I can’t remember the last time I posted twice in a week never mind twice in two days. But anyway – here goes.
This year (as many years before) I’ve started going through the bible in a year. This year I’m going to stick to it though. Well. Try. And Ali Johnson, a friend of mine, is going through it too (probably lots of friends of mine are going through it but Ali is the only one I’ve talked to about it so far). I’m very much looking forward to facing the challenge with Ali. Accountability is great.
Anyway – the system I’m following just takes me through from Genesis to Revelation (I know there are other methods) but every seventh day there is a kind of ‘break’ that gives space to read some of the Psalms. So I thought I would try and blog each 7th day about the week that I’ve just read. Another method of accountability. And more waffling.
So this week I’ve read up to Genesis 17 – the bit about circumcision. Genesis is a great book and at the same time it leaves me with quite a few questions and sometimes makes me think things that maybe I should think of God. Like – the tower of Babel (Genesis 11). Now – I must admit I’ve not done any proper study in to this so I probably should but there are times when I read this story and just think that it sounds a bit as if God’s making it up as He goes along. See – you shouldn’t stay stuff like that about God?! I’m sure it’s a wrong reading rather than anything else… but there you go. I’ve said it.
In other news – I love reading the story of the fall – because even at the beginning of the story, with hindsight, you can see the hints of Jesus. And it’s exciting. And the same with the beginning of Abram’s story. You know – even though he gets it wrong sometimes (saying Sarai was his sister and things) – there are great things to come through Abram and his descendants.
It reminds me of the Dave Crowder Band song – For The Glory Of It All – that starts:
At the start
he was there, he was there
In the end,
he’ll be there, he’ll be thereAnd After all our hands have wrought
He forgivesOh the Glory of it all is:
he came here
For the rescue of us all
that we may live
for the glory of it all
There are exciting times ahead. And I know there is so much you can take from Genesis – much more than I’m going to go into here and now but for me that is what has been exciting – it’s the start of a story – a great story that has many ups and downs but ultimately is about Christ.
My Saviour.
Andy Hoyland
1. I am proud to be you accountability partner on two levels and also to change the world with a brother like you is in fact a genuine honour.
2. I have always wonder about the tower Babel too and wondered why God did it that way. I see and understand that he had to respond but why didn’t he send down a messenger his usual way of doing things? I am confused on many levels by this story. So if I understand it correctly God didn’t want us to be as diverse as we are?
3. Keep Blogging!!
Yeah – I agree… Gen 11 is a really interesting passage.
I think it’s essential that it’s viewed through the lens of the flood happening not many generations before this. Since the fall, over and over again mankind has turned against God and focused on lifting up our own name above his. I think it’s key to remember that God specifically told Noah to go forth and multiply and fill the earth, then so soon after we see mankind doing the opposite and banding together for their own glory, disregarding God’s command and saying “let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”
Oh – and yes… do what Ali says and keep blogging. You’ve had a long enough break over the Chrsitmas period!!
I think God likes us to say just what we’re thinking about God.