The History of Redemption Project - Part 1

Illustration by Christopher Koelle

I might be delusional about my memorization ability, but this week I began the six-month plan to memorize The History of Redemption.  After seeing it advertised on another blog a few weeks ago, I took the first step by ordering the beautifully illustrated book, that also comes with an audio CD, which is beneficial to use while driving.  The 179 selected Bible verses tell "the story of a covenantal love that failed to be extinguished even by our insidious rebellion.  It's the story of God rescuing his children from the clutches of sin through his Son Jesus Christ, that we might find eternal happiness in him."  It is my prayer that, as I meditate on these passages of God's Word, my joy and thankfulness for what He has done in my life will abound.  Blogging through this project will help keep me on target. 

My verses for this week:

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.  And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.  And God said, "Let there be light, and there was light.  And God saw that the light was good.  And God separated the light from the darkness. (Genesis 1:1-4;ESV)

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.  And let him have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him.  And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.  And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.  And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.  (Genesis 1:26-27, 31 ESV; Gen 2:22-25 ESV)

What a marvelous thought to consider that the only true and eternal God spoke His creation into being by the word of His mouth, ex nihilo, out of nothing. His creative power is a mystery to us!  And after initially creating the earth "without form and void,"  God formed and filled the earth according to His eternal counsel, with man being created in His image. Men and women were created to have a unique relationship to God.  We embody His communicable attributes,  and we are God's representative in ruling over the earth.  And so the story unfolds...