The 90 Day Modified Horner Bible Reading Plan: Day 6

I’ve begun the 90-day reading plan mentioned here for the beginning of the year 2011.  Along with a new year, the first readings include many “beginnings:” Genesis creation; the beginning genealogies in 1 Chronicles 1; the Israelites coming into the Promised Land (Joshua); the gospels (Matthew), and the church (Acts).

Since I was already reading 12 to 14 chapters per day, the amount of reading so far is the same, though the focus is slightly different:  more history and prophets, less of the New Testament (3 chapters instead of 4).  I’ve made one change so far: to the reading sequence.  The sequence I originally suggested followed the pattern of the original Horner Bible Reading plan, and the 8-list plan as well:  start with the gospels, then the law, then back to the epistles, followed by OT readings:  wisdom (Job-Proverbs, Psalms), then history and prophecy, and finally back to the New Testament with Acts.  However, the 90-day plan doesn’t have the extra list at the end for Acts or other New Testament books.

Instead, I’ve found the following sequence works better:  Genesis, history, prophets, then wisdom books, then the gospels, and finally the NT readings.  Reading in this order highlights the Bible’s characteristic of progressive revelation:  start with the very basic information given in the Pentateuch, then progress through Israel’s history, prophets and wisdom, to the final word in the gospels and New Testament letters.  As Hebrews 1:1-2 says, God spoke previously “by the prophets” but now has spoken to us by His Son.

A few more observations from recent readings:  The first day’s reading includes two mentions of Rahab — in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1, and her actual story in Joshua 2.  Psalm 2:8-9 and Isaiah 2:4 also go together.  In reading through both Isaiah and Lamentations I notice the use of the phrase “daughter(s) of” — including “daughter of Zion.”  From day 2, Acts 4:25-26 is a quote from Psalm 2, read the day before.