We are moving along through The Story. Do you recognize the images? Can you tell God's story with the help of these visual markers? We are more than half way through the 31 chapters. As we move further along the more I believe we'll see connections and echoes of what has come before. There are some similar threads and parallels that may catch your attention and draw your interest as well as looking forward to how the story of Jesus intersects these. We'll read about the birth of Jesus in a couple weeks remembering God's promises of significant births like Isaac, Samson, and Samuel. Famine is also theme that has come up multiple times as well as dreams and how the interpretation of dreams has significance in the stories of Joseph and Daniel. I have also been curious about how God interacts with foreign kings and pharaohs in Egypt and now Persia. They have a part in the story and how God engages them in ways that affect God's people not letting things get derailed forever but keeps his promise to the people.
There are so many more questions that people often have that the Bible doesn't get into details about. It would be nice to know more sometimes and that is what the studies help us with as we go deeper into what we are reading and what is happening around those times. I am also reminded that the books of the Bible are inspired and written for a purpose. In John 20:30-31, we read "Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name." Likewise in the Old Testament scriptures we are reading what has been passed on from generation to generation so that those who hear it will know God's story and have faith. Getting to know and share the story of God is a joy and blessing, like the hymn reminds us, "I love to tell the story of Jesus and his love." Blessings as you open this book of faith.