I find the concept of creation to be fascinating. It is remarkable for displaying God’s authority and power, while also reminding us of our lowliness before Him. One aspect that may be less apparent is how often some of the topics mentioned during the creation week are found elsewhere in the Bible. This integrated reading plan helps demonstrate these connections over the course of 12 days.
For example, it begins with the first two verses of Genesis 1, and then John 1:1-3. Both of which start with the famous words, “In the beginning.” For this first day of reading, the selections also include short texts from Hebrews, Psalm 115, and Proverbs. As the readings continue, many other major ideas from creation are explored in the Wisdom Literature, the prophets, and elsewhere.
One of the goals for this plan was to share a diversity of passages for each day of creation week. This was achieved in two different ways. For some days of creation, multiple days of reading are recommended. For example for the sixth day, three separate days of reading focus on such concepts as the creation of animals of the earth, man being made in God’s image, and provision made for mankind. The second way that a diversity of passages are explored is by sometimes not explicitly focusing on creation itself. For instance, some of the texts that are related to the creation of the sea creatures include verses from the prophet Jonah. The reason for this is because that book contains references to a great fish swallowing him up.
Admittedly, such inclusions may be a little difficult to follow, but I believe they are more beneficial than the alternative. If you consider the addition of a passage to be confusing, please keep in mind that I tended to add additional verses in a reading for the sake of context. In texts that are not immediately clear, the last verse often mentions something that is related to that day’s subject.
As I shared at the beginning of this post, this reading plan is 12 days in length. It is a little more intensive than some of my other plans, and averages about 20 verses per day. You can download a PDF of it by clicking here. An alternative document version of this plan is also available here. This second type of the plan may be easier to use because you won’t have to flip from one book to the next as you read for the day. However, keep in mind that it also keeps you from seeing the immediate context before and after such passages.
Reading Plan in Brief
Name: An Integrated Reading Plan on Creation
Scripture Focus: Creation
Length: 12 Days
Verses per Day: 20 (average)
An alternative document version of this plan is also available here (which uses the World English Bible for its text).
Image Used
Sunrise From Outer Space by qimono from Pixabay.
James L. Hutton 