2019 Madison Reading Plan
Study Notes - Quarter 1
Listed Below are all the study pages from January to March
Week #1 Genesis 1-23 Jan 1 - Jan 5
Let's get started! this week we'll cover more ground - chronologically - than any other week of reading . We'll read some of the most fameous stories in the bible: Creation, Cain & Abel, Noah & the Ark, the Tower of Babel, Sodom & Gomorrah, Abraham & Issac - all in 6 days!
Week #2 Genesis 24-47 Jan 6 - Jan 12
This week we'll read the story of the Patriarchs. These famous characters are the foundational to the identity of God's people - the Israelites - in the Old Testament. Don't miss Jacob wrestling with God or Joseph and his multi-color coat.
Week #3 Genesis 48-50 Exodus 1-19 Jan 13 - Jan 19
This week we'll finish our first book - and a big one at that. did you know that Genesis is the 2nd longest (by word-count) book in the Bible? well you're done with it. Now, on to Moses and the miraculous escape of God's people from Egypt
Week #4 Exodus 20-40 Jan 20 - Jan 26
You'll start with the Ten-Commandments, but by the time you finish this week you will wish* that there had only been ten of them. Did you know that God gave Moses hundreds of commandments on Mt. Saini? With only a brief venture down the mountain for the story of the Golden Calf, these commandments and instructions for the Tabernacle are the subject of this week's reading.
Week #5 Joshua (all) Jan 27 - Feb 2
For the first time in our reading plan, we've skipped ahead. Joshua is the story of the Israelites invading and setteling in the Promised Land. Here we'll read the story of Jericho and learn how the promised land was divided amongst the tribes of Israel
Week #6 Judges (All) Feb 3 - Feb 9
The Israelites have settled in the Promised Land, so now what? Judges is the tragic story of a people in a tailspin. The Israelites repeatedly forsake the covenant that they had made with God. the struggles that they bring upon themselves though their unfaithfulness is repeatedly interrupted by heroes and leaders called "judges." These far-from-perfect characters deliver God's people from peril, but are unable to deliver them from their unfaithfulness to God
Week #7 1st Samuel 1-25, Feb 10 - Feb 16
Because, idolatry, invasion, and chaos have become the norm for Israel in the Promised Land, they ask for, and are given a king to rule them. This week’s reading introduces us to the last two judges of Israel, Eli and Samuel, and its first two kings, Saul and David. Notice how God responds to his peoples’ request for a king, and why they demanded one nonetheless. Don’t miss the story of David and Goliath, or the wild tales of Saul’s murderous anger.
Week # 8 1st Samuel 26-31 & 2nd Samuel 1-17, Feb 17 - Feb 23
David ascends to the throne in Israel, and you may be surprised by how difficult it was for him to do so. After he takes power, he leads Israel to the greatest territorial position in their short history, and establishes the city of Jerusalem as their capitol. However, David’s reign will be stained by a grievous sin. This sin results in the death of a child and family in chaos. By the time this week’s reading concludes David will be fleeing into the wilderness, from his own son.
Week # 9 2nd Samuel 18-24; Song of Songs; 1st Kings 1-7
In this week’s reading the conflict with Absalom is resolved and David’s reign comes to an end as he nears death. We’ll skip forward to Song of Songs for a love story between characters that are never named. This poetry will reflect on love and illustrate the affection to be felt between God and His people. Then it’s back to the story of Israel in 1st Kings where a successor to David is anointed, and God fulfills a promise made to David by allowing his son to build a temple in Jerusalem.
Week # 10 1st Kings 8-22; Amos (1-9), March 4 - March 10
This week we'll read the account of Israel splitting in to two separate kingdoms after Solomon's wealthy but unfaithful reign. The remainder of 1st Kings describes the story of the northern kingdom's unfaithfulness, and the prophets, like Elijah, who confront them. Amos will show us a new dimension of Israel's evil beyond even their idolatrous worship and prophesy doom for Israel.
Week #11 2nd Kings (1-25), March 11 - March 17
This week, the story of Israel in the Promised Land will end in tragedy. 2nd Kings recounts the demise of both Israel and Judah at the hands of the Assyrians and Babylonians respectively. Episodes in this reading include the magical career of the prophet Elisha, the bloodthirsty coup of Jehu, the deliverance of Hezekiah, and the faithful reign of Josiah. God’s chosen people will be brought low by the end of our reading; without a king, or nation.
Week # 12 Lamentations & Daniel & Matthew 1-4, March 18 - March 24
This week, Lamentations will reflect on the great tragedy of the destruction of Jerusalem, and Daniel will both depict the situation of the exiled Jews, and prophecy a future, after more suffering of God's people, in which they rule over all kingdoms. Finally, we'll arrive at the New Testament when we read the first four chapters of the Gospel of Matthew
Week # 13 Matthew 5-28, March 25 - March 31
We have finally arrived in the New Testament! The Gospel of Matthew is full of imagery from the Old Testament. Here, Jesus is depicted as the greater Moses and the greater David, and all the promises made to Abraham and the people of Israel are shown to be fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus the Messiah. The timing of our gospel reading is meant to help us prepare to celebrate Easter together. After you finish this week’s reading you will have completed 299 chapters, taking you just past the 1/4 mark for completing your Bible!