20-26 July 2026 (Genesis, Matthew, Psalms)
Bible Reading Plan
Monday: Genesis 15:1-18:15
Tuesday: Genesis 18:16-19:38
Wednesday: Matthew 13:1-14:12
Thursday: Matthew 14:13-16:20
Friday: Reflection Day
Fluid (fit in any time): Psalm 4:1-8
Reflection and Discussion Questions
Monday (Day 1): Genesis 15:1-18:15
What does Yahweh promise Abram in Gen 15:1-7?
Why, except for the birds, does Abram cut the animals in half in Gen 15:10?
What Does Yahweh reveal to Abram in Gen 15:13-14?
Have a look around some of the maps available online and/or in books to find Canaan and some of the places and people that are being talked about. This will help to obtain – and maintain – some geographical perspective.
Kissling (2009) states in his comments on Gen 15:18: “The land will not just be Canaan proper, from Dan to Beersheba. In its fullest sense the land will extend from the border with Egypt to the northern end of the Euphrates. The “river of Egypt” is not the Nile, as we might be tempted to think, but a seasonal river, the Wadi el-Arish or perhaps the Wadi Besor, just north of Gaza. This was the traditional border with Egypt in ancient times. Only in the time of Solomon were these borders actually realized (1 Kgs 4:21).” (p. 109)
Also, don’t be self-critical (or get disheartened or dismayed) if you struggle with remembering all the names or get confused where they lived. It is important to remember that people can move, have famines, wars, etc. As such, we can expect that over the centuries recorded in the Old Testament, different people will live in different lands, depending on the situations (e.g. political, economic, social, etc.) of the time. That is why there are so many maps of biblical places and times!
Was the surrogacy experiment Sarai suggested with Hagar a success? Why or why not?
What are some key takeaways from Genesis 17?
What do you find interesting about Gen 18:1-15?
Tuesday (Day 2): Genesis 18:16-19:38
What was God’s problem with Sodom and Gomorrah?
Were the men with Abraham men or angels?
What are angels?
In Gen 19:23 Abraham asks God if He will also “sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” This is the first time a man in Scripture has initiated a conversation with God. What are your thoughts on this subject? Will Yahweh let the innocent suffer for the sin of the wicked? Will God punish the innocent for the acts of the wicked? Is it a simple or complex equation?
What are your thoughts on the offer of Lot’s two virgin daughters to protect his guests? (Gen 19:8)
Why was the punishment so severe for Lot’s wife simply turning back in Gen 19:26? Why do you think being turned into a pillar of salt was her punishment?
Does Gen 19:29 infer that Lot was spared for Abraham’s sake or for Lot’s?
Who did the Moabites descend from? Who did the Ammonites descend from? As descendants of Lot do you think these two nations of people will remain friends rather than foes for Abraham’s descendants the entirety of the Old Testament? Why?
Do you think the morals and motives of the daughters in Gen 19:30-28 are good? Is this a simple or complex answer?
Do you see any similarities between culture for us today in West and back then in Canaan? Does the church need to be mindful of being corrupted by the morals and influences of the world?
Do moral changes, and with that our moral compasses tend to change slowly, sharply, or both?
Consider and provide some of the various parallels between Gen 19 and the story of Noah
Wednesday (Day 3): Matthew 13:1-14:12
Reflect and ask yourself whether you are good soil, or perhaps how to keep the soil good!
Think of what potential examples of each soil type would look like in our current societies.
Share some relevant experiences you have had or seen with one or some of the parables read in chapter 13
Any empathy for Jesus regarding his hometown in Nazareth (cf. Matt. 13:53-58)?
Who was Herod Antipas (i.e. Herod the Tetrarch)? Was he the same man as Herod the Great?
What can you discern about the king from Matt 14:9? Why was he distressed, and if so, why did he have John killed? Was this appropriate for the time?
Can you think of another political leader who similarly bowed to pressure and had an innocent man put to death?
Reading Matthew 14:1-12, what connections do you see between the missions, roles and relationship(s) of Jesus and John the Baptist?
Thursday (Day 4): Matthew 14:13-16:20
Why do you think Jesus withdrew to an isolated place?
What do the miracles of Jesus tell us about God’s power, and whether it is constrained to science as we know it? Why?
What do you think Jesus may have wanted or needed to pray about in Matt 14:23?
What lessons do you take from Matthew 14:22-33?
Is hypocrisy, as we see from the Pharisees still present in the church? If so, what is the best way to fix it?
Is our faith in God, and our commitment to Him something that should be taken lightly? Do you think that it is often not given the energy and priority it should be in the lives of those in the church today?
Explain the principle that Christ was giving in Matt 15:17-20
As Jesus leaves a predominantly Jewish region and enters one populated primarily by Gentiles, he is met by a Canaanite woman. How is her manner and heart different from the scribes and Pharisees? Do you think point Jesus made in Matt 15:18 is relevant to Matt 15:21-28?
Do you see a movement from a Jewish to Gentile context in Matt. 15:21-39? Would it make sense to assume that those in Galilee (cf. Matt 15:29-39) were predominantly Gentile? Why? Do the parallels in Matt 11:5; 15:31 and Matt 14:19-21; 15:35-38 present any relevance? Why do you think the author would want to differentiate the two audiences?
Do you think the humility and gratefulness of the Gentiles set an example for the Jewish heart? Is wisdom found in pride or humility?
Do you think there is any parallel between the loaves and fishes from this desolate place and the manna and quail of the Exodus? Were these followers of Christ grumbling and resentful like many of the Jews in the Exodus? Were the people who ate satisfied (cf. Matt 14:20; 15:37)?
Do you find the number of baskets left over (twelve and seven) intriguing? Also, is there potentially anything in the fact that the miraculous food Jesus provided is then assumedly saved as leftovers, while the manna would spoil. While the manna taught Israel to come back to God as their provider, does the fact that the food from Jesus keep infer a lasting and miraculous act and gift for those that follow Him with a devoted heart? Food for thought!
Do you see a connection between the three days of following Jesus before he has compassion (Matt 15:32) and the sign demanded by the Pharisees and Sadducees and the reference to Jonah (Matt 16:4)?
Why do you think Jesus used the term “leaven” or “yeast” (ζύμης) in Matt 16:6?
What is Peter’s confession at Caesarea Philippi? Do you think these are green connections between Son of God in Matt 14:33 and the Messiah?
Note that Peter already acknowledged Son of God but it was the Gentile woman from Canaan who called Jesus the Son of David (i.e. the Messiah). The foundation of Christ is now laid for the story to progress.
Friday: Reflection Day
Psalm 4
What are your thoughts on the evening prayer of Psalm 4?
References
Kissling, P. (2009). Genesis (Vol. 2). College Press Publishing Company.
