Read: Job 38:1-11; 42:1-6 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? (38:4 KJV) The book of Job is a long poem, long admired by literary figures such as Alfred Lord Tennyson, who called it “the greatest poem of ancient and modern times,” and theological figures such as Martin Luther, who said that Job is “magnificent and sublime as no other book of Scripture.” I’m sure that you’re familiar with the basic story: Job loses everything and …
Another Look at Creation
Read: John 1:1-14 In the beginning was the Word. (v. 1) It’s no coincidence that the opening words of John 1 echo Genesis 1. Each Gospel creates a historical platform for Jesus. Mark starts with John the Baptist, Matthew goes all the way to Abraham, Luke goes further yet and looks to Adam, but John goes furthest, to the very beginning. Before anyone was, the Word was, and everything God spoke into creation was spoken through his Word. When we …
A Creation Poem
Read: Genesis 1:1–2:3 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (v. 1 KJV) Personally, I am not very interested in the creation or evolution debates associated with this passage. Instead, I simply want to point out something usually overlooked: this passage is a poem. The structure parallels itself—on day one God says “let there be light,” and on day four he places lights in the heavens. On day two God separates the waters from the land, and …
Knowing Who We Are
Read: Psalm 131 Lord, my heart is not haughty . . . (v. 1 KJV) May I make a suggestion? Read the passages in this set of devotionals aloud. Poetry (like preaching) is an oral art form and is meant to be read out loud. You hear the rhythm and cadence of the words when they are spoken. In this psalm, for example, there is a string of words that begin with the letter h: “heart,” “haughty,” “high,” “hope” and …
The Beauty of the Bible
Read: Psalm 23 The LORD is my shepherd. (v. 1) American novelist and theologian Frederick Buechner says that reading the Bible as literature is like reading Moby Dick as a whaling manual. Although there actually is a lot about whaling in Moby Dick, ultimately that’s not what it’s about. Likewise, there is a lot to admire literarily about the Bible, but ultimately, that’s not why we read the Bible. The Bible has peaks and valleys, and while all Scripture is useful …