Bible Reading Plan (10/25 to 10/31)
Path 1: New Testament and Psalms
Acts 26–28: Paul defends the gospel before Agrippa, recounting his conversion and Christ’s commission to carry light to the Gentiles. After a dangerous voyage and shipwreck, Paul reaches Rome. Acts closes with him preaching the kingdom of God openly, showing that imprisonment cannot stop the advance of Christ’s Word.
Path 2: Old Testament Pentateuch/History
1 Samuel 4–6: Israel treats the ark of the covenant as a weapon that can guarantee victory, but the Philistines capture it and Eli’s household falls under judgment. Yet God needs no human army to defend His glory. He humiliates Dagon, afflicts the Philistines, and brings the ark back to Israel.
The Ark Is Not a Talisman: Israel assumes that possessing the ark guarantees God’s favor, even while the nation remains spiritually corrupt. God refuses to be controlled through sacred objects, rituals, or religious language. His presence is not a tool for accomplishing our purposes. True worship requires reverence, faith, and obedience to the God whom the symbols represent.
Path 3: Old Testament Wisdom/Prophecy
Jeremiah 43–44: Judah’s remnant rejects Jeremiah’s warning and flees to Egypt, taking him with them. There they continue worshiping false gods and openly defend their idolatry. Jeremiah announces that Egypt will not protect them from Babylon and that persistent rebellion will bring the judgment they hoped to escape.
When Rebellion Rewrites History: The people claim that life had been better when they openly worshiped the “queen of heaven,” interpreting past prosperity as evidence that idolatry was beneficial. Jeremiah exposes their reasoning as false. Rebellion can distort memory, causing people to credit sin for blessings God provided and blame obedience for consequences their own disobedience produced.