16-22 February 2026 (Genesis, Matthew, Psalms)
Bible Reading Plan
Monday: Genesis 1:1-2:3
Tuesday: Genesis 2:4-3:24
Wednesday: Genesis 4:1-5:32
Thursday: Matthew 1:1-4:11
Friday: Matthew 4:12-5:48
Fluid (fit in any time): Psalm 1:1-6
Reflection and Discussion Questions
Monday (Day 1): Genesis 1:1-2:3
Do you see any connections between the first and second three days (i.e. 1st & 4th, 2nd & 5th, and 3rd & 6th)?
What was the climax of God’s creation in Genesis 1?
Was God’s creation in Genesis 1 very good or just adequate (cf. Gen 1:31)?
Do you think God needed to rest on the seventh day because He was tired? If not, what was His purpose in it?
Reflectively, what does this passage reveal to you about God?
Reflectively, what does this passage reveal to you about yourself?
John H. Walton (2009) argues that Genesis 1 concerns itself not with material creation, but rather with the establishment of functions in the created order. Do you agree?
Tuesday (Day 2): Genesis 2:4-3:24
What did God create man from? (cf. Gen. 2:7)
What did God create woman from? (cf. Gen 2:21-23)
Why did God create woman? (cf. Gen 2:18)
What are your thoughts about God’s pairing of man and woman for each other?
What do you think about the metaphor of the church as God’s bride?
As Hamilton (1990) notes on Gen 2:25, “the climax of the creation is, interestingly, the notation that the couple were naked and felt no shame before each other” (p. 181) What is the importance of this verse for both the narrative and rest of Scripture?
What tree did Adam and Eve eat from despite God’s instructions not to?
Should the fact that Eve was the one convinced by the serpent to eat the fruit absolve Adam from guilt or punishment? How was this Adam’s fault too?
What does this passage reveal to you about God?
Does this passage reveal anything to you about yourself or the nature of humanity?
Wednesday (Day 3): Genesis 4:1-5:32
Why do you think God accepted Abel’s gift and not Cain’s?
What lessons and principles can you discern from the story of Cain and Abel?
Does God desire what is righteous? Is this always the behaviour of humanity, and can/do other people pay for the irresponsibility of others.
Is injustice that occurs in the world the fault of the Creation or the Creator?
We can sometimes think that Cain was a bad person and Abel was a good person. Should an action such as Cain’s be punished, and should it be the moment that defines his life? Is repentance and correction possible after actions such as Cain’s?
Lamech, the descendant of Cain, writes a short poem in Gen 4:23-24. What stands out to you about his poem? Do you see any potential connections to Cain in Lamech’s attitude or behaviour?
What do you think is the significance of Seth’s son, Enosh, beginning to call on the name of Yahweh, mentioned in Gen 4:26?
In Gen 5:1 (cf. Gen 1:26) the NIV writes, “When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God”. What do you think this means? Do you think the introduction of Seth is relevant to the reiteration of Adam being made in the likeness of God?
What was special about Enoch, a descendant of Seth, mentioned in Gen 5:18-24?
How does Lamech of Seth’s line (cf. Gen 5:25-31) compare with Lamech of Cain’s line (Gen 4:18-24)?
What difference do you see between Enoch of Cain’s line (Gen 4:17-18) and Enoch of Seth’s line (Gen 5:18-24)? Any thoughts or ideas?
Who has the longest recorded lifespan (cf. Gen 5:27)
Who were Noah’s three sons?
Thursday (Day 4): Matthew 1:1-4:11
What do you find interesting about the genealogy in Matthew 1:1-17? Did you learn anything new?
What key figures do you see in the genealogy, and what impact would this have on the audience of the day and the reader of the Gospel of Matthew?
How complex of a miracle was the virgin conception? How complex is life? What does this tell you about the knowledge, power and control of our God?
What did the Wise Men/Magi refer to Jesus as in Matthew 2:2?
Can you see any connections between the story of Israel’s history in the Torah (Genesis-Deuteronomy) and the early chapters of Matthew? Can you see any similarities between characters?
What do you admire about the character of John the Baptist?
Why do you think Jesus needed to be baptised?
Does the temptation of Jesus in 4:1-11 make you think of Moses at Sinai in Exodus? If so, what correlations do you see?
Friday (Day 5): Matthew 4:12-5:48
Jesus’ first disciples (Matt. 4:18-22) act with an immediate acceptance of Jesus’ offer to become his followers. Do you think in the current times we forget or undervalue the privilege we have to be followers of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ?
Do you find any of the beatitudes particularly striking or relevant to you? Are any perplexing or difficult to accept? Why?
Do the illustrations or messages used in Matthew 5:13-16 (e.g. salt, light, city on a hill, etc.) have any connection to Israel or their Scripture? Note the importance of the following verse, Matt 5:17.
Do you think that ‘the God of the Old Testament’ is the same as ‘the God of the New Testament’? Why?
If the Pharisees were so disciplined, scrupulous, and observant, how can we be ‘good enough’ to enter the kingdom of heaven? How can we do better than the Pharisees?
In the instructions following the statement of Matthew 5:20, do you see a focus on the heart and the spirit of the Law, rather than the letter of it? What sort of heart does God want us to have if we belong to Him?
Fluid (fit in any time): Psalm 1
What did Psalm 1 say to you this week? Share some reflective thoughts on the psalm.
Bibliography
Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible. Lexham Press.
Bond, H. (2013). Herodian Dynasty. In J. B. Green, J. K. Brown, & N. Perrin (Eds.), Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, Second Edition. IVP Academic; IVP.
Chouinard, L. (1997). Matthew. College Press.
Ferguson, E. (2003). Backgrounds of Early Christianity (Third Edition). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
France, R. T. (2007). The Gospel of Matthew. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co.
Geaves, R. (2002). Imago Dei. In Continuum Glossary of Religious Terms (p. 160). Continuum.
Hamilton, V. P. (1990). The Book of Genesis, Chapters 1–17. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Hamilton, V. P. (1999). 437 דָּמָה. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed.). Moody Press.
Harris, R. L., Archer, G. L., Jr., & Waltke, B. K., eds. (1999). In Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed.). Moody Press.
Josephus, F., & Whiston, W. (1987). The works of Josephus: complete and unabridged. Hendrickson.
Kissling, P. J. (2004–). Genesis. College Press Pub. Co.
Lints, R. (2015). Identity and Idolatry: The Image of God and Its Inversion (D. A. Carson, Ed.; Vol. 36). Apollos; InterVarsity Press.
Mangum, D., Custis, M., & Widder, W. (2012). Genesis 1–11. Lexham Press.
Roop, E. F. (1987). Genesis. Herald Press.
Walton, J. H. (2009). The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate. IVP Academic.
