Reading Plan, Week 2

Patriarchs and Prophets
Chapters: 6–11

Monday: 80.1–88.3
Tuesday: 90.1–100.1
Wednesday: 100.2–110.3
Thursday: 111.1–119.2
Friday: 120.1–131.2

All page/paragraph numbers are the original page numbers and can be used with any edition of Conflict of the Ages (shown in gray on the inside margin within The Conflict Beautiful). 

The following is an overview of this week’s reading. Each chapter is introduced with a short paragraph, followed by a couple of thoughts/questions for you to consider.

chapter 6: Seth and Enoch

Guilt-ridden over their rebellion, Adam and his family fracture further, but all is not lost. God brings hope and triumph to and through those who choose to pursue Him. Enoch and others walk with God, who extends redemption to a broken world.

• Notice the ways Adam and Enoch respond to guilt and sin. How are your responses similar? How are they different?

• What do God’s active interventions in this chapter tell us about the Divine character?

chapter 7: The Flood

As humanity spirals deeper into sin and rebellion, God commisions Noah to provide an escape from the coming judgement. Ignoring the pleas of God and messenger, humankind is unrepentant and unprepared for the horrific destruction of a world-wide flood.

• As you read, what reasons do people give for rejecting or ignoring God's offers of mercy?

• Watch for the ways that rejection of God impacts individuals, families, and the world humans inhabit.

chapter 8: After the Flood

In the wake of a global apocalypse, God offers comfort and reassurance to a traumatized world. The desolation promises new beginnings while also pointing to a final judgement. Like Noah’s family, God’s children are promised refuge when evil finally meets its own destruction.

• In the wake of this judgement, note how God addresses the fearful survivors. What does this tell you about God’s view of human beings.

• As you have faced fear and tragedy, what are ways you have seen God’s comfort and reassurance?

chapter 9: The Literal Week

As she closes her retelling of Earth’s beginnings, Ellen White pauses to directly address the leading 19th century criticisms of the Biblical account. While upholding the authority and reliability of scripture, she acknowledges the contributions nature, science and art make to our understanding of God when “rightly understood.”

• The idea that science and religion have always been at war was becoming quite popular at the time of publication. How does White address this concept?

• What principles can be found in this chapter for addressing modern criticisms of the Bible story?

chapter 10: The Tower of Babel

Mistrusting God’s promises, a group of survivors seek safety and salvation on their own terms. To protect themselves from Divine judgement, they build a tower to escape future cataclysms and reach heaven itself, but their efforts are thwarted when God intervenes.

• In your reading, look for the ways sin twists God’s mercies into bitterness.

• Why do you think God’s judgement on the people of Shinar is different from the judgement of the flood?

chapter 11: The Calling of Abraham

With the promise of blessing for all humankind, God invites His friend Abraham to a journey of self-denial, challenge, and growth. Trial, sacrifice, and failure await Abraham, but God’s grace and protection mark the beginning of a relationship that will change the world.

• Watch for the characteristics of the friendship between God and Abraham.

• What does God’s response to Abraham’s sin against Sarah and Pharoah reveal about God’s character?