Through the Bible

As previously mentioned I, along with a fair number of other folks in our organization, have taken on the discipline of reading through the bible in 2009. I thought this might be a good place to start to record thoughts from each days readings.
As we move here through the end of week two and into week three I'll start with some catching up:

Jan 1 - Jan 4:
Creation - Noah

A couple thoughts from the creation story:

• The serpent's speech seems to be the prototype for Satan's prime argument against God:

"He's lying to you. He's withholding good things from you...and I'll throw in some twisted truth to make it sound plausible." ie: "when you eat of it you will become like God"

• Adam's attempt to blame God for his eating of the apple is always amusing and convicting at the same time: "The woman...who YOU put her with me...SHE gave me the fruit of the tree and I ate it." Not my fault man!!!
• The argument of Cain is always intriguing: "If you sent me away people will find me and kill me" Who? What people? Either there are folks outside the garden...or more plausibly, Cain has had some conversation with God about what the "subduing of the earth" is going to look like and know folks might come after him down the road.

The next big thing is Noah:

"...a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God."

I think this is the first time I have ever caught the fact that when Noah enters the ark he takes two of every kind of animal but also 7 of every kind of clean animal and every kind of bird.
(Of course clean vs unclean is established until Moses time so he would have had a more comprehensive list than "clean vs unclean". It's handy to catch that tidbit because if you don't you'll wonder why, after only a year in the ark, he comes out and starts sacrificing animals!!! If he only started with two of each that sacrificing bit would put a serious dent is his plans for animal husbandry and global restoration!!

Next comes the "Tower of Babel" as almost a footnote:

The thing that strikes me here is that there still seems to be some different kind of commerce going back and forth between heavenly creatures and earthly creatures. Genesis 6:1-4 seems to indicate that angels were in regular contact with men. (Just as it seems that God himself "walked" with the folks in the garden.) Then in Genesis 11:1-9 God scatters man, either to further subdue the earth OR as part of a change in how man and heavenly beings will be interacting henceforth. Either way we only get to see the earthly side of the conversation.

Which leads us next...to Job:
(You have to love the chronological Bible!!)

• Important to remember that Job is first described as being blameless and upright. (If you forget that bit then you'll think he is being arrogant and/or blasphemous later on.)
• The next interesting bit is that satan shows up with the other angels. Hasn't he fallen already? Is he allowed to come back into the throne room after having fallen? What IS his status at this point? Notes on the text indicate that 'satan' means 'accuser'...so is he the prosecuting attorney?
• Interesting too that it is God who brings up Job..."Have you considered my servant Job?" ...it isn't as though satan has his eye on Job and comes in looking to take him out.
• I love the exchange that happens after that where satan claims that Job only fears God because God has blessed Job. "But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face." I have this picture in my minds eye of God looking over the edge of his glasses kind of glancing down at satan. "Do, you see what you're saying you angelic being who was once blessed with everything much as Job is blessed? Are you not now using Job as your excuse for cursing me after that fall?" (of course we've not yet decided if satan is fallen at this point but I enjoy the picture anyway.)

Which brings us more or less up to current.
The last week or so has been the exchange between Job and his "friends"

Thoughts on Job anyone?