Journey through the Bible © 2020, Stephen Wheeler
Creation: God has always existed and always loved.[1] In the beginning, He created us in His image, and He made us "very good,"[2] but limited.
Here are some ways that we bear the image of God in a limited way:
•God has absolute sovereignty over everything. We have limited rule over the earth and its creatures.
•God is all-powerful. We are the most powerful of earthly creatures.
•God has unlimited knowledge. We are unique among creatures in our capacity for knowledge.
•God's thinking and choices are flawless. We are unique among creatures in our ability to think and make choices.
•God created everything. Creating is part of our nature (for example, art, music, invention...)
•God is infinitely loving. We love imperfectly.
•God is perfectly just. We have a limited sense of justice.
•God is everywhere present. We are the most mobile of creatures. (We even went to the moon.)
•God is absolutely good. We started out "very good," but then came the "fall"...
The fall: If God is so good and so powerful, then why is evil everywhere? Beginning with Adam and Eve, we foolishly chose the way of pride and selfishness[3], believing the lie that we could be our own gods and achieve our goals without the one true God. That caused our spiritual death—a rupture of our relationship with God and a bondage to pride, selfishness, shame, and fear that would cover the earth and last through the ages. Physical death also entered at that time.
God let us go our own way[4], but He promised to use the seed (offspring) of the woman (Eve) to repair the rupture. One day, this seed would crush the head of Satan but would be struck in the heel (killed) in the process.[5] Veiled as it was, that was God's first promise of the Messiah to come.
God then made garments of animal skins for Adam and Eve to cover their nakedness and shame. Scripture doesn't tell us how the couple responded to the knowledge that animals had to die to cover their nakedness. However, when we take the skins in the context of the New Testament, we see an object lesson that prefigures the Messiah's death to cover our own sin and shame.[6]
Noah trusts and obeys: Centuries pass. Pride, selfishness, shame, and fear are reproduced in all the offspring of Adam and Eve. Every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart is evil all the time.[7] People are living daily with violence and corruption. Yes, God has allowed them to go their own way, but He has abandoned neither His people nor His promise to send the seed of the woman.
God calls Noah to build an ark. Noah trusts God and begins the project, which will take at least 55 years.[8] When completed, God causes the animals to enter the ark. Noah and family also enter, and God closes the door. The flood begins its 40-day advance, and those outside the ark start losing their physical lives one by one.[9] Eventually, all drown.
The flood ends; the earth is repopulated, yet every inclination of the human heart is still evil from childhood.[10] However, the human race, the line of the Messiah, and all the animal kinds have been preserved. Scripture has given humanity a powerful witness to the importance of trusting and obeying God and His rescue plan.
Abraham believes God and is credited with righteousness: More centuries pass. God calls Abram to leave his home and move to another land, promising to bless the world through him[11]. Abram believes God and begins his journey.
Some years later, God promises to give Abram offspring as numerous as the stars in the sky. Abram again believes, and God credits this faith as righteousness.[12] Abram's imperfect faith is further strengthened over a period of years as it is tested in various circumstances.
God describes for Abram the land that his descendants will eventually conquer and occupy. However, God makes it plain that this will only happen after the sin of the current inhabitants reaches its full measure.[13]
God changes Abram's name to Abraham and twice clarifies that not only will his offspring bless the world, but that all this will happen through a descendent of his son, Isaac.[14] Then his faith is tested. Will Abraham believe? Yes! When asked to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering, Abraham trusts that his son will live to bear offspring even if God needs to raise Isaac back to life.[15] Later, Scripture will speak of the credited righteousness that comes through trusting in the Messiah (the Christ[16]).
Moses speaks face to face with God: More centuries pass. The nation of Israel has sprouted and multiplied greatly from the descendants of Jacob, son of Isaac. But the Israelites are in bondage to slavery under the Pharaoh of Egypt. God appears to Moses in a burning bush and empowers him to liberate the Israelites. Near the end of the New Testament, we will receive additional precision that it was Jesus who saved the people out of Egypt.[17] An ethnically diverse crowd also went with them.[18] During this Exodus, God often speaks to Moses face-to-face as one speaks to a friend, this despite the fact that no one may see God and live.[19] The New Testament will later reveal that Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.[20]
During the time of Moses, God gives instructions for the Passover, the priesthood, the tabernacle, and the sacrificial system. Later, the New Testament will identify all these as special symbols pointing to what Christ did for us.[21]
God uses Joshua to bring Israel to the
promised land:
Four hundred years after God tells Abram about the land his offspring will occupy,
the sin of Canaanites has reached its full measure. God uses Joshua to displace
the Canaanites and bring Israel in.[22]
Unfortunately, the day will come when the Israelites embrace the sins of Canaan,
and God uses other nations to punish Israel.
David, a man after God's heart: Still more centuries pass. God chooses David to be Israel's King. Scripture does not hide his sinfulness, but it also shows him to be a man of repentance and faith, calling him a man after God's heart[23]. David authors about half of the Psalms, many of which give new details about the coming Messiah. David is promised that the Messiah will be one of his descendants and sit on his throne[24]. Later, the New Testament will attribute to Christ the name, "Son of David."
Downward spiral leading to temporary exile: Near the end of the reign of David's son, Solomon, Israel begins a five-century downward spiral as it repeatedly embraces the sins of the Canaanites, who were ousted before them. God breaks the nation into two parts, Israel and Judah. From time to time, things improve for Judah as her kings respond to God's warnings and disciplines, but overall, the downward spiral continues. This is no surprise to God, who foresaw it all. Nevertheless, He continues to allow His people to go their own way and learn lessons that are only learned the hard way. Eventually, God ramps up the discipline, sending first Israel and then Judah into exile.[25] But God never abandons His people, and some of them return to the promised land under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah.
The Old Testament concludes with the book of Malachi. After the discipline of exile, the people are less prone to idolatry, but social and religious problems remain.
Four hundred more years will pass before the New Testament era begins. The Israelites are expecting a political Messiah who will liberate them from control by other nations. However, the liberation He gives will be at the heart level and offered to all people.
History mentions that the sects of the Pharisees and Sadducees will arise during the 400-year span. As the New Testament opens, they will have become influential in spreading a new kind of idolatry, not of images and foreign gods but of hollow and legalistic righteousness based on faulty interpretations of Old Testament law. Jesus will often confront their false teachings.
New Testament era—The veil is removed: The time finally arrives for the Messiah to be born. The New Testament begins with accounts from four witnesses, all of whom testify to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we take these accounts together, we have a clear picture of who Jesus is and why He came. The veiled prophecies of the past shine with a new light.
We learn from the beginning of the book of John that the Word, the one and only Son, was present and active in the beginning and that all things were created through Him. He is with God, and He is Himself God at the same time. He became a human being and lived out His life for a short time in this world. All who receive Him, all who believe in His name, become children of God.[26] This Scripture is speaking of Jesus, the Messiah, the person of that veiled promise way back in Genesis 3:15. The birth of Jesus was not His beginning, but merely the moment He became flesh and blood! That moment is called the incarnation. God loved us so much that He sacrificed His Son to pay the penalty for our sin, offering us a restored relationship with Him and an eventual home in Paradise.[27]
The Church is born: The Story continues in Acts, the fifth book of the New Testament. The disciples of Jesus receive the promised[28] Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity[29], and begin preaching the Good News about Jesus and what He did for us. Many believe, and the believers are collectively called the Church. They are first called Christians at a town named Antioch[30].
Life is not easy, and believers are often persecuted. But even the persecutions are used by God to spread the good news to more people[31]. Believers can preach effectively because the Holy Spirit indwells them. However, the Bible always reveals that believers are not perfect and don't always follow the Spirit's lead. Even among the leaders, we see disputes arising from time to time[32]. Despite all this, Christ builds His Church[33] in fulfillment of His promise to do so[34].
Apostles teach the Church: The Church continues its explosive growth despite obstacles. Apostles begin writing letters, which they circulate among the local churches. Their messages instruct and strengthen God's people and address various problems. Later, these "epistles" will be gathered together and included in the New Testament.
As we read through the New Testament, mysteries from the Old Testament are solved. The God of the Old Testament is the same one presented in the New. Though God's manner of speaking changed, humans can confirm New-Testament teaching by studying the Old.[35] The entire system of animal sacrifices and ceremonial laws in the Old Testament points toward Christ. Both Old and New Testament believers are credited with righteousness when they believe what God has said.[36] Through Christ's death and resurrection, God cleansed us of our guilt and shame, restored the broken relationship with Himself, and enabled us to begin new lives.
We learn that what one believes must affect their actions and that "faith" that doesn't produce the fruit of good deeds is useless[37]. We learn that one can become a believer right up until the end of their earthly life.[38] We learn that even God's heroes struggle at times with sin and pride and require God's intervention to keep them in check.[39] We learn that believers are to make followers of Jesus Christ.[40]
We're still not in Paradise, and sometimes we angrily cry, "Where is God in all this mess?" but God knows that, in our present condition, we learn our best lessons through the worst of times. Believers and non-believers bear God's image, but the fall has severely distorted that image. For example, we rule the earth, but we abuse the environment. We are the most powerful of creatures but are always finding ways to abuse power. However, this presence of sin and shame will not last forever.
Eternity: The day will come for every Christ-follower when they pass to the next life to be completely healed from the effects of sin and shame and to enjoy the fullest communion with God. Those who have chosen not to follow Christ will remain eternally separated from Him[41]. That being said, believers should continually remember that, in themselves, they are no more righteous than unbelievers. It is only through Christ that they are redeemed and counted as righteous. They should clothe themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, and remember that each of them will give an account to God [42]. They should live not only for their own interests but for God and for the interests of others.[43]
In the book of Revelation, the final book of the New Testament, we receive encouragement for survival in hard times and veiled prophecies concerning Christ's second coming. We know from past mistakes that it is easy to misinterpret veiled prophecies. We must remain humble and patient concerning the details of the second coming. We must study and receive encouragement from prophecy without becoming dogmatic in our conclusions.
Mystery: God has told us only the minutest fraction of what He knows. There is far more mystery in the Bible than we can uncover in our lifetimes. We may wish that God had given additional details. However, He has given us as much as we can grasp or need. Faith[44] enables us to live in a world of sufficient but not exhaustive revelation.
[1] You may be wondering who God loved before creating the world. The answer is found in what has been called the Trinity—God's eternal existence as one God, yet as three persons in a loving relationship—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God has always been a relational being. He created us in His image as relational beings, capable of love. You won't see the word, Trinity, in the Bible, but the concept is found in many places.
[2] God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning —the sixth day. (Genesis 1:31, NIV)
[3] I use the terms, pride and selfishness, to clarify that the Genesis account speaks of heart attitudes, not mere actions. Pride and selfishness are the roots of sin. The fall did not happen because Adam and Eve ate forbidden fruit but because they put their proud and foolish desire to be their own gods ahead of God's clear command. Though they already knew what was good, they were willing to become acquainted with evil to achieve their goals. On another note, I fully accept the historicity of Adam and Eve. However, even those who take the Genesis account as no more than a metaphor to describe human nature face the same challenge: that all humans are infected with sin and need healing. This also corroborates with observation. As their parents can testify, even new-born babies come into the world with pride and selfishness already present.
[4] ex. Acts 14:16: In the past, he let all nations go their own way. (NIV) See also Acts 17:30, Psalm 81:11-12, Micah 4:5, Romans 1:28-32.
[5] And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15, NIV)
[6] Bible Knowledge Commentary (Old
Testamet), Walvoord & Zuck, © 1985, SP Publications, notes on Gen 3:20-24:
All God’s dealings with people as sinners can be traced back to this act of
disobedience by Adam and Eve. God is a saving God, however, and the fact
that He clothed ... Adam and Eve testifies to that. An animal was
sacrificed to provide garments of skin, and later all Israel’s animal
sacrifices would be part of God’s provision to remedy the curse — a life for a
life. The sinner shall die! (Ezek. 18:20; Rom. 6:23) Yet he will live if he
places his faith in the Lord, who has provided a Substitute. The skin
with which God clothed Adam and Eve perpetually reminded them of God’s
provision. Similarly, in the fullness of time God accepted the sacrifice of
Christ, and on the basis of that atonement He clothes believers in
righteousness (Rom. 3:21-26).
ESV Study Bible notes on v3:20-21: God clothes the couple (v. 21).
While this final action recognizes that the human couple is now ashamed of
their nakedness in God's presence, as a gesture it suggests that God still
cares for these, his creatures. Because God provides garments to clothe
Adam and Eve, thus requiring the death of an animal to cover their nakedness,
many see a parallel here related to (1) the system of animal sacrifices to
atone for sin later instituted by God through the leadership of Moses in
Israel, and (2) the eventual sacrificial death of Christ as an atonement for
sin.
HCSB Study Bible notes on v3:21: By making clothing out of skins,
the Lord God graciously provided for humanity’s need in a way superior
to what Adam and Eve had done with fig leaves. The use of animal skins
anticipates the OT system of animal sacrifices (Lv 1; 3–7; Nm 15:1-31). In the
NT, the apostle Paul spoke of a day when God would clothe His people with
immortality (1Co 15:53-54; 2Co 5:4), thus providing the complete undoing of the
curse of humanity’s sin.
NIV Zondervan Study Bible notes on v21: garments of skin.
They protect Adam and Eve in the harsh world outside the garden. They also mark
a separation and shame that the loss of innocence has brought. God had to kill
some of the animals he created to make these garments. Although this text does
not mention forgiveness or blood, as do Levitical texts (e.g., Lev 17:11; see
Heb 9:22), it is understandable that many find here an anticipation of animal
sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins (Lev 1; 3-7) and even of Christ’s
sacrifice on the cross.
NKJV Study Bible Notes: This is the first place the Bible
mentions the killing of animals for human use—this time for tunics.
Reformation Study Bible NKJV notes on v21: tunics of skin.
God’s durable “tunics” contrast with the inadequate attempt by Adam and Eve to
cover their shame (3:7). His provision also entails killing an animal,
suggesting the need for a sacrifice in order to restore what was lost in the
fall (3:7 note; Lev. 17:11).
[7] The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. (Genesis 6:5, NIV)
[8] Estimates have ranged from 55 to 120 years.
[9] Nothing is said regarding their eternal destinies, but Scripture will later reveal that anyone who trusts in God's rescue plan before their physical death will inherit eternal life. Both Old Testament and New Testament believers were/are saved by grace through faith in the God of the Bible, who made Christ the atonement for our sin and the door for our entry to Paradise. See also footnote 36 on credited righteousness and footnote 38 on last-minute repentance. See also https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/video/christians-follow-hearts/ on how Old Testament saints were saved.
[10] See Genesis 8:21.
[11] Genesis 12:3c and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. (NIV)
[12] See Genesis 15:5-6.
[13] Then the Lord said to him
[Abram], “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will
be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and
mistreated there. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and
afterward they will come out with great possessions. 15 You, however, will go
to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. 16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come
back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”
17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a
blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 18 On that day the Lord
made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your
descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river,
the Euphrates — 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20
Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and
Jebusites.” (Genesis 15:13-21, NIV)
The term "Amorite" is used often
as a very general name for all the inhabitants of Canaan, as is
"Canaanite" (Gen. 15:16; Josh 24:15; Judg 6:10; 1Kings 21:26).
(Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, © 2003 Holman Bible Publishers, p60—Amorites.)
[14] Genesis 17:18-20 And
Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!” 19 Then
God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him
Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his
descendants after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely
bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He
will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation.
(NIV)
Genesis 21:12 ...it is through Isaac that your offspring will be
reckoned. (NIV)
[15] By faith Abraham, when God
tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was
about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him,
“It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 19 Abraham reasoned
that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did
receive Isaac back from death. (Hebrews 11:17-19, NIV)
Some would suggest that God was condoning child sacrifice in Genesis 22:2. Once
we realize that Abraham never perceived that his obedience to God would result
in Isaac's permanent death, Genesis 22:1-19 becomes the first of many passages
(ex. Exodus 20:13, Leviticus 20:1-2, Deuteronomy 18:10a) to forbid infant
sacrifice.
[16] The word "Christ" comes from the Greek translation of the Hebrew word for Messiah. In both Greek and Hebrew, the terms refer to an anointed one or the action of anointing with oil. In English Bibles, Christ and Messiah are synonyms.
[17]
Jude 1:5, ESV: Now I want to remind you,
although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land
of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. (See also the NET
and NLT versions) The following text notes and footnotes explain why some Bible
translations have substituted the word "Lord" for "Jesus":
Footnote from the ESV Study Bible notes: Jesus . . . saved a
people out of the land of Egypt (cf. Exodus 1-15). This may seem
puzzling, because the name “Jesus” is not applied to the Son of God in the OT.
It is a prime example of the apostolic understanding of the OT, according to
which the Son of God, in his eternal divine nature, was active in the world
from the beginning of creation, long before his incarnation (cf. Luke 24:27;
John 1:3; 8:56–58; 12:41; 1 Cor. 10:4, 9; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:8–12; 11:26).
Jesus, then, judged and destroyed those in Israel who escaped from Egypt
but failed to keep trusting in God, and therefore they did not reach the
Promised Land (cf. 1 Cor. 10:5; Heb. 3:16–19). Instead of the name “Jesus,”
some Greek manuscripts have ho Kyrios, “the Lord,” and some English
translations follow that reading. Most of the oldest and most reliable
manuscripts have Iēsous (“Jesus”).
Text note on Jude 1:5 in the New English Translation (NET) Bible: The
reading ᾿Ιησοῦς (Iēsous, “Jesus”) is deemed too hard by several scholars, since
it involves the notion of Jesus acting in the early history of the nation
Israel (the NA27 has “the Lord” instead of “Jesus”). However, not only does
this reading enjoy the strongest support from a variety of early witnesses
(e.g., A B 33 81 88 322 424c 665 915 1241 (1735: “the Lord Jesus”) 1739 1881
2298 2344 vg co eth Or1739mg Cyr Hier Bede), but the plethora of variants
demonstrate that scribes were uncomfortable with it, for they seemed to
exchange κύριος (kurios, “Lord”) or θεός (theos, “God”) for ᾿Ιησοῦς (though P72
has the intriguing reading θεὸς Χριστός [theos Christos, “God Christ”] for ᾿Ιησοῦς).
As difficult as the reading ᾿Ιησοῦς is, in light of v. 4 and in light of the
progress of revelation (Jude being one of the last books in the NT to be
composed), it is wholly appropriate.
NLT Study Bible Notes: Jesus: As in the best
manuscripts; various other manuscripts read [the] Lord, or God, or Christ; one
reads God Christ. The preexistent Jesus rescued the people of Israel from Egypt
and later destroyed the unfaithful (cp. 1 Cor 10:4).
[18] An ethnically diverse crowd also went up with them, along with a huge number of livestock, both flocks and herds. (Exodus 12:38, HCSB). Israel included ethnic diversity early on. God's separating her from other nations was not a matter of racial purity but rather moral and spiritual protection from the practices of surrounding peoples. Even the genealogical line of Jesus contains ethnic diversity. Rahab (Matthew 1:5 and Joshua 2) was a Canaanite prostitute. Ruth (Matthew 1:5 and the book of Ruth) was a Moabite. Study Bibles give further information. For example, in its note on Matthew 1:3, the ESV Study Bible says: The inclusion of five women in Jesus' genealogy—Tamar, Rahab (v. 5), Ruth (v. 5), Bathsheba (“the wife of Uriah,” v. 6), and Mary (v. 16)—is unusual, since descent was usually traced through men as the head of the family. Rahab and Ruth were Gentiles, and Tamar, Rahab, and Bathsheba were women of questionable character. The lineage is comprised of men, women, adulterers, prostitutes, heroes, and Gentiles—and Jesus will be Savior of all.
[19] (Exodus 33:11, 20) The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend...20 But," he [God] said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live." (NIV)
[20] Here are two of several examples:
Colossians 1:15-17: Christ is the
visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was
created and is supreme over all creation, 16 for through him God created
everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see
and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities
in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. 17 He
existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. (NLT)
John 1:18: No one has ever seen God,
but the one and only Son, who is himself God
and is in closest relationship with the Father, has
made him known. (NIV)
[21] 1Corinthians 5:7: ...For
Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. (NIV)
Hebrews 8:1-5: Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We
do have such a high priest, who sat down
at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 and who serves in
the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set
up by the Lord, not by a mere human being. 3 Every high priest is appointed to
offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so
it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. 4 If he were on
earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the
gifts prescribed by the law. 5 They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and
shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to
build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the
pattern shown you on the mountain.” (NIV)
[22] Some have portrayed the conquest
of Canaan as an unjust destroying of one people simply to make room for another.
In reality, we learn much earlier that God was justly punishing Canaan after
giving it ample time to repent and that the conquest was more displacement than
killing. We also see that God would, in turn, punish His own people when they
repeated the sins of the people before them:
Exodus 23:27-28 “I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into
confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their
backs and run. 28 I will send the hornet ahead
of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way.
(NIV)
Leviticus 18:24-28 Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways,
because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became
defiled. 25 Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the
land vomited out its inhabitants. 26 But you must keep my decrees and my laws.
The native-born and the foreigners residing among you must not do any of these
detestable things, 27 for all these things were done by the people who lived in
the land before you, and the land became defiled. 28 And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the
nations that were before you. (NIV)
Romans 2:6-11 God “will repay each person according to what they have
done.” 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and
immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking
and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9
There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first
for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone
who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism. (NIV)
Colossians 3:23-25 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart,
as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will
receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are
serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism. (NIV)
See also footnote 13.
The hyperbolic language used by Moses in Deuteronomy 20:16-17 and Joshua in
Joshua10:40 (ex. destroy everything that breaths) can be quite disturbing until
we look at the setting (See tool #6). We find that the military commanders of
the day commonly used the figurative language of hyperbole (See tool #7) to
report their campaigns. Moses and Joshua were apparently no exception, and this
is an example of God using humans and their figurative language to speak to the
original audience. It also helps to keep Exodus 23:27-28 (see above) in mind
and realize that the cities to be conquered would have had ample warning of Israel's
approach. They likely would have left with their animals before the Israelites
arrived, leaving mainly military personnel, along with their war animals, to
face the Israeli army. That would also explain why the people that Joshua
claimed to have eliminated kept showing up throughout Israel's history. (ex. See
Judges 1:1, 3:1-5, 1Kings 9:20, Ezra 9:1)
[23] See 1Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22.
[24] 2Samuel 7:12-13: [God
speaking to David through Nathan, the prophet] When your days are over and
you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you,
your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one
who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. (NIV)
Isaiah 9:6-7: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and
the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness
of his government and peace there will be no end. He
will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and
upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The
zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. (NIV)
[25] You can read about God's discipline of Israel and Judah in 2Kings 15:29-30, 17:5-23 (Israel) and 2Kings 25:1-12, 2Chronicles 36:15-21 (Judah).
[26] 1 In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the
beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made
that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all
mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome
it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness
to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He
himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did
not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not
receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his
name, he gave the right to become children of God — 13 children born not of
natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his
glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of
grace and truth.
15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I
spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was
before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of
grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth
came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only
Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has
made him known. (John 1:1-18, NIV)
Passages like the above make it clear that Jesus is God, yet some will still
ask why Jesus didn't just say the words, "I am God." The answer is
that, taken in their plainest sense, such words would be understood to mean
that Jesus was God in and of Himself, apart from the Father and the Spirit.
Instead, Jesus used wording such as, I am in the Father and the Father is in
me (John 14:11), Your sins are forgiven (Matthew 9:5), I and the
Father are one (John 10:30), Before Abraham was born, I am (John
8:58), Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father (John 14:9). These
words affirm His divinity without denying His unity with the rest of the
Trinity.
[27] For God so loved the world that
he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but
have eternal life. (John 3:16, NIV)
Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
(Luke 23:43, NIV)
[28] But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:26, NIV)
[29] The word, Trinity, refers to God's eternal existence as one God, yet as three persons in a loving relationship: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You won't see that word in the Bible, but you'll frequently find the truth it conveys. See also footnote 1.
[30] See Acts 11:26.
[31] ex. Acts 8:1,4: On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria... 4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. (NIV)
[32] for example: Acts 6:1: In
those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews
among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being
overlooked in the daily distribution of food. (NIV).
Acts 15:36-40 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back
and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord
and see how they are doing.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark,
with them, 38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had
deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39 They
had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and
sailed for Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers
to the grace of the Lord. (NIV)
[33] Although it is common for people to use the word, church, to refer to a church building, the Bible uses it to refer to a group of believers. Sometimes it refers to a local group, such as the church of Jerusalem or the church of Antioch. At other times it points to the collectivity of all believers. Today, it is common to begin the word with a capital letter (i.e., Church) when referring to the total of all believers. I am following that convention in this document.
[34] See Matthew 16:18.
[35] Hebrews 1:1-2: In the
past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in
various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he
appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. (NIV)
Acts 17:11: Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than
those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and
examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. (NIV)
Note that these Bereans had only the Old Testament Scriptures to study. The New
Testament books had not yet been written.
[36] Genesis 15:6: Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. (NIV)
Galatians 3:6-9 So also Abraham “believed
God, and it was credited to him as
righteousness.” 7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are
children of Abraham. 8 Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by
faith and announced the gospel in
advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So those who
rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. (NIV)
Note that other Bible translations use terminology such as counted righteousness, imputed righteousness, etc.
[37] James 2:20-23 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. (NIV)
[38] Jesus was crucified between two
criminals. Initially, both were heaping insults on him. Only Luke reports that
eventually, one of them repented and was promised paradise. And by the way, we
would be going beyond what Scripture says if we concluded that the other
criminal never eventually repented prior to dying. Scripture is silent on that
part of the story:
Matthew 27:41-44: In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of
the law and the elders mocked him. 42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he
can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the
cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now
if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 In the same way the rebels who were crucified with
him also heaped insults on him. (NIV)
Mark 15:31-32: In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of
the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he
can’t save himself! 32 Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now
from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those
crucified with him also heaped insults on him. (NIV)
Luke 23:39-43: One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at
him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he
said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we
are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 Jesus
answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will
be with me in paradise.” (NIV)
[39] For example, see 2Corinthians 12:7-9: ...I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. 8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. (NLT)
[40] Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20, NIV)
[41] Ezekiel 33:11 Say to
them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked,
but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil
ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’ (NIV)
2 Peter 3:9-10 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some
understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to
repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will
come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements
will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid
bare. (NIV)
Revelation 20:11-15 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was
seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was
no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the
throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of
life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the
books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up
the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they
had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake
of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the
book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. (NIV)
[42] 2 Corinthians 5:10: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of
Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things
done while in the body, whether good or bad. (NIV)
Colossians 3:12-14: Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly
loved, clothe yourselves with compassion,
kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and
forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as
the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds
them all together in perfect unity. (NIV)
[43] Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. (Philippians 2:3-4, NIV)
[44] Faith is a misunderstood word. Biblical faith involves a combination of belief and action. Perhaps the following example will help: If your surgeon tells you that a particular operation will make you well, what you believe will determine what you do. If you think the surgeon is wrong, you will surely not go through with that surgery. If you think he's right, you will. If you think he might be right but aren't sure, you'll do a good bit of study, and you'll get a second and maybe a third opinion. Then, if you are convinced to a reasonable degree that the surgery will help, you'll move ahead. You may still have some lingering doubts, even as they wheel you to the operating room. Nevertheless, your moving forward with the surgery indicates the sufficiency of your faith.