Welcome to the Pauline Family's "Year of the Bible"! I'm reading the Bible clear through this year, and I invite you to read along with me. But first, let us pray:
I praise you, my God, with all people.
May they thank and adore you!
You have written your greatness in creation,
your Law in consciences,
your eternal promises in the Bible.
You are eternally faithful and always lovable!
As I read Sacred Scripture today, open my mind to hear your voice and understand your loving message.
Amen.
Today's three chapters are Genesis 49-50 and Exodus 1.
Jacob's final blessing of his twelves sons includes an important prophecy for the tribe of Judah. Although Judah was not the firstborn, his progeny will have remarkable prominence: "The scepter will never depart from Judah." The first descendent of Judah to bear the royal scepter will be King David. The last, who "will rule over the house of Jacob forever" (Luke 1:33): Jesus Christ.
In the final chapter of Genesis, Joseph's early prophetic dream (Genesis 37:7-8) is fulfilled when his brothers bow down at his feet, but he does not lord it over them as he would have without the tempering influence of suffering. Instead he directs their attention (and ours!) to God's providential guidance ov er history.
And now the stage is set: the entire family of Abraham has been transferred to Egypt for the next dramatic story, and the next book of the Bible.
Start reading here to finish Genesis (yay!) and then click here for the first chapter of Exodus.
If you are looking for a solid but approachable companion to the Bible, I can wholeheartedly recommend A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: The Old Testament by Brant Pitre and John Bergsma. Although the authors are top-level Scripture scholars, they write for "real" readers. Notes include recent findings from archaeology and ancient manuscripts.
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