What I learned from writing out the entire book of Genesis
Yes, all 50 chapters of it.
It took 179 pages and 346 days.
I began on June 1, 2020 and wrote out between four and fourteen verses every day. Why? The short answer is that writing Scripture by hand keeps me engaged in a way that my wandering mind won’t always permit. (The long answer is here.)
I have a new appreciation (and respect!) for the scribes who painstakingly wrote out the entire Bible until Gutenberg invented the printing press. But there’s more for us here than just admiration.
It proved to be a surprisingly wonderful way to study Genesis over the course of a year(ish). As a book, the breadth and depth of God’s activity in the world and in His people is astounding. Breathtaking, really. And conversely, it’s a difficult book to read, too—laden with things we’d all rather not think about because they’re painful and ugly. Murder. Betrayal. Injustice. Infertility. Shame. Deception. (Just to name a few.) The sordid parts of the Bible are hard to read. Especially if we mistake those parts as being prescriptive when, in fact, many times they are merely descriptive.
It might have been a prettier story were it told it through unblemished characters who were only ever noble and righteous. But where, my friends, would that leave us? Under the crushing weight of trying to live up to their examples.
Instead, it paints a devastatingly real picture of our brokenness. Over and over again—in Genesis and throughout the entire Bible—we see frail, flawed humans mired in their sin. Sometimes even repeating the same grievous mistake. (Other people’s sin seems so obvious and easy to avoid, doesn’t it? Ahem.) And yet these are the people whose legacy of faith we carry. These are the people God chose to use.
What must we learn from His choice? Two important takeaways:
- God uses real people. Messy people. Broken people. That means we, too, can be used by Him. No matter what. Don’t let your past keep you sitting on the bench, friends—get in the game.
- By using real people—and not veiling their brokenness—God reveals how perfect Jesus is by contrast. The flaws of our fore-bearers make for a backdrop against which Jesus stands out as the unblemished lamb, sacrificed for us.
So, let’s thank God for using us—broken vessels—to write His story and reveal the treasure that dwells within: Jesus. (2 Corinthians 4:7).
I want so much for you to experience the benefit of writing out scripture by hand that I invite you to join me for a 5-Day Scripture Writing Challenge. For five days (June 1-5; T-Sa), we’ll write out chapter three of Romans. That’s 31 verses to copy over the course of five days—about six per day. I assure you, it’s manageable. Then, we’ll gather for a Zoom chat on Monday 6/7 at 7pm MT to talk about what we learned through the exercise. All you need is a pen and paper (or tablet and electronic writing implement). Sign up to join the challenge and register for the “Scribe ‘Scussion” here.