Taking the Next Step
So we ran out of Bible Reading Guides again last week. This is a very pleasant surprise and something we’ll take into account when we order the “Part Two” batch in March, along with some other potential upgrades.
If you missed getting a Part One copy, you can still use the daily prompts and reading plan.
For the daily prompts, any kind of journal will do. Just transfer the four sections to a blank page.
“Father, today I thank you for …”
[Committing Scripture to memory]
Prayer from today’s readings:
Notes, ideas, tasks
For what it’s worth, I went this route in the fourth quarter of last year, using a Leuchtturm1917 notebook. The tool you use is less important than consistent practice. The main idea is to develop the habit of daily thanksgiving, Scripture memory and reading, and prayer.
For the Reading Plan, the entire thing is now in our app — you can reference the plan in the app to read your hardcopy Bible; you could complete the readings within the app itself; or you could listen to the audio within the app.
While the Guide is nice to have and I wish we didn’t run out, I just want you to know that you can develop the habit and keep up with everything without one — just for ten more weeks and then we’ll get new copies for Part Two.
More on the Readings
You may have noticed the unusual order of the daily readings. There is four total, with three coming from the Old Testament. Right now, on the day that I’m writing this, that means Genesis, Joshua, and Psalms. While it might feel a bit strange to jump between these sections of the Old Testament, the purpose is to read from the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings.
Those are the three parts of the Hebrew Bible, called the “TaNaKh” — an acronym for Torah (Law of Moses), Nevi’im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings). This would have been the Bible that Jewish people “carried with them” in the first century, including Jesus and the apostles. This was the Bible from which they read and taught, as Jesus says in Luke 24:44,
“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures …
In my experience, reading the Old Testament in this order reveals a marvelous literary unity. It really is one story — or as one scholar has put it, the Old Testament is “a very well-made omelet”! Rather than unscramble the omelet and consider the ingredients in isolation, we should enjoy it as a conceptual unity (awaiting only its God-inspired ‘commentary,’ the New Testament).
Resources for Bible Reading
For more on this topic, and for some resources along the way, consider these three recommendations:
Alastair Roberts’s Commentary
One of my favorite commentators is Alastair Roberts. His attentiveness to the text and ability to grasp the wide-lens angle on the Bible’s storyline make his reflections on Scripture consistently eye-opening. He has generously recorded his reflections on most chapters of the Bible. For example, say you have some questions about what’s going on in Genesis 14. Simply go to his site, use the ‘Book’ filter, and listen to his commentary.
Bible Project Study Notes
What they’ve put together over at The Bible Project is just remarkable. One resource, among so many great ones, is Study Notes on “How to Read the Bible.” If you have a little more time and you want to dig deeper into the literary character of Scripture, hop over and download their free-of-charge PDFs.
John Sailhamer’s Compact Bible Commentary
This is my go-to quick-reference commentary. A magisterial Old Testament scholar, Dr. Sailhamer has influenced how I read the Bible more than anyone. I’ve been wearing out this little commentary since college (it needed an overhaul a couple of years ago).
What About You?
What resources have helped you in your understanding of Scripture?
Related resources:
