True to form, Job ends in a bit of ambiguity. Job admits that in the past he has spoken as one who only knew about God, but now he has seen God face to face. As such, he repents. He wants to take something he said or did back. The problem is, we aren’t told from what he repents. Does he repent of challenging God’s fairness? Does he repent of seeing his misery as a reason for despair? Does he repent of viewing life and obedience as meaningless? Continue reading Day 38: No Easy Answers

Job is such a fascinating book. The vast majority of the book is an extended conversation between Job and his three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. Job, at this point, has lost everything (except his nagging wife) and is covered with sores. He looks so bad that his friends didn’t initially recognize him. They sit with him for seven full days and don’t say a thing. When they finally open their mouths, Job wishes they hadn’t. Continue reading Day 37: When Being Right is Wrong

Cover to Cover: 1 Chronicles 23:12-2 Chronicles 6:36 Key Passage: 2 Chronicles 3:1-17 Verse of the Day: 2 Chronicles 3:1 Key events in today’s reading: Plans for the Temple (1 Chronicles 28) Solomon Named King (1 Chronicles 29:21-25) Death of David (1 Chronicles 29:26-30) Solomon Asks for Wisdom (2 Chronicles 1) Solomon Builds the Temple (2 Chronicles 3) Ark Brought to the Temple (2 Chronicles … Continue reading Day 31: Where do you sense the holy?

We are on day 30 of this project of reading the Bible through in 90 days. That’s a third of the way through. Way to go! I’ve found the reading/listening to be a great intellectual exercise. No matter how often I read the Bible, there are still things I learn in each reading. I’m also reading through some books on ancient Israel that are supplementing my reading quite a bit. Continue reading Day 30: Seeking God

The first nine chapters of 1 Chronicles are a little dry to say the least. Genealogy after genealogy carry little meaning for the modern reader. And yet, I can’t help but think, at some point, these words were life-giving to a portion of God’s family. The first couple of verses of chapter nine give us the context. This was written to those who had been carried off into exile and to those who eventually returned to Israel during the time of Cyrus the Great. For this audience, these genealogies are their connection to home, their connection to Israel’s history, their assurance that they have a part in the promises of God given to their ancestors. The exile has not permanently separated them from their past. They still have a place in the story of God’s people. Continue reading Day 29: All Scripture is Inspired…Not All of it is Inspiring