after all. The brothers had to swallow their jealousy!
The Psalm seems to speak to people like Joseph in saying... "though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed." (11) Jesus teaches "shake off the dust of your feet" if you are not received. Jesus also teaches to be... "shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves." This comes up in ministry often. We want to be accepting of others but not place ourselves in a position to be manipulated or walked over. The passage..."Whoever finds his life will lose it and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" is one of the most liberating teachings in the Bible. When we try to be in control we lose life. If we give God control, we find life!

Day 20..."In Up and Down Times Keep the Faith"

The story of Joseph has ups and downs. As Joseph was living a blessed life, Potiphar's wife brought him down with a wrongful accusation. This wrongful accusation would then position Joseph in prison and he would endure this life until his next rise upward. Joseph is a life of extreme "ups" and "downs". Joseph's story is incredible in regard to keeping the faith whether up or down. We can learn so much about our "ups" and "downs" in such stories. Psalm 20 speaks of real strength coming from God and not horses and chariots. Horses and chariots are symbols of strength in this day. Healing stories and metaphor are in today's Matthew reading.
A girl is raised from the dead. The wineskins metaphor teaches that change is best with new wine in new wineskins. New wine is too alive for old brittle wineskins. In the same way, the good news of the Kingdom is too alive for old Jewish structures which contained inflexibility. The same is true today. New life in Jesus is more than just holding on to the outdated traditions. One other metaphor today highlights there are plenty of people to reach for the Kingdom..."the harvest is plentiful." The need is for more laborers. I believe the latter would be us!

Day Nineteen..."The Green Eyed Monster and What to do With Critics?"

The story of Joseph is one my favorite in the entire Bible. His brothers saw life through the "green eyed monster" of jealousy. Jealousy brings out the worst in behavior. How could brothers be jealous enough to even consider killing their own brother over a coat of many colors? Thank God for Reuben to "cool" his brothers hostilities. The decision to throw Joseph into a well and sell him into slavery was bad enough...and a deceiving story of being devoured by a wild animal. Have we ever had jealousy at our doorstep and become so angry we did something irrational? Psalm 19 contains the prayer sometimes prayed before a sermon...
"May the words of my mouth and the medetation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer." The Matthew reading also has critics. Jesus is criticized for healings a paralytic and for eating with sinners. Jealousy is often the root of hostilities. Jesus answers his critics by saying... "it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick." Is this statement not marching orders for the Church?

Day Eighteen..."Names"

In today's reading, names are very prominent. Names are important for both meaning and heritage. Jacob's new name is Israel. The place of the altar is Bethel..."where God spoke." Then we move into the line of Esau. Esau and Jacob have two different lines of names. This is significant for Jacob's line will produce the twelve tribes of Israel and Esau the Edomites. Have we considered our names meaning and heritage? There is significance in names. Psalm 18 is much longer. There are some phrases repeated for emphasis. This is known as an intensification. An example is "the Lord is my rock" repeated several times. The Lord is a rock and Jesus calms the storms. What a wonderful combination of readings today. We are reminded by Matthew following Jesus requires sacrifice. Is Jesus' teaching not to take care of parents? Not at all. In this encounter, the need to bury the father is not immediate, as the father is not even sick. This is why Jesus' requirement is about "following Him" and not neglecting parents. Our Genesis reading may have been filled with names today but Matthew makes up with a most interesting story about casting demons into pigs.

Day Seventeen..."Reconciliation and Forgiveness is Better than Fear"

The long awaited day of Jacob having to face up to Esau arrives. Has it not been at least fourteen years of guilt, dread, and fear churning inside of Jacob? This turns out much like the prodigal son story. As Jacob in deep humility, bowing down seven times, fears the worst reception, Esau runs and greets him with a hug and kiss. Is this not a life lesson of reconciliation? Why carry a grudge? Why live life with fear churning on the inside? The fear is often worse than the process of forgiveness and reconciliation. Genesis 34 offers little forgiveness and reconciliation and is very unexpected. I did not expect the rape to be forgotten, but then again, I did not expect the violence of killing all males and the conquest of the city. Jacob had his hands full in maintaining order. I like the passage from Psalm 17..."Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings." Is this like the hymn we sing... "and God will raise you up on Eagle's Wings?" Matthew 8 begins with varied healing stories of Jesus the great physician. The message in 8:4 of not telling anyone is the "Messianic Secret." Was this to keep crowds down? A statement to keep from becoming a "sideshow." Or are there other possibilities? We will read more of this in the Gospel of Mark.

Day Sixteen..."Conflict in the Family" --

Jacob left his father in law, Laban, to establish a new life. After all...Laban was very unpredictable. On his way to a new future, he would have to face his past...Essau.
We can relate to family members in conflict. The Book of Genesis can speak to real families and even perplexing life situations. David says in Psalm 16... "You have made
known to me the path of life." The Sermon on the Mount concludes with perhaps the overall message of building your life on the Word of God. I think the message of the wise and foolish builders is extremely relevant to those of us reading through the Bible. We do want to build our lives on the good foundation. The day after Alice Beck's unexpected death we understand the importance of a good foundation built around Jesus' teachings, truth, and most of all love. God's Word is a foundation for life.

Day Fifteen..."Romance in the Bible"

How about the courtship of Jacob and Rachel? Can you imagine working seven years to obtain her hand in marriage only to discover you would be offered the sister, Leah, instead? Jacob had to work seven additional years after Laban blindsided him. There is romance notice Genesis 29:20..."So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her." We will read more about this story tomorrow. Psalm 15 states the virtue of walking blameless, righteous, speaking from the heart, and no slander with the tongue." (Not a bad list to live by!) Jesus warns, in the Sermon on the Mount, about seeing the speck in someone else's eye, when we have a log in our own eye. Asking, seeking, knocking are ways we grow. In this instance, a persistence in asking gets us through the difficult spots. The ending of today's reading is the Golden Rule. A very solid way of always relating to others.

Day Fourteen..."More Riveting Stories and Seeking God First"

Just when we thought Genesis may be running out of riveting stories...we read about the ultimate deceit for a blessing. Jacob, with the help of animal hair, tricks Isaac for Essau's blessing. Then he has to run for his life as Essau vows to kill him. After fleeing Jacob encounters the Lord with a dream about a "ladder to Heaven." Jacob declares... "surely the presence of the Lord is in this place." Later he will offer a tithe to the Lord. The Psalmist David does not mince words in saying... "only the fool says in his heart there is no God." Jesus says, if we want to see our heart find our treasure... in one of greatest oneliners of the Bible..."Where your treasure is there your heart is also." Also, we cannot have two allegiances. God must come first. If God takes care of birds and lilies of the field, He will take care of us. Jesus' words offer a practical prescription against worry. "Can you add one hour to your life?" (By worry) He also gives the secret to a worry free outlook..."seek first His Kingdom."

Day Thirteen..."Fascinating Stories and the Spirit in Which we do Things"

The reading today is packed with fascinating stories and life changing teachings. Abraham dies and is buried in Canaan next to his wife Sarah. He lives to be 175 years old and fulfills the beginnings of offspring as "numerous as the stars"...Israel. Isaac and Rebecca have the first twins mentioned in the Bible. The stories of Jacob and Essau are very colorful. Competition is evident as Jacob grabs for Essau's heel at birth. Jacob tricks Essau out of the birthright and the mother Rebecca shows favoritism. (More about Jacob and Essau later) Issac will also deceive by telling his beautiful wife is his sister. (This keeps coming up) Why? Could it be in a pre-Ten Commandment era murder and taking the wife of someone else by force is possible? The Psalmist, David, asks "how long?" Have we ever been in difficult circumstances where our prayer to God was "how much longer Lord?" The Psalm ends with hope..."I trust in your unfailing love." The Sermon on the Mount focuses on the spirit in which we do things today. Do not put on a show when serving or praying for others. God will reward in secret those who are faithful. Have you ever noticed how short the Lord's Prayer is in the Bible? Prayer is a matter of the heart and not verbosity! Fasting is also to be done in private and not call attention to one's self. Of all our daily reading thus far...this one is packed with stories, prayers, and truth for reflection.

Dav Twelve..."Symbolism in a Land Purchase"

As I read Genesis, chapter 23, I wondered why an entire chapter was devoted to buying land for a burial site. Abraham intentionally bought the land in Canaan to bury Sarah in God's promised homeland. (Later, we will read about Jeremiah doing the same thing prior to exile) It was also a part of culture to be buried near the father. How about the story of Isaac and Rebekah? Who would have thought a relationship would begin by a drink of water and watering camels? Psalm 12 warns against a flattering tongue which lies and states by contrast the Lord's Word is like silver refined in a furnace of clay. Jesus gives lofty teaching in today's Matthew reading..."love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you." Easy to read and challenging to do. Theological explanations of why evil people prosper and good people suffer are perplexing. Jesus does offer insight in the teaching "raining on the just and unjust." The complexities of life do not always have "pat" and "tidy" answers. Jesus challenges toward perfection at the end of chapter five... "be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. I read this as strive to reach for God's standard. In stretching we grow... God's grace is sufficient in the gaps and when we fall short.

Day Eleven..."A Dramatic Story of Unthinkable Obedience"

God gives to Abraham and Sarah a miracle child. Sarah is close to the century mark when she gives birth. In a sensitive moment, over mocking her age, Sarah demanded Hagar and Ishamel to leave and they left. Then the story takes a most dramatic turn..."Is God really going to require Abraham to sacrifice his son?" Parents know how troubling this story is to read. When Isaac asks..." where is the sacrificial lamb?" I am drawn to the absolute edge of my comfort level. This story is about total obedience and "the ram in the thicket" does offer a sigh of relief..."whew!" Is this story not a prelude to the costs of Jesus' death on the cross? Psalm 11 has one passage that reads God hates those who love violence... "The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates."(5) In response to those who see God in the Old Testament as violent, the "ram in thicket" and Psalm 11 indicate God is seeking obedience and justice. There is a difference. He did not come to abolish the law. Jesus elevates obedience in the Sermon on the Mount. Murder is wrong and so is unjust anger. Adultery is wrong and so is a life of lust. Oaths are not necessary and miss the point of obedience. An "eye for an eye", or revenge, is the wrong attitude...loving enemies is taking the high road. Jesus' teaching elevates what obedience really means.

Day Ten... "Two Very Different Messages of Salt"

Today we have drama packing reading with angels warning Lot to get out of "dodge" , struggles at the door, eyes blinded, Lot's wife turning into a pillar of salt and bizarre stories of daughters offered to strangers and incest. Genesis chapter 20 again has a story of deception as Abraham tells Abimelech Sarah is his sister. Why did he do so? Abraham says..."there is no fear of God in this place and they will kill me because of my wife." Psalm 10 is difficult for me to put my arms around today as it begins... "Why O Lord, do you stand far off?" Thankfully, our final teaching of the day is easy to put our arms around. This reference to "salt" is much more positive than that of Lot's wife. Salt influences, adds taste, and preserves. These are good qualities for a disiciple. I actually started throwing a pinch a salt in my colored clothes of laundry. Why? Salt preserves the color. It really does work! So does keeping the saltiness in our relationship with Christ. Light, obviously is a major metaphor for those who walk with Christ. Jesus is the light of the world. His followers are like a city shining on a hill! Light is to be seen and not hidden. We are to glorify God with our lives!

Day Nine... "Laughter in the Bible"

Abram and Sarai laugh at the idea they can have children or pleasure at their age. Anything is possible with God...even childbirth past the prime years. We see the significance of names today. Names are significant. Have we considered the meaning of our name? Abram becomes Abraham as he will be the symbolic father of Israel and Sarai becomes Sarah. Names can be a reminder of who we are and Whose we are. God shows mercy to the city of Sodom saying He will spare the people if even ten are found righteous. Psalm Nine is another of by David and states... "the Lord is the refuge for the oppressed and a stronghold for times of touble." The reading of the Beattitudes can literally change the tone of the day. As I read them, I almost see my world upside down and then I realize for God this is "right side up."

Day Eight "Counting the Stars!"

In our reading, we will discover Abram will not only have an heir but will have offspring as numerous as the stars. Abram has no idea what the Lord has in mind with having children! We will read more about this later. An angel announces Hagar's child will be Ishmael and will be more than rough around the edges..."he will be a wild donkey of a man and he will live in hostility." Sarai becomes jealous of Hagar having a child. The jealousy is out of her barren status. Is she in for a surprise! After a few days reading some gloomy Psalms... it is great to open with the inspiring thought... "O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" Stars appear a second time in our reading... "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars." Jesus moves from baptism, to the wilderness, and in today's reading to preach. (We will spend the next eight days in the Sermon on the Mount) In today's reading, Jesus begins calling his disiciples Peter and his brother Andrew. These fishermen must have been confused when told they would become "fishers of men." Jesus healing power begins to attract large crowds. Can we imagine what it would have been like to see all the commotion beginning to take place?

Day Seven..SHARE WHAT THE FIRST WEEK OF READING HAS MEANT TO YOU!

Abram and his nephew struggled a "Lot"...get it! They went their separate ways. Abram said you go left and I will go right or vice versa. Lot chose to go toward Sodom and Abram the Land of Canaan. After rescuing Lot, Abram gave a tithe to Melchizadek to glorify God. Can you spell Melchizedek? The Seventh Psalm is pretty gloomy. Obviously, it is better to live for God than to offer to be let your enemy defeat you. Again the Psalms speak to every emotion! David is pretty moody and even downcast in this one. Jesus is tempted by Satan in the Matthew reading. Forty days! Where have we read that before this week? Jesus prevails over hunger, power, buckling under the lure of Satan. Where have we seen Satan make bad look good and good badthis week? Jesus' response is much different than Adam and Eve in the garden or those building a tower in Babel! It is amazing how many correlations there are in the reading this week.

WELL ONE WEEK IS DONE! WHAT HAS THE FIRST WEEK OF READING MEANT TO YOU?

Day Six "From Confusion to Blessing"

The Tower of Babel leads to great confusion of languages. This is the beginning of different languages, people, and confusion of voices. It is a mystery why God says "WE" in this story. This is the second time in Genesis. Could the "WE" be "Jesus", "Spirit", Word (Logos)? It is a mystery. Pride in building the tower to Heaven resembles the eating of the "forbidden fruit" to have "eyes opened" as God." Both instances have consequences. After Babel, we have the beginning of a people through Abraham and Sarah. It may be suprising that Abram actually uses deception by identifying his wife as his sister in Egypt. We will read others stories when identity is concealed for other purposes...Moses and Esther come to mind. A foundation of Israel is laid in today's reading...Abram is "blessed to be a blessing." We will read how the blessings unfold in the days ahead. Psalm 6 is evidence that the Psalms speaks to all human emotions...even the painful ones. Jesus' baptism is a beginning of ministry. John the Baptist was in awe of this moment of baptizing Jesus. This account is similiar to Peter's reluctance to have his feet washed. Notice the voice from Heaven..."this is my beloved Son with whom I well pleased." In a week of reading of beginnings, Jesus' baptism is considered the initiation of His ministry."

Day Five "Looking for the Rainbow"

Many of you may feel as I do that this is time of new beginnings...just like the Book of Genesis.
Reading the Bible everyday has a certain "newness" of perpective. The kids and teachers are back in school and the Genesis themes of "beginnings" and "new beginnings" abound. In the midst of change it is good to see signs of affirmation like Noah saw the "rainbow." Perhaps if we look around today...we too will see some sign that God is faithful in our lives. Psalms continues to promise God's protection and John the Baptist prepares us for Jesus. My hope is that you are beginning to experience the "life" God's Word offers each day. I know I am. Thanks for sharing the journey so far...we are out to sea on our voyage and I see (metaphorically) the rainbow assuring this journey!

Day Four "My vote for most underated in the Bible"

Is the account of Noah and the Ark a third creation story? Genesis is a book of beginnings and the story of Noah continues this theme. Noah and the Ark is about beginning again. Shem, Ham, and Japheth have my vote as the most underated people of the Bible. Obviously, we all are connected directly in ancestory to Shem, Ham, and Japheth (the sons of Noah) as they began repopulating the earth. Psalm 4 holds wisdom for a good night's sleep..."the Lord is our source of safety." Safety is also an issue in our Matthew reading. When Herod realized he had been tricked by the Magi...he gave orders to kill children under two in Bethelehem. An angel warned Joseph and Mary and they sought refuge in Egypt. Even at birth...Jesus' life was a threat to others and this would continue to the cross. Safety is an issue in all three readings today...from a flood, for a good night's rest, and in fleeing to Egypt from Herod. On a day of elevated airport security and thwarted plans of terrorists...we can all relate to safety issues.

Day Three "And We Think We Are Getting Old!"

Imagine health care and retirement issues up to 900 years old! The number of birthday candles are staggering in the reading today. Notice in Genesis 5:21-24 that Enoch "walked with God" and never died. He is one of two people (the other Elijah) that never died. The contruction of Noah's Ark is no small feat. Imagine an ark of gopher wood (no one knows exactly what that is) that spans larger than a football field and taller than the Ninth Avenue Santuary. Possible Noah's Ark discovery stories are in the news. Photos are not necessary to be drawn into the story but there are some interesting photos of recent search expeditions at www.noahsarksearch.com . In facing opposition, God is with us...Psalm 3 provides comfort for those in adversarial circumstances. King Herod was threatened by the prospect of a new king upon hearing of the birth of Jesus. The Magi opted...through a dream...not to report back to Herod. The topic of church and state will be in messages at all of our services this weekend.

Day Two

Genesis 3 and 4 record the origins of sin and violence. Psalm 2 is a warning for nations to serve and respect the Lord. As I read these texts together, I thought about how sin begins with one and begins a path of destruction and brings down others. The "lure" of the serpent to have eyes opened and be as God can represent the downfall of one or a nation. Our reading today introduces sin and evil which turns individuals away from God, pits brother against brother, and nation against nation. Can we trace the conflict in the Middle East today with these stories in Genesis? Absolutely. We do need "Immanuel" or God with us. In Matthew's reading, we are reminded why we need a Savior. Why our world needs a Savior.

All Aboard! The voyage begins today!

The readings from Genesis1, 2, Psalm 1, and Matthew 1 are appropriate for the first day of reading through the Bible. God said His creation is "good" each day. How awesome is the story of creation! The wonder of God fills these pages. (stars, creatures, heaven, earth, seas, day, night) Psalm 1 states constant meditation is like a tree planted by streams of water. What a wonderful image to begin this voyage! Do not worry about the bumpy reading of all the names of Jesus' ancestory in Matthew. Just scan and notice there are three groups of fourteen generations...Abraham to David, David to exile, and exile to Jesus. Matthew wants his readers to know Jesus is connected in Jewish heritage all the way back to Abraham.