Living by the Book/Living by the Book Workbook Set (71 page)

If you personalize John 3:16–17, the passage takes on a much more intimate feel. The same is true about many other portions of the Bible. If the love of God toward us is not clearly evident, we’re probably not looking hard enough.

TODAY’S PASSAGE:

Genesis 5:21–31; 7:11

TIME COMMITMENT:

15–30 minutes

“The step of observation requires you to assume the role of a biblical
detective, searching for clues as to the meaning of the text” (p. 79).

T
oday’s reading is from one of the “begats” sections of Scripture—the portions we tend to skip over. However, there are some noteworthy people mentioned in this passage. Noah is the most familiar. But in his family tree are a couple of other names you should know.

Methuselah would have been in the
Guinness Book of World Records
if it had existed at that time. Figure out your year of birth if you were 969 years old today. Based on the changes that have taken place since that year, can you gain any insight into the kind of person Methuselah might have been (provided that his mind was still sharp at his age)?

Enoch is another name you need to know. What is significant about his life (5:21–24)?

But you don’t have to read very thoughtfully to make these simple observations. If you read closely, like a detective, you might by now be asking yourself, Did Methuselah die in the flood? Figure it out for yourself:

How old was Methuselah when Lamech was born? (5:25) _________

How old was Lamech when Noah was born? (5:28) _________

How old was Noah when the flood came? (7:11) _________

If you add the numbers, you should get Methuselah’s age at the time of the great flood. _________

By reading thoughtfully, you discover that Methuselah died in the year of the flood. We can’t say whether or not he died as a result of the flood, but it raises questions. His father, Enoch, walked with God to the point that he hadn’t literally died like everyone else. Had Methuselah’s life also been a good one—long and full, and ending just prior to the flood? Or had he turned away from God and his father’s faith, drowning with the rest of the wicked people who caused God’s heart to be “filled with pain” (Genesis 6:6 NIV)?

We don’t always discover the answers to all our questions, but by reading thoughtfully we at least begin to ask better questions about the depth and mysteries of Scripture.

TODAY’S PASSAGE:

Luke 17:11–19

TIME COMMITMENT:

30–60 minutes

“When you come to the Bible, put your thinking cap on. Don’t throw your
mind into neutral. Apply the same mental discipline that you would to
any subject in which you take a vital interest” (p. 79).

H
ow would you reply to someone who asked, “If I do exactly as God instructs me, will He be pleased with me?”

Most of us would agree that obedience pleases God, yet a familiar passage of Scripture sheds some light on this assumption. You probably know the story of Jesus and the ten lepers. But have you ever read the account thoughtfully?

Read Luke 17:11–19 and think about the story for several minutes before answering the following questions.

• What did the lepers ask Jesus to do?