Starting a M'Cheyne reading plan today, where over the course of the year I will read the OT once and the NT and Psalms twice. It has passages from both the Old and New Testaments each day...it will be really great. Join me in the reading if you would like to and feel free to comment on what God is teaching you through your readings.
Today we start out with Genesis 1, Matthew 1, Ezra 1 and Acts 1. This was a great reading because each of these passages is all about beginnings...the creation of earth, the beginning of Jesus life, the beginning of construction on the rebuilding of the Jewish temple and the beginning of the church.
I was drawn to the reminder given to us through Matthew 1:17. There were 14 generations from Abraham (The Father of Israel) to King David. 14 generations from David to the Babylonian exile of the Jewish nation. And 14 generations from the exile to the birth of Jesus. 14 is an important number because it is two times the number 7. 7 is the biblical number of completeness or perfection, so fourteen signifies a double measure of perfection. 14 is also used to represent salvation, which Jesus brings all humanity on the cross. The 14th day of the first month is when the original Passover took place (When the firstborn of Israel were spared from death by the blood of lambs wiped on their doorposts). Jesus himself because the ultimate sacrifice when he dies on the cross on the 14th day of the first month - Passover. 7 represents completion and 14 is very important here because it represents a double completion on the cross - the completion of Jesus' earthly ministry and the completion of the sacrifice he came to make. Pretty cool stuff!
3 comments:
Acts 1:3- It's good to know that God just doesn't asks us for blind faith in Him. I try to stay away from saying "that's just they way it is", and look for proof and evidence of God both from anecdotal evidence and analytically. It's good to ask questions instead of being willingly ignorant. Not to say there aren't mysterious aspects of God... (1:7).
Acts 1:12-26 - Wow. How awesome would it have been to be inside that house? One of the first Christian gatherings in the wake of Christ's death and resurrection. Everyone is waiting on this "helper"... I can only imagine them in a state of such confusion. They have no idea whats about to hit them (fire tongues, etc...).
With 7 representing completion (or an end)... couldn't 14 also represent resurrection or rebirth (a new beginning)?
Stay with me on this....
Could December 21st (the famous Mayan "end of the world" date), represent the completion of 3 tasks (3 representing the trinity) and on the last month (in contrast with the 1st month).....
HENCE...
Confirmation that something significant will happen on that day sometime in the future. Hopefully not in 2012, though.
-Tim Sone
Matt - thanks for the thoughts...good to hear from you.
Tim - I don't know man...the beauty of being able to break things down after they happen, is that you have it all in front of you. We can look back at God's timing on the crucifixion and go - "Wow God, that is incredible!" I'm not sure if we can use it as a predictor, but the thought are interesting either way...thanks man!
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