A New Approach for January 1, 2023

Daily Bible reading outline and prayer: Genesis 1-3, Matthew 1

This year, I’m going to try a different approach with my daily Bible reading and prayer. I love to have people increase their understanding of the Bible, simply so they’ll read it. I think confusion causes some to get frustrated and quit. Even though we read to have the living Word speak to us and to seek application for our daily lives, and not simply for educational and historical reasons, I believe comprehension of the actual story of the Bible increases interest, enjoyment of reading, and commitment to reading. I don’t know how this is going to work out because this is only day one, but I’m going to try to stay at least one day ahead, I’m still going to read two plans (chronological and Old Testament/New Testament), and I’m going to try to outline what we read.

Sunday, January 1, 2023 chronological reading: Genesis 1-3

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 

Genesis 1:1

Genesis 1:
v 1: God created heavens and earth
v 2: first mention of Spirit of God
v 3-5: light created; day one
v 6-8: heaven separated from earth; day two—only day where God did not declare something “good"
v 9-13: dry land separated from seas, vegetation enabled; day three
v 14-19: sun, moon, stars; day four
v 20-23: living creatures in sea and sky; day five
v 24-25: living creatures on earth &
v 26-31: man in Our (triune God) image; day six
v 27: male and female
v 29: plants are for food
v 31: first declaration of “very good”

Genesis 2:
v1-3: God rested; blessed and sanctified the seventh day
v4: account of day that God made heaven and earth—day one?—no vegetation or rain (mist from earth)
v7: man made from dust of ground; God breathed breath of life
v8-9: Garden of Eden, including tree of life and tree of knowledge of good and evil
v10-14: description of river flowing out of Eden and dividing into four: Pishon (Havilah), Gihon (Cush), Tigris (Assyriaa), Euphrates
v15-17: man in Garden of Eden: eat freely from all trees except tree of knowledge of good and evil—eating means death
v18-25: creation of Eve from Adam’s rib
v24: creation of marriage

Genesis 3:
v1-7: Eve and Adam eat from tree of knowledge of good and evil
v3: Eve changes what God said to do not eat OR touch
v4: the serpent tempts
v7: knowledge of nakedness
v8-13: God seeks out Adam and Eve, who are hiding from Him
v14-15a: curse on the serpent: seed of woman will bruise him on head while serpent bruises him on the heel
v15b-16: curse on the woman: painful childbirth
v17-19: curse on the man: toil/work
v20: Eve named (mother of all the living)
v21: garments of skin made to clothe Adam and Eve (first death?)
v22-24: Adam and Eve banished from Eden so that they would not eat from the tree of life

Sunday, January 1, 2023 OT/NT readings: Genesis 1-2, Matthew 1

Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.”

Matthew 1:22-23

Matthew 1:
v1-17: the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah from Abraham via David the King to Joseph, husband of Mary
women named: Tamar (v3); Rahab, Boaz’s mother (v5); Ruth, Boaz’s wife (v5); Bathsheba (v6); Mary (v16)
v18: Mary with child by the Holy Spirit
v19-25: plan explained by an angel to Joseph in a dream
v23-24: virgin birth=fulfillment of prophecy
v25: Mary kept a virgin until she gave birth to a Son, Jesus

Dear Lord, interesting that You did not call the separation of the heaven and the earth “good.” It is not good for us to be separated from You, but You enabled it so we could choose You. From the moment You created man and woman, You gave a choice. You gave abundance, but You forbid only one thing. We are drawn to that which You forbid, aren’t we? There would have been no death had Eve and Adam not sinned, but after they sinned, there was the first death so that they could have skins to cover their nakedness. You knew evil before humans did, and You tried to protect us. You always try to protect us, but we are still curious to know evil. Thank You that You seek us, even though we disobey and hide from You. Thank You that right after reading about the fall of man into sin, we read of Jesus, Your plan to redeem us, the seed of woman who will bruise the serpent, our enemy, Satan, on his head. Thank You for the reassurance that the enemy does not win because You sent Your Son, the Anointed, the Christ, Jesus. In His name, Amen.