January 15: Good morning! Ready for a little more Joseph?? Yesterday we read how Joseph’s fortune took him from dungeon to palace, and today in chapters 42-43 we see how this leads to reunion with his brothers (though they don’t know it yet).
Category: Daily Bible
Genesis 40-41
Good morning! Today we continue the saga of Joseph and see the reversal of his fortunes from prisoner to near-Pharaoh. Whereas false accusation sent him to prison, Joseph’s righteousness (with a healthy dose of magical storytelling) makes a way out of no way.
Genesis 37-39
Good morning! In today’s reading (Genesis 37-39) we begin the extended story of Jacob’s son Joseph, effectively a novella that will carry us through the end of this first book of the Bible.
Genesis 34-36
Good morning! Today’s scripture (Genesis 34-36) begins with a dreadful story in chapter 34, the rape of Dinah. To its original Hebrew audiences, this story was perhaps a warning about the misbehavior of non-Jews (“see what trouble is caused when Shechem has his way with one of our daughters?”), or a valorization of righteous violence (“look at the lengths to which our heroes go to defend the honor of our people!”). But to my ears now, the existence of this story itself is the cause for alarm (“see what barbarity is authorized when humans divide people into the righteous ‘Us’ and the unholy ‘Them’?”). Other passages of the Bible sound like this (the end of Esther, for example), and in order to see any of this as “Good News” I have to understand it as God’s cautionary tale—right here in the Bible—of how violence begets violence, and none is righteous in the end. I prefer the softer novelization of this incident in The Red Tent, but this is the gritty Bible we have (which more closely resembles the world we have). Another chance to be thankful this is not history but religious ideology, yet also to lament that something such as this might even be practiced at all in the name of God.
Genesis 31-33
Good morning! In today’s reading of Genesis 31-33, the jealous tensions between Jacob and his uncle Laban result in a painful but overdue separation. Jacob then turns his attention to the home of his parents, finally facing up to the brother he wronged decades earlier. Along the way, he grapples with God throughout an unforgettable night.
Genesis 29-30
Good morning, and congratulations on making it ten days into this Daily Bible discipline! Today’s reading continues the story of juvenile Jacob, in flight from his brother Esau after tricking him out of both birthright and firstborn-blessing. Now in Genesis 29 and 30 we see Jacob get married and have children, then grow in prosperity at the expense of his uncle Laban.
Genesis 26-28
Good morning! Thank you for your sustained interest in these Daily Bible introductions and readings. I hope that this community continues to foster your interest in the Bible and your confidence in creatively engaging with these passages. That feels far more important to me than landing on any specific interpretation of a given passage.
Genesis 24-25
Good morning! Today in Genesis 24-25 we see how Abraham and Sarah’s children and grandchildren grow into an extended family of God-followers, and how they struggle with tensions that are common to families today.
Genesis 21-23
Good morning, and congratulations on reaching the end of this first week reading the Bible together! I’m grateful for your sustained interest, particularly since Genesis has served up such a potent mix of stories each day. Your observations, bringing in other learning and perspectives, make this a lovely and enriching experience. Thank you for your comments! Today’s reading is Genesis 21-23, where we experience the birth of the long-promised Isaac, witness its consequences for Hagar and Ishmael, journey with anguish to Isaac’s near-sacrifice at Abraham’s hand, then mark the death of Sarah.
Genesis 18-20
Good morning! Happy Epiphany for those who are marking the end of the 12 days of Christmas! Today’s reading is Genesis 18-20, which juxtaposes the promise of new life in Sarah’s womb with the judgment and destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Pastor Oby Ballinger 