Monday, January 2, 2012

Margin Outline of Creation

For some chapters and sections of the Bible, a quick visual reference near the text would be helpful to find specific portions of scripture more quickly.  Most "study" Bibles already have this kind of thing, breaking the text up into sections with headings over each section.  Regular reference Bibles and straight text Bibles do not usually have this, so it is something that would be helpful for Bible note takers to make for themselves.  I am talking about writing notes in the margin that identify specific sections, especially in a long series of related events.  For example, to quickly find a particular plague in the ten plagues of Egypt, an outline of the plagues in the Bible margin would be helpful, giving a small note beside the verse at the beginning of each section.  Something like "6th Plague: Boils" right next to the verse that started that section, for example.  This kind of outlining would be good in other places of lists, like at the long list judgments in The Revelation, at the Ten Commandments, through much of the law in Leviticus, through some genealogies and many other places.  You could turn to Revelation for example and quickly find a particular judgment that you're looking for because you have a margin note right next to it.  I also suggest making these outline notes in a different color than you use for your regular Bible notes, and keeping the "outline" note color consistent throughout the Bible.

Here is my margin outline of the Creation account in Genesis chapter 1.  Each heading note is written right next to the verse referenced, making it easy to quickly find at a glance the particular portion of text you are looking for if you are referencing the Creation.

In the margin right next to verse 1 - 1st Day: Creation of Heavens & Earth
v. 6 - 2nd Day: Firmament (Atmosphere)
v. 9 - 3rd Day: Dry land, Seas, Vegetation
v. 14 - 4th Day: Sun, Moon, Stars
v. 20 - 5th Day: Sea Life, Fowl
v. 24 - 6th Day: Land Animals
v. 26 - Also 6th Day: Creation of Man
Chapter 2, v. 1 - 7th Day: God rests

VM

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