Bible in a year

Last year, I successfully completed my second pass at reading through the entire Bible in a year, this time following along with an on-line discussion at One Year Bible Blog (ATOM). This year, I've started again, but I'm following a different plan. This one is chronological (RSS), in that it attempts to order the readings so that we're basically moving forward in time as the year goes on. My hope is that this will help to give me a better perspective on how everything fits together, primarily in the Old Testament.
I like using an RSS feed for my readings, as it provides a daily reminder to actually do it, as opposed to a printed listing of scriptures for the day, which I need to remember to look at. :-(

Thus far, we've covered the first 7 chapters of Genesis (so it will be easy to catch up, if you want to start.) The thing that has impressed me most, again, is how must story is there, rather than history. If you get caught up with the Bible as history and science text, then you run into all sorts of difficulties, such as the multiple creation accounts, and a new one I saw today, which had Jabal, Jubal, and Tubal-cain, who were the ancestors of those who live in tents, play the lute and lyre, and make bronze and iron tools, respectively. But three chapters later they're all wiped out in the flood (since they're not part of Noah's line). But looking at it as a story which tells something about the people telling it eliminates such problems as unimportant.

(Those of you who like to stone blasphemers and heretics might want start looking for rocks)

I think that people who go off searching for the remains of Noah's ark are missing the point. I don't think they'll ever find the ark, because I don't believe it ever actually existed. Not as a physical ship with people and animals aboard as described in the text. Noah and the flood, in my opinion, is a story meant to illustrate the fallen-ness of the world, the pain that causes God, and the lengths that God will follow to redeem it.

Comments

5

I am going to attempt to do this as well, and as such, have read the first seven chapters of Genesis.

--When I read the bit about Cain's sacrifice and Abel's sacrifice when I was younger, and how God liked Abel's and not Cain's, I thought that meant that God doesn't like farmers. Of course, later I was informed that it wasn't because God doesn't like vegetables (or, perhaps, vegetarians), but that Cain had sacrificed all of the withered and bad vegetables, and Abel had given one of his fattest lambs. If the Bible is meant to be taken literally (which is what I did when I was like six and read this), where did that interpretation come from? It certainly makes more sense to me, but that's not really literalist there. I'm not a literalist, but I try to understand the literalists since I am destined for the seventh circle according to their dogma.

-- Has anyone done the math on the lineage? I might later this evening. These guys all lived for the better part of a thousand years and were like a hundred years old when they had kids. How much time would that therefore cover? I'm sure someone's done that. Yes, I'm looking at it historically, but again, I'm trying to understand the literalist point of view that says that the Grand Canyon is six thousand years old.

-- If Noah had a hundred years to build the ark as well as three sons, and eventually daughters-in-law, and probably unmentioned daughters as well (and no one can tell me that all of the chicks in this story would have stood around while he was building a boat), I think he could have actually built the boat. I mean, if the Pyramids can be built (the oldest one was built 2700 years before Christ, I think), and they clearly exist, I see no reason why a freakin huge boat couldn't be built. Granted, Noah didn't have the Hebrews as slave labour, either.

That's all I've got for now. I shall ponder this some more, and let you know if I come up with anything profound. Maybe we should set up a discussion board?

As far as Cain's offering being the "bad apples" vs Abel's, it is partially there. There's no description of the quality of Cain's offering, but it's clear that Abel brought "the firstlings of his flock, their fat portions."

If you think it's worthwhile, some sort of discussion forum could certainly be set up. Or we could just use this blog - you can go ahead and create an account for yourself.

Dwayne,

Thanks for steering me to the "bible in a year" site. I made the entire year (although I missed a few days here are there and had to play catch up). I'm gonna try to keep up with it again this year. Again thanks!

Hi, saw that you came by my Xanga site earlier today. How'd you find me? ;)

Blasphemer! Blasphemer! LOL sounds like a SNL skit? LOL :)

I am not a literalist, but I believe. I believe that the Ark was built and animals were put in it. Though I have to say.....What does that have to do with following Jesus or Salvation?.. Sure we have stories and parables to model out thinking and lives but in the end isn't it the red letters that we follow.

PADI (Crap) They sell all these certifications so that people will cough up the dough. I was certified in 1965 w/ PADI and I became an Ice diver, Wreak diver, Penetration diver, and Search and Rescue with the Sheriffs dept. I have no stinking cards! Though I have a full Log book.

Cursillo, What a great program! Did my Non-Roman Cursillo in Michigan's U.P. and was on team for 5 years, then I went into Prisons with Keryx now for about 6 years, I think, Got to say if you like Cursillo, you would LOVE Keryx.

When you have NOTHING BUT JESUS, Jesus is all you need.

Cain? There are a few references like the Cain and Abel story where the object lesson is obedience out of Love for God. Christianity is not rocket science. Fear God, Love God, Obey God, Follow Christ!