For a full description of the (Y4) reading plan, see the “About” page.
Gen. 46
The Israelites started as one man’s direct descendants. First came twelve sons. Those twelve became 70, who settled into a land that wasn’t theirs. There, these seventy grew into a large number, whom God later redeemed out of that foreign land and formed into the nation of Israel. Fast forward to Jesus’ time on earth. Now we see that the Kingdom of God started as one man’s direct followers. He first called and sent out twelve (see Luke 9). Later, it was seventy (see Luke 10). From that seventy, God is still building a nation of those redeemed as His own.
Mark 16
When Jesus sent His followers out into all the world to preach His gospel, He didn’t leave them to do it alone. “And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them” (Mk. 16:20a). Nor does He leave us to live out our lives in testimony to Him by ourselves. As Matthew noted, Jesus promised, “…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:20b).
Job 12
To paraphrase Job’s rebuttal to his friends, this is what I hear. “You fools! God doesn’t reserve calamity only for the wicked! Look around – it’s everywhere! Don’t presume to know God’s ways; He is sovereign and does whatever He wishes.”