Day 1
Genesis 1:1-2:17; Matthew 1:1-25; Psalm 1:1-6
And we’re off. A bit of a poor start at first – missed the alarm by an hour. But not to worry, read the Bible on my way in to the office (NB reading and driving can be a bit scary). Anyway, we’re here, we’ve started.
Genesis, Matthew and Psalm 1.
Genesis 1 and 2 always amaze me. Ok there are two different creation narratives but they speak so much of the power of God to be able to say a word and the sun and the moon are created. The sun that is the sustainer of life (just think about plants, photosynthesis blah blah (end of biology lesson)), and then the moon that has the power to move the oceans. All this from “Let there be lights …” And then in Genesis 2 God crafts Adam and Eve from the clay. Just think of the care and devotion that a sculptor, a potter or an artist put into their work. It was just the same with God as he formed each arm and leg, each finger and finger nail, each hair and each freckle. From the vastness of God’s power to the intimacy of his love, isn’t that enough to blow your mind. And it’s only the first day and the first two chapters of the Bible.
Matthew also points us to the creation of a human, this time Jesus – fully human and fully God. Matthew starts with the Genealogy of Jesus. It could be BBC1’s Who do you think you are. “Tonight Jesus traces his family tree”. Jesus of the line of David. As this book was written for Jews who would know their scripture and their prophets, they would know that the Messiah was to be born out of this family tree. (Isaiah 9:6-7 - “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever”). Matthew is really saying “Wake up and smell the coffee, this is the Messiah”.
And as Andy Croft points out on the Soul Survivor blog, this family tree contains it’s fair share of scoundrels and muppets. From murderers to adulterous. And this is Jesus’ family! But if we think that it’s OK for us to be like that if Jesus’ family was, the Psalm reminds us that we really must try to walk a path that is closer to what Jesus would expect of us. As I read this this morning I was struck by the fact that a Psalm written thousands of years ago, and ordered right at the start of the book of Psalms many hundreds of years ago, would be so apt for 1st September 2010, and I just love the way that God works and speaks to us. Just to remind us as we start Bibleinoneyear, that he delights when we meditate on him day and night, and a reminder that we may have made promises to walk closer to God at Soul Survivor and now we need to keep them.
Looking forward to tomorrow.
And we’re off. A bit of a poor start at first – missed the alarm by an hour. But not to worry, read the Bible on my way in to the office (NB reading and driving can be a bit scary). Anyway, we’re here, we’ve started.
Genesis, Matthew and Psalm 1.
Genesis 1 and 2 always amaze me. Ok there are two different creation narratives but they speak so much of the power of God to be able to say a word and the sun and the moon are created. The sun that is the sustainer of life (just think about plants, photosynthesis blah blah (end of biology lesson)), and then the moon that has the power to move the oceans. All this from “Let there be lights …” And then in Genesis 2 God crafts Adam and Eve from the clay. Just think of the care and devotion that a sculptor, a potter or an artist put into their work. It was just the same with God as he formed each arm and leg, each finger and finger nail, each hair and each freckle. From the vastness of God’s power to the intimacy of his love, isn’t that enough to blow your mind. And it’s only the first day and the first two chapters of the Bible.
Matthew also points us to the creation of a human, this time Jesus – fully human and fully God. Matthew starts with the Genealogy of Jesus. It could be BBC1’s Who do you think you are. “Tonight Jesus traces his family tree”. Jesus of the line of David. As this book was written for Jews who would know their scripture and their prophets, they would know that the Messiah was to be born out of this family tree. (Isaiah 9:6-7 - “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever”). Matthew is really saying “Wake up and smell the coffee, this is the Messiah”.
And as Andy Croft points out on the Soul Survivor blog, this family tree contains it’s fair share of scoundrels and muppets. From murderers to adulterous. And this is Jesus’ family! But if we think that it’s OK for us to be like that if Jesus’ family was, the Psalm reminds us that we really must try to walk a path that is closer to what Jesus would expect of us. As I read this this morning I was struck by the fact that a Psalm written thousands of years ago, and ordered right at the start of the book of Psalms many hundreds of years ago, would be so apt for 1st September 2010, and I just love the way that God works and speaks to us. Just to remind us as we start Bibleinoneyear, that he delights when we meditate on him day and night, and a reminder that we may have made promises to walk closer to God at Soul Survivor and now we need to keep them.
Looking forward to tomorrow.
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