It is fun to once again dive into a purposeful reading of the entire God Story, and we hope you join us in the journey. This week we are taking a look at Genesis 1-4 and Job 1-3 (yes, I added Job chapter 3 to the schedule). The book of Job is very old, and he was probably a contemporary of Abraham.
To me one of the huge questions of life is “why are things the way that they are?” This week’s readings are foundational inasmuch as God is explaining not only our origins, but our relationship to good and evil. This is key because we find ourselves being birthed into a world at war, where there are literally things taking place which are beyond our scope to see and comprehend.
Ephesians 6.12-13 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”
It also struck me that when God asked Adam why he hid from Him in the garden that he said “I was afraid” (Genesis 3:10). Can you imagine a world/a life where there is no fear? This is where God sent my mind as I read, and led me to consider that there are two kinds of fear. Read Job 3 to see how Adam’s fear was passed on and multiplied to Job. What did Job fear? Even though he was a righteous man, he still experienced fear and dread (Job 3:20-26). This human fear has multiplied millions of times over, and is a part of the fabric of our lives.
The second fear is the the “fear” of the Lord. Proverbs 19.23 says “The fear of the LORD leads to life, so that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.” It is not a fear merely of retribution, but an embraced awe of Who God is and the authority He exercises over all He has made. As we will see, Job comes to this same conclusion at the end of his trials.
The God Story is woven together. As a teacher, these thousands of connected threads form the basis for my deeper journey with God. This is the beauty of discovery when we choose to dive deeper in the God Story.
Cool. Talk to you next week.
Enjoy your reading of Genesis 1-4 and Job 1-3.
Your deeper reading guide for Genesis is here.
Your book by book deeper reading guide for Job is here.
Did you get a chance to review the big picture (pass one on to a friend)?
The 8 Minute God Story
The 15 Minute Bible
Check out the January 1-6th DayStreamers post if you want something a little lighter 🙂