Week of December 27 Readings

Merry Christmas. Here are our readings for the upcoming week.

Dec 27: 1Sam 25-26; Luke 12:32-59
Dec 28: 1Sam 27-29; Luke 13:1-22
Dec 29: 1Sam 30-31; Luke 13:23-35
Dec 30: 2Sam 1-2; Luke 14:1-24
Dec 31: 2Sam 3-5; Luke 14:25-35
Jan 1: 2Sam 6-8; Luke 15:1-10
Jan 2: 2Sam 9-11; Luke 15:11-32

Peace on earth.

Week of December 20 Readings

Merry Christmas!

Here are our readings for the upcoming week:

Dec 20: 1Sam 7-9; Luke 9:18-36
Dec 21: 1Sam 10-12; Luke 9:37-62
Dec 22: 1Sam 13-14; Luke 10:1-24
Dec 23: 1Sam 15-16; Luke 10:25-42
Dec 24: 1Sam 17-18; Luke 11:1-28
Dec 25: 1Sam 19-21; Luke 11:29-54
Dec 26: 1Sam 22-24; Luke 12:1-31

We are in 1 Samuel and the Gospel of Luke.

Some comments about 1 Samuel. The book is set geographically in the territory of Canaan or Israel. Occasionally the action moves into coastal Philistia or east of the Jordan River. Chronologically, the book covers the last years of Israel's tribal confederacy and the reigns of Israel's first and second kings -- Saul [1020-1000 BC] and David [1000-961 BC].

1 Samuel adheres to what is known as the Deuteronomic History. Namely, if the nation is faithful to God, it will prosper. If the nation is unfaithful to God, the nation will suffer military defeats. If the nation does not repent of its unfaithfulness, it will cease to exist. 1 Samuel shares this understanding of history with the other books of the Former Prophets -- Joshua, Judges, 2 Samuel, and Kings.

Biblical scholar Carol Grizzard notes that 1 Samuel has two interlocking themes. One, the importance of good government. Two, the complexity of relationships -- between people and God and among people.

Happy reading.

Week of December 13 Readings

Here are the readings for the upcoming week:

Dec 13: Jud 11-12; Luke 6:1-26
Dec 14: Jud 13-15; Luke 6:27-49
Dec 15: Jud 16-18; Luke 7:1-30
Dec 16: Jud 19-21; Luke 7:31-50
Dec 17: Ruth 1-4; Luke 8:1-25
Dec 18: 1Sam 1-3; Luke 8:26-56
Dec 19: 1Sam 4-6; Luke 9:1-17

We will be finishing up Judges, reading all of Ruth in a day, continuing in Luke, and beginning 1 Samuel.

Ruth is a story about redemption. It tells the story of a woman named Naomi who lived in Bethlehem during the time of the judges. When famine strikes, Naomi and her sons take refuge in Moab. Her sons marry Moabite women. In turn, Naomi's husband and sons die.

Grief-stricken and bitter, Naomi returns to Bethlehem. She is accompanied by her Moabite daughter-in-law, Ruth -- an outsider who is shunned by Israelites. Ruth, who proves extraordinarily faithful to her mother-in-law, becomes the instrument of God's redemption through the birth of a son, Obed. One of Obed's descendants will be David, the ancestor of Judah's messianic line of kings.

On the surface, Ruth is about the restoration of family property and the healing of a break in the family tree. But the author of the book uses symbolic names, word plays, and purposeful repetition of significant phrases to tell the story as an extended parable. Obed's birth, which represents redemption for Naomi, foreshadows David's birth, who begins the line of kings that promises redemption for all God's people.

Happy reading.

Peace.

Week of December 6 Readings

Keep reading . . . We are nearing the 25% mark.

Dec 6: Josh 16-18; Luke 2:1-24
Dec 7: Josh 19-21; Luke 2:25-52
Dec 8: Josh 22-24; Luke 3
Dec 9: Jud 1-3; Luke 4:1-30
Dec 10: Jud 4-6; Luke 4:31-44
Dec 11: Jud 7-8; Luke 5:1-16
Dec 12: Jud 9-10; Luke 5:17-39