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Without Genesis, it really is difficult to understand and grasp the bible as a whole. Even if one is reading it from as literature, or for another non-spiritual purpose.
Read it all! Without the Old Testament, the New Testament ... even the coming of Jesus Christ to atone for our sins that we might have Salvation and eternal life, has no frame-of-reference. The OT also gives us a long view of man's 'lack of success' in trying to 'be good,' find God and live righteously by faith ... via rule/law-keeping.
Many seem to lose sight of the fact that the God of the NT is also the God of the OT ... 'the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.' God has not grown more 'sin tolerant' or 'loving' in NT times. Instead, He used man's OT history to lead us to Jesus Christ. Likewise, there are many in OT times who were declared righteous before God ... because of their faith and trust in God. Christ has come, and trust and faith in God are still the vehicle of faith and righteousness.
Many seem to lose sight of the fact that the God of the NT is also the God of the OT ... 'the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.' God has not grown more 'sin tolerant' or 'loving' in NT times. Instead, He used man's OT history to lead us to Jesus Christ. Likewise, there are many in OT times who were declared righteous before God ... because of their faith and trust in God. Christ has come, and trust and faith in God are still the vehicle of faith and righteousness.
You can't have it both ways. You can't say that the god, who in the OT committed genocide, ordered the Hebrews to stone disobedient children, sanctioned slavery, and told us not to mix fabics is the same god that said to love your neighbor as yourself.
You can't have it both ways. You can't say that the god, who in the OT committed genocide, ordered the Hebrews to stone disobedient children, sanctioned slavery, and told us not to mix fabics is the same god that said to love your neighbor as yourself.
You COULD say that, but then if you're honest with yourself, you know that it's far more likely that one of them is an ancient myth, just like every other religion that's not your own. And then you realize that the second of those is also almost certainly an ancient myth. That was pretty much my exact thought progression.
Everything. You cannot know God without having read the origins of humanity and life and sin and why you need a savior to go to Heaven. It all starts with Genesis. The problem with the church today is that the Old Testament isn't read enough.
Well, there is the story of Moses and the burning bush, which I believe can be found in Exodus (I had to look this up to be sure).
There's also the story of Samson (God given strength) and Delilah (the woman who seduced him to his death) found in Judges.
The story of Saul and David found in Samuel...
I hope I answered your question a little better.
Thanks. Yeah, it's interesting how I know a rough sketch of the Samson story (the hair), but I'll bet that story was never one of our church readings, or stories we studied in CCD. It was generally these vaguely uplifting passages that were dull, inoffensive, and easily ignorable.
Maybe my way of going about this should be - whenever I hear a reference, I'll make a note to go read the story it's in. Maybe I can check out Samson + Delilah tonite. I really, really doubt I'll ever read the Bible cover to cover. When I haven't even read David Copperfield yet?
Thanks. Yeah, it's interesting how I know a rough sketch of the Samson story (the hair), but I'll bet that story was never one of our church readings, or stories we studied in CCD. It was generally these vaguely uplifting passages that were dull, inoffensive, and easily ignorable.
Maybe my way of going about this should be - whenever I hear a reference, I'll make a note to go read the story it's in. Maybe I can check out Samson + Delilah tonite. I really, really doubt I'll ever read the Bible cover to cover. When I haven't even read David Copperfield yet?
To be honest with you, I've read most of the Bible (the minor prophets is when I slow down but the minor prophets are the parts that foretell the coming of Jesus the most imo) but I've never read it cover to cover. I allow myself to take things in stride and read the parts of the book I feel curious about at that time and it usually works for me.
We read the story of samson in church and even all the others but it wasn't until I read it for myself that it took on new and personal meaning in my life.
Oh, good luck! I hope you find what you're looking for. Even if it turns out that it isn't in those passages.
What would you consider the "essential" Old Testament stories that everybody, regardless of religious beliefs or lack thereof, should read? .
If I'm allowed to pick just one book I would pick Leviticus.
For me there is just a Bible. Splitting it in OT and NT is the worse thing ever do. It's simply 100% impossible to understand the Word of God without proper understanding of the OT. Leaving teh OT out of the picture has given rise to 1000s fantasy doctrines.
Everybody should read all the books to get a chronological sequence of events because the books and stories are linked. Otherwise it will not make sense.
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Good luck with that!
