2021 Week One – January 10 through 16
Tanakh (Old Testament) Reading
Genesis 1-2; Psalm 19
Genesis 3-5
Genesis 6-8; Psalm 104
Genesis 9-11
Genesis 12-15; Psalm 148
B’rit Hadashah (New Covenant, or New Testament) Reading
Mark 1
Mark 2
Mark 3
Mark 4
Mark 5
Are you familiar with the terms “Tanakh” and “B’rit Hadashah”? Those are simply the Hebrew versions of “Old Testament” and New Testament.” I mostly read from the Complete Jewish Study Bible. (Read about the Complete Jewish Bible here and the Complete Jewish Study Bible here.) In the comments section, feel free to tell us which version you’re reading from.
It’s great fun to start the year with the goal of reading the entire Bible. For many years, I listened to Scripture on cassette, then on CD, then on a tiny MP3 player. It’s a great way to take in the Word of God. Lately, I have gone to reading the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation, both on my phone and in the paper-and-ink version. This year, I’m happily reading the “Following in the Way of Jesus” program, which is not in the usual order. We’ll be doing it together!
Thoughts about Genesis one through fifteen
It’s amazing how effortless it is on God’s part to create everything that exists, and everything that is He creates is good. Or “very good.” It’s amazing and painful to see how quickly sin enters the world, and how dramatic the effects are. It’s amazing that God went to Cain and warned him:
B’resheet [Genesis] 4
(4) Adonai accepted Hevel [Abel] and his offering (5) but did not accept Kayin [Cain] and his offering. Kayin was very angry, and his face fell. (6) Adonai said to Kayin, “Why are you angry? Why so downcast? (7) If you are doing what is good, shouldn’t you hold your head high? And if you don’t do what is good, sin is crouching at the door — it wants you, but you can rule over it.”
Even with a direct warning from God, Cain killed his brother. And life on the formerly-perfect planet gets worse and worse, until we get to chapter 6:
(5) Adonai saw that the people on earth were very wicked, that all the imaginings of their hearts were always of evil only. (6) Adonai regretted that he had made humankind on the earth; it grieved his heart.
God was grieved, and he had to destroy much of his creation. But there was a godly remnant–one family–so God told Noah how to survive the coming global flood.
I love how Noah is portrayed as a God-fearing man, a hero of the faith, but he’s still a fallible human who gets drunk after planting a vineyard. Oops.
When you get to the genealogy in chapter 10, it’s nice to listen to an audio version. It helps you get comfortable with those very foreign-sounding names.
In chapter 11, we get to meet Avram (Abram) and Sarai. In the following chapter, we see that he is called by God:
B’resheet [Genesis] 12
(1) Now Adonai said to Avram, “Get yourself out of your country, away from your kinsmen and away from your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you. (2) I will make of you a great nation, I will bless you, and I will make your name great; and you are to be a blessing. (3) I will bless those who bless you, but I will curse anyone who curses you; and by you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
There it is: the Abrahamic Covenant. (Given while he was still Abram, before God changed his name.) Still valid today!
As with Noah, Abram/Abraham is clearly shown in Scripture to be a godly man, but he has his weaknesses. “Sarai, please tell ’em you’re my sister so they don’t kill me.” But he’s still God’s friend!
Chapter 14 is fun. Lot and his family get kidnapped during a war. Abram goes with the 318 men who were born in his household and were well-trained; they attack, conquer, and bring back the people and the goods. Very impressive. After the battle, Abram gets to meet Malki-Tzedek (Melchizedek,) and gives him a tithe. We learn a lot more about the significance of that meeting in Hebrews 5, 6, and 7.
At the end of chapter 15, we see another covenant, this time regarding the land:
B’resheet [Genesis] 15
(18) That day Adonai made a covenant with Avram: “I have given this land to your descendants — from the Vadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River — (19) the territory of the Keni, the K’nizi, the Kadmoni, (20) the Hitti, the P’rizi, the Refa’im, (21) the Emori, the Kena‘ani, the Girgashi and the Y’vusi.”
You’ll probably want to reread those verses in your favorite version of the Bible, to see more familiar names.
Thoughts about Psalms 19, 104, and 148
I don’t have any great insights about these Psalms. What do you think?
Thoughts about Mark 1 through 5
I love this Gospel! I had forgotten that the chapters are relatively long. It’s also a bit of a surprise that Mark doesn’t give any hint of the genealogy of Yeshua (Jesus.) Mark portrays Him as the Servant, and we aren’t usually concerned about the bloodlines of a servant. You have to go to Matthew for Joseph’s genealogy and Luke for Mary’s. John gives the “eternity past” version of the origin story of the Messiah.
Chapter one is packed with action.
• We meet Yochanan the Immerser (John the Baptist) and see Jesus baptized, then driven out into the wilderness for forty days of temptation.
• John is imprisoned, and Jesus goes about teaching, and gathers disciples.
• He casts out a demon from a man in a synagogue, and his fame spreads widely.
• He heals Shim’on’s (Simon’s) mother-in-law, who gets right back to work!
• He heals a man with leprosy, who spreads the news widely.
Yeah. All that is packed into chapter one.
Chapter two is shorter, and ends with a very different perspective on the Shabbat (Sabbath) than was taught by the theologians of the day:
Mark 2
(23) One Shabbat Yeshua was passing through some wheat fields; and as they went along, his talmidim began picking heads of grain. (24) The P’rushim said to him, “Look! Why are they violating Shabbat?” (25) He said to them, “Haven’t you ever read what David did when he and those with him were hungry and needed food? (26) He entered the House of God when Evyatar was cohen gadol and ate the Bread of the Presence,” — which is forbidden for anyone to eat but the cohanim — “and even gave some to his companions.” (27) Then he said to them, “Shabbat was made for mankind, not mankind for Shabbat; (28) So the Son of Man is Lord even of Shabbat.”
I don’t fully understand the significance of the Sabbath, but it’s obvious that although Jesus lived in obedience to the Torah, He didn’t keep it the way the religious leaders of his day did.
Chapters 3, 4, and 5 are all packed with teachings, miracles, and opposition.
What did you notice in these portions of Scripture?
Click here to get to the rest of the posts for 2021 Bible Reading.
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