This week, we will read Genesis 38-44, Mark 8-14, Job 4-10, and Romans 8-14. Here are some thoughts I had that might be interesting for you to look for as you read through these chapters!

Genesis 38

Judah, the next hope for a good heir to Jacob, is a liar (Genesis 38:11, 14, 26) and a fornicator (Genesis 38:18) with a gross double standard (Genesis 38:24). However, God uses his sin; Perez, his son by harlotry, is in the line of Christ.

Genesis 41

Joseph exhibits wisdom and humility, pointing to God as the interpreter of dreams twice (Genesis 40:8, Genesis 41:16).

Mark 10

Jesus teaches His disciples plainly, but they do not understand. Four times He foretold His death: Mark 8:31, Mark 9:9-10, Mark 9:31-32, Mark 10:33-34.

Mark 12

Jesus made a theological argument based on the tense of a verb: “I AM.” God wrote Scripture and selected each word carefully; every word and tense is important when studying the Bible (Mark 12:27).

Job 5

Though not always completely right, Job’s friend Eliphaz captured a comforting truth (Job 5:17-18):

Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves
So do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.
For He inflicts pain, and gives relief;
He wounds, and His hands also heal.

Job 9

Job employs lofty language to describe God; we should also describe Him in such splendor (Job 9:6-8):

Who shakes the earth out of its place
And its pillars tremble;
Who commands the sun not to shine,
And sets a seal upon the stars;
Who alone stretches out the heavens
And tramples down the waves of the sea.

This is not the last of Job’s well-said descriptions of our great God.

It was once true, as Job said, “[God] is not a man… there is no umpire between us” (Job 9:32-33). Now, however, “there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).

Romans 13

Paul’s teaching mirror’s Christ’s: “Render to all what is due” (Romans 13:7), as Jesus taught, “Render to Caesar” (Mark 12:17). The sum of the Law is found in both places as well: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Romans 13:9, Mark 12:30). It is interesting that both thoughts are in both Romans 13 and Mark 12.

 

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As you read, if you come across an interesting connection or observation, please share as a comment!