Saul Reads the Bible

Scripture Readings:

Old Testament: Exodus 12:1-12:36
Poetry/Prophecy: Psalm 51:1-52:9
New Testament: Acts 13:13-13:41

The Passover feast is established today, and the first Passover is used to mark the houses of the Israelites when God’s angel kills all the first-born children of Egypt. Pharaoh is finally compelled to act, and the children of Israel will leave to form a new nation, defined [...]

Scripture Readings:

Old Testament: Exodus 10:1-11:10
Poetry/Prophecy: Psalm 49:1-50:23
New Testament: Acts 13:1-13:12

Today: locusts and darkness in Egypt. Why is God doing all of this? Would Pharaoh have relented by now if God did not continue to “harden his heart” time and again?

Another Psalm by the Korahites, this time about the inevitability of death, and a call to become [...]

Scripture Readings:

Old Testament: Exodus 9:1-9:35
Poetry/Prophecy: Psalm 46:1-48:14
New Testament: Acts 12:5-12:25

Today: plagues 5, 6, and 7, with a dual theme at play: God is at once turning up the heat and at the same time making allowance for mercy and forgiveness – both for the Jews and the more faithful of the Egyptians.

More Psalms from the Korahites, whose style [...]

Scripture Readings:

Old Testament: Exodus 8:1-8:32
Poetry/Prophecy: Psalm 44:1-45:17
New Testament: Acts 11:19-12:4

The “plagues” or “blows” (the image here is perhaps God beating Pharaoh over the head with Moses’ staff) continue in Exodus: following blood, we have frogs, gnats, and flies. Slowly but surely, the intensity and severity are being ratcheted up.

Psalms 44 and 45, written by the Korahites (as [...]

Scripture Readings:

Old Testament: Exodus 6:10-7:25
Poetry/Prophecy: Psalm 41:1-43:5
New Testament: Acts 11:1-11:18

Today Moses and Aaron show Pharaoh the signs, and the plagues begin, with water being turned to blood. Pharaoh is unimpressed, though, and remains unmoved. All is going according to God’s plan.

In Psalms, we end Book 1 and begin Book 2-a historical division that is part of [...]

Scripture Readings:

Old Testament: Exodus 5:1-6:9
Poetry/Prophecy: Psalm 39:1-40:17
New Testament: Acts 10:24-10:48

Pharaoh, as God predicted, disallows the Jews’ pilgrimage into the desert. Worse, he increases the workload of the already overburdened Jews, making them even more discouraged. What is God thinking?

In Psalms, David reflects on the ephemeral nature of life. How should we respond?

And in Acts, Peter [...]

Scripture Readings:

Old Testament: Exodus 4:10-4:31
Poetry/Prophecy: Psalm 37:1-38:22
New Testament: Acts 10:1-10:23

God promises that Aaron will help Moses in his mission, and, after a near miss (almost being killed by God), Moses returns to meet the Israelite elders, who are duly impressed with his signs.

David paints the apparent success of the wicked as a temporary illusion, and (not surprisingly) advocates [...]

Scripture Readings:

Old Testament: Exodus 2:16-4:9
Poetry/Prophecy: Psalm 35:1-36:12
New Testament: Acts 9:32-9:43

Moses flees to Midian, finds a wife, has a son, and meets God after being self-reflective enough to take interest in a burning bush.

David gives us some insight into a particular group of enemies he is asking God to vanquish-in particular, enemies toward whom David has been kind in [...]

Scripture Readings:

Old Testament: Exodus 1:1-2:15
Poetry/Prophecy: Psalm 33:1-34:22
New Testament: Acts 9:1-9:31

Exodus begins, and we fast-forward through 430 years (!!!!) during which the Hebrews serve the Egyptians as slaves. Moses is born, and, though he has grown up in Pharaoh’s house, he feels kinship with his Hebrew roots.

David is in a happy praise place for both his Psalms today.

And [...]

Scripture Readings:

Old Testament: Genesis 49:24-50:26
Poetry/Prophecy: Psalm 31:1-32:11
New Testament: Acts 8:25-8:40

The book of Genesis draws to a close. Jacob dies. Joseph dies. And we are left to see what happens to this nation of Israel that God is building.

Psalm 31 evokes parallels between the lives of David and Job. Psalm 32 shows some deep insight [...]