18
ONE-YEAR CHRONOLOGICAL READING PLAN WITH FULL NIV BIBLE TEXT SELWYN HUGHES and TREVOR J. PARTRIDGE THROUGH THE BIBLE AS IT HAPPENED
ONE-YEAR CHRONOLOGICAL READING PLAN
WITH FULL NIV BIBLE TEXT
SELWYN HUGHES and TREVOR J. PARTRIDGE
Through The BiBle as iT happened
C2CC NIV Prelim pages.indd 1 9/5/12 10:15:35
Cover to Cover Complete, copyright © CWR 2007, 2012The Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, formerly International Bible Society. All rights reserved. Anglicised edition first published in Great Britain 1979 by Hodder & Stoughton, an Hachette UK company. Revised and updated 2011. To find out more about Biblica visit www.biblica.comThe order of the chronology in this book is based on The Reese Chronological Bible, copyright 1977 by Edward Reese and published by Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Book House Company. Used by permission.Other material, written by Selwyn Hughes, Trevor J. Partridge and Robert Backhouse, first published as Through the Bible in One Year 1984 by CWR as a bimonthly six-part work. Reprinted 1985, 1986 and 1990.Revised, single-volume edition first published 1990 by CWR and reprinted 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998. Published as Cover to Cover – Through the Bible as it happened in 1999 by CWR. This new edition with full NIV Bible text published 2012 by CWR, Waverley Abbey House, Waverley Lane, Farnham, Surrey GU9 8EP, UK. Registered Charity No. 293487. Registered Limited Company No. 1990308.All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of CWR.See back of book for list of National Distributors. Concept development, editing, design and production by CWR Cover image: Roger Walker Illustrations: Nick Spender of Advocate Printed in China by C&C Offset Printing ISBN: 978-1-85345-804-0
Selwyn Hughes (1928–2006), founder and Life President of CWR, for over forty years authored the highly popular daily devotional Every Day with Jesus, which is read by half a million people worldwide. With over fifty years in the ministry, he was known internationally as a writer, Bible teacher and evangelist. He trained in theology and counselling in both the UK and USA, and travelled extensively in many countries presenting a wide range of seminars on different aspects of the Christian life, including counselling, marriage, relationships and personal development.
Trevor J. Partridge holds a degree in theology, and has travelled extensively teaching and preaching at seminars, conferences and churches around the world as a popular author and Bible teacher. For twenty-four years he was involved in the ministry of CWR, developing Waverley Abbey House and its training programmes, serving as Executive Director and making a regular contribution to the Every Day with Jesus Further Study. He is founder and director of New Horizon Ministries, a fresh initiative in pastoral care. He is currently serving as a minister in Auckland, New Zealand.
C2CC NIV Prelim pages.indd 2 9/5/12 10:15:35
Welcome to Cover to Cover Complete – it is a privilege
to have you join us in this year-long reading programme.
We live in difficult times. The world is oscillating between
extreme optimism and despairing pessimism. Christians
need to have faith for the future and there is no better way
of reinforcing faith and equipping ourselves spiritually to
face life’s challenges than to daily expose our hearts and
minds to the Word that is alive (Heb. 4:12).
There are many different approaches to reading
through the Bible in one year – all have merit, but the
chronological one is possibly the most intriguing and
fascinating. That is the route we will go down – following
the events of Scripture as they happened.
For some it’s going to be a tough assignment. It requires
self-discipline and perhaps a re-ordering of priorities, but
the rewards are out of all proportion to the time spent.
To reach the end with an overall view of how the events
of Scripture fit together, and to see something of how God
has been working through history will shore up your faith
and be a spiritual investment that you will never regret.
Here are a few tips to help you make it through the year.
First, begin your reading with prayer. Ask God to speak to
you through what you will read. God has not only spoken
in Scripture; He speaks through it still.
Introduction
C2CC NIV Prelim pages.indd 3 9/5/12 10:15:35
Second, read not only with the view to gaining
understanding but also how to apply what you read to
your own life. The Bible is full of principles and biographies.
The principles tell us how to live and the biographies
flesh out for us how those principles, when applied, lead
to good and godly living. Let the truths of Scripture wrap
themselves around you and pull you into the story.
Third, try and link up with a friend or a group who may
be following this same Bible-reading plan so that you
can discuss with each other the results of your reading.
Experience has shown that sharing together in this way
can be the difference between making it through the
year or giving up. If no one in your church or fellowship is
following this plan, invite someone to join you in it.
C2CC NIV Prelim pages.indd 4 9/5/12 10:15:36
Fourth, if for any reason (such as sickness or unusual time
pressures) you miss a day or a few days’ readings, don’t
be discouraged. Ask God to help you find the time to
catch up. There are the most amazing testimonies of how
God has worked in people’s lives to help them recapture
the time they have lost. You have only to ask Him.
As you begin this spiritually productive task of reading
through the Bible may you come to know in even greater
measure than before the power and presence of the
Living Word.
C2CC NIV Prelim pages.indd 5 9/5/12 10:15:37
God has spoken. In the Bible He has given us His thoughts
in words we can understand. In Jesus He has given us
His thoughts in flesh. That second Word, the Lord Jesus
Christ, saw His entire life and direction predicted and
guided by the Old Testament. The Scriptures, He said,
were as vital as food and drink for our systems. They offer
salvation, guidance and equipping ‘for every good work’.
The comments and background material in this book will help you to understand and apply something from each day’s reading in the Scriptures. But space is limited – God will also draw many other things to your attention to grasp and put into practice. To help you in your approach to these, there are some important guidelines to follow:
TrusT iTThe Bible was inspired or ‘God-breathed’ (2 Tim. 3:16). God used the personalities of human writers, but so guided their minds that their words were His words too. Treat them as Jesus did: as authoritative and entirely trustworthy. Jesus built His own life and ministry upon God’s commands and promises, obeying them even to the cross (Luke 24:27,45–47).
see The lasTing principleFor most of us, daily life is very different from the days of Israel’s tent cities in the wilderness; far, too, from life in the Roman Empire. Where these differences exist, look to see the lasting principles below the instruction or event – what do they teach in general about God or about serving Him? Jesus’ example and exhortation about foot washing, for instance, ought to lead us to other forms of service and care for one another, relevant for our day (John 13:14).
Know The auThorThe Bible’s human authors were ‘carried along’ by the Holy Spirit to give us God’s Word (2 Pet. 1:21). So we need the Holy Spirit to be its interpreter. Knowing God personally as the Lord of our lives and Christ as our Saviour is the essential key to a proper understanding of the Bible.
see The bacKgroundStatements taken out of context can be misleading, to say the least – ask any public figure who is quoted in the press! Aim to understand the meaning and purpose of a passage as a whole. This will put into perspective the point of any verse or phrase within it.
The Way In
C2CC NIV Prelim pages.indd 6 9/5/12 10:15:37
see The whole picTureThe Bible has one Author and is a harmonious whole. This means we should interpret individual passages in the light of what we know generally from Scripture and from other sections on the same subject. Some of James’ statements, for example, could imply that our works help to save us (James 2:20,24). The entire force of Scripture contradicts this, however, and shows that this interpretation cannot be right (eg Eph. 2:8–9; Rom. 3:23–24). Realising this, a careful rereading of James reveals that he is not answering the question about how we are saved; his message is that genuine faith in Christ must result in good works.
Value experT helpYour aim is to read through the Bible in a year – you won’t have time to study all of it in detail. Even so, there may be particular passages you will want to dig deeper into, to apply in your own Christian living or to get to grips with difficult issues. Help in understanding harder passages can be found by using a good commentary by scholars who know the Bible and love its Author. A ‘Further Reading’ section is given below for your help.
liVe iT ouTAlways remember that your aim in reading the Scriptures is to draw closer to the Lord and live a life that brings praise to Him. Reading the whole sweep of Scripture is stimulating, but God’s Word is to be obeyed! As you search God’s Word, ask for His Spirit’s empowering to put it into practice. Take it in and live it out!
FurTher reading
cwr resourcesCover to Cover Bible studies, for individual and group use.Cover to Cover Every Day dated daily Bible-reading notes.For further details, visit www.cwr.org.uk
other resourcesThe Lion Handbook to the Bible – Pat and David Alexander (Editors), Lion Hudson plc30 Days to Understanding the Bible –Max Anders, Thomas Nelson PublishersNew Bible Commentary – D. Carson, R.T. France, J.A. Motyer and G.T. Wenham (Editors), IVPMatthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible – Matthew Henry, Hendrickson PublishersIndividual commentaries in the Bible Speaks Today and Tyndale Commentary Series, IVP. The Focus on the Bible series, Christian Focus, and the Welwyn Commentary series, Evangelical Press. Also, the New Testament Guides for Everyone by Tom Wright, SPCK Publishing.
C2CC NIV Prelim pages.indd 7 9/5/12 10:15:37
30
00
BC
20
00
BC
190
0 B
C
180
0 B
C
170
0 B
C
160
0 B
C
150
0 B
C
140
0 B
C
130
0 B
C
120
0 B
C
110
0 B
C
100
0 B
C
90
0 B
C
80
0 B
C
70
0 B
C
60
0 B
C
50
0 B
C
40
0 B
C
5 B
CA
D 1
AD
10
AD
20
AD
30
AD
40
AD
50
AD
60
AD
70
AD
80
AD
90
AD
10
0
BIR
TH
OF
CH
RIS
T
RE
ST
OR
AT
ION
CA
PT
IVIT
Y
DIV
IDE
DK
ING
DO
M
MO
NA
RC
HY
JU
DG
ES
EX
OD
US
CR
EA
TIO
NA
dam
& E
ve
52
51
504948
47
46
44 &
4542
& 43
41
40
39
38
37
36
3533
3231
30
2827
26
25
24
2221
2019
1716
15
13
1210
& 11
97 &
85 &
6
4
3
2
wee
k 1 No
ah
De
ath
of
Jo
hn
Rev
ela
tio
n
De
stru
ctio
n o
f J
eru
sale
m
De
ath
of
Pau
lP
aul i
n R
om
e
3rd
mis
sio
nar
y jo
urn
ey
1st
mis
sio
nar
y jo
urn
ey
Pau
l’s c
onv
ers
ion
DE
AT
H A
ND
RE
SU
RR
EC
TIO
NO
F C
HR
IST
Bap
tism
of
Ch
rist
Mal
ach
iN
eh
em
iah
re
bu
ilds
wal
ls o
f J
eru
sale
m
Ezr
a re
turn
s
2n
d T
em
ple
bu
iltH
agg
aiZ
ech
aria
h
Jer
usa
lem
des
troy
ed
Eze
kiel
Fal
l of
Judah
Hab
akku
kJ
ere
mia
hJ
osi
ahZ
ep
han
iah
Nah
um
Dan
iel t
ake
n t
o B
aby
lon
Ne
bu
chad
nez
zar
Ass
yri
ans
be
seig
e J
eru
sale
m
Cy
rus
Ze
rub
bab
el a
nd
mai
n p
arty
ret
urn
Exi
le in
Bab
ylo
n
Hez
eki
ahM
icah
Ho
seaAm
os
Jo
nah
Isai
ah
Uzz
iah
Je
rob
oam
II
Fall
of
Sam
aria
to A
ssy
ria
Elij
ah E
lish
aAh
ab
Je
rob
oam
I
Jo
el
Ob
adia
hJ
eh
osh
aph
at
1st
Tem
ple
bu
ilt
Re
ho
bo
amJ
UD
AH
ISR
AE
LS
olo
mo
nD
avid
Sau
lS
amu
elS
amso
n
Gid
eo
n
De
bo
rah
& B
arak
Ru
th
Fall
of
Je
rich
o
Exo
dus
Jac
ob
’s f
amily
sett
le in
Eg
ypt
Isra
el in E
gypt
Jo
sep
h
Jac
ob
Isaa
c
Ab
rah
am le
aves
Ur
Jo
b (
test
ing
)
Flo
od
23
34
29
18
14
2n
d m
issi
on
ary
jou
rney
A specially prepared guide to help
you chart your progress in reading
Cover to Cover Complete.
We recognise that the dating of early events depends on scriptural interpretation.
This time chart is based on the Chronological Bible edited by Edward Reese.
Time Chart
C2CC NIV Prelim pages.indd 8 9/5/12 10:15:38
30
00
BC
20
00
BC
190
0 B
C
180
0 B
C
170
0 B
C
160
0 B
C
150
0 B
C
140
0 B
C
130
0 B
C
120
0 B
C
110
0 B
C
100
0 B
C
90
0 B
C
80
0 B
C
70
0 B
C
60
0 B
C
50
0 B
C
40
0 B
C
5 B
CA
D 1
AD
10
AD
20
AD
30
AD
40
AD
50
AD
60
AD
70
AD
80
AD
90
AD
10
0
BIR
TH
OF
CH
RIS
T
RE
ST
OR
AT
ION
CA
PT
IVIT
Y
DIV
IDE
DK
ING
DO
M
MO
NA
RC
HY
JU
DG
ES
EX
OD
US
CR
EA
TIO
NA
dam
& E
ve
52
51
504948
47
46
44 &
4542
& 43
41
40
39
38
37
36
3533
3231
30
2827
26
25
24
2221
2019
1716
15
13
1210
& 11
97 &
85 &
6
4
3
2
wee
k 1 No
ah
De
ath
of
Jo
hn
Rev
ela
tio
n
De
stru
ctio
n o
f J
eru
sale
m
De
ath
of
Pau
lP
aul i
n R
om
e
3rd
mis
sio
nar
y jo
urn
ey
1st
mis
sio
nar
y jo
urn
ey
Pau
l’s c
onv
ers
ion
DE
AT
H A
ND
RE
SU
RR
EC
TIO
NO
F C
HR
IST
Bap
tism
of
Ch
rist
Mal
ach
iN
eh
em
iah
re
bu
ilds
wal
ls o
f J
eru
sale
m
Ezr
a re
turn
s
2n
d T
em
ple
bu
iltH
agg
aiZ
ech
aria
h
Jer
usa
lem
des
troy
ed
Eze
kiel
Fal
l of
Judah
Hab
akku
kJ
ere
mia
hJ
osi
ahZ
ep
han
iah
Nah
um
Dan
iel t
ake
n t
o B
aby
lon
Ne
bu
chad
nez
zar
Ass
yri
ans
be
seig
e J
eru
sale
m
Cy
rus
Ze
rub
bab
el a
nd
mai
n p
arty
ret
urn
Exi
le in
Bab
ylo
n
Hez
eki
ahM
icah
Ho
seaAm
os
Jo
nah
Isai
ah
Uzz
iah
Je
rob
oam
II
Fall
of
Sam
aria
to A
ssy
ria
Elij
ah E
lish
aAh
ab
Je
rob
oam
I
Jo
el
Ob
adia
hJ
eh
osh
aph
at
1st
Tem
ple
bu
ilt
Re
ho
bo
amJ
UD
AH
ISR
AE
LS
olo
mo
nD
avid
Sau
lS
amu
elS
amso
n
Gid
eo
n
De
bo
rah
& B
arak
Ru
th
Fall
of
Je
rich
o
Exo
dus
Jac
ob
’s f
amily
sett
le in
Eg
ypt
Isra
el in E
gypt
Jo
sep
h
Jac
ob
Isaa
c
Ab
rah
am le
aves
Ur
Jo
b (
test
ing
)
Flo
od
23
34
29
18
14
2n
d m
issi
on
ary
jou
rney
C2CC NIV Prelim pages.indd 9 9/5/12 10:15:38
As you begin this year of discovering the Bible, you will
naturally want to get the very best out of these studies.
With that aim in mind, here are our suggestions:
1. Find a place and establish a specific time to follow these daily studies.2. Pray before commencing to seek God’s help and guidance as you study
His Word.3. Read the passages through to understand the general meaning.4. Ponder upon the main truths the Holy Spirit is bringing to your
attention.5. Use the Heart to Heart page, at the end of each section, to jot down
the main thoughts and how they apply to you. Four helpful words to remember are:
Observation – what does it say? Interpretation – what does it mean? Application – how does it apply to me? Communication – how can I relate it to others?6. If you miss a day, don’t give up, remind yourself of the four d’s of
achievement – desire, dedication, determination and discipline.7. After reading, spend a few moments in thanking God for what you
have learned and asking Him for strength to put it into practice.
The Bird’s-Eye View of each Bible book is intended to give a brief overview of that book. Other charts, maps and diagrams are included for additional background information in order to help your understanding of the Bible and Bible times and give insight into themes running through the whole of the Scriptures. The Time Line at the foot of the page is to give an indication of the date when events happened and to relate selected eras and landmarks in so-called secular history to the Bible. It is, of course, not an infallible guide; that is reserved for the Scriptures themselves.
Visit the accompanying Cover to Cover website where you will find character studies, readers’ testimonies, helpful tips and much more …
www.cwr.org.uk/c2cc-extras
Getting Started
C2CC NIV Prelim pages.indd 10 9/5/12 10:15:38
The creation of the world
The consequences of sin
God’s covenant with Abraham
The oppression in Egypt
Moses’ liberation of God’s people
1SECTION
C2CC NIV_Section 1.indd 11 9/5/12 12:19:43
Genesis– The Beginning of Nations
CrEaTION Origin of all things Gen. 1–2
• In thebeginning •Daysofcreation •Dayof rest
COrrupTION Sin of Adam Gen. 3–5
•Satan’ssubtlety •Adam’ssin •Strifeanddeath
CONdEmNaTION Flood of Noah Gen. 6–9
•Conditionsbefore flood •Salvationthroughflood •Tragedyfollowing flood
CONfuSION TowerofBabel Gen. 10–11
•Arroganceofman •JudgmentofGod •Originofnations
Thewordgenesismeans ‘beginning’andwithin thisbookarerecordedtheoriginsofbothsacredandsecularhistory.Commencingthisnewyearwith thebookofbeginningscanbeanewbeginning inour livesofadeeper lovefor theLordandHisWord.The first2,000yearsofhistoryarecontained in the firstelevenchaptersandarecharacterisedby fourmajorandsignificantevents.
C2CC NIV_Section 1.indd 12 9/5/12 12:19:45
13 DAY 1
Day 1The beginning of creation
The pre-existent ChristJohn 1:1–21In the be gin ning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the be gin ning.
The creation declarationPsalm 90:22 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are
God.
The origin of creationGenesis 1:11 In the be gin ning God cre at ed the heav ens
and the earth.
Satan cast out of heavenIsaiah 14:12–17 12 How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! 13 You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of
assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount
Zaphon. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ 15 But you are brought down to the realm of
the dead,
to the depths of the pit.
16 Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: ‘Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble, 17 the man who made the world a
wilderness, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?’
Ezekiel 28:13–1913 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: carnelian, chrysolite and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made
of gold; on the day you were created they were
prepared. 14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. 16 Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the
mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. 17 Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendour. So I threw you to the earth;
3000 BC 2000 BC 1900 BCCREATION
Noah Flood Job (testing) Bronze Age begins in Britain
Great Pyramid Age in Egypt begins Abraham leaves Ur IsaacAdam & Eve
WEEK 1
C2CC NIV_Section 1.indd 13 9/5/12 12:19:46
Place in the Bible Main Characters Special Features Jesus and the Book Teaching A Verse to RememberFirst Old Testament book; first book of the Law.
Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph.
The book of beginnings; the beginning of the world, of humankind, of sin, of God’s chosen people.
Joseph is seen as a ‘type’ of Jesus Christ because of the similarities between their lives. Both were bought for silver, both were innocent but condemned and both were raised up by God’s power after terrible humiliation.
God is the Creator of the world. Though man broke off his friendship with God by a deliberate act of disobedience, God still continually calls on man to live with Him in trust and obedience.
‘In the be gin ning God cre at ed the heavens and the earth.’ (Gen. 1:1).
DAY 1 14
I made a spectacle of you before kings. 18 By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching. 19 All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.” ’
Judgment of creationGenesis 1:2a2a Now the earth was form less and emp ty, dark ness was over the sur face of the deep …
Creation for habitationIsaiah 45:1818 For this is what the Lord says – he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited – he says: ‘I am the Lord, and there is no other.
Genesis 2:4 4 This is the ac count of the heav ens and
the earth when they were cre at ed, when the Lord God made the earth and the heav ens.
The six days of creaTion
First and second daysGenesis 1:2b–82b and the Spir it of God was hov er ing over the
wa ters.
3 And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he sep a rat ed the light from the dark ness. 5 God called the light ‘day’, and the dark ness he called ‘night’. And there was eve ning, and there was morn ing – the first day.
6 And God said, ‘Let there be a vault between the wa ters to sep a rate wa ter from wa ter.’ 7 So God made the vault and sepa rat ed the wa ter un der the vault from the wa ter above it. And it was so. 8 God called the vault ‘sky’. And there was eve ning, and there was morn ing – the sec ond day.
Third dayGenesis 2:5–6
5 Now no shrub had yet ap peared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole sur face of the ground.
Genesis 1:9–139 And God said, ‘Let the wa ter un der the sky
be gath ered to one place, and let dry ground ap pear.’ And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground ‘land’, and the gath ered wa ters he called ‘seas’. And God saw that it was good.
genesisA bird’s EyE viEw
C2CC NIV_Section 1.indd 14 9/5/12 12:19:46
Place in the Bible Main Characters Special Features Jesus and the Book Teaching A Verse to RememberFirst Old Testament book; first book of the Law.
Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph.
The book of beginnings; the beginning of the world, of humankind, of sin, of God’s chosen people.
Joseph is seen as a ‘type’ of Jesus Christ because of the similarities between their lives. Both were bought for silver, both were innocent but condemned and both were raised up by God’s power after terrible humiliation.
God is the Creator of the world. Though man broke off his friendship with God by a deliberate act of disobedience, God still continually calls on man to live with Him in trust and obedience.
‘In the be gin ning God cre at ed the heavens and the earth.’ (Gen. 1:1).
15 DAY 1
11 Then God said, ‘Let the land produce veg e ta tion: seedbear ing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, ac cord ing to their vari ous kinds.’ And it was so. 12 The land pro duced veg e ta tion: plants bear ing seed ac cord ing to their kinds and trees bear ing fruit with seed in it ac cord ing to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was eve ning, and there was morn ing – the third day.
Fourth, fifth and sixth daysGenesis 1:14–26 14 And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the
vault of the sky to sep a rate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.’ And it was so. 16 God made two great lights – the great er light to gov ern the day and the less er light to gov ern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to gov ern the day and the night, and to sep a rate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was eve ning, and there was morn ing – the fourth day.
20 And God said, ‘Let the wa ter teem with liv ing crea tures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.’ 21 So God cre at ed the great crea tures of the sea and ev ery liv ing thing with which the wa ter teems and that moves about in it, ac cord ing to their kinds, and ev ery winged bird ac cord ing to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God
blessed them and said, ‘Be fruit ful and in crease in num ber and fill the wa ter in the seas, and let the birds in crease on the earth.’ 23 And there was eve ning, and there was morn ing – the fifth day.
24 And God said, ‘Let the land pro duce living crea tures ac cord ing to their kinds: the live stock, the crea tures that move along the ground, and the wild an imals, each ac cord ing to its kind.’ And it was so. 25 God made the wild an i mals ac cord ing to their kinds, the live stock ac cord ing to their kinds, and all the crea tures that move along the ground ac cord ing to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our im age, in our like ness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the live stock and all the wild an i mals, and over all the crea tures that move along the ground.’
Genesis 2:77 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nos trils the breath of life, and the man be came a liv ing be ing.
Creation of man in detailGenesis 5:11 This is the writ ten ac count of Adam’s fam i ly line.
When God cre at ed man kind, he made them in the like ness of God.
genesisA bird’s EyE viEw
C2CC NIV_Section 1.indd 15 9/5/12 12:19:46
DAY 1 16
Genesis 1:2727 So God created mankind in his own image,in the image of God he created them;male and female he created them.
Creation of the womanGenesis 2:18–25
18 The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a help er suit able for him.’
19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild an i mals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and what ever the man called each liv ing crea ture, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the live stock, the birds in the sky and all the wild an i mals.
But for Adam no suit able help er was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleep ing, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a wom an from the rib he had tak en out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
23 The man said,
‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called “woman”, for she was taken out of man.’
24 That is why a man leaves his fa ther and moth er and is unit ed to his wife, and they be come one flesh.
25 Adam and his wife were both na ked, and they felt no shame.
Names givenGenesis 5:22 He cre at ed them male and fe male and blessed them. And he named them
‘Man kind’ when they were created.
Genesis 3:2020 Adam named his wife Eve, be cause she
would be come the moth er of all the liv ing.
Man’s dominion over creationGenesis 1:28–30 28 God blessed them and said to them,
‘Be fruit ful and in crease in num ber; fill the earth and sub due it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over ev ery liv ing crea ture that moves on the ground.’
29 Then God said, ‘I give you ev ery seedbear ing plant on the face of the whole earth and ev ery tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the crea tures that move along the ground – ev ery thing that has the breath of life in it – I give ev ery green plant for food.’ And it was so.
Creation completedGenesis 1:31 31 God saw all that he had made, and it
was very good. And there was eve ning, and there was morn ing – the sixth day.
Genesis 2:1 1Thus the heav ens and the earth were com plet ed in all their vast ar ray.
John 1:3 3 Through him all things were made; with out him noth ing was made that has been made.
Seventh day establishedGenesis 2:2–3 2 By the sev enth day God had fin ished
the work he had been do ing; so on the
3000 BC 2000 BC 1900 BCCREATION
Noah Flood Job (testing)
Abraham leaves Ur IsaacAdam & Eve
Bronze Age begins in Britain
Great Pyramid Age in Egypt begins
WEEK 1
C2CC NIV_Section 1.indd 16 9/5/12 12:19:46
17 DAY 2
sev enth day he rest ed from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the sev enth day and made it holy, be cause on it he rest ed from all the work of cre at ing that he had done.
Exodus 20:11 11 For in six days the Lord made the
heav ens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the sev enth day. There fore the Lord blessed the Sab bath day and made it holy.
The Garden of EdenGenesis 2:8–17
8 Now the Lord God had plant ed a gar den in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground – trees that were pleas ing to the eye and good for food. In the mid dle of the gar den were the tree of life and the tree of the knowl edge of good and evil.
10 A riv er wa ter ing the gar den flowed from Eden; from there it was sep a rated into four head wa ters. 11 The name of the first is the Pi shon; it winds through the en tire land of Hav i lah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aro mat ic res in and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the sec ond river is the Gi hon; it winds through the en tire land of Cush. 14 The name of the third riv er is the Ti gris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth riv er is the Eu phra tes.
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Gar den of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God com mand ed the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the gar den; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowl edge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will cer tain ly die.’
fOr ThOughT aNd CONTEmplaTIONif, as scripture teaches, mankind are the only beings in creation who bear the ‘image’ of God, then ask yourself today: How much of God’s image is reflected in me?‘… For in him all things were cre at ed: things in heav en and on earth, vis i ble and in vis ible, wheth er thrones or pow ers or rulers or au thor i ties; all things have been cre at ed through him and for him. He is be fore all things, and in him all things hold to geth er.’ (Col. 1:16–17)
Day 2The Fall & the beginning of civilisation
The temptation and FallGenesis 3:1–71Now the snake was more crafty than any of the wild an i mals the Lord God had made. He said to the wom an, ‘Did God real ly say, “You must not eat from any tree in the gar den”?’
2 The wom an said to the snake, ‘We may eat fruit from the trees in the gar den, 3 but God did say, “You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the mid dle of the gar den, and you must not touch it, or you will die.” ’
4 ‘You will not cer tain ly die,’ the snake said to the wom an. 5 ‘For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, know ing good and evil.’
1800 BC 1700 BC 1500 BCIsRAEl IN EgypT
Jacob
Joseph Jacob’s family settle in Egypt Fall of JerichoExOdus1600 BC 1400 BC
C2CC NIV_Section 1.indd 17 9/5/12 12:19:46
18DAY 2
6 When the wom an saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleas ing to the eye, and also de sir able for gain ing wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her hus band, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they re al ised that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves to geth er and made cov er ings for them selves.
God’s judgment and curseGenesis 3:8–19
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walk ing in the gar den in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the gar den. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’
10 He an swered, ‘I heard you in the gar den, and I was afraid be cause I was na ked; so I hid.’
11 And he said, ‘Who told you that you were na ked? Have you eat en from the tree from which I com mand ed you not to eat?’
12 The man said, ‘The wom an you put here with me – she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.’
13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’
The wom an said, ‘The snake de ceived me, and I ate.’
14 So the Lord God said to the snake, ‘Be cause you have done this,
‘Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.’
16 To the wom an he said,
‘I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
with painful labour you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.’
17 To Adam he said, ‘Be cause you lis tened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I com mand ed you, “You must not eat from it,”
‘Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food
from it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for
you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.’
Expulsion from EdenGenesis 3:21–24
21 The Lord God made gar ments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22 And the Lord God said, ‘The man has now be come like one of us, know ing good and evil. He must not be al lowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live for ever.’ 23 So the Lord God banished him from the Gar den of Eden to work the ground from which he had been tak en. 24 Af ter he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Gar den of Eden cher u bim and a flam ing sword flash ing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
3000 BC 2000 BC 1900 BCCREATION
Noah Flood Job (testing)
Abraham leaves Ur IsaacAdam & Eve
Bronze Age begins in Britain
Great Pyramid Age in Egypt begins
WEEK 1
C2CC NIV_Section 1.indd 18 9/5/12 12:19:46
