Through the Old Testament... on to the New
I'm almost sad that I'm "leaving" the Old Testament. It's been my daily companion for 68 days already and I have grown rather attached to it. When I started reading June 1, I was dreading the Old Testament a little bit... all the begat so and so's and God bringing judgement and the precision of Numbers and Leviticus. But as I finished Malachi today, and started Matthew. I realized that was what I LOVED about the old Testament! (okay maybe not the begats, but even that showed the Soveriegnty of God and His greater purpose for Israel and the earth... and sure enough...how does Matthew start? BEGATS again... !!!)
I said to someone the other night that the Bible has become a new book to me. (to which he heartily agreed) I've read it before, but it is resonating on a deeper, more practical... more redemptive level than ever before. I think it has something to do with... no, I KNOW it has something to do with my longing to give 100% to God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit. I've approached this reading with a longing to see God's heart, to understand His justice and to receive His wisdom and experience His mercy. It's never been "just a book", but it really is a new book to me this time around, and I am rejoicing because of that!
I have loved watching (reading) the story unfold. It's a story of redemption and God's steadfastness, His mercy, and His again UNFAILING love for His people... for His creation... for those He would eventually give His life for (now I'm jumping ahead haha). The Old Testament, The Law, The Prophets... all of it is so precise and so perfectly laid out. Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God..." and Malachi 4:4-5 "Remember to obey the law of Moses...Look I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord arrives...." The Bible Starts with the premise that God created everything for HIS Glory, and the Old Testament ends with the promise of His coming and His return...
Everything inbetween builds to this moment... I am sending a prophet who will prepare the way of the Lord... The Major Prophets and the Minor (Miner?) Prophets all spoke of both the judgement coming in the days they were written and of a judgement to come. I can't imagine what the people of the day would have thought about this "great and terrible" day of the Lord, or the events that will happen in the far off future as He says to Danel, but those words are resonating with me for today. He is coming again, and He will send a prophet to prepare the way for His return as He did in the days of Jesus. John was the prophet then... to Israel... now to us as the body what does this prophecy mean?
The worship at church this weekend was all about Christ's return to rule and reign over the earth. Pastor Ray's sermon was on submission to authority... I couldn't help but put those together. The Bible is a love letter... calling His people to himself, whether through struggle or blessing, judgement or favor, He is jealous for His own.
The New Testament brings me, us non Jews, into the equation even more. (we were just foreigners and other nations in the OT) But now, the time of the Gentiles is introduced.... our place in the story. I'm excited to see how the threads continue through the next 20 days...
I'll keep you posted :)
I said to someone the other night that the Bible has become a new book to me. (to which he heartily agreed) I've read it before, but it is resonating on a deeper, more practical... more redemptive level than ever before. I think it has something to do with... no, I KNOW it has something to do with my longing to give 100% to God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit. I've approached this reading with a longing to see God's heart, to understand His justice and to receive His wisdom and experience His mercy. It's never been "just a book", but it really is a new book to me this time around, and I am rejoicing because of that!
I have loved watching (reading) the story unfold. It's a story of redemption and God's steadfastness, His mercy, and His again UNFAILING love for His people... for His creation... for those He would eventually give His life for (now I'm jumping ahead haha). The Old Testament, The Law, The Prophets... all of it is so precise and so perfectly laid out. Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God..." and Malachi 4:4-5 "Remember to obey the law of Moses...Look I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord arrives...." The Bible Starts with the premise that God created everything for HIS Glory, and the Old Testament ends with the promise of His coming and His return...
Everything inbetween builds to this moment... I am sending a prophet who will prepare the way of the Lord... The Major Prophets and the Minor (Miner?) Prophets all spoke of both the judgement coming in the days they were written and of a judgement to come. I can't imagine what the people of the day would have thought about this "great and terrible" day of the Lord, or the events that will happen in the far off future as He says to Danel, but those words are resonating with me for today. He is coming again, and He will send a prophet to prepare the way for His return as He did in the days of Jesus. John was the prophet then... to Israel... now to us as the body what does this prophecy mean?
The worship at church this weekend was all about Christ's return to rule and reign over the earth. Pastor Ray's sermon was on submission to authority... I couldn't help but put those together. The Bible is a love letter... calling His people to himself, whether through struggle or blessing, judgement or favor, He is jealous for His own.
The New Testament brings me, us non Jews, into the equation even more. (we were just foreigners and other nations in the OT) But now, the time of the Gentiles is introduced.... our place in the story. I'm excited to see how the threads continue through the next 20 days...
I'll keep you posted :)
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