3 Day Bible Reading Plan - “Redemption”
“God promises victory. He declares that the offspring of the woman will strike a fatal blow to the serpent’s head. Both the seed of Satan and Eve, in their enmity toward each other, will strike or bruise each other, but in different areas, leading to different results; the head wound is lethal, and the wound on the heel is painful. This is a prophecy, foreshadowing the ultimate triumph over evil. It’s a promise that the serpent’s reign will not be absolute, and his power will be broken. However, this victory comes at a cost. The offspring of the woman will suffer, bruised on the heel. This signifies sacrifice and pain endured in the pursuit of freedom.” - Pastor Paul Crandell, 7/6/25
Day 1
Featured Verse: Genesis 3:15 - “He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
How does the promise of enmity between the serpent and the woman’s offspring reflect the role of divine intervention in human history?
In what ways can the imagery of the serpent’s head being crushed be interpreted as a symbol of ultimate victory over evil?
What does the dual imagery of the serpent striking the heel and the offspring crushing the head reveal about the cost of redemption, and how might this shape theological understandings of sacrifice, suffering, or restoration in the relationship between God and humanity?
Pause and Reflect: Lord, I come before You, reflecting on Your promise in Genesis 3:15. Grant me strength to trust in Your redemptive plan and courage to stand firm in the face of evil, knowing Your triumph is assured.
“This is the first gospel sermon that was ever delivered upon the surface of this earth. It was a memorable discourse indeed, with Jehovah himself for the preacher, and the whole human race and the prince of darkness for the audience.” - Charles Spurgeon
Day 2
Featured Verse: Exodus 34:6-7 - “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”
How does the description of God as "compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness" shape our understanding of divine mercy, and what might this reveal about the balance between God’s love and justice?
In what ways does the concept of God "forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin" reflect the dynamics of repentance and restoration?
How does the revelation of God’s character in this passage, given directly to Moses, shape our understanding of divine self-disclosure?
Pause and Reflect: Heavenly Father, I am in awe of Your mercy and justice. Fill my heart with gratitude for Your forgiveness, guide me to live in Your faithful love, and grant me wisdom to walk humbly in Your truth, trusting in Your perfect balance of grace and righteousness.
“The name of the Lord is here proclaimed as the sum of His moral perfections: merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abundant in lovingkindness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, yet not clearing the guilty. This is the heart of God revealed to Moses, and it is the heart of God revealed to us in the gospel.” - Alexander Maclaren
Day 3
Featured Verse: Romans 3:21-26 - “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
In what ways does the assertion that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" inform theological discussions about human sinfulness?
What does the phrase "through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe" reveal about the role of faith in accessing God’s righteousness?
How does the balance of God being "just and the justifier" in Romans 3:26 illuminate the relationship between divine justice and mercy, and what might this suggest about God’s character?
Pause and Reflect: Lord God, You reveal Your righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, freely justifying all who believe by Your grace. Strengthen my faith to trust in Your just and merciful character, and guide me to live in gratitude for Your righteousness that makes me whole.
“Mark well that grand text, Romans 3:24-25, where it is written that we are ‘justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood.’ This is the cornerstone of the gospel: God’s righteousness given to sinners, not by their own merits, but through faith in Christ alone.” - J.C. Ryle