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Genesis 1:1, 1:26-27, 2:4-9, and John 1:1-5.
Jesus wasn’t a latecomer to God’s plan, only appearing when it was time for the cross. He was there in the very beginning, with God, and as God.
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Pray for God to open your heart as you seek Him today.
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Read Genesis 1:1, 1:26-27, 2:4-9, and John 1:1-5.
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Skim Genesis 1:1-27. What did God create?
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Who or what did God create in His image?
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What was the source of life for man?
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Comparing John 1:1-5 and Genesis 1:26, who do you think “us” and “our" refers to? (Note that the “Word” in John refers to Jesus)
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What new thing has significance for you in these passages?
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Pray, sharing with God how these truths lead you to praise or thank Him.
02
Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-13 and 3:21
God’s creation is perfect, but their choices aren’t. Sin enters the world and changes everything. We see the first death to occur in all of history. There are a lot of questions today, but they are important.
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Pray for God to give you clarity as you read and study.
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Read Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-13, 3:21 and Hebrews 9:22.
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Was Eve (the woman) accurate in her reply to the serpent? (3:2-3)
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Why did Eve eat the forbidden fruit?
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What were the results of Adam and Eve eating the fruit?
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Why do you think God allowed this to happen?
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What were the specific consequences in 3:7 and how did God resolve those consequences in 3:21?
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To make clothes from an animal skin, what has to happen to the animal?
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According to Hebrews 9:22, why do you think the leaves weren’t sufficient?
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Pray, talking to God about how these passages challenge or enlighten you.
03
Romans 6:23 and 5:12-19 (with psalm 51:1-5)
Adam and Eve’s sin didn’t just affect them. They brought sin into the world for all people. With our sin, we earn death. But God has a gift that brings eternal life.
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Pray for God to reveal His truth and plans to you.
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Read Romans 6:23, 5:12-19, and Psalm 51:1-5.
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From Romans 5:18, what is the focus of this passage?
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What additional things do you learn about God, Jesus, and humans in this passage?
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What is the difference between a wage and a gift?
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How does that apply to sin and forgiveness?
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How would you describe man’s relationship with God based on Psalm 51:5?
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How do these passages lead you to pray?
04
Exodus 12:1-13 and 12:21-23 with 1 Peter 1:18-21
As we jump to Exodus today, we have skipped over many things, including God choosing to reveal Himself to a specific group of people known as the Israelites. Today, we drop in as their large community of “about 600,000 men, plus all the women and children,” are oppressed as slaves to the Egyptians. In Genesis, one death covered one person’s sin when clothing was made for Adam and Eve. Today we see one death cover the sin for one household.
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Pray for God to give you understanding.
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Read Exodus 12:1-13, 12:21-23, and 1 Peter 1:18-21.
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What were the criteria for choosing the lamb (12:5)?
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To get the lamb’s blood, what had to happen to the lamb?
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How does this fit with what you have learned so far this week?
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When God’s people believed He would do what He said He would do, and followed His is instructions, what was the result for them?
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What connection does 1 Peter 1:18-21 reveal between these Exodus passages and Jesus?
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How does this understanding of Jesus lead you to praise, thank, or confess in prayer?
05
Leviticus 16:7-10, 16:15-20 (with Psalm 103:12)
God’s people, the Israelites, have left Egypt and are moving through the desert as an isolated community. During this time, God is teaching them about who He is and what He will do in the future when they enter the land He has told them about, the “Promised Land.” In today’s reading, He is giving them instructions for how their sin should be dealt with. We have gone from one death for one sin to one death for the sins of a household to one death for the sins of an entire community. And, we see a new factor added in: the “scapegoat.”
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Pray for God to reveal Himself and His plan as you read.
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Read Leviticus 16:7-10, 16:15-20, and Psalm 103:12.
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What is the purpose of blood in these passages?
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Describe the significance of the second goat.
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How does Psalm 103:12 relate Jesus to the scapegoat?
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What do you learn about God's character from these passages?
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Praise God for His character and plan to not only forgive, but also remove sin. Confess your sins, and ask Him to cleanse and remove them.
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Psalm 103
Read Psalm 103 as a prayer to the Lord. Pray and/or journal about the significance of what you read this week and how it prepared and pointed God’s people to Jesus.
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