Category: Through the Bible in a Year

Through the Bible in a Year – June 22

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The scheme for May – June can be found here

1 Ki 5-6; Mat 6; Psalm 69

As we have been exploring, there is a brand of what passes for Christianity, that pays little or no heed to the actual words of Jesus. To an extent we are all guilty of this. Certainly it is not too much to say that if the vast majority of Christians strove to be obedient to the teaching of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, the church would look somewhat different to how it looks.

Think for example about the exhortations to acts of piety done in private, and then consider the walls of so many churches festooned in plaques celebrating wealthy benefactors. ‘Truly I tell you, they have received their reward” How often do we make so much in public of such acts, showing that as a church we have the same mindset whether as donors or recipients.

And then of course, the command ‘Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth!’ But do we as Christians disengage from the mania with acquisitiveness with which the world is being slowly destroyed? The accumulation of those things we can see, that tempt the eye and thus reveal the covetousness of our hearts and our lack of desire for God.

Take no thought for what you eat or wear . . . I could go on

So often it seems in the West in particular the Church is up in arms about people’s ‘lifestyles’, ften in regard about which our Lord says nothing – yet when it comes to the plain commands of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (and elsewhere) we merge into the background and become indistinguishable from our surroundings.

As we shall see, the consequences of disobedience are great – but we don’t seem to believe this.

Bible Reading Scheme for July – August

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‘Read, Mark, Learn and Inwardly digest’
For those who are following the scheme to read through the Scriptures in a year, here are the readings for July and August

Of course if you missed the beginning, there no reason why you can’t join in at any point. Please contact church if you need a copy of earlier readings.

Just a couple of tips – if you miss a day, do not worry, or try to catch up, this will just turn it into a chore! Start again with the reading set for the day. And if something grabs your attention, then stop, turn to God in prayer or praise or lament or in whatever way seems appropriate.

This scheme will take you through the whole Bible in a year and twice through some parts. It is adapted from a scheme supplied by the Christian Medical Fellowship. Some of the order of the readings in the Old Testament might strike you as a little odd. This order is intended to follow the chronology of events. So for example in these months readings from 2 Chronicles which refer to Solomon, are interspersed with readings from Ecclesiastes which is traditionally attributed to Solomon, as also are the Proverbs.

Of course you do not have to read All of the readings, you could perhaps just follow the Old Testament track, or the new – or just read a Psalm a day as set – all of it is a profitable discipline

May God bless us all in our studies

Eric

July 1    Prov 12-14; Matt 14; Psalm 78 vs 32-end
July 2 Prov 15-16; Matt 15; Psalm 79
July 3    Prov 17-19; Matt 16; Psalm 80
July 4 Prov 20-21; Matt 17; Psalm 81-82
July 5    Prov 22-23; Matt 18; Psalm 83
July 6 Prov 24-25; Matt 19; Psalm 84-85
July 7 Prov 26-27; Matt 20; Psalm 86
July 8 Prov 28-29; Matt 21; Psalm 87-88
July 9    Prov 30-31; Matt 22; Psalm 89:1-18
July 10 2 Ch 1-4; Matt 23; Psalm 89:19-end
July 11 2 Ch 5-6; Matt 24; Psalm 90
July 12 2 Ch 7-9; Matt 25; Psalm 91
July 13 Ecc 1-4; Matt 26:1-35; Psalm 92-93
July 14 Ecc 5-8; Matt 26:36-end; Psalm 94
July 15 Ecc 9-12; Matt 27; Psalm 95-96
July 16 SoS 1-4; Matt 28: Psalm 97-98
July 17 SoS 5-8; Acts 1; Psalm 99-101
July 18 1 Ki 12-13; Acts 2 Psalm 102
July 19  1 Ki 14-15; Acts 3; Psalm 103
July 20  1 Ki 16-17; Acts 4; Psalm 104
July 21 1 Ki 18-19; Acts 5; Psalm 105 vs 1-25
July 22 1 Ki 20-21; Acts 6:1-7-16; Psalm 105 vs 26-end
July 23 1 Ki 22; Acts 7:17-end; Psalm 106:1-23
July 24 2 Ch 10-12; Acts 8; Psalm 106:24-end
July 25 2 Ch 13-15; Acts 9; Psalm 107:1-22
July 26 2 Ch 16-18; Acts 10; Psalm 107:23-end
July 27 2 Ch 19-20; Acts 11; Psalm 108
July 28 2 Ki 1-3; Acts 12:1- 13:12; Psalm 109
July 29 2 Ki 4-5; Acts 13:13-end; Psalm 110-111
July 30 2 Ki 6-7; Acts 14; Psalm 112-113
July 31 2 Ki 8-9; Acts 15:1-35; Psalm 114-115

August 1 2 Ki 10-12; Acts 15:36-16:40; Psalm 116-117
August 2 2 Ch 21-24; Acts 17; Psalm 118
August 3 Joel 1-3; Acts 18; Psalm 119:1-16
August 4 Jonah 1-2; Acts 19; Psalm 119:17-32
August 5 Jonah 3-4; Acts 20; Psalm 119:33-48
August 6 2 Ki 13-14; Acts 21; Psalm 119:49-64
August 7 2 Ki 15-16; Acts 22; Psalm 119:65-80
August 8 2 Ki 17-18; Acts 23; Psalm 119:81-96
August 9 2 Ki 19-20 ; Acts 24; Psalm 119:97-112
August 10 2 Ch 25-27; Acts 25; Psalm 119:113-128
August 11 2 Ch 28-29; Acts 26; Psalm 119:129-144
August 12 2 Ch 30-32; Acts 27; Psalm 119:145-160
August 13 Is 1-2; Acts 28; Psalm 119:161-176
August 14 Is 3-4; 1 Thes 1-2:16; Psalm 120-122
August 15 Is 5-7; 1 Thes 2:17-4:12; Psalm 123-125
August 16 Is 8-10; 1 Thess 4:13-5:28; Psalm 126-128
August 17 Is 11-12; 2 Thes 1-2; Psalm 129-131
August 18 Is 13-14; 2 Thes 3; Psalm 132
August 19 Is 15-16; Gal 1-2; Psalm 133-135
August 20 Is 17-19; Gal 3; Psalm 136
August 21 Is 20-21; Gal 4; Psalm 137-138
August 22 Is 22-23; Gal 5; Psalm 140
August 23 Is 24-25; Gal 6; Psalm 141-142
August 24 Is 26-27; 1 Cor 1; Psalm 143-144
August 25 Is 28-29; 1 Cor 2-3; Psalm 145
August 26 Is 30-32; 1 Cor 4-5; Psalm 146-147
August 27 Is 33-35; 1 Cor 6; Psalm 150
August 28 Is 36-37; 1 Cor 7; Psalm 1-2
August 29 Is 38-39; 1 Cor 8-9; Psalm 3-4
August 30 Is 40-41; 1 Cor 10; Psalm 5-6
August 31 Is 42-43; 1 Cor 11: Psalm 7

Through the Bible in a Year – June 21

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The scheme for May – June can be found here

1 Ki 3-4; Mat 5; Psalm 68

Yesterday we thought about how the humanity of Jesus is revelaed in his being tempted, but better understood as his being a child of God.

Now we enter the territory of the Sermon on the Mount. Contrary to many, we need to realise, this is meant to be lived. We are to be poor in spirit – humble – mourners (how can we be otherwise as we see the world in which we live?) – to be meek (gentle in the strength that comes from above) – hungry for God’s Life – merciful – pure in heart – peacemakers – and thus persecuted.

The last beatitude is the one which really makes such an impression on our mind. To be frank why would anyone persecute a Christian. Yes we see how our brethren are actively persecuted in so many parts of the world – but in the West as Christians we long ago made our peace with the surrounding culture. And in the West we have largely sought to avoid concrete obedience to the teaching of Jesus. We have separated our lives out – the spiritual, a sort of message, or a set of feelings -and the material, where we live lives that are no different to those amongst whom we live and a thousand miles away from the life revealed to us in the Sermon.

Ultimately this disconnect is an abandonment of Christ. He is our teacher – we are told to follow him. The Sermon is nothing less than the description of the life of a disciple, but we have chosen the easy course and so books abound on how we must not take the Sermon seriously. It is we are told ‘about the age to come’. BUT in Christ the age to come has dawned. The call to truly repentant lives has been proclaimed – the highway has been made straight. It is not complicated, obedience to Jesus. It is tough, but not complicated. We have created a false gospel, which requires no response on our part, it is a thing that is almost impossible to communicate to others, for it is so complex. But it is much much easier than obedience to Jesus.

From Ghandi, to many indigenous people’s to whom the gospel came – the disconnect between our lives and the teaching of Jesus is plain. We struggle to know how to communicate the gospel?? The answer Jesus gives us is plain – Live it. Of course then that final Beatitude may well become true for you also – but as Jesus says, that is a matter for rejoicing, no?

Through the Bible in a Year – June 20

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The scheme for May – June can be found here

1 Ki 2; Mat 4; Psalm 67

In the temptations in the wilderness, Jesus is revealed in his full humanity to us. Tempted as we are in every way. What holds him through all that he endures is his understanding of who he is. Whilst we rightly make much of how Jesus responds to the Satan with words of Scripture – we perhaps miss the significance of his baptism – that his identity is secure in God his Father and he is enlivened by the Holy Spirit.

Each of the temptations is in essence to deny who he is, and each challenges us about our apprehension of our identity in Christ as sons and daughters of God.

First he is tempted to provide for himself. Of course much of bourgeois Christianity does exactly this. ‘God helps those who help themselves’ we are told and a thousand and other little lies. We are taught to take our lives into our own hands. In many ways it is the greatest failing of the western church, that throughout 1700 years of Christendom, we have become entwined in the world’s way of thinking about material things. How are our lives any different from those around us in regard to the physical provision of God. Do we know His provision of the stuff of life?

Next Jesus is called upon to deny his Father in terms of trusting him to work his good purposes out. Again the temptation is ‘to take his life into his own hands’, ironically in a way by risking his life. In an age where more than ever before we vaunt the spectacular, the large scale [think how much effort we put into ‘good communication’ re ‘EVENTS’ coming up in our churches] – in our own way we throw ourselves down from the temple many many times . . . to no effect. God reveals his Glory in His way. Ultimately, the ‘spectacle’ of God’s glory is revealed not in pyrotechinics but in the dead body of Jesus on the cross. That is His way of manifesting himself. We need to allow That to influence our efforts at what is effectively ‘self’ promotion.

Finally it all comes to a head – ‘Bow down and worship me and you will have everything you desire’. It is perhaps barely necessary that we have perhaps unwittingly, but certainly in culpable ignorance sold out to Satan in our worship of Mammon in the contemporary church.

Again, I say we see Jesus here in his humanity. In his overcoming temptation he sets a path for us to follow. Being His entails learning from Him (being his disciple). It is not primarily learning the Scriptures, although they have their not insignificant place. Primarily it is coming to our senses as Children of the most high God, realising that these temptations assail our very being, and learning like Jesus to refute them – secure in our identity as those he is not ashamed to call brothers and sisters – following Him.

Through the Bible in a Year – June 19

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The scheme for May – June can be found here

1 Ki 1; Mat 3; Psalm 66

One of the key titles for Jesus in Matthew is ‘Son of David’. We find the angel also addresses Joseph thus – so it of course at one level means ‘in the lineage of David’. But at another it expresses Israel’s Messianic hope – the ‘annointed one’ – the Christ – that is the King.

Of course ‘King’ ‘covers a multitude of sins’. Anyone aware of human history knows that those who lead are every bit as flawed as those who are led. So the story of David ends in 1 Kings, not in a blaze of glory, but with an enfeebled king dying and being manipulated by those around him. This is unpacked over the first two chapters as Solomon accedes to the throne – but we see David now enacting revenge that for some reason in his strength he had refused to be associated with.

Perhaps it is here we see David in Truth? Certainly it is instructive that our scriptures do not engage in hagiography – at least the Samuel/Kings account does not.

But now another King steps onto the stage – Jesus embarks on his public ministry – heralded by the abrasive character of the Baptist – who preaches repentance in readiness to meet with the coming one, the one who will baptise with fire – and with the very life of God.

Yet Jesus himself sees how important it is that everything be fulfilled – so he too is baptised. In so doing Identifying fully with repentant Israel, and more broadly all those who repent and turn to God. And in this he is annointed with the Spirit which he will pass on to those who follow him, and is declared the beloved Son of God.

The identification of Jesus with his own is I think worthy of much meditation – we are found ‘in Christ’ to use Paul’s phrase.

Through the Bible in a Year – June 18

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The scheme for May – June can be found here

1 Ch 27-29; Mat 2; Psalm 64-65

Matthew’s great theme is ‘Fulfillment’ We shall see this over and again in many ways. Immediately the Christ child finds himself as it were driven from amongst his people – to that place of ancient threat – Egypt. Abraham of course also sojourned in Egypt, but unlike Abraham, and indeed the children of Jacob, we know nothing of the time the Holy Family spent there, except that ‘it was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophets’.

In the coming of Jesus we see all God’s purposes and plans coming to Fulfillment – and it is worthwhile asking ourselves, can we hold this to be true? Or are we waiting for another??

Through the Bible in a Year – June 17

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The scheme for May – June can be found here

1 Ch 25-26; Mat 1; Psalm 62-63

Our scheme sadly does not take us through all four gospels twice. So we need to pay close attention now to Matthew which we open today. In orthodox churches, there is Always a reading from one of the four gospels. Many of us belong to churches where we stand as the gospelis read – often from amongst the people – to remind us that we are hearing the words of of our Lord.

Jesus as we shall see over the next few days, places great emphasis on listening to his words and doing them. In a sense this is the heart of the Scriptures. These words do not come to us through human agency, except that of the Word made flesh. They are the very words of the Second person of the Trinity. These words are life to us.

And Matthew is at pains to point this out – we begin with one of two genealogies of Jesus – this one dates points us back to Abraham – the one who is the father of the faithful – and also includes the Royal line in the initial inscription. He is ‘Jesus, the Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham’

Unlike Luke, Matthew focuses on Joseph in the story of Jesus’ birth – ‘Joseph the husband of Mary of whom Jesus was born’. All the way through the genealogy, Matthew draws in seemingly peripheral figures, or outsiders, and in a sense this is true also of Joseph. His role is portrayed as simply obedience – an overshadowing of Mary.

In Catholic tradition, Mary is sometimes understood in terms of the Ark of the Covenant – the God bearer. Perhaps we might understand Joseph as the cherubim that overshadow the ark?

Also of course we have the famous text from Isaiah. ‘Behold – a virgin shall conceive and bear a son’. Matthew, one who writes in Greek takes his text from the Septuagint, the Greek text, rather than the Hebrew, or at least the Hebrew as we have it. Actually the Greek is the oldest extant text – our earliest copies of the Hebrew text date from much much later. The Hebrew text has ‘a young woman shall conceive (Isaiah 7:14). It is possible but not proven, that in an effort to quieten the Christian apologists, the Hebrew text was changed, and that in the original it did say virgin.

Finally it is important to note that ‘God is with us’ – in the Isaiah text is freighted with threat as well as promise. When God comes to his people to be amongst them, it is as King, as Judge. Joseph knows the One who commands and goes about His business promptly. However much contemporary tellings of this story make of ‘what it must have been like for Joseph’ -the scriptures only reveal a faithful child of Abraham, who like father Abraham goes in response to his Word (cf Genesis 12:1-3)

Through the BIble in a Year – June 16

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The scheme for May – June can be found here

1 Ch 23-24; Rev 22; Psalm 60-61

We come to the final chapter of Revelation. In a sense the End of Scripture – although by no means the end of our year of readings. Here we find once more a river, and the tree that our forebears ignored – the tree of Life.

It is in many regards a wonder full thing that these verses close the canon, not least because the place of Revelation within the canon of Scripture was not always certain in the early years of the church. It belinged as we have seen to that line of scriptures called Apocalyptic, and others well known to the early Christians faded from view over the first couple of hundred years of the life of the church, leaving Revelation as The Apocalyptic scripture in the New Testament (perhaps we might also squeeze Jude in there as well?)

Certainly it makes the finest of ‘endings’ – with the reader focussed on the hope and expectation of seeing Christ.

Amen. Come Lord Jesus! is our prayer – perhaps the culmination of all prayer

Through the Bible in a Year – June 15

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The scheme for May – June can be found here

1 Ch 21-22; Rev 21; Psalm 58-59

Again we come upon a conundrum in the Scriptural account which we cannot simply ignore

In the Samuel account of the David story = we are told the LORD incited David to number the people. The Chronicler puts it at the door of the Satan.

There are several issues at point here. Firstly there is the question of what the author is trying to do. The Chronicler is writing in all likelihood much later than the author of Samuel. As we have seen there is a desire not to besmirch the royal name, by not mentioning David’s theft of Bathsheba. Certainly in a sense the Chronicler could be seen to be doing the same with regard to the name of God. Satan, along with all the angelic beings is in some accounts thought to emerge later in the tradition of Israel. His role as we know is veiled to some regards – certainly the opening chapters of Job suggest so. He is seen in some account as a free agent, in others a servant of the purposes of God. In a sense these two are not wholly irreconcilable.

But, and secondly, such texts do not allow us to have a simplistic approach to Scripture. ‘The Bible says . . .’ is always a line to be taken with fear and trembling – and here is one clear expression of why – for ‘The Bible says two things which to our ears sound irreconcilable’. Of course, we are also reminded that the Heart of the message of Scripture is that which we seek to hear. It is why it is Always good to read Scripture in company – none of us have our own personal hotline to the thoughts of the God whose ways and thoughts are not ours. We need to learn to hear the Word – and we do that in a community of disciples, committed above all to following Jesus, The Word made flesh.

 

Through the Bible in a Year – June 14

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The scheme for May – June can be found here

1 Ch 18-20; Rev 19-20; Psalm 56-57

Our readings in the Old Testament are ‘chronologically’ arranged. That is that the texts are read in a way that is arranged with the flow of time, the story of God’s people. Thus we shall soon be reading the prophets who denounced the kings of Israel and Judah, as we also read of the downfall of those same kings.

Of course, as we are all aware, the Old Testament contains many different types (genres) of writing. There is poetry and prayer (Psalms and Song of Songs), there are sayings (proverbs), there are theological tales (Jonah and Job for example), and then there is ‘historical narrative’.

And therein lies a difficulty for us – for there is history and there is history. Who writes the history influences what is included, and in the case of our reading today, what is left out.

We read the words ‘In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle . . .’ and immediately we are in familiar territory, having just read exactly the same words in 2 Samuel 11 . . . but the story does not continues the same.

The Chronicler is not interested in David’s personal history – he is telling the story of the great King of Israel with no interest in his personal character, unlike the author of Samuel. Here the story goes on without missing a step and were it not for Samuel, we would never have known of David’s theft of Bathsheba

Does it matter?