Editor's note: Enjoy today's devotion from Tim Wildsmith's Daily Scripture Guidebook.
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Old Testament
This week’s Old Testament readings take us through the first sixteen chapters of Genesis. A lot happens here as the story of God and the people of Israel unfolds, but I’d like to draw your attention to the opening chapter.
Genesis 1 tells us seven times that when God looked on the world as He was creating it, He saw that it was good. The final verse of the chapter even says it was very good.
God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning — the sixth day. — Genesis 1:31
What do you think God is trying to tell us?
One of the most important takeaways from this opening chapter of the Bible is that
God created something good.
That goodness is the foundation of all creation. The beginning of this story — our story — is good. And we need to remember that, because the pages ahead are filled with countless stories that are not good. The Bible is so full of sadness and loss and death that it can be overwhelming for many readers. Not only that, but when we look up from these pages and examine the world around us, it too can be full of great sorrow.
If all of this was created to be good, then what went wrong?
Keep reading. In a couple of chapters, sin enters the story. The sinfulness of humanity is going to interrupt God’s good and perfect creation.
But when you complete this journey of reading through the Bible, you’ll see that sin and sadness and death do not get the final word. When all is said and done, God makes all things new and returns them to the way they were right here in the garden at the beginning. The end of the story is also very good.
- So when you feel overwhelmed, don’t lose heart. Remember that this is a good story.
Maybe you will want to flip back here to the opening pages every now and then to be reminded of that. God created something good, and the story is not over until he makes it good again.
New Testament
Our New Testament readings this week are in the first six chapters of Matthew. Many biblical scholars agree that Matthew was written to a primarily Jewish audience, and one of the major themes of this account of the life of Jesus is his status as the long-¬awaited Messiah. Matthew repeatedly highlights how Jesus fulfills different prophecies from the Hebrew Bible, and in these first few chapters you will notice several distinct connections to the Old Testament.
One example of this is the opening genealogy in Matthew 1.
Not only does this genealogy create a clear connection between Jesus and King David, but it also traces the lineage of Jesus back to Abraham, the great patriarch of the Israelite people. This differs from a similar genealogy in the gospel of Luke, which goes all the way back to Adam.
Why do you think these two genealogies are different? Can you think of any reasons why Matthew and Luke would begin their genealogies of Jesus with two different people? Make a mental note, because I’ll offer some insights on Luke’s genealogy in week 12.
Another key moment that would have immediately reminded Matthew’s first readers of the Old Testament is in chapter 2, when King Herod secretly plans to have Jesus killed. This is one of many similarities between Jesus and Moses highlighted in the gospel of Matthew (see how many more you can find along the way). The epic Sermon on the Mount in chapter 5 is the first of five distinct teaching sections recorded by Matthew, which parallels the first five books of the Old Testament called the Torah. I love it when Scripture echoes Scripture.
You’re going to be reading Matthew for the next six weeks while also reading through Genesis and Exodus, and I encourage you to make note of anything in Matthew that seems to connect with what you read in the Old Testament. It’s likely that Matthew intentionally made these connections to help his readers understand that what God was doing through Jesus was the continuation and fulfillment of what the Bible has been about from the very beginning.
Psalms and Proverbs
The book of Psalms is a collection of 150 ancient Hebrew poems, songs, and prayers written by a variety of authors (seventy-three of the Psalms are attributed to King David). There are several different types: psalms of praise, psalms of lament, psalms of thanksgiving, royal psalms, and didactic psalms. From ancient times to today, the psalms have been used both publicly and privately for worship, prayer, and reflection. I encourage you to read the psalms slowly and, if possible, more than once. The more familiar you become with them, the more you will be able to feel their rhythm.
Proverbs is filled with hundreds of short, clever sayings designed to impart wisdom on those who read them. Because there are thirty-one chapters, many people choose to read through the entire book every month (chapter 1 on the first day of the month, chapter 2 on the second day of the month, and so on). Our reading plan has us returning to Proverbs every four days to read just a few verses at a time. So, once again, take it slow and allow yourself to think about what these verses can teach you about living a life of wisdom.
Write down a few reflections on this week’s readings.
Excerpted with permission from Daily Scripture Guidebook by Tim Wildsmith, copyright Tim Wildsmith.
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Your Turn
Do you make a habit of reading the Bible on a daily basis? If your answer is not yet, I encourage you to dive into Wildsmith’s 52-week Daily Scripture Guidebook which is both a guide and a companion. You can read the Bible in a year and learn more than you imagine! ~ Devotionals Daily