Well, I did it! I finished reading Genesis, the whole chapter! My first thought? This chapter encapsulates a very long period of year with many men who had lived a long time. But, upon reflection; what was my takeaway from this first chapter in the Bible? I am not a Bible scholar, but a layman reader.
I learned that God created a perfect world. He then created humans with free will and gave them one rule, which they ultimately couldn’t follow. Though he kept coming to people, giving them chances and direction, they always seemed to guess second that the Lord was the truth. When it finally got to a point where God no longer liked his creation, he destroyed it with a flood, allowing only Noah and his family and two of each animal to survive. I interpreted that Noah did things right and must be a good listener. So, he got to keep on going. God promised never to destroy the world again, but he also seemed to realize that giving human beings free will meant that Satan would always be a part of the equation.
As I read, I saw the population keep multiplying and then we got to Jacob and his sons. The avid reader and musical theater lover in me geeked out a bit. Between reading “The Red Tent” by Anita Diamant and playing Asher in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” (I wish I had a picture) I was very familiar with stories inspired by these chapters and never realized they were from Genesis! I did have a lot of Andrew Lloyd-Weber running through my head while reading, though. So many things happened in this chapter, and God spoke to many people, discerned who were prophets, and more.
Since committing to a Christian life and growing in it 8 years ago, I have carried a guilt that I’ve never read the Bible and struggled to understand so much. This time feels different. I am taking my time, I am reading when I can focus, when I can feel God as I read, and when it’s quiet. I bought a large-print Bible and threw a highlighter or a sticky tag on things I think are interesting. I am committed to reflecting after each chapter. I am sharing my reflections here to hold myself accountable and so people may share with me things I have missed! Thank you so much, and God Bless!