The Story of a Kingdom
A Simple Explanation of the Bible
Jonathan Gibson
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The Story of a Kingdom
© 2004 by Jonathan Gibson November 2004
The right of Jonathan Gibson to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
Format and design by Gareth Gamble Cover and initial templates by Lee Campbell Pictures by Anna Rubery Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture references are from the Holy Bible: New International Version (NIV). Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society.
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The Story of a Kingdom
For Tony, and my Chinese friends. “…that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” John 20:31
With thanks to Drew, Jack and Charles. This book is evidence of your influence on my life.
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The Story of a Kingdom
Contents Preface Finding your Way Around the Bible A Big Picture of the Bible Story How to Use this Study Guide 1.
The Bible
2.
In the Beginning
3.
Creation, Rule and Rest
4.
God’s Kingdom
5.
Rebellion against the King
6.
God’s Kingdom Ruined
7.
Grace
8.
Human Rebellion and Death Advances
9.
A New Creation
10.
The Tower of Babel
11.
The Story so Far
12.
The Promised Kingdom
13.
Justification by Faith
14.
A God Who is Always in Control
15.
War in Egypt
16.
Redemption and Rescue
17.
The Rules of the King
18.
A Return to Eden
19.
A Just and Forgiving God
20.
A Faithful God and a Faithless Israel
21.
Now Choose Life 4
The Story of a Kingdom
22.
The Story so Far
23.
The Promise Keeper
24.
The Time of the Judges
25.
A King for God’s Kingdom
26.
God’s Covenant with David
27.
The Kingdom Nearly Established
28.
A New Covenant
29.
Still Waiting
30.
The Story so Far
31.
The King is Here!
32.
Last Adam, True Israel
33.
The Kingdom is Near!
34.
Parables of the Kingdom
35.
A Rejected King
36.
The Death of God’s King
37.
Victory for the Kingdom
38.
The Promise of the Kingdom
39.
The Kingdom has Come
40.
The Completed Kingdom
41.
The Choice we all Face
42.
A Right Relationship with God
43.
Considering the Cost
44.
The Story so Far
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The Story of a Kingdom
Preface As someone has said, of writing a book there is no end. I started this book four years ago, thinking it would take me a few months. Ha! Even as I write I know there are sections I would like to change and things I would add in and remove to give greater clarity. But life is not about writing books, and there comes a time when I must enter the seventh day and let the mind and fingers rest. But before the sun rises on that day, let me first explain what this book is and how it will be best used. The Story of a Kingdom has arisen out of four years work with international students. I have written it because I could not find Bible study material for small groups that explained the Bible at the level of someone whose second language is English. It is primarily for people who want to understand what the whole Bible is about; or put another way, who wish to understand Jesus in His right context. I follow the theme of God’s Kingdom through the Bible, using the definition: God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing.1 I seek to show how God’s Kingdom in the Old Testament builds up to prepare us for Jesus and His Kingdom in the New Testament. The best way to use this Study Guide is with an open Bible. I have designed it in such a way to encourage the Bible to be open in one hand, and this book in the other. The idea is that the participants in the Bible study read the part from the Bible, and then the leader asks questions on the passage. The leader can explain any important or difficult English words, and then a participant can read the explanatory paragraph under each section. This may seem long and tedious, but international students say they learn more from reading than from listening. It is also a good way for them to improve their English and thus attract more internationals to the study. We have found that if a study goes “smoothly” it should take just over one hour to conduct. International students are quite prepared to study for this long, but chapters can be shortened if the group is struggling with the time.
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I have arrived at this definition through the work of Graeme Goldsworthy, Gospel and Kingdom (Exeter: Paternoster, 1981) and According to Plan (Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press, 1991). The main flow diagram is also based on Goldsworthy’s kingdom structure.
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There are weaknesses in this book. It’s too long for there not to be. But I do hope that at the very least it provides you with a framework in which to read and teach the Bible. If it goes someway to accomplishing this I will be extremely glad. There is also a shorter version of the Study Guide in the SOK Book, which is designed for conducting a shorter series on the Bible, or giving the book out to internationals to be read individually, or studied one-on-one. This can be purchased online from our website www.sok.org.uk. I am indebted to the following books in writing the SOK material: Two Ways to Live (Sydney: Matthias Media, 1988), Gospel and Kingdom (Exeter: Paternoster, 1981), According to Plan (Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press, 1991), Look to the Rock (Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), Salvation Begins (Sydney: Aquila Press, 2000), The Faith of Israel (Leicester: Apollos, 2002), and From Creation to New Creation (Carlisle: Paternoster Press, 2003). There are numerous people I wish to thank for contributing to this work over the last four years. My thanks start with Peter Bovill who has been a good friend and brother in gospel work for some years now. Peter first led the international Bible study with me, and typed up very early drafts of my notes, although he’s probably forgotten that already. Also involved in typing the early manuscript were Leanne Vissiers and Mark Brown. I wish to thank Sam and Sarah Groves who hosted me in their home in Durban, South Africa where this book had its first beginnings. Our dinner conversations brought much clarity to the Bible story. Lee Campbell was involved in the initial design and formatting process and must take the credit for what I think is a great looking cover. He has also helped in sharpening my understanding of some parts of this work. Gareth Gamble has performed most of the design and formatting for what you now see; constantly having to adapt things as the work grew, and patiently putting up with my endless changes. He has worked so diligently behind the scenes, and I am grateful to him for the hours (probably days!) that he has spent in front of a computer. Send me the bill from the optician! Keri McGregor, Joanne Kilpatrick, and Philip Saunders have been involved in the editing process at some stage, and if it were not for them, it would read a whole lot worse than it does. Any mistakes that do remain are really their fault as much as mine, but I’m not supposed to say that in the preface to a book. Tim and Lynn Anderson, David Gibson 7
The Story of a Kingdom
and Melvin Tinker have all provided clear and helpful feedback on the material at different stages, and I am indebted to them. I wish to thank Kaman Ng who has undertaken to translate the SOK Booklet into simplified and traditional Chinese, along with Lynn Tok who has translated the SOK Power Point into simplified Chinese. These materials are available from www.sok.org.uk. My thanks also go to Hilton McGregor who has been extremely kind to print this material at cost price, without which this book would not be in your hands. Finally, but not least, I wish to thank my father and mother. God in his grace has granted me two of the greatest parents this world affords. They have not only provided me in life with more than I need, but they have modeled to me what it means to be a Christian; to know and live the gospel, not just write about it. Thank you for bearing with a son who was always in front of his laptop for the last couple of years! Jonathan Gibson Belfast, 2004 For God’s glory alone.
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Finding your Way Around the Bible
Name of Book
MARK 16:1
The Resurrection
16 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Chapter
Verse
Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6 ”Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. 7But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you.’”
The title at the top of the page in the Bible is the name of the book. The large numbers are the chapter numbers. Chapters are divided into smaller parts called verses – these are the small numbers. To find a part of the Bible simply follow these three steps: 1. Name of the book (see Contents page at the beginning of the Bible for help) 2. Chapter – large number 3. Verse – small number Exercise – try finding Mark 16:4 in your Bible
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The Story of a Kingdom
A Big Picture of the Bible Story
God’s Kingdom Constitution:
‘I will be their God, they will be my people’ God’s promises Place
Creation
People
Eden
Rule & Blessing
Adam &Eve God’s word
King
Adam
God’s Kingdom ruined Abraham
Canaan
Abraham’s family
God’s promises
Kings from Abraham’s family
Israel in desert
Tabernacle
Israel nation
God’s rules
Tribe of Judah
Israel in Canaan
Temple in Canaan
Israel nation
God’s rules
David, Solomon
God’s Kingdom ruined…again! Israel in exile
Return to new temple in Canaan
Remnant
New covenant
A perfect King is promised
JESUS
Jesus
The fulfilment of God’s promises The church
God’s people are a living temple
People who The Gospel King Jesus have faith in Jesus
New creation
New heaven & new earth
Perfect people from every nation 10
God’s everlasting rule & blessing
King Jesus
The Story of a Kingdom
How to Use this Study Guide Read with a Bible The best way to read this book is with an open Bible. Read the section in the Bible first and then the explanation in this book. In order to help you understand the Bible and this book, difficult English words and important concepts are explained at the beginning of each chapter.
Lessons The Bible is a big book and sometimes we can forget the main lessons God is teaching us. Throughout the book there are summary boxes to help remind you of the main lessons.
Every word of the Bible comes from God. The Bible is God speaking to us.
Think it through & discuss This section helps you think through main points of the passage and how they apply to us.
The Story so Far… These sections are inserted throughout the book to remind you of the main points in the story of God’s Kingdom.
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Chapter 1
Chapter 1
2 Timothy 3:16 1 Peter 1:20-21
The Story so Far We’ve only just begun!
Objectives • To understand that the Bible is God’s word to His world, written by human beings • To understand that the Bible is a story about Jesus and His Kingdom • To introduce the definition of God’s Kingdom = God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing
Connections • The Old Testament and New Testament are connected. The Old Testament involves God’s promise of a Kingdom. The New Testament involves the fulfilment of God’s Kingdom in Jesus.
Summary The Bible is God speaking to us. It is a book about Jesus and His Kingdom.
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Chapter 1
The Bible When God created the universe He did not hide from people. God revealed Himself during the history of the world. The book called the Bible is the record of God’s revelation of Himself in history. The word ‘Bible’ means ‘the Book’. God wants human beings to know Him, so He wrote us a book. By reading and studying the Bible you can know the Creator God in a personal way.
Who wrote the Bible? 1.
God wrote the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16) There are two parts to breathing – breathing in and breathing out. When we speak, we breathe out our words. The word “God-breathed” means “God breathed out”. The whole of the Bible is God’s breathed-out words to us, which means that every word in the Bible comes from God. He is the author of every sentence of the Bible. This means that the Bible is a very unique book; it is God’s words to human beings. No other book in this world is like it. Therefore studying the Bible is very exciting, because every time we open the Bible and read it God speaks to us. Every word of the Bible comes from God. Through the Bible we hear God speaking to us.
2.
Human beings wrote the Bible (1 Peter 1:20-21) God did not write the Bible in heaven and drop it to the earth. God the author used human beings to write the Bible. People were moved by God’s Spirit to record the revelation of God in history. Each human being wrote with his own style of writing, but God controlled every word by His Spirit. Therefore, no part of the Bible is written from only a human understanding.
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Chapter 1
God is the author of the Bible but He used human beings to write it. The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to human beings
The Bible is not human imagination about God
God ⇓ God speaks to us through the Bible ⇓ Human beings
God ⇑ Human imagination ⇑ Human beings
The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself in history - not a collection of human imaginations about God.
Who did God use to write the Bible? God used over forty different authors to write the Bible. An example of writers of the Bible are: a political leader (Moses), fishermen (Peter and John), shepherds (David and Amos), kings (David and Solomon), a military general (Joshua), a prime minister (Daniel), a doctor (Luke), a tax collector (Matthew), and a Jewish religious teacher (Paul).
How many books are in the Bible? The Bible has two parts and is made up of 66 individual books. There are 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. The word ‘testament’ means ‘covenant’, which is like a marriage contract. In the Bible there are two covenants – an old one that is replaced by a new one. We will learn more about these covenants later on.
What is the Bible about? (John 5:39b; Luke 24:22; Mark 1:15; 2 Corinthians 1:20a) The Bible is a book about a person called Jesus Christ. It is a story about Jesus and His Kingdom. The Bible begins with God establishing His Kingdom at the creation of the world. But His Kingdom is soon ruined. God then makes many promises throughout the Old Testament to rebuild His Kingdom. In the New 14
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Chapter 1
Testament Jesus fulfils those promises. The Bible can therefore also be understood like this: Promise
Jesus
Fulfilment
When Jesus says, ‘The time has come… The Kingdom is near!’ He is announcing the good news that God’s Kingdom will be established through Him. Through Jesus, God re-establishes His Kingdom that is ruined at the beginning of creation. In the Old Testament God makes many promises about His Kingdom. In the New Testament Jesus fulfils those promises.
This means the first part of the Bible (the Old Testament) is about God’s promised Kingdom; and the second part of the Bible (the New Testament) is about how Jesus establishes God’s Kingdom and brings it to completion in a new creation.
God’s Kingdom Like reading any book, if we are going to understand it, we must understand the beginning, for that is where the plot is established. The Bible begins and ends with similar language of God’s people living in His presence, under His loving rule. This must therefore be our control for understanding the other parts of the Bible. It is all about God’s Kingdom – God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. The Bible follows this simple plotline: Creation (Kingdom)
Ruin
New Creation (New Kingdom)
God’s Kingdom = God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing.
The pattern of God’s Kingdom can be understood from the diagram on the next page.
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Chapter 1
God’s Kingdom Constitution:
‘I will be their God, they will be my people’ God’s promises Place
Creation
People
Eden
Rule & Blessing
Adam & Eve God’s word
King
Adam
God’s Kingdom ruined Abraham
Canaan
Abraham’s family
God’s promises
Kings from Abraham’s family
Israel in desert
Tabernacle
Israel nation
God’s rules
Tribe of Judah
Israel in Canaan
Temple in Canaan
Israel nation
God’s rules
David, Solomon
God’s Kingdom ruined…again! Israel in exile
Return to new temple in Canaan
Remnant
New covenant
A perfect King is promised
JESUS
Jesus
The fulfilment of God’s promises The church
God’s people are a living temple
People who The Gospel King Jesus have faith in Jesus
New creation
New heaven & new earth
Perfect people from every nation 16
God’s everlasting rule & blessing
King Jesus
The Story of a Kingdom
Chapter 1
Think it through & discuss 1. Who wrote the Bible?
2. What is the plotline of the Bible story?
3. What is the Bible story about?
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Chapter 2
Old Testament Books
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Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Genesis 1:1
The Story so Far The Bible is God’s book. God is the author of the Bible, but He used human beings to write it. Every word in the Bible comes from God. The Bible has one story – Jesus and His Kingdom. God’s Kingdom = God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing.
Objectives • To understand who God is, and how He created the world • To become familiar with the names of God
Connections • To emphasis that God’s rule as King is a central theme in the Bible, which lays the basis for His Kingdom
Summary God is the Creator and ruling King of this world.
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Chapter 2
In the Beginning The very first words of God’s book are quite amazing: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). We can learn a lot from the first sentence of the Bible.
The great assumption The first four words of the Bible assume God’s existence. God exists – fact! The Bible is not written to debate this; it starts by claiming this fact. It is not written to prove God’s existence, since it does not need proving, but rather it assumes God has always existed! It is the great assumption.
God has always existed The opening four words of the Bible also tell us that before the beginning, God existed. God has no beginning and no end – He is eternal. He is the great uncreated God. Listen to these words from a song in the Bible that speaks of God as an eternal being: “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God” (Psalm 90:2).
God is the powerful Maker The word “create” means to “make from nothing”. The phrase “heavens and the earth” are a collective term meaning “everything”. God created the universe and everything in it from absolutely nothing. Human beings have made some amazing and magnificent structures in this world, for example, the Great Wall of China. But human beings can only create with material that already exists. God is so powerful and mighty that He creates everything from nothing!
God is the wise Maker God was never taught how to make a universe. No-one has been God’s teacher. God did not attend school or university. He is so 20
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Chapter 2
wise that from nothing He created everything. Listen to these words in the Bible: “But God made the earth by His power; He founded the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding” (Jeremiah 10:12).
Only one God We can also see from Genesis 1:1 that there are not two or three, or 100 gods that worked together to create the universe; there is only one God. In the beginning God (alone) created the heavens and the earth.
God is Spirit Matter is created. God was never created. If God created all the matter that exists in the universe, then we know God is not made of physical matter. In fact, later in the Bible we read: “God is spirit…” (John 4:24). We cannot see God because He is an invisible spirit.
God is always present everywhere For God to create the whole universe He must be so much bigger and greater than what He creates. Later in the Bible we are in fact told that He fills heaven and earth and is present everywhere at one time: “’Am I only a God nearby’ declares the LORD, ‘and not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?’ declares the LORD. ‘Do I not fill heaven and earth?’ declares the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:23-24).
God is separate from the material world God existed before anything was created. This shows us that God is not part of His creation. God is separate from His creation. The Creator and His creation are distinct – set apart. Some religions teach that God is a part of His creation but we can see clearly from the Bible that God is set apart from His creation.
God is King (Genesis 1) Genesis chapter 1 reveals to us that God is the King of His creation. God creates and rules – He is the great Creator-Ruler. This is made clear to us when we read through each day of creation.
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Chapter 2
The ruling King God rules His creation like a King. Rulers of countries give names to people and places; they give roles to people in society; they separate and divide provinces. Throughout the first six days of creation God gives names to things; He gives roles to the sun and moon; He separates light from darkness. God makes creatures (birds, fish and land animals) “according to their kind”, which means that He put them into categories. God commands action, ”Let the birds fly” and “Be fruitful and increase in number”. God is the King who rules over His creation.
The talking King The God of the Bible is a talking God. As the King of this universe God’s words are so powerful that when He speaks things are created. God creates this world by talking! He spoke “and it was so”! This pattern is repeated for the six days of creation. God speaks and things are created. God is not a silent Ruler of His world but a talking Ruler. He is the King who talks. “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of His mouth…Let all the earth fear the LORD, let all the people of the world revere Him. For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm” (Psalm 33:6-9). God is the Creator and ruling King of this world.
The names of God God has various names, each with a significant meaning. Names in the Bible reflect a person’s character. It is the same with God’s names.
God The word “God” means “Mighty One” or “Powerful One”.
God Most High This means the God of highest authority.
Lord Lord means “Master” or “Ruler”.
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Chapter 2
God Almighty This name is used to describe God as the all-sufficient God, meaning He is able to supply all the needs of His people.
LORD In the Bible this name is distinguished from “Lord” by putting all the letters in capitals i.e. “LORD”. In the Hebrew language this is written as “Yahweh”, and means self-existent, self-determining, faithful God. It is the name God uses when He refers to His covenants.
LORD of Hosts This title is used in the Old Testament a lot to describe God as the King of His people. It is a royal name.
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Chapter 2
Think it through & discuss 1. What do the first four words of the Bible tell us about God?
2. What features of Genesis 1 highlight that God is King?
3. Why is the word ‘create’ very unique in the Bible? (See Genesis 1:1, 21, 27, Psalm 148:5, Isaiah 42:5)
4. Read Hebrews 11:1-3 and discuss.
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Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Genesis 1:1 – 2:3
The Story so Far The Bible is God’s book. God is the author of the Bible, but He used human beings to write it. Every word in the Bible comes from God. The Bible has one story – Jesus and His Kingdom. God’s Kingdom = God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. In the beginning God created the universe and everything in it. God is the Creator and ruling King of this world.
Objectives • To explain the pattern of creation and rule in Genesis 1 • To show that human beings are God’s chief rulers • To understand that rest and blessing are God’s purposes for creation
Connections • God is imprinting His image of rule on the world through human beings • Plotline of the Bible story: Blessing and rest – judgement and work – blessing and rest
Summary God forms His world and then fills it. God makes rulers under His rule. When He completes His creation God sees that it is very good.
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Chapter 3
Creation, Rule and Rest Genesis 1:1-2:4 is a summary of the creation of the world. The purpose is not just to explain how God creates, but also why God creates everything.
The pattern of creation (Genesis 1:3-27) The first six days Day 1 – 3 God the Creator forms His world Day 4 – 6 God the Creator fills His world
In days 1-3 God forms His world (Genesis 1:3-13) Day 1
God creates light and separates it from darkness.
God creates the sky by separating the waters. Day 3
God creates the land and separates it from the sea. Then God creates self-producing vegetation on the land. God creates creators! Every living thing that God creates on the earth is made so that it can reproduce itself.
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Chapter 3
In days 4-6 God fills His world (Genesis 1:14-27) Day 4
God fills the sky with the sun, moon and stars. “’To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?’ says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look to the heavens. Who created all of these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of His great power and strength not one of them is missing” (Isaiah 40:25-26).
Day 5
Day 6
God fills the air with birds and the sea with fish. God fills the land with animals.
The pinnacle of creation (Genesis 1:26-27) The word “pinnacle” means “highest point” and usually refers to the peak of a mountain. Genesis chapter one highlights that human beings were made last in the six days of creation. They are the high point of all that God makes. In the Hebrew language in which the Old Testament was written there is no word for “very”. The Hebrew language makes its point, or emphasises something, by repeating it three times. Note the word “created” is repeated three times when God speaks of making human beings. This part of the Bible wants us to see that human beings are the pinnacle of all that God makes.
The pattern of rule (Genesis 1:14-19, 26-28) There is a pattern of rule throughout Genesis 1.
God rules God is the King of His creation. He speaks and it is so. He separates, He names things, He gathers, He commands action, He sets in place, and He blesses. God is the ruling King of all that He makes.
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Chapter 3
Sun, moon and stars rule The sun is called the “greater light” and rules the day. The moon is called the “lesser light” and, along with the stars, rules the night. God makes rulers in His creation.
Human beings rule God creates human beings to rule over all that He has made – the fish, the birds, and the animals. We see further evidence of man ruling in Genesis 2:20 where he names the animals; which is exactly what God did in chapter one when He created light, sky and land. God makes human beings to be His rulers on earth.
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Chapter 3
The result of creation (Genesis 1:10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31) Six times God sees what He has created from nothing and says it is good. In the beginning God’s creation is good, useful, pleasing. For a perfect God to say something is good means that there is nothing wrong with the world. Today we know that the world in which we live is not perfect. It is not good like it was in the beginning. So what has gone wrong? We’ll find out as we keep reading the Bible. God forms His world and then fills it. God makes rulers under His rule. When He completes His creation God sees that it is very good.
The purpose of creation (Genesis 1:25, 28; 2:1-4) Why did God create? What was His purpose behind this world? The answer is blessing and rest. God creates so He can bless, and He creates so He can rest. Like an artist that finishes his work and then rests to reflect and enjoy what he has made, so God finishes His work of creation and rests to enjoy what He has made. God creates in order to bless and rest. We see this because God blesses the seventh day. He did not bless any of the other days. He also sets it apart from the other six days. God did not start work again on day eight. Day seven was what creation was made for – blessing and rest, and this was to continue forever. The Bible begins with blessing and rest, and ends with blessing and rest. But in between there is judgement and work. We are going to see that this blessing and rest is ruined by the disobedience of human beings, but will be restored by another man who lives in obedience to God’s rule.
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Chapter 3
Think it through & discuss 1. What is the pattern of creation?
2. Name the rulers that God makes in His creation.
3. Read Psalm 8. Why are human beings significant in God’s creation?
4. What is the purpose of creation?
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Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Genesis 1:26 - 2:25
The Story so Far The Bible is God’s book. God is the author of the Bible, but He used human beings to write it. Every word in the Bible comes from God. The Bible has one story – Jesus and His Kingdom. God’s Kingdom = God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. In the beginning, God created the universe and everything in it. God is the Creator and ruling King of this world. God is the ruling King of His creation. God made human beings to rule over everything that He had made. Human beings were God’s representative rulers on earth. God is King; we were made to be kings over His world, but under His rule.
Objectives • To understand what it means to be made in God’s image – rule and relationship • To explain the Trinity • To convey that human beings were made to be in relationship with God
Connections • The theme of God’s Kingship continues – He makes human beings to be rulers in a loving relationship with Himself, and so establishes His Kingdom.
Summary Human beings are made to rule this world and be in relationship with God, and with each other. In the beginning God established His Kingdom – God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. 31
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Chapter 4
God’s Kingdom Made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26) When God speaks about creating human beings He says that He wants to make them in His own image. Very simply, He wants human beings to be like Him. There are two main ways in which human beings reflect God’s image: rule and relationship.
1. Rule Made to rule the world (Genesis 1:26-28) Human beings are made to be like God. God is the ruling King of the universe, and He makes humans to be rulers of His world. Humans are made to rule this world under God’s command, and so reflect what God is like.
Adam as priest-king of Eden (Genesis 2:8, 15) God places the first man, Adam, in Eden with the instruction to take care of it. A similar instruction is given later in the Bible to the priests who are to guard the tabernacle – the place where God lives. When we read the story of the Garden of Eden in the context of the whole Bible, we realise that the garden symbolises the place where God lives with His people. This means that Adam is the priest-king of Eden. God would both bless and rule the world through Adam.
Made to live under God’s rule (Genesis 2:16-17) In the beginning God’s people live in His presence in Eden. But they must learn that God is the ultimate King of Eden and the world. They can not live in Eden any way they want; it is God who will decide what is right and wrong, good and evil. This is what the tree of the knowledge of good and evil represents – God’s Kingship. Man is made to obey God and to rule the world under God’s rule. God tells Adam and Eve that everything in Eden is theirs to enjoy, except for one tree. To eat from this tree would mean to make themselves rulers of their own lives; deciding for themselves what is right and wrong. Such an action would be rebellion against the King, and would result in death and the removal of God’s blessing.
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To be made in God’s image means humans beings are made to rule.
2. Relationship A change of speech (Genesis 1:26) On day six of creation God makes human beings. We know that God creates by speaking, but when He creates human beings there is a change in His speech. Compare the difference of days 1-5 to day 6 in the table below: DAY 1 – 5 DAY 6 DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4
”Let there be light” “Let there be an expanse” “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place …” DAY “Let there be lights in the 6 expanse of the sky”
DAY 5
“Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth …”
DAY 6
“Let the land produce living creatures …”
“Let us make man in our image, in our likeness …”
Relationships in God We already know there is only one God, so who is God talking to when He says, “Let us …”? This will become clearer as we progress through the Bible, but for now we can see that there are relationships within the one God. God talks to Himself.
The Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit The Bible teaches that there is one God, but in God there are also three persons. God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each person of 33
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God is a distinct person, and each person is God. i.e. the Father is not the Son, nor is He the Holy Spirit, but the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. At present this may seem to be a very hard concept to understand but it will become clearer as the Bible progresses. There is only one God; but in God there are three distinct persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Relationship (Genesis 1:26-28) Human beings are made to be like God in regard to relationships. We are made to be in relationship with God and with each other.
Man needing a relationship (Genesis 2:18–20) Everything about God’s creation is good except one thing. Among all God’s creatures Adam has no one to relate to. There is no suitable helper to help him rule Eden.
Woman made for relationship with man (Genesis 2:18, 21-23) God provides for Adam and forms a woman from his rib. Adam and the woman are now in a relationship. God creates the woman so that Adam can experience a relationship, and have help in his responsibility of ruling the Garden of Eden.
Man and woman made to live together (Genesis 2:24-25) God’s rule for the man and the woman is marriage. God’s purpose for man and woman is to become one - one in marriage, one in rule over the earth, and one in sexual union. Adam and his wife are to live together under God’s rule of marriage. Their relationship is open and honest; they hide nothing from each other, even their own naked bodies. To be made in God’s image means human beings are made to be in relationship with God and with other human beings.
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God makes human beings to be like Himself. God rules and God has relationships with Himself. Human beings are made to rule and live in relationship with God and with each other. Human beings are made to rule this world and to be in relationship with God, and with each other.
God’s Kingdom In the beginning God establishes a Kingdom. God’s people, living in God’s place, under His rule and blessing. We can see this from the pattern of life in the Garden of Eden. God’s people are Adam and his wife. God’s place is Eden where He lives with His people. God’s words are “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil”. God has established a Kingdom. He is the King of His Eden Kingdom with Adam and his wife as the citizens. God’s Kingdom = God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing.
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God’s Kingdom Constitution:
‘I will be their God, they will be my people’ God’s promises Place
Creation
Eden
People
Rule & Blessing
Adam & Eve God’s word
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Think it through & discuss 1. In what way are human beings like God? In what way are we not like God?
2. In what way is Adam like a priest? In what way is Adam like a king? (see Psalm 8)
3. What does the tree of the knowledge of good and evil represent?
4. Define God’s Kingdom in your own words.
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Chapter 5
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Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Genesis 3:1-6
The Story so Far Human beings were made to rule this world and be in relationship with God, and with each other. In the beginning God established a Kingdom - God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing.
Objectives • To explain who Satan is and what he does • To teach how humans choose to be rulers of their own lives and thus the concept of sin • To show how God’s Kingdom is ruined through rebellion
Connections • God’s Kingship as seen by the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
Summary Satan causes human beings to act as rulers of their own lives, and so rebel against God, deciding for themselves what is right and wrong.
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Rebellion Against the King Angels Angels are spirits created by God. We cannot see them because spirits are invisible. But they are not like God’s Spirit, because they are created. The word ‘angel’ means messenger or servant. Angels are messengers or servants of God.
Lucifer’s rebellion (Isaiah 14:12-14) These verses describe how an angel called “Lucifer”, chief of all the angels, rebels against God and tries to take His place in heaven. God’s punishment for this rebellion is to throw Lucifer out of heaven along with some other angels who rebel with him. Lucifer becomes known as “Satan”, which means “God’s enemy”. Jesus says that He witnessed Satan’s rebellion and His fall from heaven: “And He said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven’” (Luke 10:18).
The devil – the great deceiver (John 8:44) Listen to what God thinks of Satan, “. . . the devil . . . is a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and father of lies” (John 8:44). We are going to find these words to be very accurate as we read the Bible. The word “devil” means “deceiver”. Satan is an angel from heaven who rebels against God. He tries to take God’s place as King and is thrown out of heaven to the earth. He twists God’s words and cannot be trusted.
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From the outside (Genesis 3:1) In the beginning when God creates the world everything is good. There is no evil or death. Adam and his wife live in a loving relationship with God and with each other. It is a perfect world. But Satan, the fallen angel from heaven, enters the garden as a snake (3:1). It is an influence from the outside that makes the world go bad.
Created to live under God’s rule God created human beings to live under His rule. God alone is King and His words have authority. They are not to be questioned, but obeyed. We can see from creation that God is a loving King. Therefore His rules are good and are given for the benefit of human beings.
Questioning God’s authority The devil enters the garden as a serpent (snake) and his first words question God’s authority: “Did God really say…?”. The devil tries to persuade the woman that God’s words can be questioned. Satan then twists God’s words by misquoting them. Satan is a liar and a twister of God’s words.
S A TA N
“Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1).
GOD
“You are free to eat from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:16-17).
Satan’s success (Genesis 3:3) This first response to the devil should have been, “Why are you questioning God’s words? He’s the King!” But the woman allows God’s words to be questioned and she even adds to His words. Let’s compare God’s words again with the woman’s words.
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WOMAN “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die” (Genesis 3:3).
GOD
“You are free to eat from any tree in the garden but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil …” (Genesis 2:16-17).
Removing the threat of judgement (Genesis 3:4) The first time Satan spoke he twisted God’s words slightly. This time he clearly contradicts God’s words: “You will not surely die.” He is trying to remove the threat of God’s judgement.
Becoming like God (Genesis 3:5) Satan is saying that if she eats the fruit she will become her own god, deciding for herself what is right and wrong. This is why the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is not to be eaten from. To eat from it is to say that God is not God, and that they are now “God”. To eat from the tree is to play at being “God”, deciding for themselves what is right and wrong. So Satan is right. God knows that if Adam and his wife eat from the tree they will become like Him in this way. They will be taking the position of final authority in deciding what is right and wrong. But this position belongs only to God. It is the King who decides what is good and evil, right and wrong. This is the rule for living in His Kingdom.
Si n To disobey God’s rule and choose to decide for yourself what is right and wrong is sin. To sin is to say that you don’t want God as the King of your life, but rather yourself. Sin is more than breaking God’s rules. It also involves trying to become your own god. Sin is a revolution.
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To eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is to become like God and decide for yourself what is good and evil, right and wrong.
The fall of human beings (Genesis 3:6) The devil has told the woman that she can become her own god, deciding what is right and wrong. Without questioning any further, the woman takes some of the fruit and eats it. She also gives some of the fruit to her husband Adam and he eats it as well. The first human beings disobey God’s rule. They behave as if they are God and decide that eating from the tree is not wrong. They do not believe that God’s way of life is best and good. They choose their own way of life deciding to disobey instead of to obey.
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Think it through & discuss 1. If God created a perfect world, how did it all go wrong?
2. When the man and woman ate from the forbidden tree, what were they saying to God?
3. What evidences are there in today’s world that people want to live as rulers of their own lives?
4. What do you think the consequences will be for rebelling against the King?
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Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Genesis 3:7-24
The Story so Far Human beings were made to rule this world and be in relationship with God, and with each other. In the beginning God established a Kingdom - God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. However, through the influence of God’s enemy (Satan) they disobeyed God. Satan caused human beings to act as rulers of their own lives; and so rebel against God, deciding for themselves what is right and wrong. The result was a broken relationship with God and the Kingdom was ruined. God judged human beings and threw them out of His place and did not let them go back in to the Garden of Eden. The punishment was a broken relationship with God and with each other.
Objectives • To understand the way in which relationship breakdown occurs in the garden • To introduce death and God’s promise of war against Satan
Connections • God’s Kingdom before and after the rebellion
Summary When Adam and his wife disobey God there is relationship breakdown and the Kingdom of God is ruined.
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God’s Kingdom is Ruined When Adam and Eve rebel against God there is relationship breakdown in Eden.
Relationship breakdown with God (Genesis 3:7-11) The relationship that Adam and Eve have with God is clearly broken. Before they disobeyed God they were in a loving relationship with their Creator. Things are very different now. When the LORD God comes for a walk in the garden, they hear Him and hide among the trees in the garden. This is an important theme in the Bible. Human beings are rebels against God and hide from Him. This is true of all human beings from every culture throughout history. People do not search for God, they run from God. Read Romans 3:10-11. When Adam and his wife disobey God’s rule the loving relationship with God is broken.
Relationship breakdown with each other (Genesis 3:7-12) There are a number of ways in which Adam and his wife’s relationship is broken:
Naked (Genesis 3:7) o They both become ashamed of their nakedness. Before they disobeyed God, their nakedness was not a problem. They hid nothing from each other. It was an open, honest relationship. Now they cover up from each other, and life would become inward, and self-centred.
Blame (Genesis 3:12) o When God asks Adam if he has eaten from the forbidden tree, Adam’s first response is to blame his wife. This is very different to when Adam first met his wife; he spoke in romantic poetry to her then. Adam does not take responsibility for his own actions, but is blaming his wife.
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When Adam and his wife disobey God’s rule the loving relationship with each other is broken.
Death Death enters the garden because the first human beings disobey God’s rule. The relationship with God is broken and one day they will die physically. Because Adam and Eve want to be their own gods, everything is ruined. There is relationship breakdown with God and with each other. God is a good and perfect King and so He must punish human rebellion. The fall of humankind is so great that it affects us even today. Death comes to all of us, and in a sense is now our master.
Judgement on the serpent (Genesis 3:14-15) God is going to make war between Satan and one of Eve’s offspring (seed). In the end the seed of the woman will crush Satan, even although Satan will injure Him. This is what the phrase “He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel” means. God is going to defeat the devil by a human being who will come from Eve’s family line. War is the judgement on the devil – a war that he is going to lose. God’s judgement on the devil is war – a human being from the family line of Eve will defeat him.
Banishment from the Garden (Genesis 3:21-24) God’s final judgement on Adam and Eve is to put them out of the Garden of Eden. They do not deserve to live in God’s presence. God also makes it impossible for Adam and Eve to return to the garden. The word “cherubim” is simply another word for “angel”. An angel guards the way back into God’s place.
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God’s Kingdom is ruined
God’s Kingdom can be described as God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. But God’s people have disobeyed God’s words and so God throws them out of His place. The Kingdom of God is ruined. The rest of the Bible is about how God will restore His Kingdom through the promised Rescuer-Ruler from the family line of Eve. When Adam and his wife disobey God there is relationship breakdown and the Kingdom of God is ruined.
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God’s Kingdom Constitution:
‘I will be their God, they will be my people’ God’s promises Place
Creation
Eden
People
Rule & Blessing
Adam & Eve God’s word
God’s Kingdom ruined
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Think it through & discuss 1. How do we know the relationship with God is broken?
2. How do we know there is a breakdown in the relationship between Adam and Eve?
3. What does God’s judgement on the devil involve?
4. Explain the picture in chapter six.
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Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Genesis 3:7-24
The Story so Far In the beginning God established a Kingdom - God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. However, through the influence of God’s enemy (Satan) they disobeyed God. The result was a broken relationship with God and the Kingdom was ruined. God judged human beings and threw them out of His place and did not let them go back in to the Garden of Eden. The punishment was a broken relationship with God and with each other.
Objectives • To understand God’s grace and mercy • To explain the promise of Genesis 3:15 • To understand the concept of substitution
Connections • The parallel of grace and judgement • God’s desire to rebuild His Kingdom
Summary Despite the rebellion of human beings, God acts in grace and mercy, promising to rebuild His Kingdom.
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Gr a c e Grace Grace is a beautiful word. Some Christians call their daughters by this name. Grace finds its origin and definition in God. If there were no God, there would be no grace. Grace is receiving a gift we do not deserve. In Genesis 3:7-24 God acts in grace in various ways. Grace is receiving a gift we do not deserve.
God seeks after rebels (Genesis 3:8-11) When Adam and Eve rebel against God’s rule they become ashamed (guilty) of their nakedness so they hide from God. God told them that the day they ate from the forbidden tree they would “surely die”. Adam and Eve are hiding in God’s place because they know they deserve to die. The first act of grace is that God comes looking for them.
God gives rebels an opportunity (Genesis 3:11) God gives Adam and Eve an opportunity to own up. He knows where they are, but He wants Adam and Eve to come out and talk. He gives them an opportunity to own up and take responsibility for their wrong actions. He wants them to admit they have rebelled against Him. The God of the Bible is a God of grace who seeks rebels and gives them the opportunity to own up.
God’s promise to rescue and rule (Genesis 3:15) The themes of judgement and grace run alongside each other in the Bible. God judges Satan and promises to make war with him, but at the same time God promises to rescue human beings. In the beginning Satan caused God’s people to be banished from His place. If the promised person is going to defeat the devil then human beings can also be rescued. Therefore God’s judgement on Satan is also an act of grace to human beings. God gives Adam and Eve the promise of a Rescuer-Ruler.
Rebuilding God’s Kingdom Genesis 3:15 acts as the starting point for God’s plan to rebuild His Kingdom. Satan has destroyed God’s Kingdom. But the promised 52
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Rescuer-Ruler will come, defeat the devil and restore God’s Kingdom. The rest of the Bible is about the promised RescuerRuler who will restore God’s Kingdom. God’s long-term project is to have a Kingdom again where His people live in His place, under His rule and blessing.
The story of the Bible is about the coming Rescuer-Ruler who will restore God’s Kingdom.
God is committed to His creation and His people (Genesis 3:20) God promised that if Adam and Eve disobeyed His rule then they would surely die – spiritually and physically. We have seen how they died spiritually on that day. Their loving relationship with God was broken. But Adam and Eve did not die physically on that day. In fact, Eve will become the mother of all the living. God is allowing life on earth to continue. He has the right to destroy their lives. This shows God’s commitment to His creation and His people. It also shows His commitment to bring the promised Rescuer-Ruler through Eve’s offspring. This act of commitment by God is an act of grace. God gives Adam and Eve what they do not deserve.
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A broken threat? But did God break His threat to bring death the day Adam and Eve sin? No, because we will see later that Adam and Eve both die (Genesis 5:5). Here we see God’s mercy as He holds back His judgement on human beings. God is merciful to Adam and Eve, giving them an opportunity to admit their sin. Mercy is not receiving a punishment we deserve. God’s mercy is not receiving a punishment we deserve.
God covers the results of sin (Genesis 3:21) When Adam and Eve become ashamed of their nakedness they try to cover up with fig leaves. What a bad effort at making clothes! But then God clothes them with skin from an animal.
Substitution God kills an animal and makes clothes from the skin for Adam and Eve. Substitution is another theme that runs through the Bible and will become clearer as we progress. It is where the innocent dies in place of the guilty. The animal is innocent; Adam and Eve are guilty. The animal dies in the place of Adam and Eve. Substitution in the Bible is where the innocent dies in the place of the guilty. This animal’s death covers the result of sin (guilt of nakedness). God is just and sin must be punished. But here we see God’s grace. The death God brings is not to Adam and Eve (who both deserve to die) but to an animal. Adam and Eve may be clothed (and their guilt covered) because an animal dies in their place.
God wants to rescue rebels (Genesis 3:22-24) The final act of grace from God is when He puts Adam and Eve out of the garden. But is this not an act of judgement? Yes, but it is also an act of grace. The reason God throws Adam and Eve out of the garden is so that they cannot eat from the tree of life and live forever.
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How is this an act of grace? Human beings have fallen from their position as rulers of God’s earth. They now have a rebellious nature against God. If they eat from the tree of life they will live forever as rebels against God, with a disobedient nature. But if they go out of the garden and die, then they will not have to spend forever as rebels against God. In fact, if they put their trust in the promised Rescuer-Ruler then they can be rescued from God’s judgement and have the relationship with God restored. Putting Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden is an act of grace – He gives them what they do not deserve – an opportunity to be rescued.
Summary Despite the rebellion of human beings, God acts in grace and mercy, promising to rebuild His Kingdom.
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Chapter 7
Think it through & discuss 1. Explain the words “grace” and “mercy” in your own words.
2. What is the first death in the Bible, and how is this significant?
3. Explain the concept of substitution in the Bible.
4. Why is God’s promise in Genesis 3:15 important to the story of the whole Bible?
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Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Genesis 4:1-12
The Story so Far In the beginning God established a Kingdom - God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. However, through the influence of God’s enemy (Satan) they disobeyed God. The result was a broken relationship with God and the Kingdom was ruined. God judged human beings and threw them out of His place and did not let them go back into the Garden of Eden. The punishment was a broken relationship with God and with each other. But God also acted in grace and promised a Rescuer-Ruler who would come and defeat Satan and rebuild God’s Kingdom. The Rescuer-Ruler would come from the family line of Adam and Eve and rescue people back into the Kingdom of God.
Objectives • To show how sin was passed on in the human race • To highlight the consequences of human rebellion against God • To introduce the concept of election
Connections • Adam’s rebellious nature is seen in Cain and Abel • God remains gracious despite the progress of human rebellion
Summary The sin of human rebellion has been passed on to the whole human race.
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Human Rebellion and Death Advances Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1-2) God in His grace allows Adam and Eve to live and have children. Eve’s first two children are boys called Cain and Abel. Cain is the oldest and is a farmer – he grows crops. Abel is a shepherd.
God’s choice (Genesis 4:3-5) After a period of time the two sons bring an offering to the Lord. Cain brings vegetables, but Abel brings the fat from some of the firstborn animals. God accepts Abel’s sacrifice and not Cain’s. From Genesis 3:21 we know that the right sacrifice to give would be an animal – that is how God covered Adam and Eve’s sin. At this stage in the Bible we are not told exactly why God chooses Abel’s offering instead of Cain’s. In one sense God simply acts in grace and chooses Abel instead of Cain, the younger instead of the older. But this will be a pattern that will continue through the whole Bible – God choosing the younger instead of the older. God chooses Abel’s sacrifice instead of Cain’s. God chooses the younger instead of the older.
Right and wrong sacrifices (Hebrews 11:4) However, later in the Bible we are told that Abel did offer a better sacrifice than Cain. There are three important things in this verse. First, Abel offers God the correct sacrifice – an animal. Death is the punishment for disobeying God, and so this animal is like a substitute dying in Abel’s place. This is a theme that will be developed as the Bible progresses - an innocent animal dying in the place of guilty people. For now, all we need to know is that this is God’s way of offering forgiveness – through the death of an animal.
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Second, Abel offers his sacrifice in faith. He trusts that God will accept him because of the death of an animal. He believes God’s way of forgiveness, just as God had shown to his parents Adam and Eve. Abel is declared righteous before God, which simply means that he is put right with God through this sacrifice. Thirdly, although Abel died long ago, the Bible still speaks to us through him. Abel’s sacrifice is an example to us, to have trust in God’s way of sacrifice. Cain is a bad example, for he did not trust in God’s way of sacrifice, but in his own way – vegetables. Abel still speaks to us today by his life example encouraging us to have faith in God’s way of sacrifice.
The progression of human rebellion (Genesis 4:1-5) When Adam and Eve rebel against God the devil is present. When Cain disobeys God the devil is not present. And yet Cain decides for himself which sacrifice is right and wrong. This teaches us that the sin of human rebellion has been passed on to the human race. This means that we have inherited that spirit of human rebellion against God, deciding for ourselves what is right and wrong.
The progression of relationship breakdown (Genesis 4:8-12) We saw in the Garden of Eden that disobedience leads to relationship breakdown. The same pattern follows outside the garden, except things start to get worse.
Murder and lying Cain murders his brother Abel. This is the first murder of a human being in the Bible. In the garden there is blame and shame in the marriage of Adam and Eve, now there is murder in the family. When God asks Cain where his brother is, he lies, saying, “I don’t know”. Cain knows very well where Abel is, because he has killed him. We then see evidence of further social breakdown, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”. What brother does not look out for his brother? The Adam family is falling apart. The pattern of disobedience leading to relationship breakdown is continuing in the Bible.
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The God of grace – again (Genesis 4:24-25) Whilst human beings are acting in rebellion against God He still shows grace. God in His grace gives Eve another son in the place of Abel. His name is Seth meaning “Elect One”. The chapter closes with some hope.
The reign of death (Genesis 5) Genesis 5 highlights that God’s punishment for rebellion is taking effect in the human race. Death is reigning. Later in the Bible we see that rebellion is not only connected to death, but is also inherent within all human beings. We all die because we have all sinned. We all want to be the rulers of our own lives. Like Cain, we don’t even need the devil present to make us like this. We are born like this.
The sin of human rebellion has been passed on to the whole human race.
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Chapter 8
Think it through & discuss 1. What does the story of Cain and Abel teach us about human rebellion?
2. How does this story of Cain and Abel relate to us?
3. What do you think God is saying to us in Genesis 5?
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Chapter 9
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Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Genesis 6-9
The Story so Far God judged human beings and threw them out of His place and did not let them go back into the Garden of Eden. The punishment was a broken relationship with God and with each other. But God also acted in grace and promised a Rescuer-Ruler who would come and defeat Satan and rebuild God’s Kingdom. The Rescuer-Ruler would come from the family line of Adam and Eve and rescue people back into the Kingdom of God. In the story of Cain and Abel we saw that human rebellion had been passed on to the whole human race. We all die because we have all chosen to be the rulers of our own lives.
Objectives • To explain that God judges the world for it’s evil heart • To show how God judges and then re-creates the world by the flood • To show how God’s grace changes people’s lives
Connections • Creation to judgement to new creation • Grace and judgement continue to flow through the Bible story • When God judges He also rescues
Summary In the flood God re-creates the world. By saving Noah He is showing His commitment to restoring His Kingdom through the promised Rescuer-Ruler. 63
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A New Creation God’s decision to judge the world (Genesis 6:1-7) God is going to destroy life on earth because the spread of sin has become so great. Since God is holy and just, He must punish this rebellion. He therefore decides to destroy everything He has created by a flood.
Grace finds Noah (Genesis 6:8-9) The same pattern of judgement and grace in the Garden of Eden is repeated again in Genesis chapter 6. God is going to destroy life on the earth but at the same time He also acts graciously to Noah. Noah does not find grace by trying to live a good life. Grace finds Noah while he is living a bad life. Noah is just like any other human being. Noah and his family deserve to die, but the LORD shows them His grace. Therefore verse 8 is best understood like this, “But the LORD showed His grace to Noah”.
Grace changes lives (Genesis 6:8-9) When God shows His grace to Noah it changes his life. This is very different to what we read in Genesis 6:5. Let us compare these two verses: 1) Genesis 6:5 - “every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time”. This is a general statement about every human being, including Noah and his family. 2) Genesis 6:9 - “Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God”. The first verse shows us that every person, including Noah and his family, disobeys God. The second verse shows us that Noah obeys God. So how does the change come about? The answer is God’s grace. It is God’s grace that changes people’s lives from being disobedient to being obedient.
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Noah’s Ark (Genesis 6:11-22) God tells Noah to build a big ark (boat) because He is going to destroy the earth with a worldwide flood, but rescue Noah and his family (eight people). God’s plan is also to rescue every kind of animal that He has created and put them on the ark as well. Because God’s grace has changed Noah’s life he obeys everything God asks him to do.
The important lesson of the story of Noah The lesson that is developing is that God is a merciful God who remains committed to His creation and His people. Therefore, in the big picture we can see that God is still committed to rebuilding His Kingdom by sending the promised Rescuer-Ruler. If God does not save Noah and his family then the family line of Eve will be destroyed, and the promised Rescuer-Ruler can never come (Genesis 3:15). In the big picture God is still committed to restoring His Kingdom and sending the promised Rescuer-Ruler.
How does Noah find all the animals? (Genesis 7:8) God brings all the animals to the ark for Noah. He is able to do this because He is their Creator.
Where do the floodwaters come from? (Genesis 7:11) The floodwaters come up from inside the earth and most likely split the land. Water also comes from the skies. Remember on the second day of creation how God separated the waters and put the atmosphere between them? It is thought that these waters in the sky fall during the flood.
Creation reversed (Genesis 7:17-24) On the first day of creation there is only water and darkness on the earth. The description of the flood is very similar. After the flood there is only water and darkness. The world of green vegetation,
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land, animals and people has ended. God reverses His creation and takes the world back to the very beginning.
God remembers (Genesis 8:1) When God remembers, He acts. God remembers Noah and sends a wind to drive away the floodwaters. After a period of time the ark comes to rest on the Mountains of Ararat.
Signs of a new creation (Genesis 8:1-5) God rescues Noah and his family for the purpose of a new start, a new creation. There are various signs in this story that show there is a new creation: 1. The world is covered with water. 2. Then land starts to appear. 3. God wants the animals to multiply and increase in number upon the earth. 4. God re-establishes order in His creation. 5. God gives Noah a similar command to Adam. Compare Genesis 9:1 with Genesis 1:28a. 6. God gives Noah rule over the animals. Compare Genesis 9:2-3 with Genesis 1:28b–30.
God’s covenants After Noah comes out of the ark God makes a covenant with him. A covenant is simply a contract or agreement between two parties or two people. The Bible calls marriage a covenant. However, when God makes a covenant He makes it on His own terms. The covenant that God makes is not like ordinary human contracts, where there is consent of agreement by two equal parties. The contract that God makes is more like a contract between a king and his subjects. God the King graciously makes contracts that His people do not deserve.
The covenant (Genesis 9:8-11) If human beings rebel against God He has the right to flood the world again. Yet God graciously decides to enter into a contract that means He will never punish the world in the same way again. It shows us God’s commitment to His creation and His people. This is not a new contract but one that God had already made with Adam and Eve, when He allowed them to continue to live. The word “establish” means “to uphold that which already exists”.
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God’s covenant with the human race is a contract of grace and highlights again His commitment to His creation and His people.
The sign of God’s contract – the rainbow (Genesis 9:12-17) In the business world there is usually a sign that a contract has been made. For example, the two parties sign a paper or they shake hands. It is the same with God’s contracts in the Bible; He provides a sign to show us the contract has been made. God’s contract sign is a rainbow. God puts His contract sign in the very place where the world might be threatened by another flood – in the clouds! So that every time the dark clouds will come and the rain will fall, then the rainbow will appear and remind people of God’s promise never to flood the world again.
God hangs up His weapon In the Hebrew language there is no word for ‘rainbow’. The word that is used is ‘bow,’ which is a weapon, like a bow and arrow. So God’s contract sign is actually a bow in the clouds. It means that the rainbow in the clouds symbolises God hanging up His weapon of war. In those days, a king would hang up his weapon when the war was over as a sign that judgement was over, and that it was now time for peace. So God’s contract sign of a rainbow in the clouds really means He is showing people that He has hung up His weapon of war. The judgement is over; never again will there be such war between God and His creation.
The rainbow is God’s contract sign that the war is over. God has hung up His weapon of war.
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The promise of rest (Genesis 9:18-29) We are near the end of the life and story of Noah. So far it is good news. God shows His grace to Noah, which changes his life. He rescues Noah from His judgement for the purpose of a new creation. Are the words of his father going to come true? Let us remind ourselves of those words in Genesis 5:29. Lamech called his son “Noah”, saying, “he will comfort us in the labour and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the LORD has cursed”. So does Noah comfort the human race and bring rest from God’s curse? In one sense, yes he does. But in another sense Noah does not provide total rest and comfort for the human race.
Noah - the provider of rest? (Genesis 9:20-23) The reason we know that Noah does not provide total rest for the human race is because Noah sins again. He builds a vineyard, becomes drunk on the wine and lies naked. All these things displease God. So Noah does not fulfil the role of the RescuerRuler who will bring complete and permanent rest to the human race. Noah’s fall into sin again tells us that this new creation isn’t perfect, and it leaves us awaiting a better, perfect, new creation yet to come. This story leaves us waiting for the new Rescuer to come who will bring permanent and perfect rest from God’s curse. Noah brings comfort and rest for a time to the world, but because he sins he cannot be the promised RescuerRuler who will crush Satan and bring a permanent rest to the world.
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Think it through & discuss 1. Why does God flood the world?
2. What signs are there that God reverses His creation and then makes a new creation?
3. Why does God rescue Noah and his family?
4. How is this story connected to God’s Kingdom?
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Chapter 10
Genesis 11:1-9
The Story so Far In the story of Cain and Abel we saw that human rebellion had been passed on to the whole human race. We all die because we have all chosen to be the rulers of our own lives. However, human rebellion increased to the point where God decided to judge the world. In the flood God re-created the world and gave human beings a new beginning. By saving Noah He showed His commitment to restoring His Kingdom through the promised Rescuer-Ruler.
Objectives • To show the similarities between the people’s rebellion in Shinar and Adam and Eve’s rebellion in Eden • To explain how God’s judgement was involved in the confusion of languages • To show God as the sovereign King who always gets His way
Connections • Rebellion in Eden and at Shinar is similar
Summary Although human beings rebel against God, His purposes for His world are always accomplished.
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The Tower of Babel The start of the nations (Genesis 10:1-32) God has rescued Noah and his family from the flood. He has given them a new creation to live in and He commanded them to fill the earth with people. Genesis 10 shows us that many nations come from the sons of Noah. The earth is being populated again with people. God’s purposes are being fulfilled. Will these nations of people obey God’s command to spread out and fill the earth?
The global rebellion of human beings (Genesis 11:1-4) Unfortunately we learn that human beings rebel against God again.
Human disobedience… again (Genesis 11:1-4) Moving “east” in Genesis usually means moving away from God – Adam moved east out of the Garden of Eden. Cain moved east after he killed his brother. The writer of Genesis wants us to know that the people of Shinar moved east as well. When they settle in one place they act in direct disobedience to God’s command to fill the earth with people (see Genesis 1:28; 9:1, 2). They disobey God in two ways: 1. They build a city for their own security. They want to live without God. 2. They also build a very tall tower. It is thought that there was a temple (place of worship) on the top of this tower, and that each brick was inscribed with the name of the Babylonian god “Marduk”. This tower is an attempt by humans to make their own religion and worship false gods. The people are doing what Adam and Eve did in the garden, they want to live without God as their King, and therefore worship false gods. Adam and Eve rebelled and served Satan – the people of Shinar rebel and serve Marduk.
Becoming “like God”… again (Genesis 11:4) Satan told Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden that if they disobeyed God they would become “like God”, and in that sense they would become great. Their names would be great. The people 72
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of Shinar commit the same crime – they want “to make a name” for themselves. They want to be “like God”. The same pattern of human rebellion is happening all over again. It is still happening today.
The global impact of God’s judgement (Genesis 11:5-9) God is a good and just King and He must punish rebellion. However, we know that He has committed never to flood the world again, so how will He punish the people’s rebellion?
God’s judgement (Genesis 11:5-7) It is interesting that the people want to build a tower so high that it reaches into the skies. Human technology might be great in the eyes of humans but it is still so small in the eyes of a great and mighty God. God has to come down to see it! The people of Shinar are able to construct such a city and tower because they speak the same language. God’s judgement on human beings is to confuse their language so they can never attempt such technology again. This is how “Shinar” becomes known as “Babel”, which means “confusion”. This is also the start of how the many languages in the world developed.
God’s power (Genesis 11:8-9) From the beginning of the Bible we have been learning that God is the powerful Maker and the controlling King of the universe. It should be no surprise to us then that God’s purposes are always accomplished. Although human beings rebel against God and try to disrupt His purposes, God always gets His way. Quite simply, God always wins! The story of the tower of Babel is no different God gets His way! God’s plan after the flood is to fill the earth with people. Human beings try to stop God’s plan, but fail. Through their rebellion God judges them and His plan is fulfilled. Although human beings rebel against God, His purposes for His world are always accomplished.
God’s Kingdom In the story of the Bible it is God’s plan to send the promised Rescuer-Ruler into the world to re-establish His Kingdom. We are 73
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going to learn how human beings continually try to disrupt this plan of God. The good news of the Bible, which we see already in the tower of Babel, is that God always gets His way. And therefore we can have confidence that the promised Rescuer-Ruler will arrive.
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Think it through & discuss 1. In Genesis what does the direction “east” symbolise?
2. How are the people of Shinar like Adam and Eve?
3. What is the result of the people’s rebellion?
4. How is the tower of Babel connected to God’s Kingdom?
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Chapter 11
The Story so Far . . .
The Bible is God’s book. God is the author of the Bible, but he used human beings to write it. Every word in the Bible comes from God. The Bible has one story – Jesus and his Kingdom.
The beginning of God’s Kingdom In the beginning God created a perfect world. He created human beings (Adam and Eve) to be in a relationship with Himself and to obey His words. God had a special place called Eden where He lived with His people. In the beginning, God put His people in His place and asked them to obey His words. God had established a Kingdom - God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing.
The ruin of God’s Kingdom An angel from heaven called Satan rebelled against God and was thrown out of heaven to the earth. He entered the Garden of Eden and tried to destroy God’s Kingdom. God gave human beings the role of ruling the world, but they failed in a big way. They wanted to be their own rulers, deciding for themselves what is right and wrong. They listened to Satan and rejected God’s authority and His loving rule. The result was a broken relationship with God and the Kingdom was ruined.
God’s punishment God judged human beings and threw them out of His place and did not let them go back into the Garden of Eden. The punishment was a broken relationship with God and with each other. Death entered the world. The Kingdom God had established was ruined.
God’s promise But God also acted in grace and promised a Rescuer-Ruler who would come and defeat Satan and rebuild God’s Kingdom. The Rescuer-Ruler would come from the family line of Adam and Eve and rescue people back into the Kingdom of God. The rest of the Bible is the progressive story of how the promised Rescuer-Ruler will come and establish God’s Kingdom.
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A new beginning In the story of Cain and Abel we saw that human rebellion had been passed on to the whole human race. We all die because we have all chosen to be the rulers of our own lives. However, human rebellion increased to the point where God decided to judge the world. In the flood God re-created the world and gave human beings a new beginning. By saving Noah He showed His commitment to restoring His Kingdom through the promised Rescuer-Ruler.
Human rebellion again But things soon went wrong again. People disobeyed God’s words to populate and fill the earth. They tried to stay in one place and build a city for security and a tower for their own religion. Like Adam and Eve they tried to become like God, and make a name for themselves. God judged them by confusing their language, scattering people over the whole earth. God’s purposes were still fulfilled.
God’s Kingdom Constitution:
‘I will be their God, they will be my people’ God’s promises Place
Creation
Eden
People
Rule & Blessing
Adam& Eve God’s word
God’s Kingdom ruined
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Chapter 12
Genesis 11:27 - 12:3
The Story so Far See Chapter 11
Objectives • To show that through the promises to Abraham, God is rebuilding His Kingdom • To understand that the covenant is based on grace • To show that God keeps His promises
Connections • God’s promises = God’s Kingdom • Abraham and his family fulfil the role of Adam – a priest-king
Summary God is re-establishing His Kingdom through the family of Abraham – God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing.
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The Promised Kingdom The promised Kingdom (Genesis 12:1-3) After the rebellion in Genesis chapter 11, God does not choose to destroy the world, but to start building His Kingdom again through the family of a man called Abram, whose name is later changed to Abraham. God chooses a new people for Himself who would live in a place where He would bless them. Abraham will also be like a new Adam, a priest-king. Like Adam, Abraham and his children will be rulers in the land; and like Adam, Abraham and his children will be a priest to the world. He and his family will act like a mediator between God and the world. Those who bless him will be blessed; those who curse him will be cursed. Just as God would rule and bless the world through Adam, now He will do so through Abraham and his family.
A covenant of grace When God first calls Abraham he is a disobedient person who worships other gods (see Joshua 24:2), but God acts in grace and makes promises to him, which he does not deserve. God makes a covenant (contract) with Abraham. It is a contract of grace because Abraham worships other gods and therefore he deserves punishment. He does not deserve God’s grace of a land, a people and a blessing.
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God’s Kingdom Constitution:
‘I will be their God, they will be my people’ God’s promises Place
Creation
Eden
People
Rule & Blessing
Adam & Eve God’s word
King
Adam
God’s Kingdom ruined Abraham
Canaan
Abraham’s family
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God keeps His promises (Genesis 21:1-3) When Abraham was 75 years old God promised him a son. God remains faithful to His promise and 25 years later gives Abraham and Sarah a son called Isaac. His name means ‘laughter.’ The writer wants us to see that God keeps His promises. The writer shows three times that God keeps His promise: 1. “…as He had said”. 2. “…and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised”. 3. “…at the very time God had promised”. God keeps His promises; He is a promise-maker and a promise-keeper. Therefore God can be trusted. In the beginning of the Bible God established a Kingdom – God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. But Adam ruined the Kingdom. In response God promised that a Rescuer-Ruler would come and re-establish God’s Kingdom by defeating Satan. We can be confident that God is going to keep His promise of a Rescuer-Ruler because He has kept His promise of a son for Abraham. But we can also start to see that God is rebuilding His Kingdom through the family of Abraham. God will have His own people again, who will live in His place, under His rule and blessing. God is re-establishing His Kingdom through the family of Abraham – God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing.
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Think it through & discuss 1. What are God’s promises to Abraham?
2. How are these related to God’s Kingdom?
3. How is Abraham like Adam?
4. Explain why this covenant is based on grace.
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Chapter 13
Genesis 15:1-6 Genesis 22:1-14
The Story so Far God’s response to the rebellion at Babel was to choose a man called Abraham. God graciously promised him three things: a land, a people, and a blessing. God was re-establishing His Kingdom through the family of Abraham – God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing.
Objectives • To explain the concept of justification • To show how God provides substitute sacrifices in order to keep His Kingdom promises
Connections • God’s Kingdom promises are threatened • We are children of Abraham if we have faith in God’s promises
Summary Justification is God’s way of declaring innocent the guilty person. God justifies people who have faith in His promises. God provides a substitute sacrifice in order to keep His Kingdom promises. We are children of Abraham if we have faith in God’s promises. 89
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Justification by faith Abraham – a man of faith (Genesis 15:6) God gives Abraham three promises but we know that Abraham fails to trust God all the time. However, even although Abraham fails God many times, we still read that he is a man of faith.
Certificate of debts In the beginning, human beings had a perfect relationship with God. He was their Father and they were His children. But when Adam disobeyed God, the relationship was broken and we all inherited a wrong relationship with God. He became our judge, and passed the verdict that we are guilty. The payment for our rebellion is everlasting punishment.
Abraham’s certificate Abraham has the same certificate. Yet God acts in grace and gives him promises of a land, a people and a blessing, which he does not deserve. Abraham believes the Lord’s promises and God credits it to him as righteousness. When Abraham believes God’s promises, God the Judge justifies him and changes his certificate to…
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What is justification? Justification is a very important theme that runs through the whole Bible. The Bible gives us two pictures of justification: Bank account – as guilty people in God’s world we deserve God’s punishment. This is the payment we owe God. But when God justifies a person He cancels this debt and credits into the account perfect obedience – righteousness. Law court – as people in God’s world who have rebelled against God we are guilty. God is our judge. We stand in His law court condemned to death. But when God justifies us He declares us to be innocent, and restores the relationship with Him. He is no longer our Judge, but now our Father. Summary - Justification is God’s way of declaring innocent the guilty person. When God justifies a person He removes all their debt and at the same time credits into their account perfect righteousness – perfect obedience. In justification God is treating the person as if they have never sinned and as if they have lived a perfect life. Once justified, the person has a right relationship with God. Justification is God’s way of declaring innocent the guilty person.
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How is a person justified? Abraham receives righteousness by believing in God’s promise. A person is justified by faith - by believing God’s promises. In other words, God justifies people just like Abraham is justified. He believes God’s promises and is declared righteous – has a right relationship with God. If we too believe God’s promises, we also will be credited with righteousness, and have a right relationship with God. Justification is received by faith. God justifies people who have faith in His promises.
What does faith in God’s promises look like? (Genesis 22) Many years after Isaac is born, God tests Abraham’s faith. He asks Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac whom he loves, on a mountain in the region of Moriah. (The city of Jerusalem is later built in the region of Moriah. This is a very important place later on in the Bible.)
Abraham’s faith in action (Genesis 22:3-8) Abraham’s faith is seen in many ways in these verses: • “Early the next morning Abraham got up…” v3 • “When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering…” v3 • “…he set out for the place God had told him about…” v3 • “On the third day…” Abraham has 3 days to change his mind v4 • “We will worship…” Abraham sees the sacrifice of his only son as worship v5 • “… and we will come back to you” v5 • “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering…” v8 Abraham believes one thing – Isaac must live. It is through Isaac that God will keep His covenant and fulfil His promises. Isaac has to be kept alive. There are two ways that Abraham believes that this will happen: • God will provide a substitute sacrifice – see v8 • God will raise his promised son Isaac from the dead – see Hebrews 11:17-19
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God provides a substitute sacrifice Just as Abraham is about to kill his only son whom he loves, God stops him and provides an animal sacrifice instead. The lesson from this story is clear from the name Abraham gives to the mountain, “So Abraham called that place ‘the LORD will provide’”. God provides a substitute sacrifice. If Isaac died God’s Kingdom promises would have been broken. God provides a substitute sacrifice in order to keep His Kingdom promises. This place is very important in the Bible because many years later a similar thing happens. Later in the Bible another Father has to sacrifice His only Son whom He loves. We will find out on this second occasion that there is no animal substitute because the Son is the substitute. But the other lesson from this story is that Abraham has real faith. Real faith is seen by obedience to God. Obedience to God’s words is evidence of real faith.
Abraham – our great example Abraham is a very important person in the Bible because he is an example to all of us. Everyone who believes in God’s promises is justified just like Abraham. In the big picture this means believing in God’s promise of a Rescuer-Ruler who will rebuild His Kingdom.
Like father, like son (Galatians 3:6-7) In the culture of the Bible, sons usually grew up to do what their father did. Therefore if the father was a farmer, his son became a farmer. If the father was a doctor, the son became a doctor. We
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have a saying in English “Like father, like son”. In the Bible Christians are called sons of Abraham. What this means is that they are like Abraham. How are Christians like Abraham? Christians too believe in God’s promises. This is what it means to be a child of Abraham.
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Think it through & discuss 1. What does justification mean?
2. How are people justified?
3. How can God say Abraham’s sin is punished and declare him perfect? Is God ignoring Abraham’s sin?
4. What if Isaac did die, how would this affect God’s Kingdom promises?
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Chapter 14
Genesis 32-50
The Story so Far God’s response to the rebellion at Babel was to choose a man called Abraham. God graciously promised him three things: a land, a people, and a blessing. God was re-establishing His Kingdom through the family of Abraham – God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. God tested His own Kingdom promises by asking Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham obeyed God, but just before he was about to kill Isaac, God provided a substitute sacrifice in order to keep His Kingdom promises. God’s promises to Abraham involved his children living in a foreign land as slaves for 400 years.
Objectives • To show how Abraham’s children end up in Egypt • To see God’s control of every circumstance
Connections • God’s promise of a Kingdom is connected to spending some time in Egypt as slaves
Summary People make decisions because they want to, but God is so in control that even their decisions are part of God’s plan.
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A God who is Always in Control A land, a people, and a blessing Only part of God’s contract has been fulfilled. God promised Abraham a land, a people and a blessing. So far we have only really seen the start of one of these promises. God gave Abraham a son called Isaac but we have still to see the numerous descendants from many nations. We also have still to see Abraham’s descendants receive the land of Canaan. And finally we have still to see all the nations be blessed through Abraham. The rest of the Bible is the completion of God’s promises of a land, a people, and a blessing. The rest of Genesis focuses on the family line of Abraham and God’s promise of the land.
God’s promise of a land (Genesis 15:13-16) God promises Abraham a land that his people will live in. But God also first tells Abraham that his people will be slaves for 400 years in another land. But how will the family of Abraham get to a foreign land where they will become slaves?
God’s promise of a people (Genesis 25:21-26) Isaac grows up and marries a woman called Rebekah. Isaac has twin boys. The first-born is called Esau – he is a bad person. The second son born is called Jacob – he is very bad. His name means “twister / deceiver”. Yet in the end God chooses Jacob and not Esau to be the next person in the family line of Abraham. Remember, it is from the family line of Abraham that the RescuerRuler will come. Again, God’s grace is at work. God chooses Jacob, not because of who he is, or what he does, but because of His grace. Another part of the Bible explains this very clearly for us: “Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad – in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: not by works but by Him who calls – she was told, ‘The older will serve the younger.’ Just as it is written: ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.’ What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For He says to Moses,
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‘I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion’” (Romans 9:11-15). God chooses people not by who they are or what they do, but because of His grace.
The 12 tribes of Israel (Genesis 32:28; 35:22d-26) God changes Jacob’s name to “Israel”. Israel becomes the name of the nation of people that God had promised Abraham. This is the Jewish nation today in the Middle East where all the fighting is. Jacob has 12 sons and their families become known as the “12 tribes of Israel”. The next person in the family tree of the RescuerRuler is called Judah. However, the rest of the book of Genesis is not about Judah but about a son of Jacob’s called Joseph. It is through Joseph that God works out His plan of Abraham’s children becoming slaves in another land for 400 years.
Joseph’s journey to Egypt (Genesis 37:23-28) Joseph’s brothers do not like him because he is Jacob’s favourite son. So the brothers decide one day to sell him as a slave to Egypt, but they go home and tell Israel (Jacob) that a wild animal has killed him. For many years Joseph lives in Egypt, and because God looks after him, he becomes the governor of the land of Egypt. He is second in command to Pharaoh the king.
The famine (Genesis 41:25-27; 42:1-7; 45:3-7; 46:1-4, 26-27) God then sends a famine to the lands of Egypt and Canaan. God gives the king of Egypt a dream in which He warns him about the coming famine. Joseph interprets the dream and tells Pharaoh to prepare for the famine. There are seven years of good crop and then a seven-year famine. During the seven-year famine Jacob sends Joseph’s brothers down to Egypt to get food. It is through their visit to Egypt that Joseph recognises them and after some time reveals his identity to them. Then Jacob and all his family go to live with Joseph in Egypt. This is how Abraham’s descendants move from Canaan to the land of Egypt. God’s plan is being accomplished.
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God is working out His purposes (Genesis 45:5; 50:20) The story of Joseph is about God the King remaining completely in control whilst human beings try to ruin His plans. Whilst people rebel against God’s plans, God uses their bad decisions to bring about the rescue of people. God is a gracious God who is in control the whole time. He gets His way. His purposes are always accomplished even though people try to change His plans. These two verses in Genesis highlight the lesson that God is in control despite people’s bad decisions to ruin His plans. Who sends Joseph to Egypt? These verses give us two answers – Joseph’s brothers send him, and God sends him. Joseph’s brothers make a decision because they want to, but God is so in control that their decisions are already a part of God’s plan to bring Joseph to Egypt.
The big picture In the small picture God takes Joseph to Egypt to save many lives because of a famine. But in the big picture He guides Joseph to Egypt so as to fulfil His promise to Abraham. And therefore, God’s purpose for His people in Egypt must have something to do with His Kingdom – God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. But for now God’s people are outside of His place… People make decisions because they want to, but God is so in control that even their decisions are part of God’s plan.
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Think it through & discuss 1. There are three main elements to God’s Kingdom – what are they?
2. How is God’s control of Joseph’s life connected to God’s promises to Abraham? Look at Genesis 15:13-16
3. What evidence is there in the story of Joseph that God is in control?
4. God is clearly working out His promises that He made to Abraham. But why do you think God takes His people out of Canaan to make them slaves for 400 years, to then bring them back to Canaan?
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Old Testament Books
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Chapter 15
Exodus 1-10
The Story so Far God was re-establishing His Kingdom through the family of Abraham – God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. God’s promises to Abraham involved his children living in a foreign land as slaves for 400 years. Through Joseph God’s people went to live in Egypt.
Objectives • To introduce the concept of war between God and His enemies • To understand the purpose of the book of Exodus – God fights for His people so that He can live with them again • To see the plagues as God’s demonstration of His power to the world
Connections • The rescue from Egypt is part of God’s covenant with Abraham – Genesis 15:13-16 • War in Egypt is connected to Genesis 3:15 – God fights His enemies • God wants to live with His people again, just like in Eden – Exodus 29:46 • Pattern in Exodus – oppression – war – redemption – rescue – living with God – worship
Summary God fights for His people as the Warrior-King so they can live with Him under His rule and blessing. God also fights against Pharaoh in order to show him who He is – Lord of all the earth. 103
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War in Egypt Understanding Exodus The book of Exodus is about God’s war with Pharaoh king of Egypt, in order to rescue back His people so that He can live with them.
Fighting for Israel We must first understand where war comes from. In the beginning of the Bible Satan opposed God’s rule as King, encouraging human beings to rebel. After human beings rebelled God promised to go to war with Satan. Satan started war against God, and God responded by promising to destroy Satan (Genesis 3:15). But what was it that Satan did to God? Satan stole God’s possession. Human beings were made in the image of God – humans are God’s possession. In the beginning God owned human beings – they reflected God to the world. The rest of the Bible is about God reclaiming what Satan stole, and in order to do this He must go to war with him. Throughout the Bible there are various people who act like Satan in opposing God. One of them is Pharaoh the king of Egypt. Israel is God’s people, just like Adam and Eve were. Pharaoh owns Israel as slaves and God wants them back. Pharaoh refuses to let them go, so God goes to war with Pharaoh.
Living with Israel We should also note that God rescues back His people so that He can live with them. Elements from the story of the Garden of Eden will re-appear in the book of Exodus – God’s people living with God under His rule and blessing. God fights for His people as the Warrior-King so they can live with Him under His rule and blessing.
God’s promises (Exodus 1:6-7) Even while Israel is in Egypt God is keeping His promises to Abraham – the Israelites are increasing in number. Abraham will have a great nation.
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Opposition to God’s promises (Exodus 1:8-11, 22) King Pharaoh dies and a new Pharaoh rules in Egypt. This king does not like the Israelites and makes them slaves. He even tries to kill the boys of the Israelite nation as soon as their mothers give birth to them. God’s promise that Abraham’s children will be very numerous is being opposed. The Egyptians are trying to reduce the number of God’s people.
A special baby (Exodus 2) One baby that escapes Pharaoh’s judgement is a baby called Moses. Many years later Moses is going to be God’s mediator of the rescue plan for getting His people out of Egypt.
The God who remembers (Exodus 2:23-25) Many years pass and finally the king of Egypt dies. The Israelites cry out to God for help. God remembers His covenant with Abraham. This does not mean that God has forgotten it! Rather, it means that God remembers it in order to act, just like He does with Noah.
God identifies Himself (Exodus 3:6-10) God identifies Himself to Moses as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Then He explains what He is going to do. He is going to rescue His people from the Egyptians and take them to the Promised Land. Moses is to go to Pharaoh and tell him to release God’s people.
The purpose of the Exodus (Exodus 3:12, 18) The real purpose for rescuing His people out of Egypt is so that they can make a 3-day journey into the desert to worship God on a mountain. At the mountain God wants them to make sacrifices to Him. The purpose of the exodus is for God’s people to be rescued from slavery to worship the true and living God.
God’s son Israel (Exodus 4:22-23) Israel is called God’s son. Pharaoh will refuse to let God’s son go, and so God is going to punish Pharaoh by killing his firstborn son! 105
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Pharaoh opposes God (Exodus 5:1-2) Pharaoh asks who is this “LORD”? Pharaoh is seen as a god in Egypt and he has not heard of Moses’ God, and so is not willing to release the slaves. Pharaoh even makes the slaves work twice as hard – Exodus 5:3-21.
God re-affirms His promises (Exodus 6:1-8) God reminds Moses that He promised Abraham a land called Canaan. God promises that the Israelites will get the land.
The judgements on Pharaoh (Exodus 7–10) God then sends various judgements on Egypt and Pharaoh for refusing to let the people go. God is showing Pharaoh His power and giving him an opportunity to let His people go. God’s judgements follow a pattern – see the diagram on the next page.
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Who is the LORD? (Exodus 7:5, 17; 8:10b, 22; 9:13-16, 29b; 10:2) The purpose of the plagues is to show Pharaoh who God is. Remember Pharaoh’s question – “Who is the LORD that I should obey Him and let Israel go?” During the plagues God is answering the question. Also read Romans 9:17. God is also showing Israel who He is – see Exodus 6:7. He wants Israel to know that He is their God and they are His people. God uses the plagues to show Pharaoh who He is – Lord of all the earth.
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Think it through & discuss 1. What is the main story of the book of Exodus?
2. Who is the war between?
3. Why is God fighting for His people in Egypt?
4. What do the plagues teach us about God?
5. How is the book of Exodus connected to God’s Kingdom?
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Exodus 12, 14
The Story so Far God was re-establishing His Kingdom through the family of Abraham – God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. God’s promises to Abraham involved his children living in a foreign land as slaves for 400 years. Through Joseph God’s people went to live in Egypt and after some time they became slaves to Pharaoh, king of Egypt. God then sent Moses to Egypt to rescue His people, but Pharaoh refused to let them go. So God responded by sending plagues to show Pharaoh who He was.
Objectives • To understand the concept of redemption as seen in the Passover • To see God as a warrior who rescues His people by fighting for them against the enemy
Connections • Pattern of exodus - oppression – war – redemption – rescue – living with God – worship • In order to enter God’s Kingdom His people must first be redeemed and rescued from the enemy
Summary When God redeems His people He buys them back into a new relationship with Himself through the death of an innocent party. When God rescues His people He fights as a warrior for them against the enemy.
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Redemption and Rescue The 10th plague (Exodus 11:1, 4-6)
God’s 10th plague is the death of every firstborn son in Egypt. This judgement is on both the Israelites and the Egyptians (Exodus 12:12). God is coming to judge the Israelites as well as the Egyptians. Later in the Bible we read that the Israelites had started to worship other gods whilst living in Egypt (Joshua 24:14). So they also deserve to be punished with the Egyptians.
The Passover (Exodus 12:1-3, 5-7, 11-13) The way of escape from God’s judgement is only revealed to the Israelites, and is through the blood of a baby sheep or goat: • The animal has to be a one-year-old male, with no defects. • None of the animal’s bones are to be broken. • The entire animal is to be eaten, and anything left over must be burned. • They are to eat the animal dressed ready to travel. • The people are to put the blood of the lamb on their doorposts. • The meal is called “The LORD’s Passover”. When God comes to Egypt that night in judgement He will see the blood and pass over those houses. But God will judge every house in Egypt that does not have the blood. The way of escape from God’s judgement is by the blood (death) of an innocent substitute. The innocent dies in the place of the guilty.
What does the Passover mean? (Exodus 12:25-27) God’s punishment for disobeying His words is death. Later in the Bible we read that the Israelite people worshipped the Egyptian gods in Egypt: “…the gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the River and in Egypt…” (Joshua 24:14). They are guilty of worshipping other gods and so deserve to die. This is why the plague of death is on everyone in Egypt. If the Israelites do not follow God’s way of escape from His judgement then the firstborn son in their home will die as well. The Passover 112
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means the time when God passes over the homes of the Israelites, and spares the firstborn son from death. In the place of the firstborn son an innocent animal has died. The meaning of the Passover is that God protects His people from judgement and punishes someone else instead – an innocent lamb.
Victory over Pharaoh (Exodus 12:29-32, 37) Remember Pharaoh had asked the question “Who is the LORD?” God then demonstrated His power in the first nine plagues, but Pharaoh still refused to acknowledge God’s power. During the 10th plague Pharaoh learns just how powerful God is. It was this night that God won the war with Pharaoh, but Pharaoh was not yet destroyed.
A promise-keeping God (Exodus 12:40-41) God’s promise to Abraham is fulfilled in Egypt when the Israelites leave after 430 years of slavery. God keeps His promises (see Genesis 15:13-16).
Redemption (Exodus 6:5; 15:13) Why does God take His people out of Canaan, make them slaves for 400 years and then bring them back to Canaan? God’s people have to learn that in order for them to inherit God’s Promised Land they first have to be bought out of slavery. The Bible uses the word “redemption” to describe this. It means the payment for freeing a slave. A ransom is paid to allow the slave to be joined in a new relationship with the person who bought him. Therefore, in the Bible it says that God redeems Israel. God buys Israel out of slavery in Egypt and into a new relationship with Himself. The payment for Israel is the death of the Passover Lamb – an innocent substitute dying in the place of the guilty. In the big picture the reason God takes Abraham’s children (the Israelites) to Egypt and makes them slaves, is to show them what it means to be redeemed.
The Warrior-King (Exodus 13:20-22) Like a triumphant King God travels in front of His people. God leads His people during the day by a pillar of cloud and at night by
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a pillar of fire. God is the victorious Warrior-King who marches out of Egypt with His people.
Pharaoh’s decision (Exodus 13:18; 14:5-9) After the Israelites leave Egypt, Pharaoh changes his mind and decides to go and bring them back. Pharaoh goes with his army into the desert to find the Israelites. The Egyptians find the Israelites at the Red Sea. God has led His people into a dead-end – in front of them is the Red Sea and behind them are the Egyptians. Why has God led them into a dead-end?
Israel’s complaint (Exodus 14:10-12) The Israelites start to complain to Moses, saying that they would have been better to stay and die in Egypt. The reason they complain is because they think that they are about to be killed by the Egyptian army that has chased them all the way to the Red Sea. Israel is now saying they wish they had never been rescued!
Rescue (Exodus 14:13-16, 19-28) As the Egyptian army approach, God separates the waters of the Red sea and allows the Israelites to pass through on dry ground. But when the Egyptians try to follow them He closes over the waters and they all die. God has rescued the Israelites. The Bible tells us that God is like a warrior fighting on behalf of His people against the enemy (Exodus 14:14, 25b; see also Exodus 15:3). Israel does not fight - God the Warrior fights for Israel against their enemy. God is the Rescuer of His people. When God redeems His people He rescues them by destroying their enemy. God the warrior fights for His people against their enemies. God is the Rescuer of His people.
Israel’s faith (Exodus 14:29-31) When Israel sees God’s power against the Egyptians they respond in faith. They trust their Warrior-God.
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Think it through 1. What is the 10th plague in Egypt, and what does it mean?
2. What is the redemption price for buying Israel out of slavery?
3. Why does God send His people to Egypt in the first place? Why not let Abraham’s children be born and grow up in Canaan?
4. Why does God lead them to a dead-end and then rescue them? (see Exodus 14:13-14)
5. What have you learnt about God from this study?
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Exodus 19-20
The Story so Far God was re-establishing His Kingdom through the family of Abraham – God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. God’s promises to Abraham involved his children living in a foreign land as slaves for 400 years. Through Joseph God’s people went to live in Egypt and after some time they became slaves to Pharaoh, king of Egypt. God then sent Moses to Egypt to rescue His people, but Pharaoh refused to let them go. So God fought for His people as the Warrior-King against Pharaoh and destroyed their enemy.
Objectives • To introduce the 10 commandments in the context of Israel’s role as a priest • To understand the covenant at Mount Sinai as a follow on with Abraham’s covenant, and part of God’s Kingdom promises • To see the contract as both conditional and unconditional
Connections • Adam and Israel as priest-kings – God will rule and bless the world through Israel • Both Adam and Israel live in covenant with God under His loving rule • God is re-establishing His Kingdom through His rule over His people
Summary Israel is a priest-king to the world. Through Israel, God will rule and bless the world. As God’s son, Israel must live in obedience to his Father and King
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The Rules of the King
The wrong way? Interestingly, God does not lead His people directly northeast to Canaan, but southeast to Mount Sinai in the desert. Geographically this is a long way round to get to Canaan and therefore what takes place at Mount Sinai must be very important.
Reminder about redemption (Exodus 6:5; 15:13) The Bible uses the word “redemption” to describe how God bought His people out of Egypt. It means the payment for freeing a slave. A ransom is paid to allow the slave to be joined in a new relationship with the person who bought him. Therefore, in the Bible it says that God redeems Israel. God buys Israel out of slavery in Egypt and into a new relationship with Himself. Israel now has a new owner, and so the question is, how should Israel live in relation to their new King? What are the rules of this King’s country, and His house? And what purpose does Israel now serve under the King’s loving rule?
What God has done for Israel (Exodus 19:3-4) God has rescued Israel from Egypt. He uses the picture of being brought to God, carried on an eagle’s wings. This has been an act of grace since Israel was disobedient to God by worshipping the gods of Egypt. God has now entered a relationship with them.
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What Israel is to do for God (Exodus 19:5-6) In response to God’s kindness Israel is to obey their new King and Father, by keeping the covenant (contract) that God is about to reveal to them. God explains Israel’s role in the world. Among all the nations Israel is to be holy = set apart = different. Israel is also to be a priest = mediator. To summarise, Israel is to serve the world by being different from the world. By being different Israel is to be an example to the world of what it means to live under God’s rule. Israel will be different by obeying God’s instructions.
Adam and Israel Remember in the Garden of Eden – Adam was to be an example to the world of what it meant to live under God’s rule, but he failed. God is giving Israel the same role. If Adam had obeyed, blessing would have come to the world, but it didn’t. If Israel obeys, they will be God’s special treasure and blessing will come to the world. Israel is like a new priest-king to the world. God will rule and bless the world through Israel. But just like Adam in Eden, Israel in Canaan would have to live under His rule.
The King’s instructions (Exodus 20) God speaks to the people and gives them 10 instructions to obey: 1. You shall have no other gods before me 2. You shall not make an idol of anything, including myself 3. You shall not misuse my name 4. Remember the Sabbath by keeping it holy 5. Honour your mother and father 6. You shall not murder 7. You shall not commit adultery 8. You shall not steal 9. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour 10. You shall not covet your neighbour’s possessions
The King’s Covenant At Mount Sinai God is making a contract with His people. God the King is giving His law to His people. It is a contract between the King and His subjects. That is why there are two copies written on two pieces of stone – one for the King and one for the people. They are like the family rules from a father to a son. They give a picture of what life in the King’s country should look like.
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Summary of God’s instructions (Leviticus 19:1-2) God’s 10 instructions can be summarised in these words – “Be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy”. In fact all of the rules and regulations can be summarised in these words. God’s Law can be summarised as – Be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.
An unconditional contract - grace God’s contract with Israel is both unconditional (no conditions) and conditional (conditions apply). It is unconditional because it is based on God’s gracious promises to Abraham. Israel did not deserve to be rescued from Egypt but God acted in grace and gave them what they did not deserve. This is implied in Exodus 19:4 when God speaks to Israel, “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself”. God has carried Israel out of Egypt. God has done it all. This is His act of grace to Israel. God’s contract with Israel is unconditional, based not on their good efforts, but on what God has already done for them.
A conditional contract - obedience But with grace comes responsibility. This is going to become a key theme from now on in the Bible. When God gives grace to someone they have a responsibility to follow His ways. Now Israel has a responsibility to live in obedience to the God who has rescued them. So this contract from Mount Sinai is also conditional. To continue as God’s son, and thus remain in contract, they must obey His words and keep His instructions. It’s the natural responsibility that comes from the privilege of being God’s chosen people. The conditional side of the contract is seen in Exodus 19:5-6: “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”. If Israel obeys they will be God’s holy people, His treasured possession.
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The covenant is established by grace but is to be maintained by Israel’s obedience. The contract is therefore both unconditional (no conditions) and conditional (conditions apply). It is unconditionally established, but it is to be conditionally maintained. God’s covenant is established by grace, but is maintained by obedience.
GRACE
LAW
Relationship with God is established by grace.
Obedience is the way of life for those in a relationship with God.
‘I will be their God, they will be my people’ Israel’s response (Exodus 19:8; 24:3-4) The Israelites understand the conditions of God’s contract. Before God makes the contract the people promise to obey it. Then God gives more rules to Moses. Afterwards the people respond again that they will obey. So the Israelites understand that the contract is established by grace and to be maintained by obedience. They do not do anything to deserve God’s contract, but now that they are in it, they must obey.
God’s Kingdom God’s Kingdom is God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. God has rescued His people out of Egypt and now He is going to give them a new land in which He will live with them. The rules of God’s Kingdom are given to Israel at Mount Sinai, which they are to obey. The themes from Eden are returning. God is ruling His people through His words. 121
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Think it through & discuss 1. In what way does the covenant at Mount Sinai connect with God’s promises to Abraham? Think about where Israel has come from and where they are going.
2. Have God’s instructions at Mount Sinai anything to do with His Kingdom?
3. What is Israel’s role in the world?
4. What are the connections between Adam and Israel?
5. In what way is God’s contract unconditional and conditional?
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Exodus 25-40
The Story so Far God was re-establishing His Kingdom through the family of Abraham – God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. God’s promises to Abraham involved his children living in a foreign land as slaves for 400 years. Through Joseph God’s people went to live in Egypt and after some time they became slaves to Pharaoh, king of Egypt. God then sent Moses to Egypt to rescue His people, but Pharaoh refused to let them go. So God fought for His people as the Warrior-King against Pharaoh and destroyed their enemy. God then brought Israel to Mount Sinai where he gave them His rules. He was now their King and so they could not live any way they wanted. Israel was to live in obedience to God through obeying His rules, and so like Adam, be a priest to the world. Through Israel God would rule and bless the world.
Objectives • To introduce the tabernacle and it’s contents • To show how it relates to God’s Kingdom – God living with His people
Connections • Exodus pattern – oppression – war – redemption – rescue – living with God – worship • God’s Kingdom – God has come to live with His people again, just like in Eden
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A Return to Eden God’s home (Exodus 25:8-9, 22) God tells Moses and His people to make a home for Him in the desert. The word “sanctuary” or “dwelling” means a place to live, like a home. God is coming to live with His people in the desert. God asks them to build Him a big tent. In the Bible this is sometimes called the “Tabernacle” or “Tent of Meeting”. It is inside this tent that God will meet with His people and rule over them as King. The diagrams below show what God’s tent looked like from the outside and inside.
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The Most Holy Place
1
The curtain 2
The Holy Place 3 4
There are various pieces of furniture that God instructs to be built. These are to be placed inside the tent and inside the courtyard surrounding the tent.
THE MOST HOLY PLACE (Holy of Holies) The Most Holy Place has equal dimensions in length, breadth, and height symbolising God’s perfection. It is in this place that God will live and meet with His people, and rule them as King. In the very middle of the Most Holy place is one piece of furniture – the Ark of the Covenant.
1. Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat (Exodus 25:10-11, 16, 21-22) The picture on the next page shows a model of the Ark of the Covenant. The golden lid of the Ark is called the “Mercy Seat”. There is an angel at each end of the Mercy Seat, with wings spread out, looking down on the lid of the Ark. It is from the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat that God will have a relationship with His people:
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The two copies of God’s 10 instructions are placed inside the Ark of the Covenant. God is King of His people and His throne is the Ark of the Covenant. The Most Holy Place is God’s throne room, where He meets with His people.
THE HOLY PLACE The second room in the tent is called the Holy place. There are various pieces of furniture in this room.
2. Altar of Incense (Exodus 30:1, 6-8) The altar of incense symbolises the people’s prayers going up to heaven. This is placed in front of the curtain that separates the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place.
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3. The Table with Bread of the Presence (Exodus 25:23-24, 30) This table reminds the people of God’s presence with them in the desert. It is there that He supplied bread for them when they were hungry. There are 12 loaves of bread, symbolising the 12 tribes of Israel.
4. The Golden Lampstand (Exodus 25:31-32, 37) There are seven candles altogether. The lampstand is also the shape of a tree and this will remind the people of creation and rest, where the tree of life symbolised what life meant – a relationship with God. Again the people are reminded that without God they would not have life.
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COURTYARD The courtyard that surrounds the Tabernacle also contains important objects.
The Bronze Altar (Exodus 27:1-8) This is the place where the animal sacrifices are burned. The animals die as innocent substitutes in the place of the guilty Israelites.
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The Basin (Exodus 30:17-21) The basin is a large bowl made of bronze and filled with water. The priests have to wash themselves when they approach God. This is to teach them that they need to be clean to come into God’s presence.
What does it all mean? A copy of God’s real home (Exodus 25:9, 40; Hebrews 8:5) God gives Moses very specific instructions of how to build this tent. He tells the people what materials to use, what pattern to make it, and gives exact measurements. The people have to make the tent exactly as God tells them, because it is an exact copy of God’s home in heaven. God’s tent symbolises what His real home is like in heaven.
God is holy The word “holy” in the Bible can mean “pure” or “clean”. But its first meaning is “separate”, “different” and “other”. God is separated from human beings, he is different to them, and he is other than they are. In other words, God is holy. This is made very clear with the Tabernacle. God is living with His people, but He is also very separate from them. There are 3 main signs from the Tabernacle that show us that God is holy:
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1. God is holy – we see this from the barriers that are present. There are curtains that separate God and the people (Exodus 26:1-14). 2. God is holy – the materials that are used to make the Tabernacle become more expensive the closer to the Most Holy Place. Bronze is used in the outer parts; gold is used in the inner parts (Exodus 25:10-40; 27:9-19). 3. God is holy – we see this from the types of people that are allowed to get close to where God lives. Only appointed people from the tribe of Levi are allowed to be in God’s tent. They are called priests, and they come from the family of Aaron, from the tribe of Levi. Aaron is the first high priest and his sons also serve as priests. So only specifically appointed people can enter God’s tent. A priest is someone who represented the people to God (Exodus 28-29).
God the King lives with His people in the desert, but because He is holy, He is separate from His people.
God’s Kingdom (Exodus 29:44-46) God rescues His people for the purpose of living with them. This theme connects with the main story of the Bible – God’s Kingdom. Remember in the beginning of the Bible God lived with His people in the Garden of Eden? Then they disobeyed God and were removed from His presence. Later in the Bible God promised to rebuild the Kingdom through Abraham. He promised him a land, a people and a blessing. Many years later God rescued Abraham’s children Israel from slavery in Egypt so that He might live with them again. The story of God’s tent is the story of God rebuilding His Kingdom, where His people live with Him under His rule and blessing. God has come to live with His people again in the tent, and from the Most Holy Place He rules over them as their King. Israel is also being restored to worship God, like Adam was supposed to do in Eden. God rescues His people so that He can live with them, and rule them as their King.
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God’s Kingdom Constitution:
‘I will be their God, they will be my people’ God’s promises Place
Creation
Eden
People
Rule & Blessing
Adam & Eve God’s word
King
Adam
God’s Kingdom ruined Abraham
Canaan
Abraham’s family
God’s promises
Kings from Abraham’s family
Israel in desert
Tabernacle
Israel nation
God’s rules
Tribe of Judah
The travelling King (Exodus 40:34-38) During this period of history, whenever a king travelled with his people he always walked in front and then when they stopped for the night, his tent would be in the middle. It is the same with God’s tent. When the Israelites travel, God will go in front and the Ark of the Covenant will lead them. But when they stop to live in the desert for a time, God’s tent will be in the middle. God the King has come to live and travel with His people on the way to the Promised Land – Canaan.
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Think it through & discuss 1. Why does God want the people to build Him a tent?
2. What do the Most Holy Place and the Ark of the Covenant symbolise?
3. What things about God’s tent highlight that He is holy?
4. What does God’s tent teach us about access into God’s presence in heaven?
5. How is this part of the Bible connected to God’s Kingdom?
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Old Testament Books
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Chapter 19
Leviticus 1-9
The Story so Far At Mount Sinai God instructed the people to build Him a tent. God’s plan was to rescue back a people for Himself so that He could live with them. God was restoring His Kingdom – God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing.
Objectives • To understand the consequences for breaking the contract • To show how God overcomes the problems of sin and separation • To explain how the contract can continue because of God’s grace
Connections • Pattern of God’s covenants – grace – law -- grace
Summary The sacrifice and the priest solve the problem of sin and separation. God’s contract can continue.
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A Just and Forgiving God The Law is a contract (Exodus 19:5-6b) God the King makes a contract with His people at Mount Sinai. That is why there are two copies of the 10 rules. If God’s people keep the contract of the 10 rules then God will bless them. Remember - with privilege comes responsibility. By God’s grace they have been rescued out of Egypt. If they want to receive God’s continued blessing as His people then they must keep the covenant.
GRACE
LAW
Relationship with God is established by grace.
Obedience is the way of life for those in a relationship with God.
‘I will be their God, they will be my people’ The contract is broken (Exodus 32:1-4, 7-8) Soon after Israel receives God’s rules they disobey their King. While Moses is up the mountain receiving more instructions from God, the people break the first two rules: 1. You shall not worship other gods 2. You shall not make idols When the people make the golden calf they break the contract with God. Their disobedience must be punished. Death is the punishment for breaking God’s rules.
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Some questions
• If God punishes the people with death, then how can He keep His promises to Abraham? • How can the people remain in God’s contract if they have disobeyed Him? • How can God punish their sin and keep the contract going?
More grace In order for God’s contract to continue the people need more grace. To keep them in the contract God needs to forgive them, which they don’t deserve.
The problems of sin and separation God the King has come to live with His people. This is good, but it is not perfect. There are two reasons why it is not perfect: 1. God's people have disobeyed Him and therefore He has to punish them because He is a good, holy King. This is the problem of sin. 2. God's people are still separated from Him by various barriers. God has been separated from human beings ever since Adam and Eve disobeyed His rule and He threw them out of the garden. God's people cannot live where He lives. This is the problem of separation. The problems of sin and separation need to be overcome. The solution is found in the third book of the Bible called Leviticus. The question is how can God still live with His people and deal with these two problems of sin and separation?
Remembrance Day There is a special day in the Israelite calendar that highlights God's solution to the problem of sin and separation. It is called ‘The Day of Atonement’ and it is a festival performed only once a year. The Day of Atonement is the day in the year when God the King makes a review of His people's sins. He brings to remembrance all the sins they have committed in the last year. If found guilty, then there has to be a punishment. But the Day of Atonement is a day of forgiveness as well as judgement. It is also the only day of the year that the people are allowed into God's presence.
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The High priest (Leviticus 16:1-5)
Only the high priest is allowed into God's presence once a year as a representative for the people. The high priest has to have a sacrifice to enter the Holy of Holies (Leviticus 16:1-3).
Sacrifice for the high priest (Leviticus 16:11-14) Aaron kills an animal as a sacrifice. He then takes some burning coals and some incense (perfume) behind the curtain, so that he will not be able to see God. If Aaron sees God he will die (v13). He will also bring some of the blood from the sacrifice of the animal and put it on the lid of the Ark of the Covenant. He does all this for his own sin and the sin of his family.
Sacrifice for the people (Leviticus 16:15-16) Aaron then comes out again and offers another sacrifice, this time for the people. He repeats the same procedure by going into the Holy of Holies and sprinkling the blood on the top of the Ark in God’s presence. Aaron presents this sacrifice on behalf of the Israelites. The procedure is repeated once a year, year after year.
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The escape-goat (Leviticus 16:20-22) On the Day of Atonement Aaron also places his hands on a live goat and confesses all the sins of the people. Then he sends the goat away into the desert to a place where no one can see it. The goat will never be seen again, and this symbolises that the people’s sins of the last year are put out of God’s sight.
What does all this mean? 1. The Sacrifice The sacrifice is the substitute for the person. God's punishment for disobeying Him is death. The innocent animal dies in the place of the guilty person. We have seen this principle throughout the Bible. Think of the sacrifice of an animal in the place of Abel and Isaac. Think of the Passover Lamb in Egypt, which died instead of the firstborn sons of the Israelites. Here the sacrifice makes atonement for the people's sins. This word “atonement” means, to “cover a debt”. The sacrifice of the animal covers the debt of the people's sins. The sacrifice deals with the problem of sin.
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2. The Priest The priest represents the people to God. The priest’s job is to offer the sacrifices to God. If there is no priest then no sacrifice can be offered to God. The priests are part of God's solution to turn His anger away from the people when they disobey Him. The priests have to be appointed by God (Exodus 28:1). Only Aaron and his sons can serve as priests. Aaron's family are from the tribe of Levi, known as Levites. The priest deals with the problem of separation – through the priest the Israelites are able to make contact with God in the Most Holy Place.
The gracious King living with His people God is the holy King who has come to live with His people, but He has to deal with the problem of sin and separation. How can a holy God continue to live with a people who keep breaking His rules? God overcomes these problems through sacrifices and priests. The book of Leviticus shows God's grace in forgiving the people's sins and allowing them to enter into His presence on occasions. The sacrifice of the animal is the punishment for the people’s disobedience, and the priest is the one who enters God’s presence on behalf of the people. God is therefore able to live with His people and at the same time remain just – He still punishes sin. And we must not miss the fact that it is God Himself who provides this solution – it is an act of grace. The contract can therefore continue because God is able to both punish and forgive the sin of His people.
The sacrifice and the priest solve the problem of sin and separation. God’s contract can continue.
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GRACE
LAW
GRACE
Relationship with God is established by grace.
Obedience is the way of life for those in a relationship with God.
Forgiveness once a year through sacrifices and a priest
‘I will be their God, they will be my people’
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Think it through & discuss 1. What are the two main problems God’s people have?
2. How does God overcome these?
3. How can God be both just and forgiving?
4. Review the pattern of God’s covenant – grace – law – grace.
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Numbers 13-14
The Story so Far At Mount Sinai God instructed the people to build Him a tent. God’s plan was to rescue back a people for Himself so that He could live with them. God was restoring His Kingdom – God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. However, it was not long before Israel disobeyed God and broke the rules of the covenant. But God was able to keep the contract going by graciously providing a sacrifice and a priest to help deal with the problems of sin and separation.
Objectives • To show the faithfulness of God and the faithlessness of Israel • To highlight Joshua and Caleb as examples of how to enter God’s place
Connections • Entering the land God had promised was like returning to Eden. It was in the land that God’s Kingdom would be established.
Summary God’s contract continues by grace. Israel is a faithless nation, but God remains faithful to His promises.
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A Faithful God and a Faithless Israel In the desert (Numbers 2:32-33) After the Tabernacle is completed God leads His people through the desert to the Promised Land, Canaan. The events of the journey are recorded for us in the book called Numbers. The book is called “Numbers” because in it there are two censuses taken of the people. In other words, God asks Moses to count all the people that have been brought out of Egypt. There are approximately 600,000 men. Near the end of the book God asks Moses to count the people again.
Approaching Canaan When the people are near the land of Canaan God tells Moses to choose 12 spies to go into the land and check it out. Remember that there are other people living in the land. Moses chooses one person from each of the tribes of Israel – 12 spies altogether. The 12 men go into the land and explore it for 40 days. Then they return and report everything they have seen to Moses.
The report (Numbers 13:26-29, 31-33) When the 12 spies return 10 of them give a bad report. The people report two main problems: 1. The people are too big to defeat. 2. The cities have big walls and are well protected.
A faithless Israel (Numbers 14:1-4) The main response is that the people do not want to go into the land God has promised. The people of Israel are showing a complete lack of faith in God’s promises. Did God promise Abraham the land of Canaan? Yes. Did God fight as a warrior for His people to rescue them out of Egypt? Yes. Can God do the same when they enter the land of Canaan? Yes. God is the mighty warrior who defeated the great nation of the Egyptians; the people in Canaan are nothing compared to Egypt. And yet Israel has no faith in God or His promises. Israel is a faithless nation.
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Joshua and Caleb’s response (Numbers 13:30; 14:6-9) However, two spies called Joshua and Caleb give a good report, encouraging the people to go and take the land because God has promised it to them. Joshua and Caleb stand out as men who believe and trust God’s promises in contrast to the faithless Israelites.
God’s response (Numbers 14:26-35) God’s responds with punishment for not having faith in His promises. He is going to make the Israelites walk in the desert for 40 years - one year for every day that the spies were in the land. Those people who did not have faith in God and His promises will die in the desert and will not enter the land of promise. But in His grace God promises to bring the children of Israel into the land of Canaan. He also promises to bring Joshua and Caleb into the land because they had faith in His promises. God remains faithful to His promise to Abraham - his descendants will live in the land of Canaan and it will be their home. Entry into God’s place is through faith in God’s promises.
A faithful God (Numbers 2:32; 26:51) In the desert, even the children of Israel start to disobey God. Yet God remains faithful to His promise and in His grace still promises to bring them into the Promised Land. God provides food and water for His people during the 40 years. We also read that during the 40 years their shoes do not even wear out. At the first census there are 603,550 men, but they all die (except three) because of disobedience. Nearly 40 years later a second census is taken and the number is 601,730 men. God keeps the number of Israelites strong despite their disobedience. God is keeping His promises to Abraham. God’s contract continues by grace. Israel is a faithless nation, but God remains faithful to His promises.
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Think it through & discuss 1. In what way is Israel a faithless nation?
2. In what way is God faithful?
3. What do the examples of Joshua and Caleb teach us?
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Deuteronomy 28, 30
The Story so Far At Mount Sinai God instructed the people to build Him a tent. God’s plan was to rescue back a people for Himself so that He could live with them. God was restoring His Kingdom – God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. However, it was not long before Israel disobeyed God and broke the rules of the covenant. But God was able to keep the contract going by graciously providing a sacrifice and a priest to help pay for the people’s disobedience. When Israel reached the Promised Land they refused to enter it because they were scared of the people. God punished Israel for 40 years in the desert, yet He remained faithful and eventually brought their children to enter the land, along with Joshua and Caleb.
Objectives • To explain the blessings and curses of the covenant • To see Moses as a great prophet-priest • To understand that there is another prophet-priest on His way
Connections • The pattern of God’s covenant continues – grace – law – grace • The Rescuer-Ruler will be both a prophet, priest, and King •
Summary If Israel obeys, they will be blessed. If they disobey, God will punish by removing them from the land. 151
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Now Choose Life A second chance Forty years pass and the generation of rebellious people all die and are buried in the desert. This happens about 1150 BC (over 3000 years ago). Only Joshua, Caleb and Moses survive from the adults that left the land of Egypt. After 40 years God brings them back to the border of the land of Canaan. The children of Israel have now grown up into adults. All the people are now standing east of the Jordan River, looking into the land.
Moses’ great speech Moses is not allowed into the land so before he dies he gives a great speech. This speech is written down and is called the book of Deuteronomy. The word Deuteronomy means – the second reading of the Law. In other words, Moses reminds the people that God brought their fathers out of Egypt to give them the land of Canaan. He also reminds the Israelites about the 10 rules and the way of life for those who are in God’s contract. He encourages them to live obedient lives as God’s people in God’s land. He warns them that if they do not obey God He will punish them and remove them from the land.
The promise to bless (Deuteronomy 28:1-2, 8) God’s promises to Abraham involved blessing his children. Israel is now God’s people because of what He has done for them in Egypt. He acted in grace to them, but now, as His people, Israel must obey their King. If they do obey, God promises to bless them in the Promised Land. It is like returning to the Garden of Eden - God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. The way to ensure God’s blessing in Canaan is by obeying His rules, just like in the Garden of Eden.
The promise to punish (Deuteronomy 28:15, 58-64) God’s land has been a gift from Himself, but should His people rebel it will be taken from them. With God’s grace comes responsibility, and God warns Israel that He will punish them if they do not act properly as His people in His place. Do you see the connections again here with the Garden of Eden? God’s people will live in God’s place, under His rule and blessing, so long as
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they obey. If they disobey, they will be removed from God’s place, just like Adam and Eve were.
If you repent… (Deuteronomy 30:1-5) But God is always a God of grace who keeps His covenant. And so He promises that should the people rebel, once they repent then God will restore them to the land again. Part of God’s covenant is a promise to forgive their rebellion on the condition of their repentance. Should the people rebel and be taken out of the land they do not deserve to enter it again. But God is promising that He will act in grace if they repent and He will bring them back into the land. In short Moses reminds them of the pattern of God’s covenant:
Blessings and curses (Deuteronomy 30:15-20) It is God’s contract that will secure Israel in the land of Canaan. But it is also God’s contract that will ensure Israel will be removed if they disobey. Therefore, the emphasis at this stage is on the middle part of God’s contract – obedience to the law. The question is, when God’s people enter God’s place again, will they be able to live there forever? The responsibility is now on Israel. The choice is theirs – blessing or curse, life or death? Moses encourages them to choose life!
No prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 34:10-12) The last words of Deuteronomy speak about Moses. The writer wants us to know that there really is no one quite like Moses. Never in Israel’s history has there been a man that God knew in such an intimate way. That’s what the words “face to face” mean. Moses is no ordinary man either – he is a prophet from God who has mighty power to perform miracles. And so when Moses dies it really is a sad day for the people of Israel – the greatest prophet in their history has died.
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Another prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-16) The question that we are left asking at this point in the Bible is, will there ever be another prophet like Moses? Will there ever be a person in Israel to perform miracles again like Moses? Moses in fact gives us the answer: God is going to raise up another prophet from among the Israelites. Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai. When God spoke at Mount Sinai there was fire and smoke and the people were so afraid they said to Moses, “’Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die’” (Exodus 20:19).
A prophet The Israelites asked Moses to be a prophet to them. A prophet is a person appointed by God to speak His words to the people. He speaks to the people on behalf of God, representing God to the people. A prophet speaks to the people on behalf of God, representing God to the people.
A mediator / priest But we must not miss another very important role that Moses played. The people asked Moses to speak to them instead of God “or we will die”. God’s words were still spoken to them through Moses but they did not die. The people still heard God’s very words, but they did not die because they came through a mediator – Moses the prophet. So a prophet not only speaks God’s words to the people, but he also holds back God’s anger and acts as a mediator. Another word for a mediator in the Bible is the word “priest”. A priest is someone who goes between God and the people to hold back God’s anger. A priest speaks to God on behalf of the people, representing them to God. Without a priest God’s people will die in His holy presence. A priest speaks to God on behalf of the people, representing them to God.
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There is a song in the Bible that tells us that Moses acted as a priest on Mount Sinai: “At Horeb they made a calf and worshipped an idol cast from metal… They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt, miracles in the land of Ham and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. So He said He would destroy them – had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before Him to keep His wrath from destroying them” (Psalm 106:19, 21-23). On Mount Sinai Moses held back God’s anger against His people for their disobedience. Even before they made the golden calf Moses acted as a priest for the people allowing them to live whilst they listened to the words of a holy God.
Moses – a prophet-priest So Moses is both a prophet and a priest to the people. He is in fact the greatest prophet-priest the nation of Israel has known. But in Deuteronomy 18:15 Moses tells the people that another prophetpriest is coming to Israel. God in fact repeats what Moses says, “The LORD said to me: ‘What they say is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in His mouth, and He will tell them everything I command Him. If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account” (Deuteronomy 18:17-19). God wants the people to know that there is a prophet-priest coming who will be like Moses.
A prophet-priest par excellence So whilst it is sad that Moses dies, there is the hope and expectation of a coming prophet who will be like Moses. Since He will be a prophet like Moses we know that He will fulfil the role of a priest as well. The coming prophet-priest will speak God’s words to the people, and also turn aside God’s anger from the people. He will be an Israelite and like Moses He will perform mighty and powerful acts. We can also conclude that He too will know God “face to face”. And if we take the last words of Deuteronomy seriously, then this prophet-priest will be like Moses, in that, at His time in history there will be none to compare Him to.
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The Rescuer-Ruler So far the Bible has been painting a progressive picture of the Rescuer-Ruler: • He will be a human being from the family line of Eve; • He will defeat Satan but will be injured in the fight; • He will come from the line of Abraham and so will be a King; • If He is a prophet like Moses then He will be a priest as well; • If He is the person Moses has promised, then He will know God very personally and perform mighty and powerful acts; • At His time in history there will be no-one to compare Him to. So far the promised Rescuer-Ruler can fulfil three roles – King, prophet and priest. God’s Kingdom can surely be established if such a person is ever to live on earth.
Joshua – a new leader At the end of the book of Deuteronomy we are told that Moses dies and Joshua his assistant is chosen by God to be the new leader of the people. Joshua is one of the two spies who had faith in God’s promises. The name “Joshua” means, “Rescuer”. Is Joshua to be this prophet-priest who Moses promised? Is he the promised Rescuer-Ruler?
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Think it through & discuss 1. How would you Deuteronomy?
summarise
the
book
of
2. What will happen if Israel disobeys God?
3. How are these warnings connected to God’s Kingdom?
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The Story so Far . . . The Bible The Bible is God’s book. God is the author of the Bible, but He used human beings to write it. Every word in the Bible comes from God. The Bible has one story – Jesus and His Kingdom.
The beginning of God’s Kingdom In the beginning God created a perfect world. He created human beings (Adam and Eve) to be in a relationship with Himself and to obey His words. God had a special place called Eden where He lived with His people. In the beginning, God put His people in His place and asked them to obey His words. God had established a Kingdom - God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing.
The ruin of God’s Kingdom An angel from heaven called Satan rebelled against God and was thrown out of heaven to the earth. He entered the Garden of Eden and tried to destroy God’s Kingdom. God gave human beings the role of ruling the world, but they failed in a big way. They wanted to be their own rulers, deciding for themselves what is right and wrong. They listened to Satan and rejected God’s authority and His loving rule. The result was a broken relationship with God and the Kingdom was ruined.
God’s punishment God judged human beings and threw them out of His place and did not let them go back into the Garden of Eden. The punishment was a broken relationship with God and with each other. Death entered the world. The Kingdom God had established was ruined.
God’s promise But God also acted in grace and promised a Rescuer-Ruler who would come and defeat Satan and rebuild God’s Kingdom. The Rescuer-Ruler would come from the family line of Adam and Eve and rescue people back into the Kingdom of God. The rest of the
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Bible is the progressive story of how the promised Rescuer-Ruler will come and establish God’s Kingdom.
A new beginning In the story of Cain and Abel we saw that human rebellion had been passed on to the whole human race. We all die because we have all chosen to be the rulers of our own lives. However, human rebellion increased to the point where God decided to judge the world. In the flood God re-created the world and gave human beings a new beginning. By saving Noah He showed His commitment to restoring His Kingdom through the promised Rescuer-Ruler.
Human rebellion again But things soon went wrong again. People disobeyed God’s words to populate and fill the earth. They tried to stay in one place and build a city for security and a tower for their own religion. Like Adam and Eve they tried to become like God, and make a name for themselves. God judged them by confusing their language, scattering people over the whole earth. God’s purposes were still fulfilled.
The promised Kingdom God’s response to the rebellion at Babel was to choose a man called Abraham. God graciously promised him three things: a land, a people, and a blessing. God was re-establishing His Kingdom through the family of Abraham – God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. God tested His own Kingdom promises by asking Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham obeyed God, but just before he was about to kill Isaac, God provided a substitute sacrifice in order to keep His Kingdom promises.
From slavery to service God’s promises to Abraham involved his children living in a foreign land as slaves for 400 years. Through Joseph God’s people went to live in Egypt and after some time they became slaves to Pharaoh, king of Egypt. God then sent Moses to Egypt to rescue His people, but Pharaoh refused to let them go. So God fought for His people as the Warrior-King against Pharaoh and destroyed their enemy. God then brought Israel to Mount Sinai where He gave them His rules. He was now their King and so they could not 160
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live any way they wanted. Israel was to live in obedience to God, and so like Adam, be a priest to the world. Through Israel God would rule and bless the world.
From Sinai to Canaan At Mount Sinai God instructed the people to build Him a tent. God’s plan was to rescue back a people for Himself so that He could live with them. God was restoring His Kingdom – God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. However, it was not long before Israel disobeyed God and broke the rules of the covenant. But God was able to keep the covenant going by graciously providing a sacrifice and a priest to help pay for the people’s disobedience. When Israel reached the Promised Land they refused to enter it because they were scared of the people. God punished Israel for 40 years in the desert, yet He remained faithful and eventually brought their children to enter the land, along with Joshua and Caleb. Just before they entered the land Moses warned them: “If you obey, you will be blessed. If you disobey, God will punish you by removing you from the land”.
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God’s Kingdom Constitution:
‘I will be their God, they will be my people’ God’s promises Place
Creation
Eden
People
Rule & Blessing
King
Adam& Eve God’s word Adam
God’s Kingdom ruined Abraham
Canaan
Abraham’s family
God’s promises
Israel in desert
Tabernacle
Israel nation
God’s rules Tribe of Judah
Israel in Canaan
Temple in Canaan
Israel nation
God’s rules David, Solomon
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Joshua
The Story so Far See Chapter 22
Objectives • To see God as the promise-keeper by Him giving Israel the land • To explain why killing the Canaanites is not unfair • To understand that Joshua repeats the conditions of the covenant – blessings and curses
Connections • God is re-establishing His Kingdom by giving Israel the land • Israel is like a new Adam subduing the place God has given him • Covenant warnings are repeated again – Moses – Joshua
Summary God is a promise-maker, and a promise-keeper – Israel inherit the land God promised to Abraham.
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The Promise-Keeper God keeps His promise (Joshua 1:2-6) Moses is dead and Joshua is now the new leader of God’s people. God speaks to Joshua and reminds him that He will keep His promise that He made to Abraham and to Moses – to give the land of Canaan to the people of Israel. This time Joshua and the people cross over the Jordan River into the land. God again performs a miracle and parts the Jordan River so the people can cross over (Joshua 3). The children of Israel have faith that God will give them Canaan even though the strong people and the walled cities are still there 40 years later.
The city of Jericho The first city that the people come to is the mighty city of Jericho, close to the river Jordan. It is one of the strongest in all of Canaan with a great wall around the city. If you are from China then you can appreciate what a great wall looks like. Below is an example of what Jericho would have looked like.
A walled city in Israel – something like what Jericho would have looked like
The defeat of Jericho (Joshua 5:13 - 6:27) God gives Joshua very strange commands in order for the people to capture this city. They have to walk around the city walls once a day without making a sound. This is to be done for six days, and then on the seventh day, they are to give a great shout. God tells
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them that on the seventh day the city walls will fall down. He then commands them to kill all the people in the city. God performs a great miracle so that the Israelites can capture this mighty city. The Israelites obey God’s command, the walls fall down, and the city is destroyed. Not one Israelite warrior is killed in the whole battle. The walls and the big people are not too powerful for the Israelites’ warrior God.
A common question Is it right to kill the Canaanite people? This is a frequently asked question and so we must turn to the Bible to find an answer. We are told in the Bible that these Canaanite people are evil. Their disobedience and rebellion makes God angry and God has said He will punish them with death. God is using the Israelite people to punish the people of Canaan. He uses the Israelites as His means to punish a rebellious nation. Today God uses governments to punish those who do wrong. So it is not as if the Canaanites don’t deserve death. All human beings deserve to die for disobeying their Creator. But the question we should ask is why does God not punish the Israelites because they too are disobedient and evil? The answer is found in one word…grace! That’s exactly the point, God gives the Israelites what they do not deserve – He acts in grace and gives them the land. He gives the Canaanites what they do deserve – punishment. God is gracious to Israel and He is just to the Canaanites.
The Promise-Keeper (Joshua 23:14) Joshua leads Israel in many great victories. They defeat the city of Jericho and many other kings in the land. Joshua then divides up the land among the 12 tribes of Israel. God has fulfilled His promises to Abraham, Moses and Joshua. God is a promise-maker, and a promise-keeper – Israel inherit the land God promised to Abraham.
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Kingdom blessings and curses (Joshua 23:15-16) Joshua is about to die. Whenever a leader of God’s people dies the covenant is potentially in danger of being broken, because God’s people can easily forget God’s rules. The people have entered the land and God is establishing His Kingdom again – God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. But the heart of man is deceitful and easily led astray. And so Joshua reminds them about the covenant – obedience will lead to blessing, but disobedience will lead to removal from the land.
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Think it through & discuss 1. What evidence is there that God is Israel’s warrior in the land?
2. Is it fair to kill the Canaanites?
3. How do we know God has kept His promises?
4. Explain God’s Kingdom blessings and curses.
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Old Testament Books
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Chapter 24
Judges
The Story so Far At Mount Sinai God instructed the people to build Him a tent. God’s plan was to rescue back a people for himself so that He could live with them. God was restoring His Kingdom – God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. However, it was not long before Israel disobeyed God and broke the rules of the covenant. But God was able to keep the contract going by graciously providing a sacrifice and a priest to help pay for the people’s disobedience. When Israel reached the Promised Land they refused to enter it because they were scared of the people. God punished Israel for 40 years in the desert, yet He remained faithful and eventually brought their children to enter the land, along with Joshua and Caleb. Just before they entered the land Moses warned them: “If you obey you will be blessed. If you disobey, God will punish you by removing you from the land”. Through Joshua’s victories Israel inherited the land God promised to Abraham.
Objectives • To explain the cycle in the book of Judges • To show the solution to Israel’s problems
Connections • God’s Kingdom cannot be established without a King
Summary God’s Kingdom cannot be fully established until there is a King.
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The Time of the Judges An introduction to Judges The book of Judges records a very troubled period in the history of Israel. This is the period of time between 1398 BC – 1043 BC, a period of about 350 years. God’s people have entered the Promised Land of Canaan. Joshua has led them in many great victories, defeating the great cities and kings. The land has been divided up among the 12 tribes of Israel. After Joshua’s death the people start to be ruled and led by judges, also known as rescuerrulers.
Summary of Judges (Judges 2:10-23) Judges 2:10-23 summaries the whole book of Judges and helps give an introduction to this period of time in the history of Israel.
Disobedience (Judges 2:10-13) The generation of Israelites after Joshua disobey God and worship other Gods. The main problem is summarised in Judges 2:11: “The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baal’s”.
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God’s punishment (Judges 2:14-15) The Israelites break the first rule. Just like with the golden calf, so now with the Baals, they worship other gods. Because of their disobedience God no longer fights for them as their warrior.
God’s grace (Judges 2:16-19) The Lord’s response is to hand Israel over to the Canaanites for a period of time to become enslaved to them. God then shows grace to His people. They deserve to die because they have disobeyed God and His Law. Yet God only punishes them for a time; then He raises up a rescuer-ruler who defeats the enemy in the land and rescues His people.
God’s punishment again! (Judges 2:20-23) But after the rescuer-ruler dies the people disobey God again. In fact, even the rescuer-rulers fail because there is only peace in the land for as long as they live. They are not really the great solution to Israel’s problems. Israel’s repeated disobedience leads God to allow the other nations to remain in Canaan. He does this to test Israel to see if they will keep and obey His rules. God the great warrior, who once fought for them, is now fighting against His own people.
God’s grace again! After Israel cries out for help again, God sends another judge to help them, and the cycle repeats itself. The following diagram helps to summarise Judges 2:10-23.
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There are nine cycles of rescuer-rulers: Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tola, Jair, Tephthah and Samson. Most of these judges rescue and rule for a time but end up leaving things as they find them. The rescuer-rulers are not the answer to Israel’s problems.
The problem At the end of the book of Judges the nation of Israel is in a bad way. Israel is failing religiously (Judges 17:1-13), politically (Judges 18:1-31), morally (Judges 19:1-30) and socially (Judges 20:1-21, 25). All the rescuer-rulers that God has provided for His people have not solved the problems. They bring deliverance and order to Israel only for a time.
Great Problems
Great Solution
Religious problems Political problems Moral problems Social problems
Israel needs a King
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The solution (Judges 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25) The rescuer-rulers are not the answer to establishing God’s Kingdom in the land. They are not perfect and do not live forever and therefore cannot establish God’s Kingdom. The writer of Judges suggests a solution to all the problems – Israel needs a King. God’s Kingdom cannot be fully established until there is a King.
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Think it through & discuss 1. Explain the cycle in the book of Judges
2. How does God show His grace to His people during this time?
3. What is the solution to Israel’s problems?
4. Is it true that Israel does not have a king?
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1 Samuel
The Story so Far When Israel reached the Promised Land they refused to enter it because they were scared of the people. God punished Israel for 40 years in the desert, yet He remained faithful and eventually brought their children to enter the land, along with Joshua and Caleb. Just before they entered the land Moses warned them: “If you obey you will be blessed. If you disobey, God will punish you by removing you from the land”. Through Joshua’s victories Israel inherited the land God promised to Abraham. During the first 350 years in the land judges ruled Israel. But the system was not working – Israel needed a king. God’s Kingdom could not come until Israel had a king.
Objectives • To introduce the concept of kings and their qualifications • To show how Saul was not the king Israel needed
Connections • Like Adam in the garden, God’s King is always to live under His rule in obedience to Him • God’s Kingdom can now come through a king
Summary God’s King is always to live in obedience to Him; otherwise God’s judgements come to Him and the people. Saul is not the king Israel needs, and is replaced by David.
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The Kings of Israel But Israel has a King… The problem appears to be that Israel has no king to rule over them. Yet we know God, the Lord, is Israel’s King. He is the powerful Maker that rules over His creation, over Adam & Eve, Noah, Abraham. He is the great King that rescues Israel from the enemies in Egypt and gives Israel His rules to obey on Mount Sinai.
Appointing a king (Deuteronomy 17:14-20) God always knew that Israel, because of their disobedience, would need a king. So through Moses, many years earlier, God gives instructions for appointing a king. He outlines the qualifications needed: 1. God must choose the king. 2. He must be an Israelite. 3. He must be morally upright. 4. He must write out a copy of the Law for himself, read and obey it all the days of his life. In one sense, the king is to be as much like God, Israel’s true King, as possible.
“We want a king!” (1 Samuel 8:1-5) The final judge in Israel’s history is a man called Samuel. He is an excellent judge over God’s people but when he is old the future for Israel becomes uncertain. It is at this time Israel declares that they want a king.
Rejection of the true King (1 Samuel 8:7; 12:12) The reason that the people want a king is because the sons of Samuel (those who will succeed Samuel as judges) are not good men or good leaders. So Israel asks for a king. But God exposes the underlying sin behind their request - Israel wants a visible human king, not an invisible divine King. Their sin is that they want to escape God’s rule over them and they also do not trust God’s protection of them as their King.
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God gives Israel a king (1 Samuel 12:14-15, 24-25) God in his grace gives Israel a king. The human king of Israel is to obey God’s rules, and act as God’s representative to the people. God now rules the people through a human king instead of judges, but He is still their true King. They are still under obligation to obey God’s commands, and under threat if they disobey His commands. God’s King is always to live in obedience to Him; otherwise God’s judgements come to Him and the people
Saul – the first king of Israel (1 Samuel 11:1-11; 15:1-26) God gives Samuel the task of setting up the monarchy in Israel. God organises events in such a way that Samuel meets a man called Saul. God tells him that Saul is the one He has chosen to be ruler over the people. The people are full of hope; they have a king to rule over them.
A new hope, a new disappointment (1 Samuel 11:1-11; 15:1-26) Saul starts well as king by leading the army of Israel to a great victory over the Ammonite nation. Saul, however, is not the great king that Israel has hoped for as he starts to disobey God and ignores the Lord’s commands. The Lord tells Saul to punish the Amalek people but Saul fails to obey, sparing the king and the best animals. God’s response is severe; Saul cannot be Israel’s king any longer; the Lord is going to choose another.
David (2 Samuel 7:24, 29b) A man called David from the tribe of Judah becomes king of Israel after the death of Saul. King David reigns for many years in Israel from his capital, Jerusalem (Jerusalem is on Mount Moriah, where Abraham had to sacrifice Isaac). The City of David remains to this day and parts of the old buildings can be seen. This powerful king wisely governs the tribes of Israel forming them into a united nation. He extends Israel’s lands, triumphing over Israel’s enemies the Canaanites and the Philistines. Prosperity follows and God blesses the nation.
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Think it through & discuss 1. Who is Israel’s real King?
2. Why do we know their request for a king is wrong?
3. What are the qualifications for God’s King? What does this mean?
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2 Samuel 7
The Story so Far Through Joshua’s victories Israel inherited the land God promised to Abraham. During the first 350 years in the land judges ruled Israel. But the system was not working – Israel needed a king. God’s Kingdom could not come until Israel had a king. Israel’s first two kings were Saul and David, but they both failed. However, God promised David that from his family there would come a King, whose Kingdom God would establish forever. This King was the promised Rescuer-Ruler that was introduced at the beginning of the Bible.
Objectives • To introduce the covenant with David and explain what it contains
Connections •
God’s covenant with David is continuous with His covenant with Abraham • The promised Rescuer-Ruler will come through the family of Abraham and David
Summary The promised Rescuer-Ruler is going to be a King from David’s family line.
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God’s Covenant with David
A house for God (2 Samuel 7:1-2) After some years David defeats all the remaining people groups in the land. The wars are over and God’s Kingdom is nearly established - God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. God has a king who rules His people well. At this time David is living in a big palace in Jerusalem. However, the Ark of the Covenant is in a tent in Shiloh. David’s natural response is that he wants to build a house for the Ark. Remember God lives between the two angels that are on the Ark. So where the ark lives, God lives. What David is really saying is that he wants to build a house for God to live in.
A house for David (2 Samuel 7:11b) God sends a prophet to David called Nathan. He tells David God’s response regarding his plan to build a house for God. It is not David who will build a house for God; it is God who will build a house for David. There are two possible meanings in English for the word “house”. It can mean, “a building where people live”, but it can also mean “a family / dynasty”. So if we say in English “the
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Qing household”, it is actually referring to the “Qing family / dynasty”. It is important to understand this because God tells David that he (David) will not build the Lord a house (building). But rather, God will build David a house (family / dynasty). God is making a contract with David. This is an act of God; He gives David what he does not deserve.
The contract-keeper (2 Samuel 7:12-16) The contract is made by God and kept by God. It is not dependent on David’s obedience but on God’s grace and faithfulness (just like the contract God made with Abraham). God’s contract with David is one hundred percent secure. We see this in three ways: 1. Death cannot stop the contract – David’s Kingdom is going to be established forever (2 Samuel 7:12-13). 2. Sin cannot destroy it – God will punish every king from David’s family who does wrong, but God will never remove his love from the king (2 Samuel 7:14-15). 3. Time will not bring the contract to an end – the dynasty and the Kingdom will be forever (2 Samuel 7:16). In summary, God is promising David a Kingdom and a dynasty that will be forever. From David’s seed there will be a King who will live forever and whose Kingdom will be established forever. This means that through this King there is going to be restoration to life in a place like Eden – God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing.
Great success (2 Samuel 7:24, 29b) David is a great king and during his reign it appears that God’s promises are being fulfilled. God gives the people rest from all their enemies and the main theme of God’s promise has come true.
Great failure Although David succeeds religiously and politically, he fails morally (his behaviour is not correct). David sees a very beautiful woman and decides that he wants her even though she is already married. David sleeps with this woman and then has her husband murdered to cover up his sin. He is not acting as God’s King should act.
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Expectation The history of David is more disappointing than king Saul. He is a great king, and Israel thought he was the one who would establish the perfect Kingdom. But he does not meet the qualifications of the king in God’s law. We must look forward to another great King, David’s greater Son who is still to come…the one whose Kingdom will be forever. This “seed” that God promised David refers to his son Solomon, but also looks forward to the promised Rescuer-Ruler. The word “seed” is used in Genesis 3:15 and Genesis 15:5, and refers to the person of the promised Rescuer-Ruler. God says to David that He will raise up the “seed” to be King on His throne.
Connections There are two main connections here with the Bible story:
1. The promise of the Rescuer-Ruler In the beginning, God promised a Rescuer-Ruler who would come from the family line of Eve. God then promised Abraham that kings would come from his family. Now God is promising David that there will be a King that will sit on His throne forever. This means that the Rescuer-Ruler is going to be a King, but no ordinary king – His Kingdom will be forever.
The promised Rescuer-Ruler is going to be a King from David’s family line.
2. The covenant with Abraham The covenant God makes with David is very similar to the covenant He made with Abraham.
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Abraham
David
“I will make your name great” (Genesis 12:2)
“I will make your name great” (2 Samuel 7:9)
“… a son who will come from your own body” (Genesis 15:4)
“I will raise up your seed to succeed you, who will come from your own body” (2 Samuel 7:12)
“I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you” (Genesis 17:6)
“… and I will establish the throne of His Kingdom forever” (2 Samuel 7:13b)
So God’s contract with David is part of the same contract with Abraham and Israel. God has not added anything new; He simply expands what He has already promised. Remember, God’s revelation is progressive.
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Think it through & discuss 1. What does David want to do for God?
2. What will God do for David?
3. How is this covenant connected to Genesis 3:15?
4. In what way are the covenants with Abraham and David similar? Explain your answer.
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1 Kings 2 Kings 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles
The Story so Far During the first 350 years in the land judges ruled Israel. But the system was not working – Israel needed a king. God’s Kingdom could not come until Israel had a king. Israel’s first two kings were Saul and David, but they both failed. However, God promised David that from his family there would come a King, whose Kingdom God would establish forever. This King was the promised Rescuer-Ruler that was introduced at the beginning of the Bible.
Objectives • To show how the kingdom comes during Solomon’s reign • To understand how the kingdom declines and is finally ruined with the exile
Connections • All the promises to Abraham and Moses become a reality under king Solomon • The kingdom promised to Abraham comes to realisation during Solomon’s time, but then declines again and is finally ruined at the exile • God’s people, like Adam and Eve, are removed from God’s presence
Summary During Solomon’s reign the kingdom comes, but it soon goes again due to his disobedience. God’s people are removed from His presence into exile, and the kingdom is ruined…again! 193
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The Kingdom Comes… and Goes King Solomon (1 Kings 1:28-30) When David becomes very old he gives orders that his son Solomon should be made king. Will Solomon be the King whose Kingdom will be forever? Things look good from the start.
The kingdom comes (1 Kings 4:20-25) The blessings promised to Abraham seem to become a reality under Solomon’s reign. God’s people have greatly increased in number. God’s people are living in God’s place under God’s rule through Solomon the king. God is blessing His people in His place. The rest and paradise of Eden have been restored in some form. Each man (representing his family) lives in safety and plenty in God’s land.
The temple (I Kings 8:20-21, 56) Solomon builds a permanent home for God to live in. This is known as the temple and it replaces the tabernacle. The temple in Jerusalem becomes the centre point of worship for God’s people. It represents three important things: 1. Presence – God lives in the Holy of Holies 2. Rule – God’s throne is represented by the Ark of the Covenant which contains the ten rules 3. Relationship - God’s meets with His people at the temple through the priest and the sacrifices
Promises fulfilled (1 Kings 8:56; 10:13) Things seem to be going so well that at the dedication of the temple Solomon says that God has fulfilled all the promises made through Moses. The nations of the world are being blessed. Even the Queen of Sheba comes to receive wisdom and blessing from Solomon. God’s promises to Abraham are being fulfilled: “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3). 194
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God has been faithful. He has re-established His Kingdom. He is reclaiming His rule and blessing over the earth.
God’s Kingdom Constitution:
‘I will be their God, they will be my people’ God’s promises Place
Creation
Eden
People
Rule & Blessing
Adam & Eve God’s word
King
Adam
God’s Kingdom ruined Abraham
Canaan
Abraham’s family
God’s promises
Kings from Abraham’s family
Israel in desert
Tabernacle
Israel nation
God’s rules
Tribe of Judah
Israel in Canaan
Temple in Canaan
Israel nation
God’s rules
David, Solomon
Solomon the failure (1 Kings 11:1-6, 10-13) During Solomon’s reign the kingdom is at its strongest. However, Solomon soon fails God. He marries many foreign women and begins to worship the false gods of his wives. Solomon’s time as king is the start of the decline of Israel’s kingdom. God’s punishment is to divide the kingdom into two nations – north and south. So Solomon is not the great King from David’s family line who will establish His Kingdom forever.
The kingdom divides (1 Kings 12:16-17) Solomon’s son Rehoboam succeeds him as king. During the time of king Rehoboam there is a civil war. The 10 northern tribes rebel and split from the two southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The northern tribes keep the name “Israel” and make Samaria their capital city. They elect a new king called Jeroboam (who is not 195
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from the family of David). This new king encourages people to no longer worship the one true God. The southern tribes become known as “Judah”.
Searching for the King The books of Kings & Chronicles record the history of the reign of the various kings in both Israel and Judah. The spotlight on the kings swings south to north, north to south, searching for the King that God promised David. But He is not to be found.
The kingdom goes (2 Kings 17:22-23, 24: 20) The nations of Israel and Judah disobey God so much that in the end God decides to bring on them the curses He promised through Moses. Remember, sons of fathers cannot live any way they like. Disobedience leads to punishment. So God removes them from the land – this is known as “exile”. Israel is removed by the Assyrians, and Judah is removed by the Babylonians; but the result is the same – they are both removed from God’s presence. In the Bible God’s land represents His presence. It is the place where His people enjoy a loving relationship with Him. The temple is the centre point of His presence, rule, and relationship with His people. The temple is destroyed and an enemy occupies the land. The people, like Adam and Eve before them, are thrust from God’s presence into exile. The Kingdom is ruined. It will take a new exodus to bring them back into God’s presence and under His rule again.
During Solomon’s reign the kingdom comes, but it soon goes again due to his disobedience. God’s people are removed from His presence into exile, and the kingdom is ruined…again!
Waiting for the King We must understand the significance of what is happening. Like Adam, Israel has failed in their mission to bring blessing to the world as God’s priest. In order for God’s Kingdom to be established and blessing to come to the world, there will have to be a priest who is faithful to His mission. So far, both Adam and Israel
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have failed. We need the King God promised, who will be both an obedient King and priest, to establish God’s Kingdom.
God’s Kingdom Constitution:
‘I will be their God, they will be my people’ God’s promises Place
Creation
Eden
People
Rule & Blessing
Adam & Eve God’s word
King
Adam
God’s Kingdom ruined Abraham
Canaan
Abraham’s family
God’s promises
Kings from Abraham’s family
Israel in desert
Tabernacle
Israel nation
God’s rules
Tribe of Judah
Israel in Canaan
Temple in Canaan
Israel nation
God’s rules
David, Solomon
God’s Kingdom ruined…again!
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Think it through & discuss 1. In what ways do we see the Kingdom come during Solomon’s reign?
2. What three things did the temple symbolise?
3. Summarise the books of Kings and Chronicles.
4. How is the Kingdom ruined?
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Jeremiah 31 Ezekiel 36
The Story so Far Through Joshua’s victories Israel inherited the land God promised to Abraham. During the first 350 years in the land judges ruled Israel. But the system was not working – Israel needed a king. God’s Kingdom could not come until Israel had a king. Israel’s first three kings were Saul, David and Solomon. Each of them were good in different ways, but they all failed and disobeyed God. After Solomon the kingdom declined, and eventually God removed the people from the land due to their disobedience. God’s Kingdom was ruined again. However, all hope was not lost. God had promised David that from his family there would come a King, whose Kingdom God would establish forever. This King was the promised Rescuer-Ruler that was introduced at the beginning of the Bible.
Objectives • To introduce the prophets and their message • To explain the details of the new covenant – how it is similar and different from the old covenant
Connections • Old covenant and new covenant connected by: “I will be their God, they will be my people”.
Summary God gives His people a new covenant. He promises to give them hearts that will obey His laws, and also to forgive their sins forever. This will happen when the King arrives.
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A New Covenant The prophets During the time of the kings, God sends prophets to speak to His people. Prophets are people sent from God who speak His words. Often they open their speeches with the words: “Thus says the LORD…” There are three periods in the history of the prophets: Before the captivity to Assyria and Babylon, prophets speak to God's people During the captivity, prophets speak to God's people After the captivity, prophets speak to God's people
The Message of the Prophets The prophets say four things in their messages from God: 1. God's people have broken the covenant with God - they have broken the Sinai Law that God had given them. 2. God is going to judge them for breaking His law: a. Israel will be taken into captivity by the Assyrians 722 BC (Hosea 9:3, 7; 10:10; 11:5) b. Judah will be taken into captivity by the Babylonians 586 BC (Jeremiah 1:16; 20:4-6; 25:1-14) There is one clear reason given for the captivity of God's people – sin. 3. God is faithful to His covenant - He will save a remnant of people and bring them back to the land. God will re-establish His Kingdom – God the King ruling His people in His land (Jeremiah 29:10-14). 4. The prophets make many predictions about the RescuerRuler who had been promised by God. He will be a King from the line of David (Jeremiah 23:3-8).
Will this new Kingdom work? So far we have seen from the Bible that God's covenant with Abraham is good but it is not perfect. It did not work because the people disobeyed and God had to remove them from Canaan. If 202
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God brings the people back into the land again will they obey Him and stay in the land? How can we be sure that the Kingdom will not be ruined again? Something has to be done with the human heart if God's covenant with Abraham is going to work. Remember God's covenant with Abraham can be summarised as
It's the law part that is the problem. God is remaining faithful with the grace part, but the people just keep disobeying His law. This is highlighted in the diagram.
GRACE
LAW
GRACE
Obedience is the way of life for those in a relationship with God. Relationship with God is established by grace.
The law is external, written on stone. People’s hearts, like Adam’s, are inclined to disobey God’s rules.
Forgiveness once a year through sacrifices and a priest
‘I will be their God, they will be my people’ A new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34) The problem with the first contract is that God's people have hearts that are unable to obey God's rules. God is making a new contract with them - He will write His law on their hearts. People will know God from their hearts. The law in the old covenant is external and written on stone. The law in the new covenant will be internal and written on the human heart.
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1. A change of heart (Ezekiel 36:24-28) God said that in His new contract He is going to change the human heart. He is going to come and live in the human heart, remove the dead heart and replace it with a heart that is alive and willing to obey God's laws. He will do this by putting His Spirit in His people. This is how God's Kingdom will be established.
2. Forgiveness forever (Jeremiah 31:31-34) In the first covenant God forgave the people’s sins once a year through a priest and a sacrifice. This had to happen every year because the priest was not perfect and did not live forever, and the animal’s death could not remove the sins of the people forever. However, in the new covenant God will forgive the people’s sins forever. God gives His people a new covenant. He promises to give them hearts that will obey His laws, and also to forgive their sins forever. This will happen when the King arrives.
The first covenant continues Abraham’s covenant was like a seed that grew into a mature plant – the new covenant is the plant in full bloom. We know the covenant continues by the words: “I will be their God, and they will be my people”.
The first covenant discontinues However, we should also understand that once the new covenant comes, it replaces the old covenant; just like Microsoft office 2000 replaces the 1998 version. The latest Microsoft Office has everything the last Office had, but the difference is that the new one is far better and has features the last one didn’t. Both are connected. Office 2000 grew out of the 1998 design and it is connected to it, but it is so much better. It is the same with the covenants. The new covenant grew out of the old covenant. We see this by the phrase "I will be their God, and they will be my people”. But the new covenant provides people with a new heart and forgiveness forever, which the old covenant didn’t; and in that sense the new covenant is superior to the first covenant. That is why the Bible calls the first covenant the ‘old’ covenant because it is now outdated and out of use.
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GRACE
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LAW
GRACE
Obedience is the way of life for those in a relationship with God. Relationship with God is established by grace.
The law will be internal, written on the heart.
God will forgive His people’s sins forever
God’s Spirit will live in people helping them to obey the rules.
‘I will be their God, they will be my people’
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God’s Kingdom Constitution:
‘I will be their God, they will be my people’ God’s promises Place
Creation
Eden
People
Rule & Blessing
Adam & Eve God’s word
King
Adam
God’s Kingdom ruined Abraham
Canaan
Abraham’s family
God’s promises
Kings from Abraham’s family
Israel in desert
Tabernacle
Israel nation
God’s rules
Tribe of Judah
Israel in Canaan
Temple in Canaan
Israel nation
God’s rules
David, Solomon
God’s Kingdom ruined…again! Israel in exile
Return to new temple in Canaan
Remnant
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Think it through & discuss 1. What is the message of the prophets?
2. What are the differences between the two covenants?
3. What are the similarities between the two covenants?
4. How is the new covenant related to God’s Kingdom?
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Ez r a Nehemiah Malachi
The Story so Far Before, during and after the exile God spoke to His people through prophets. They were people called by God to speak God’s words to His people. Their message was simple – Israel had sinned, God would remove them from the land. But they gave a message of hope – God would be faithful to His promises. He would bring a remnant back into the land. In particular God promised a new covenant, one in which He would change the human heart to obey His laws, and also in which He would forgive people’s sins forever.
Objectives • To understand the books of Ezra and Nehemiah = rebuilding of temple and walls of Jerusalem • To show how the new covenant has not yet fully arrived
Connections • Partial fulfilment of new covenant promises • Still waiting for the King to arrive
Summary The new covenant has not yet arrived as God’s people continue to disobey Him back in the land. God is coming to visit His temple in judgement.
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Still Waiting… Rebuilding (Ezra 1:1-3; Nehemiah 2:4-5) After 70 years God brings a remnant of His people back into His land. They rebuild God's temple and also the walls of Jerusalem, which have been destroyed by the Babylonians. This is recorded for us in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. God's law is taught again to the people and they want to obey it. It seems as if God's Kingdom is going to be rebuilt.
The Kingdom…not yet (Nehemiah 10:28-29; 13:6-28) Once the people are back in the land their hearts have not been changed. This is illustrated to us in the book of Nehemiah. When the people return to the land they renew their commitment to God by making three main promises to God: not to intermarry, to observe the Sabbath (religious day), and to maintain the temple. However, by the end of the book of Nehemiah the people have failed in each of their promises. They have disobeyed God again, and are abusing the sacrifice system and the new temple. The new covenant has obviously not yet arrived. The people’s hearts remain unable to obey God’s rules.
God Himself is coming (Malachi 3:1) God’s temple has been rebuilt after the exile but it is being abused. Even the priests are not offering the right sacrifices or with the right attitude of worship. God speaks to His people through the prophet Malachi and promises a coming judgement. He Himself is coming to visit His people. To be more exact; He is coming to His temple.
The Kingdom of God is coming... The new promise God made through Jeremiah and Ezekiel has not yet arrived. It is only partially fulfilled. We know from the Bible that God keeps His promises. God has promised through the prophets that He will rebuild His Kingdom. The Old Testament ends with a big expectation for the Kingdom of God to finally come. God promised it to Abraham near the beginning of the Bible, but we have not yet seen it fulfilled. God promised a Rescuer-Ruler in the very beginning who would rebuild His Kingdom. A King will come from David's family line that will shepherd God's people and rule over them in the land. A new 210
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temple is coming when God will live again with His people in the best way possible. A change of heart is on its way.
The new covenant has not yet arrived as God’s people continue to disobey Him back in the land. God is coming to visit His temple in judgement.
400 years of silence At about 400 BC, there is a pause in God’s revelation of Himself in history. During this time in history, Alexander the Great, a general of the Greeks, conquers the Middle East, bringing the Jews under his rule. The Israelites from the tribe of Judah and Benjamin become known as the Jews. Greek becomes the spoken language of this area. Some Jews combine Greek culture and their beliefs about God. These people are called “Sadducees”. The Sadducees start to deny parts of the Bible and take away parts of it. On the opposite side are the “Pharisees”. They do not take away from the Bible but add to it. The Pharisees add to God’s 10 rules and make their own interpretations of them. There is another group of people living at this time in Israel, called the “Scribes”. They are like human photocopiers – they write down copies of the Old Testament, and are known as experts on the Law of God. In 67 BC General Pompey from Rome conquers the land of Canaan and enters Jerusalem. The Romans treat the Jewish people fairly and let them follow their religion, as long as they pay their taxes. The Roman Empire is too big to be ruled in every country by Romans, so local leaders are chosen to rule in different areas. The Romans choose a man named Herod as king, and he rules from Judea. He is not God’s choice as king, but is the Roman’s choice. Four hundred years pass without God acting for His oppressed people. By this stage, His people are looking for a king from God who will bring political freedom – but God has promised a spiritual Rescuer-King, not a political one. There are 400 years of silence and the people still wait…
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Think it through & discuss 1. What are the books of Ezra and Nehemiah about?
2. Why do the old men cry?
3. Has the new covenant arrived yet? Justify your answer.
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The Story so Far . . .
The Bible The Bible is God’s book. God is the author of the Bible, but He used human beings to write it. Every word in the Bible comes from God. The Bible has one story – Jesus and His Kingdom.
The beginning of God’s Kingdom In the beginning God created a perfect world. He created human beings (Adam and Eve) to be in a relationship with Himself and to obey His words. God had a special place called Eden where He lived with His people. In the beginning, God put His people in His place and asked them to obey His words. God had established a Kingdom - God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing.
The ruin of God’s Kingdom An angel from heaven called Satan rebelled against God and was thrown out of heaven to the earth. He entered the Garden of Eden and tried to destroy God’s Kingdom. God gave human beings the role of ruling the world, but they failed in a big way. They wanted to be their own rulers, deciding for themselves what is right and wrong. They listened to Satan and rejected God’s authority and His loving rule. The result was a broken relationship with God and the Kingdom was ruined.
God’s punishment God judged human beings and threw them out of His place and did not let them go back into the Garden of Eden. The punishment was a broken relationship with God and with each other. Death entered the world. The Kingdom God had established was ruined.
God’s promise But God also acted in grace and promised a Rescuer-Ruler who would come and defeat Satan and rebuild God’s Kingdom. The Rescuer-Ruler would come from the family line of Adam and Eve 213
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and rescue people back into the Kingdom of God. The rest of the Bible is the progressive story of how the promised Rescuer-Ruler will come and establish God’s Kingdom.
A new beginning In the story of Cain and Abel we saw that human rebellion had been passed on to the whole human race. We all die because we have all chosen to be the rulers of our own lives. However, human rebellion increased to the point where God decided to judge the world. In the flood God re-created the world and gave human beings a new beginning. By saving Noah He showed His commitment to restoring His Kingdom through the promised Rescuer-Ruler.
Human rebellion again But things soon went wrong again. People disobeyed God’s words to populate and fill the earth. They tried to stay in one place and build a city for security and a tower for their own religion. Like Adam and Eve they tried to become like God, and make a name for themselves. God judged them by confusing their language, scattering people over the whole earth. God’s purposes were still fulfilled.
The promised Kingdom God’s response to the rebellion at Babel was to choose a man called Abraham. God graciously promised him three things: a land, a people, and a blessing. God was re-establishing His Kingdom through the family of Abraham – God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. God tested His own Kingdom promises by asking Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham obeyed God, but just before he was about to kill Isaac, God provided a substitute sacrifice in order to keep His Kingdom promises.
From slavery to service God’s promises to Abraham involved his children living in a foreign land as slaves for 400 years. Through Joseph God’s people went to live in Egypt and after some time they became slaves to Pharaoh, king of Egypt. God then sent Moses to Egypt to rescue His people, but Pharaoh refused to let them go. So God fought for His people as the Warrior-King against Pharaoh and destroyed their enemy. God then brought Israel to Mount Sinai where He 214
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gave them His rules. He was now their King and so they could not live any way they wanted. Israel was to live in obedience to God, and so like Adam, be a priest to the world. Through Israel God would rule and bless the world.
From Sinai to Canaan At Mount Sinai God instructed the people to build Him a tent. God’s plan was to rescue back a people for Himself so that He could live with them. God was restoring His Kingdom – God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. However, it was not long before Israel disobeyed God and broke the rules of the covenant. But God was able to keep the covenant going by graciously providing a sacrifice and a priest to help pay for the people’s disobedience. When Israel reached the Promised Land they refused to enter it because they were scared of the people. God punished Israel for 40 years in the desert, yet He remained faithful and eventually brought their children to enter the land, along with Joshua and Caleb. Just before they entered the land Moses warned them: “If you obey, you will be blessed. If you disobey, God will punish you by removing you from the land”.
From Canaan to exile Through Joshua’s victories Israel inherited the land God promised to Abraham. During the first 350 years in the land judges ruled Israel. But the system was not working – Israel needed a king. God’s Kingdom could not come until Israel had a king. Israel’s first three kings were Saul, David and Solomon. Each of them were good in different ways, but they all failed and disobeyed God. After Solomon the kingdom declined, and eventually God removed the people from the land due to their disobedience. God’s Kingdom was ruined again. However, all hope was not lost. God had promised David that from his family there would come a King, whose Kingdom God would establish forever. This King was the promised Rescuer-Ruler that was introduced at the beginning of the Bible.
From exile to Canaan Before, during and after the exile God spoke to His people through prophets. They were people called by God to speak God’s words to His people. They message was simple – Israel had sinned, God would remove them from the land. But they gave a message of hope – God would be faithful to His promises. He would bring a
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remnant back into the land. In particular God promised a new covenant, one in which He would change the human heart to obey His laws, and also in which He would forgive people’s sins forever. When God’s people arrived back in the land there was great expectation for the restoration of God’s Kingdom. The temple and the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt. However, the people’s hearts had not changed and they soon disobeyed God’s rules again. God was going to come in judgement to His temple. We were left waiting for the promised Rescuer-Ruler who would finally change the hearts of God’s people and restore the Kingdom. There were 400 years of silence and God’s people still waited…
God’s Kingdom Constitution:
‘I will be their God, they will be my people’ God’s promises Place
Creation
Eden
People
Adam & Eve
Rule & Blessing
King
God’s word Adam
God’s Kingdom ruined Abraham
Canaan
Abraham’s family
God’s promises
Kings from Abraham’s family
Israel in desert
Tabernacle
Israel nation
God’s rules Tribe of Judah
Israel in Canaan
Temple in Canaan
Israel nation
God’s rules David, Solomon
God’s Kingdom ruined…again! Israel in exile
Return to new temple in Canaan
Remnant
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Chapter 31
Matthew 1-3
The Story so Far See chapter 30
Objectives • To introduce the Gospels and Jesus • To teach the significance of His birth and names • To explain His baptism
Connections • Prophets predicted His birth • Jesus is the promised Rescuer-Ruler • Through King Jesus, God’s Kingdom will come
Summary Jesus is the promised Rescuer-Ruler.
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The King is Here! Introduction to Jesus No one has had a bigger influence on world history than the person of Jesus. The Bible is still the best selling book in the world. Jesus has influenced both western and eastern cultures. The western calendar is set to the date of His birth. His life is the most interesting life of any religious leader. His death is the most strange and amazing death, and no other religious or philosophical leader has equalled His resurrection from the dead.
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John These are the first four books of the New Testament and they record the life of Jesus Christ. Matthew and John were both followers of Jesus and wrote about His life after He went back to heaven. Mark and Luke were friends with eyewitnesses of Jesus and they recorded the life of Jesus from speaking with those who lived with Jesus. These four books are accurate, reliable and truthful records of the life of the historical Jesus.
Jesus’ life - birth to 30 years old Jesus was born in a town called Bethlehem, but was brought up in a place called Nazareth. The Bible records very little about Jesus after His birth until the age of 30 years old. We are only told one story about His life as a boy. The only other thing we know is that Jesus worked as a carpenter for many years. Then at the age of 30 years old, Jesus went round the country of Israel telling people that the Kingdom of God was near. He explained who He was, why He came, and what it meant to follow Him.
A royal birth (Matthew 1:1-17) Jesus is from the family line of Abraham and David, which means that He is a King. God’s Kingdom was promised to Abraham; it reached its highest point with David, and then its lowest point with the exile. But after the exile comes the promised King – Jesus Christ (Christ = Messiah = Anointed One). God’s Kingdom has come because the King is here.
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A unique birth (Matthew 1:18-25) 1. A virgin becomes pregnant by the Holy Spirit v18 Before Mary has sex with her husband-to-be she becomes pregnant with a child. This is a miraculous act of God. God does this by the power of His Holy Spirit (The Holy Spirit is the third person of God). The reason Jesus does not have a human father is because He must be a perfect human being. If He were descended from Adam, then He would have Adam’s rebellious nature. But as we’ll see later in the Bible, Jesus is a perfect human being, and that’s why the Holy Spirit made Mary pregnant.
2. Jesus’ birth is predicted before it happens v22-23 Through a prophet called Isaiah God predicted that Jesus would be born through a virgin. This prediction was made 700 years before it happens. No other religious leader has had such predictions made about His birth.
Naming the King (Matthew 1:21, 23) The name “Jesus” really means, “Yahweh saves” or “Yahweh rescues”. Yahweh is God’s name in the Old Testament. This shows us that Jesus is the Rescuer that God promised from the very beginning of the Bible. But more importantly, Jesus’ name tells us that the Rescuer is God Himself. Jesus is God. The Son of God (second person of God) becomes a human being and lives on earth with people. This is why one of Jesus’ names is “Immanuel – God with us”.
Substitution (Matthew 3:13-17) Baptism is a symbolic event for people who want to repent of their sins. The word “repent” means “to change direction – 180 degrees”. It means a change of mind and heart. To “repent” means to stop living life your way and turn to live life God’s way. Those who repent get baptised. Baptism is a symbol of what has happened in your heart. So the question is, why does Jesus get baptised?
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Jesus does not need to be baptised because He lives a perfect life in obedience to His Father in heaven. But Jesus gets baptised to show that He is taking the place of people who do need to repent. This is the first sign we see that Jesus is a substitute for rebels. Jesus is the promised Rescuer-Ruler.
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Think it through & discuss 1. How do we know Jesus is a King?
2. What is unique about His birth and names?
3. What does Jesus’ baptism symbolise?
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Matthew 3:16 - 4:17
The Story so Far Jesus’ birth was very unique because He had no human father and prophets predicted His birth 700 years before it actually happened. Jesus is the long promised King from David and Abraham’s families, and His name “Jesus” identifies Him as the promised Rescuer-Ruler.
Objectives • To understand Jesus as the Servant-King • To see Jesus as the last Adam and true Israel • To understand how all the promises of the Old Testament find their fulfilment in Jesus
Connections • In the Old Testament God promised His Kingdom; in the New Testament God establishes His Kingdom through Jesus • Adam, Israel, Jesus – their identities and roles
Summary God’s Kingdom has come because Jesus fulfils all the promises.
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Last Adam, True Israel The Servant-King (Matthew 3:16-17) After Jesus is baptised God the Father opens the heavens and identifies His Son as the Servant-King, who would die on behalf of His people. The Father is quoting two different parts of the Old Testament. • “This is my Son” (Psalm 2:7) • “…with whom I am well pleased” (Isaiah 42:1)
Finally… an obedient Son! (Matthew 4:1-11) Jesus is tempted in three ways:
1. To ask for bread instead of living a dependent life on God’s words v3-4 God will provide bread in His own time. Jesus needs to depend on God’s words.
2. To test God’s presence with Him – not to trust God’s presence with Him v5-7 Jesus is tempted to test to see if God is with Him or not. He is to test God in this way by jumping off the temple.
3. To worship Satan and receive all the kingdoms of the world v8-10 Jesus is tempted to break the 1st commandment.
Israel and Jesus (Exodus 4:22-23) In the Bible Israel is called God’s son. Like a son, Israel was to be like God His Father. God gave Israel 10 rules to obey. Jesus’ temptations are similar to the temptations that Israel faced: 1. In the desert Israel complained to God that He had no bread (see Exodus 16; Deuteronomy 8:1-5). But Israel did not trust God’s words of promise for survival. Jesus is different; He
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does trust God’s words of promise and is dependent on God’s words for life. 2. Israel tested God many times to see if God was really with him or not (see Exodus 17:1-7). Jesus does not test to see if His Father is with Him, but trusts that He is with Him. 3. Israel worshipped other gods (see Exodus 32:1-6), but Jesus refuses to worship Satan and obeys God. Where Israel failed, Jesus does not. This is the good news.
Adam and Jesus (Luke 3:23, 38) Adam is called a son of God. Like a son, Adam was to be like God His Father. God gave Adam a rule to obey. Satan came and twisted God’s words. Adam believed Satan’s twisted words and disobeyed God. The first son of God failed. Jesus does not fail. When Satan twists God’s words and tempts Jesus to test God’s presence with Him, Jesus resists the temptation and obeys God.
Last Adam, True Israel (Hosea 6:7; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 5:8-10) Adam and Israel were to be like priestly sons bringing God’s blessing to the world, but they failed by being unfaithful to God’s covenant. The plan to bring blessing to the world through Israel failed, like it did with Adam. Blessing would have to come through Jesus, God’s Son; the only Son with whom God is well pleased. Throughout His life Jesus obeys His Father perfectly. He is the true man who perfectly reflects God’s image. Through suffering such things as a man Jesus qualifies Himself to be the perfect priest. Everything Adam and Israel were supposed to be as sons of God, Jesus is by His perfect life under His Father’s rule. The Bible presents Jesus as the last Adam and the true Israel. God’s Kingdom can now finally come.
The King’s message (Matthew 4:17) After His baptism Jesus started teaching people. His message was simple: “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is near”. Because Jesus is God’s perfect obedient King it means that the Kingdom can now finally come. God has come to rule the world in a new way through Jesus. Through Him God’s people will once again live 227
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with God under His rule and blessing. This is the Kingdom we have been waiting for. Jesus says the only appropriate response to His Kingdom is to turn our lives around and follow Him. Jesus overcame Satan in the desert and so proved Himself as the final obedient Son who could establish God’s Kingdom. He is the last Adam and the true Israel. His message is simple: “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is near”.
Promise and fulfilment The way to read the Bible is to understand it as promise and fulfilment. In the Old Testament God made promises, and in the New Testament Jesus fulfils those promises: Promise
Jesus
Fulfilment
God’s Kingdom comes to fulfilment in Jesus. All the promises in the Old Testament: God’s place, God’s people, God’s rule and blessing, and God’s King, are all fulfilled in Jesus.
God’s place All through the Bible God has wanted to live with His people. Remember the Garden of Eden, the tabernacle in the desert, and the temple in the land of Israel? All of these symbolised God’s rule and presence with His people. But now God has come to live with people in Jesus. God has become a man! Therefore there is now no longer any need for the land or the temple; God’s presence has come to fulfilment in Jesus. God’s place today is where Jesus is – heaven.
God’s people Adam and Eve were God’s people and were made to obey God’s rules but they failed. Israel was rescued out of Egypt to be God’s people and obey His rules, but they too failed. Jesus does not fail, but is the perfect obedient Son. Jesus is the perfect people of God.
Rule and blessing In the beginning God wanted to rule and bless the world through Adam, but Adam failed. God then chose Israel to be the one through whom He would rule and bless the world, but they too 228
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failed. Jesus comes as the final obedient Son of God and because of his perfect obedience to God’s covenant God will rule and bless the world through Him.
God’s King Adam was created to be the king of the world, but he failed. God promised Abraham that kings would come from his family. He promised David that a King would come from his family whose Kingdom would be forever. God’s Kingdom has come because King Jesus is now here. God’s Kingdom has come because Jesus fulfils all the promises.
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God’s Kingdom Constitution:
‘I will be their God, they will be my people’ God’s promises Place
Creation
People
Eden
Adam & Eve
Rule & Blessing
King
God’s word Adam
God’s Kingdom ruined Abraham
Canaan
Abraham’s family
God’s promises
Kings from Abraham’s family
Israel in desert
Tabernacle
Israel nation
God’s rules Tribe of Judah
Israel in Canaan
Temple in Canaan
Israel nation
God’s rules David, Solomon
God’s Kingdom ruined…again! Israel in exile
Jesus
Return to new temple in Canaan
Remnant
New covenant
A perfect King is promised
JESUS The fulfilment of God’s promises
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Think it through & discuss 1. Who does God the Father identify Jesus as?
2. What is the relationship between Adam, Israel and Jesus?
3. How are they similar, how are they different?
4. What is Jesus’ relation to God’s Kingdom promises in the Old Testament?
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•
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Chapter 33
M a r k 1 -4
The Story so Far Jesus’ birth was very unique because He had no human father and prophets predicted His birth 700 years before it actually happened. Jesus is the long promised King from David and Abraham’s families, and His name “Jesus” identifies Him as the promised Rescuer-Ruler. Jesus overcame Satan in the desert and so proved Himself as the final obedient Son who could establish God’s Kingdom. Where Adam and Israel failed Jesus does not fail, but proves Himself as the perfect Son. His message was simple: “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is near”.
Objectives • To understand Jesus’ message about the Kingdom of God • To see God’s Kingdom in action through Jesus’ authority
Connections • In the Old Testament God promised His Kingdom, in the New Testament God establishes His Kingdom through Jesus
Summary Jesus is re-establishing God’s rule over Satan’s Kingdom, over sickness, over sin and over creation. Jesus is God’s King who will establish God’s Kingdom – God will rule the world again through His Son Jesus.
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The Kingdom is Near! God’s Kingdom (Mark 1:14-15) In the beginning, God established a Kingdom – God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. God’s Kingdom is centred on His reign over His people and His creation. In the Garden of Eden God ruled with no other competitors. Then Satan came and challenged God’s rule. For a time God’s rule over His people was ruined. God promised His Kingdom to Abraham, and told Israel He would rule and bless the world through them. But we know, like Adam, they failed. The good news that Jesus announces to people is that God’s reign is coming again. God is going to rule over His people and creation again like He did in the Garden of Eden, and He will do it through King Jesus.
Jesus is saying two things: 1. The Kingdom is here because the King is here - all the Old Testament predictions about the coming Kingdom of God are fulfilled at this time because Jesus is God’s appointed King. 2. Everyone is to repent and believe this message – this is the appropriate response to this good news.
God’s Kingdom in action Jesus announces that God’s Kingdom is here. Now He demonstrates this fact through powerful acts. In the Bible these are called “miracles”. The first few stories in Mark chapters 1-4 show us the reign of God through Jesus the King. We see Jesus’ authority over the kingdom of evil spirits, over sickness, over sin, and over nature.
Authority over evil spirits (Mark 1:21-28) The kingdom of darkness is reigning when Jesus comes to earth. Some people in Israel have become possessed by demons (evil spirits). These evil spirits were angels in heaven who rebelled with the devil against God. They were thrown out of heaven to the earth with Satan. But when Jesus is teaching in the synagogue (like a church building) He removes the evil spirit from the person. Jesus
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teaches with unique authority and evil spirits obey Him. He is defeating the rule of Satan and his evil kingdom.
Authority over sickness (Mark 1:29-34) Where did sickness come from? In the beginning of the world there was no sickness. It came into the world whenever human beings challenged God’s rule and rebelled against His words. Sickness is a result of Satan’s kingdom. Jesus heals this lady’s fever and therefore rules over sickness. He also heals many other people as well.
Authority to clean the unclean (Mark 1:40-45) In order for us to understand the books of the New Testament, we need to understand the Old Testament. In the book of Leviticus chapters 13-14 God gave rules about skin disease e.g. leprosy. People with skin problems were examined by the priest and pronounced “unclean”. They had to live outside the camp for a certain time and could only come back in when they were clean. On returning to the camp they needed to offer various sacrifices through the priest. In this story a leper (man with the skin disease called “leprosy”) comes to Jesus and asks Him to make him clean. By the law of the Old Testament Jesus becomes unclean by touching, and so becomes like a substitute. Jesus makes this man clean by becoming unclean. The judgement of the law is removed from this man and received by Jesus.
Authority to forgive (Mark 2:1-12) In this story Jesus shows Himself to be God in two ways: 1. He knows the thoughts of the religious teachers – v8 2. Jesus performs a miracle to show that He has authority to forgive sins The easier thing to say is that which is most difficult to prove. The harder thing to say is that which is easy to prove. By demonstrating His power to physically heal this man, Jesus proves His authority to also forgive his sins.
Authority over nature (Mark 4:35-41) There is only one person in the Bible that can control creation by speaking, and that’s God. Yet Jesus calms a storm and proves His authority over nature. Jesus is Lord over all creation. 235
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The Kingdom is near Jesus announced that the Kingdom was near – God’s rule in the world. He has demonstrated that this is true through His powerful acts, proving to us that He is the King who has authority to teach, to defeat demons, to heal sickness, to cleanse lepers, to forgive sin, and to calm natural disorder. Jesus wants to give us one clear simple message – “The Kingdom is near!”
Jesus is re-establishing God’s rule over Satan’s Kingdom, over sickness, over sin and over creation. Jesus is God’s King who will establish God’s Kingdom – God will rule the world again through His Son Jesus.
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Think it through & discuss 1. What is the content of Jesus’ message?
2. What does Jesus say our response should be?
3. What evidence is there that God’s Kingdom was established through Jesus?
4. Name one miracle that stood out for you, and explain why.
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Mark 4:1-20
The Story so Far Jesus’ birth was very unique because He had no human father and prophets predicted His birth 700 years before it actually happened. Jesus is the long promised King from David and Abraham’s families, and His name “Jesus” identifies Him as the promised Rescuer-Ruler. Jesus overcame Satan in the desert and so proved Himself as the final obedient Son who could establish God’s Kingdom. Where Adam and Israel failed Jesus did not fail, but proved Himself as the perfect Son. His message was simple: “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is near”. The reason the Kingdom had arrived was because the King was now here. Jesus demonstrated His authority as God’s King through His miracles. He showed God’s rule over Satan, sickness, sin and creation.
Objectives • To understand parables • To explain that these parables show God’s Kingdom is here • To convey the challenge of the parable
Connections • God’s Kingdom is here in Jesus
Summary The Kingdom of God has broken into the world, like seed sown on a ground. Our response to Jesus and His Kingdom determines whether we understand who He is, or whether we are under God’s judgement.
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Parables of the Kingdom Understanding parables A parable is a challenging story that communicates an important truth about the Kingdom of God. Parables are not meant to be just nice stories – they are meant to challenge us. They are not stories about anything – they are mainly stories about the Kingdom of God. Parables usually have one main point but some can have two or three main points.
The parable of the sower (Mark 4:3-9) Jesus starts and finishes His parable with the same challenge – Listen! v3. Hear! v9. This is one of Jesus’ main points – “listen carefully to what I am saying”. The 12 disciples and some other people are very interested to know what the parable is about so they ask Jesus to explain it. Jesus gives a strange and difficult response before explaining the parable. But let’s first look at the explanation – see diagram at end of chapter.
The secret of the Kingdom (Mark 4:11) Jesus has given the secret of the Kingdom to His disciples and other interested followers. But what is the secret? So far in Mark’s Gospel there have been various responses to Jesus’ identity. Not everyone sees that He is God’s King. The people are amazed at His teaching and miracles (Mark 1:27; 2:12; 3:8), but His family thinks He is mad (Mark 3:20-21), and the religious leaders think He is bad (Mark 3:22). We have not yet been told if the disciples actually understand who He is. Not everyone sees Jesus’ identity. This is the secret of the Kingdom – that Jesus is God’s King come to set up God’s Kingdom. But only those to whom Jesus decides to reveal Himself will see this.
Hidden identity (Mark 1:25, 34b, 37-38, 44; 3:12) Numerous times Jesus has hidden His identity from people. Here again we see Him doing the same thing. Except this time, it is not by silencing demons, but by speaKing in parables.
The parables as judgement (Mark 4:11b-12) Jesus says that to people outside of His Kingdom everything is said in parables so that they won’t understand His message. Jesus 240
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quotes a part of the Old Testament written by the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah had been sent to rebellious Israel to announce judgement on them for disobeying God. God had repeatedly spoken to them and yet they remained disobedient. Isaiah’s words to rebellious Israel served to make them more blind and deaf. They do not deserve to be forgiven. So whilst Isaiah went with good news to Israel – “repent and God will forgive you” -- his very message made them more stubborn and blind because they would not listen. God used His message to be the means of bringing judgement on Israel. Because they would not listen, God judged them. The same is true with Jesus. He is God’s last prophet – God Himself – sent to His rebellious people Israel to tell them to repent (Mark 1:14-15). He is even showing them miracles to prove who He is. But people like the Pharisees won’t accept God’s King and His message. Instead, Jesus’ very message is bringing judgement on them. This is why He speaks in parables. He is blinding them even more, and yet for those who listen well, there is the hope of forgiveness.
God’s choice and people’s responsibility There are two sides to what Jesus is saying here: 1. Jesus is choosing whoever He desires - see Mark 3:13. Jesus decides who to reveal Himself to. He chooses who to explain the parables to. 2. People are responsible for listening and responding to Jesus. We see this because Jesus says – “Listen! Hear what I’m saying!” (Mark 4:3, 9). Jesus’ choice does not make people into robots. People still have choices to make. They can choose to listen and ask more questions. Or if they are too disobedient they will ignore what Jesus is saying. If they choose not to listen – this is God’s judgement on them. Jesus’ teaching will remain a parable to them.
A warning (Mark 4:13) In order to understand other parables we must first understand this parable. If we don’t understand that the Kingdom of God has come in Jesus, then we will not understand any of the other parables, because the other parables are all about the Kingdom of God. This
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first parable is showing us that the Kingdom of God has come in Jesus and His message. We can say that this parable is an explanation of Mark 1:14-15. How we respond shows whether or not we see who Jesus is. The Kingdom of God has broken into the world, like seed sown on a ground. Our response to Jesus and His Kingdom determines whether we understand who He is, or whether we are under God’s judgement.
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Think it through & discuss 1. Explain what each of the soils represents.
2. What is the secret of the Kingdom?
3. What happens to those who do not understand Jesus’ identity and therefore do not respond properly to His message?
4. Why is it important that we listen to Jesus’ teaching?
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Chapter 35
Mark 8-15
The Story so Far The reason the Kingdom had arrived was because the King was now here. Jesus demonstrated His authority as God’s King through His miracles. He showed God’s rule over Satan, sickness, sin and creation. Jesus taught in parables. These were challenging stories that communicated an important truth about the Kingdom of God. Jesus told various parables explaining that His Kingdom was here and that people should respond positively to it. Those who did not respond positively to God’s King remained under His judgement.
Objectives • To understand the prediction, purpose and timing of Jesus’ death. • To see Jesus as the innocent rejected King who dies in the place of guilty people
Connections • Passover Meal and Lord’s Supper • Morning and evening sacrifices and Jesus’ death • Innocent dies in the place of the guilty
Summary Jesus is rejected by His own people and sentenced to death. He is the innocent King who dies in the place of guilty rebellious people and pays the ransom for their sin.
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A Rejected King The prediction of Jesus’ death (Mark 8:31; 9:30-31) Jesus performed many signs showing us that He is God. But we must ask ourselves the question, why did He come? And what is the purpose of Jesus’ life? Will Jesus spend most of His life teaching disciples, then grow old and die? Is Jesus going to die like other religious leaders in history – old age, assassination or conspiracy? Or is there a purpose to Jesus’ death? Jesus’ death is no ordinary death. He predicts He is going to die and three days later rise from the dead. Jesus is a King with a mission.
A rejected King (Mark 3:6; 10:32-34; 12:12) From the beginning the Jewish religious leaders do not like Jesus. They are blind to His identity because they do not want Him as their King. Jesus exposes the sin of the Jewish people, which they have been hiding. They come to hate Him so much that they plot to kill Him. Jesus knows this and predicts that He is going to die by the betrayal and murder of His own people.
The purpose of Jesus’ death (Mark 10:45) The title “Son of Man” refers to Jesus being a man, but also that He reveals God to man. Jesus has come to give His life as a ransom for guilty people. This word “ransom” is connected to the word “redemption” which we learnt about earlier in the Bible. In the Old Testament God redeemed His people out of Egypt. Now Jesus is going to give His life (die) as a payment for people, so God can buy them back out from punishment and into a relationship with Himself. Jesus’ death is the ransom.
The timing of Jesus’ death Jesus comes to Jerusalem on a Thursday, a day before the Jewish Passover celebrations. The Jewish people celebrated the Passover with a meal on the Thursday night at which they ate bread as a reminder of God’s rescue from Egypt. On the Friday an animal would be killed at 9:00a.m, this was known as the morning sacrifice. An animal was also killed at 3:00p.m, this was known as the evening sacrifice. The Friday was called the Day of Preparation.
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The Lord’s Supper (Mark 14:12-26) On the Thursday night as Jesus and His followers celebrate the Passover meal, He announces that one of His 12 followers is going to betray Him. Judas then leaves the room quietly and goes to the chief priests to help in Jesus’ arrest. Jesus gives the Passover meal a new meaning. The bread symbolises His body that would receive God’s punishment, and the wine symbolises His blood that will be poured out in His death.
Jesus’ arrest (Mark 14:32-50) After Jesus and His followers have eaten they go outside to a garden called “Gethsemane”. Jesus is so burdened with the knowledge of receiving God’s punishment for sinners that He asks God to remove it. But in the end He says, “Yet Father, not what I want, but what you want.” Jesus is willing to obey His Father’s plan of rescue, which involves Him being punished in the place of guilty people. It is while Jesus is in the garden that Judas arrives with a large crowd of Roman soldiers to arrest Him. It is dark and therefore difficult to identify Jesus, so Judas goes up and kisses Jesus on the cheek, to show the soldiers who they are to arrest.
Jesus’ trial (Mark 14:53-65) Jesus is put on trial late on Thursday by the Jewish religious authorities. They find Him guilty of blasphemy - claiming to be God. The punishment for this crime is death (Leviticus 24:16). But it is only the Romans who can give the death penalty since they are in charge of Israel at this time.
Jesus before Pilate (Mark 15:1-5) In the morning they take Jesus to Pilate, a Roman Governor. But Pilate finds no basis to charge Jesus with death. He even sends Jesus to King Herod who also finds Jesus innocent. Herod sends Jesus back to Pilate, who questions Him again. Three times Pilate finds Jesus innocent. Pilate then has Jesus whipped and beaten so as to keep the Jews happy that He has received some punishment. Pilate hopes that when they see Jesus beaten and bleeding, they might be happy to let Him go. But when they see Jesus again they shout, “Crucify
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him! Crucify him!” “Crucify” means to nail a person to a cross, this shape:
Three times Pilate announces Jesus to be innocent and three times the Jewish people shout, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
The innocent in place of the guilty (Mark 15:6-15) Pilate performs the yearly tradition of releasing a prisoner for the Jewish people. The Jews have a choice between two very different people:
Innocent King Jesus or Guilty rebellious Barabbas They choose Barabbas to be released and so Pilate sentences Jesus to death by crucifixion. The innocent will die in place of the guilty. This is a shock to us because we know that guilty people should be punished, and not the innocent. Jesus the innocent King dies in the place of guilty rebellious people.
Connections with the Old Testament However, in a sense this should not be a shock to us because this has been happening throughout the Bible. For centuries in the Old Testament God was teaching that because of His grace the innocent died in place of the guilty. Therefore we should not be surprised that Jesus the innocent King is dying in the place of guilty people. It has been God’s plan all along. And it is all because of God’s grace – God give us what we don’t deserve.
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Think it through & discuss 1. What is it that Jesus predicts?
2. What is the purpose of Jesus’ death?
3. What is the connection between the timing of Jesus’ death and the Passover meal?
4. What is the significance of Barabbas’ release?
5. How is this connected to the Old Testament?
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Mark 15:33-39
The Story so Far The reason the Kingdom had arrived was because the King was now here. Jesus demonstrated His authority as God’s King through His miracles. He showed God’s rule over Satan, sickness, sin and creation. Jesus taught in parables. These are challenging stories that communicate an important truth about the Kingdom of God. Jesus tells various parables explaining that His Kingdom is here and people should respond positively to it. Those who do not respond positively to God’s King remain under His judgement. Jesus was taken by His own people and put on trial for claiming to be God. The religious leaders wanted Him put to death, but Pilate the Roman Governor found Him innocent. However, in the end he handed Jesus over to be crucified. Jesus the innocent King died in the place of guilty rebellious people.
Objectives • To understand the significance of Jesus’ death – He receives our punishment and provides a new relationship with God • To introduce the idea of conversion with the Roman soldier
Connections • Jesus is the perfect sacrifice that provides a new and lasting relationship with God. This was promised in the new covenant.
Summary Jesus is the innocent substitute who is punished by His Father instead of guilty rebellious people. Through His death Jesus provides a new relationship with God, which is available to everyone. 251
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The Death of God’s King
What proof is there that the death of Jesus is not just like any other death? Mark shows us the significance of Jesus’ death by mentioning some important events at the time of His death.
Jesus receives our punishment (Mark 15:33-34) Mark shows us this in two ways:
1. Darkness Jesus is crucified at 9:00a.m, the time of the morning sacrifice. At 12:00noon there is complete darkness for three hours, until 3:00p.m, the time of the evening sacrifice. Before God punished the Egyptians with the 10th plague of death, He sent darkness. Darkness symbolises God’s punishment and judgement. During the three hours of darkness, God the Father punishes His Son Jesus, instead of guilty rebellious people. The timing of Jesus’ death shows us that He is like the Passover Lamb receiving God’s judgement in the place of His people.
2. Forsaken After the three hours of darkness Jesus cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”. There is a loss of relationship 252
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between Jesus and His Father. God the Father broke His relationship with His Son during those three hours of darkness. A broken relationship is the consequence of disobeying God. Jesus never disobeyed God and yet when He is dying He experiences a broken relationship with God. Jesus is taking the consequence for sin instead of guilty rebellious people like you and I. Jesus receives the punishment of a broken relationship with God so that we can have the broken relationship with God restored.
Jesus provides a new relationship with God (Mark 15:38) One of the great themes of the Bible is God living with His people. The Bible begins with God living with His people in a perfect relationship in a garden. But Adam rebelled in the Garden of Eden and human beings have not lived in a perfect relationship with God since. However, God did not stop trying to live with human beings. In the tabernacle and temple we saw how He came to live in relationship with His people through priests and sacrifices. But it was not perfect; God lived with His people, but He was still separate from them. In the temple a curtain separated God and the people. But when Jesus dies the curtain is torn in two from top to bottom, which means that only God could have torn it. Jesus removes the barrier between God and us. This is the good news – we can have a relationship with God because of Jesus’ death. God is angry with us for disobeying His rules, and because He is a good God He must punish us. But Jesus dies to take the punishment for us, so that we can be accepted by this holy God. And this is God’s love for us – God provides a sacrifice to turn aside His own anger; and it’s not an animal He provides - it’s the sacrifice of His own Son. Jesus is re-establishing God’s Kingdom by providing a way for people to live in God’s presence, under His rule and blessing.
The perfect sacrifice Therefore the Old Testament way of approaching God is finished. Jesus has now provided a new way to approach God. No longer through animal sacrifices and no longer through a human priest who is not perfect. Jesus has put an end to the Old Testament way of receiving God’s forgiveness. There is now a new way – forgiveness now comes through the death of Jesus. God will never 253
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remember sin again. Jesus is the perfect sacrifice promised in the new covenant.
A Roman solider becomes a Christian (Mark 15:37, 39) For a Roman solider to declare a crucified Jew to be the “Son of God” is quite amazing. For a Roman solider, crucifixion was not even to be mentioned from his lips. The Romans ruled over the Jewish people and confessed Caesar to be god, no one else. This man has watched Jesus on trial. He has watched Him receive a beating from others soldiers and he has watched Him be crucified. And he knows there is something different about Jesus. For example, to shout with a loud cry after hours of being on a cross is impossible – yet Jesus does. People who were crucified eventually died of suffocation. Jesus does not – He gives up His breath. This Roman soldier risks his own life by denying Caesar and declaring Jesus to be the Son of God.
Jesus is the innocent substitute who is punished by His Father instead of guilty rebellious people. Through His death Jesus provides a new relationship with God, which is available to everyone.
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Think it through & discuss 1. What does the darkness symbolise?
2. How do we know Jesus is punished instead of us?
3. What is the significance of the torn temple curtain?
4. What is the connection with the temple curtain and God’s Kingdom?
5. How do we know the Roman soldier became a Christian?
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Chapter 37
Mark 16:1-8
The Story so Far Jesus was taken by His own people and put on trial for claiming to be God. The religious leaders wanted Him put to death, but Pilate the Roman Governor found Him innocent. However, in the end he handed Jesus over to be crucified. Jesus the innocent King died in the place of guilty rebellious people. Jesus was the innocent substitute who was punished by His Father instead of guilty rebellious people.
Objectives • To show that Jesus died, was buried and rose again • To mention the theories concerning His resurrection and why they can’t be true • To explain the significance of His resurrection
Connections • In the Bible God makes promises and keeps them. Jesus is the same regarding His resurrection • God’s Kingdom comes when Jesus defeats death and Satan
Summary Jesus defeats Satan through His death and resurrection, and therefore brings in God’s Kingdom – the new age when God’s people will live in God’s presence, under His rule and blessing.
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Victory for the Kingdom
The origin of death (Romans 5:12) The Bible started with a perfect creation in which there was no death, so where did it come from? Death came into God’s good creation when Adam rebelled against God’s rule. And the consequences are still with us today. We all die because we have all disobeyed God.
Jesus is dead (Mark 15:42-45) Jesus died on a Friday. The next day, Saturday, was a special day for the Jewish people called the Sabbath. It was wrong to have a Jewish person on a cross on the Sabbath. Therefore a man called Joseph of Arimathea comes to take Jesus’ body off the cross and bury him. Joseph is waiting for God’s Kingdom. Perhaps in your culture dead bodies are burned in a fire. But in this culture the dead body was buried in a tomb cut out of a big rock. But before Jesus can be buried in the tomb, Joseph has to first get permission from Pilate. However, Pilate wants to make sure that Jesus really is dead so he calls in a Roman Centurion. This is the man who has witnessed Jesus dying on the cross. He has seen Jesus give up His spirit and die, and therefore confirms that Jesus is dead.
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Jesus is buried (Mark 15:46-47) Jesus is wrapped in cloth, placed in a tomb and it is sealed with a large stone. It would take many men to move such a stone. There is also a guard of between 4 – 16 soldiers placed outside the tomb to guard it, in case someone tries to steal Jesus’ body. Standing by watching are two women - Mary Magdalene and another women called Mary, the Mother of Joses. People witnessed Jesus’ death and now people are also witnessing His burial.
Jesus is risen (Mark 16:1-8) Early on the Sunday morning the women are on their way to visit the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body with spices. But they have a problem. Who will roll the stone away for them? It takes many men to do that. But as they arrive at the tomb they are shocked to find the stone is already rolled away. They walk into the tomb and see an angel who tells them that Jesus has risen. The angel points to the fact that Jesus is not there. We read in other books in the Bible that Jesus’ grave clothes and head cloth are still in the tomb.
Evidence for the resurrection The Bible presents us with clear evidence (based on eyewitness accounts) that Jesus died, was buried and three days later rose again. However, there are many people today who do not believe that Jesus is alive. They rather believe various theories about His resurrection:
1. Jesus’ body was stolen Answer – The tomb was empty but the grave clothes were still in it. The body of Jesus could not have been stolen since thieves would not spend time unwrapping grave clothes.
2. The followers of Jesus made up the story Answer – The first witnesses were women, who were not respected as reliable witnesses in this culture. Now if you are going to make up a story about Jesus rising from the dead, you don’t use women as your first witnesses. No one would believe your book. Yet Mark says women were the first witnesses. Why? Because that’s exactly how it happened. If the followers of Jesus were making up this story, telling people that their leader Jesus had risen from the dead, then why did the
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Romans not go to the tomb of Jesus and just get His body and show the people that He was still dead?
3. Jesus’ followers only imagined that they saw Him Answer – There were many witnesses who saw Jesus alive after He rose from the dead. Jesus met them in small groups, and on one occasion in a crowd of 500 people. They could touch Him, talk with Him, and He even ate meals with them.
4. It is not logical for a human to rise from the dead Answer – But let us not forget who Jesus is; He is God’s Son. It is completely logical that God can raise Jesus from the dead. He gave life to Adam and He can give life to His Son Jesus.
The significance of Jesus’ resurrection 1. Jesus is God (Mark 16:7) The resurrection of Jesus confirms everything He said about Himself. Remember in Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:32-34 Jesus predicted that He was going to die and rise from the dead. The angel confirms that Jesus has been telling the truth – “Just as He told you”. Only God keeps His promises, but so does Jesus; which means that Jesus really is God on earth.
2. God’s Kingdom has come When Jesus came He announced that God’s Kingdom was here, and He demonstrated power over death by raising people from the dead. However, Jesus died himself. If He remains dead surely God’s Kingdom cannot be established, for there is no Kingdom without a King. Mark starts his book by saying, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1). However, if Jesus remains dead it is bad news, not good news. Satan and death win. But the good news of the Bible is that Jesus rose from the dead. Death could not hold Him. Satan could not keep Him in the tomb. Satan brought death into God’s good creation, but now Jesus defeats that great enemy on behalf of His people for whom He died. Jesus stands on Satan’s head and crushes Him. The Sunday when Jesus rose to life is the day that death died! Therefore, the day Satan was finally defeated is the day God’s Kingdom comes in
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power. Jesus secures victory for God’s Kingdom through His death and resurrection. The promise of Genesis 3:15 has been accomplished.
3. People are to repent and believe this good news (Mark 1:15, Acts 17:31) Jesus summarised His message like this: “The time is fulfilled. The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe this good news.” Jesus has established God’s Kingdom by defeating death and Satan, bringing in a new age when humans can live forever in the presence of God, like it was intended in Eden. Jesus is now the victorious King of the whole world, and God has appointed Him as judge. The Bible says that God has appointed a day of judgement to punish all the wrongs committed by every person on earth. Jesus will be the judge on this day, which is as certain as the day Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus message to us is to repent now and believe this good news. Jesus defeats Satan through His death and resurrection, and therefore brings in God’s Kingdom – the new age when God’s people will live in God’s presence, under His rule and blessing.
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Think it through & discuss 1. What evidence is there that Jesus died and was buried?
2. What evidence is there that Jesus rose from the dead?
3. Discuss the theories about Jesus’ resurrection.
4. How is Jesus’ resurrection connected to His Kingdom?
5. What is the significance of Jesus’ resurrection for us today?
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Chapter 38
John 3, 14-16 Acts 1-2 2 Corinthians 6 Galatians 5 Ephesians 1
The Story so Far Through His death Jesus provided a new relationship with God, which is available to everyone. Jesus’ resurrection is based on the eyewitness accounts of many people. Through His death and resurrection Jesus defeated Satan and therefore established God’s Kingdom – the new age when God’s people would live in God’s presence, under His rule and blessing.
Objectives • To understand Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit and how He comes at Pentecost • To see the giving of the Holy Spirit as the fulfilment of the new covenant and the coming of God’s Kingdom • To explain how a person enters the Kingdom of God
Connections • Promise of the new covenant in Ezekiel and the coming of the Holy Spirit • God’s Kingdom promise comes to fulfilment when the Holy Spirit comes •
Summary When the Holy Spirit comes, God’s Kingdom promise is fulfilled. God now lives among His people as their God. 265
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The Promise of the Kingdom
Jesus’ promise (John 14:16-17) There is only one God, but in God there are three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is known as the “Trinity”. The Holy Spirit is God Himself, and is equal to the Father and the Son. This is a very difficult concept to understand, but if we understood it completely then we would be God. Jesus promises His followers that He will not leave them alone, but that He will send His Holy Spirit to live in them.
The Holy Spirit is given (Acts 1:4-5, 9; 2:33, 36) Forty days after Jesus is raised from the dead He is taken back to heaven. The disciples are told to wait in Jerusalem for the promised Holy Spirit. After ten days God sends His promised Holy Spirit to the disciples. They speak in other languages and visitors from many different countries hear the disciples speak in their mother languages, and they are all amazed. Some think the disciples are drunk, but Peter explains that what they see and hear is evidence that Jesus is indeed God’s chosen King, and that He has sent the Holy Spirit upon His people. Peter therefore calls on them to repent and believe the good news – the Jesus who has been crucified is the risen Lord, seated at the highest place in heaven. That day 3000 people are converted and become followers of Jesus. The promises to Abraham are being fulfilled 266
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people from many countries become Christians. God is blessing the nations through Jesus.
The new temple of God (Ephesians 1:13; 2 Corinthians 6:16b) It has always been God’s plan to live with human beings. In the beginning God lived with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. In the desert God lived with His people in a tent, and then in a temple in Canaan. Through Jeremiah and Ezekiel God promised to come and live in His people’s hearts. And now, because of the life, death, resurrection and exaltation of Jesus, God can live with human beings through His Holy Spirit. When a person becomes a Christian they receive the Holy Spirit. The church is a gathering of Christians who are filled with the Holy Spirit, and the Bible refers to them as the temple of God. Through the Holy Spirit living in God’s people the covenant promise is fulfilled – “I will be their God, they will be my people”. God’s Kingdom is present in Christians.
The new covenant (Galatians 5:16-17, 24-25; Romans 8:9a) When people become Christians the Holy Spirit enables them to obey God’s rules and to live as God intended. Christians have the Holy Spirit living in them, and they seek to live by the Spirit in obedience to God. This is the fulfilment of the new covenant.
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GRACE
Chapter 38
LAW
GRACE
Obedience is the way of life for those in a relationship with God. Relationship with God is established by grace.
The law is internal, written on the heart.
God forgives His people’s sins forever.
God’s Spirit lives in His people’s hearts helping them to obey His rules.
‘I will be their God, they will be my people’ When the Holy Spirit comes, God’s Kingdom promise is fulfilled. God now lives among His people as their God.
Entering the Kingdom (John 3:3, 5) Jesus says that unless people are born of the Holy Spirit they cannot enter the Kingdom of God. When Jesus says this He is referring to the promise of the new covenant in Ezekiel 36. It is only through a new birth by the Spirit of God that we can enter God’s Kingdom.
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God’s Kingdom Constitution:
‘I will be their God, they will be my people’ God’s promises Place
Creation
People
Eden
Rule & Blessing
Adam & Eve God’s word
King
Adam
God’s Kingdom ruined Abraham
Canaan
Abraham’s family
God’s promises
Kings from Abraham’s family
Israel in desert
Tabernacle
Israel nation
God’s rules
Tribe of Judah
Israel in Canaan
Temple in Canaan
Israel nation
God’s rules
David, Solomon
God’s Kingdom ruined…again! Israel in exile
Return to new temple in Canaan
Remnant
New covenant
A perfect King is promised
JESUS
Jesus
The fulfilment of God’s promises The church
God’s people are a living temple
People who The Gospel King Jesus have faith in Jesus
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Think it through & discuss 1. What did Jesus promise?
2. What is the church called, and why?
3. What did God promise in the new covenant in relation to the Holy Spirit?
4. How is the coming of the Holy Spirit connected to God’s Kingdom?
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Chapter 39
Hebrews 8-10
The Story so Far Through His death Jesus provides a new relationship with God, which is available to everyone. Jesus’ resurrection is based on the eyewitness accounts of many people. Through His death and resurrection Jesus defeated Satan and therefore established God’s Kingdom – the new age when God’s people would live in God’s presence, under His rule and blessing. When Jesus ascended to heaven He sent His promised Holy Spirit, which was a fulfilment of God’s Kingdom promise to live among His people and be their God.
Objectives • To explain where Jesus goes after His resurrection • To present the comparison between the old and new covenant • To understand that Jesus is the new priest-King of God’s world and that God’s Kingdom is now
Connections • Connections and comparisons between the old and new covenants • Adam, Israel and Jesus as priest-Kings
Summary Jesus ascends into heaven as the new priest-King of God’s world. God’s Kingdom is here because Jesus provides us with constant access into God’s presence, where we live under His rule and blessing.
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The Kingdom has Come The old covenant
GRACE
LAW
GRACE
Obedience is the way of life for those in a relationship with God. Relationship with God is established by grace.
The law is external, written on stone. People’s hearts, like Adam’s, are inclined to disobey God’s rules.
Forgiveness once a year through sacrifices and a priest
‘I will be their God, they will be my people’ There were three main problems with the old covenant: 1. The people of God could not keep His law (Hebrews 8:7-9) They knew about the 10 rules but kept disobeying them. The problem in the old covenant was the human heart.
2. There was limited access to God’s presence (Hebrews 9:1-8) Only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place once a year, and not without blood for himself and the people.
3. God remembered his people’s sins every year (Hebrews 10:1-4, 11) The sacrifices of animals were not enough to forgive the people’s sins forever, and to make their hearts clean for worship.
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The new covenant promised (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:26-27) The prophets in the Old Testament promised that these problems would be solved by a new covenant:
1. God’s law would be written on His people’s hearts God give people a new heart by giving them His Spirit to help them obey God’s laws.
2. God would forgive their sins forever This means that God would have to provide His people with a perfect once-for-all sacrifice, and also a perfect priest.
The tabernacle and heaven (Hebrews 8:5) The real Most Holy Place is in heaven. The tabernacle and the temple were copies of the real Most Holy Place. Therefore, people do still need a sacrifice and a priest in order to approach God.
The new covenant is here Through Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension the new covenant has come. We see this in three main ways:
1. God’s law is written on His people’s hearts (Hebrews 10:15-16) Through the coming of God’s Spirit we have been given new hearts that are now able to obey His law.
2. There is unlimited access to God’s presence through Jesus (Hebrews 9:24-26; 10:12,19-22) Jesus has entered God’s presence on our behalf as our high priest. Because He is the perfect priest and offers the perfect sacrifice He is able to enter God’s presence and sit down. He remains in God’s presence, and because we are connected to Him through the Holy Spirit we now have unlimited access to God. Human beings have not enjoyed this since Adam rebelled in the garden.
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3. God forgives our sins forever (Hebrews 10:10,12, 17-18) Jesus’ death is a once-for-all sacrifice that ensures God has forgiven all our sins. There is no more payment necessary for us to be forgiven. Jesus’ death has paid for it all.
GRACE
LAW
GRACE
Obedience is the way of life for those in a relationship with God. Relationship with God is established by grace.
The law is internal, written on the heart.
God forgives His people’s sins forever.
God’s Spirit lives in His people’s hearts helping them to obey His rules.
‘I will be their God, they will be my people’ The promised Kingdom God established His Kingdom with Adam, the priest-king; but Adam rebelled and the Kingdom was ruined. God then promised His Kingdom to Abraham, a new priest-king. Abraham’s children, Israel, were given the role of being a priest-king to the world – God would rule and bless the world through them. But they disobeyed God and He removed them from His presence.
The Kingdom has come (Hebrews 10:12-13) Jesus came announcing that the Kingdom was near because He is God’s King. Through His death and resurrection He defeated Satan and therefore brought in God’s Kingdom – the new age when God’s people live in God’s presence, under His rule and blessing. The constitution of God’s Kingdom is – “I will be their God, they will be my people”. When Jesus ascends to heaven He sends His promised Holy Spirit, which is a fulfilment of God’s Kingdom promise to live among His people and be their God. He 276
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now lives with His people through the Holy Spirit living in people’s hearts. God’s people live in God’s presence, under His rule and blessing because of what Jesus has done for them. A new way has been opened through Jesus so that people can live with God again. Jesus is now the new priest-King who rules God’s world from heaven, waiting to defeat all His enemies. The new covenant has come. God’s Kingdom is now here, and can be entered by any one who trusts in Jesus.
Jesus ascends into heaven as the new priest-King of God’s world. God’s Kingdom is here because Jesus provides us with constant access into God’s presence, where we live under His rule and blessing.
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Think it through & discuss 1. Where is Jesus now and what is He doing?
2. What were the problems with the old covenant?
3. How are these problems solved in the new covenant?
4. In what way is Jesus the new priest-King of God’s world?
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Chapter 40
Revelation 7, 21
The Story so Far When Jesus ascended to heaven He sent His promised Holy Spirit, which was a fulfilment of God’s Kingdom promise to live among His people and be their God. The new covenant had come. God’s Kingdom was now here. The constitution of God’s Kingdom is – “I will be their God, they will be my people”. God’s people now live in God’s presence, under His rule and blessing because of what Jesus has done for them. A new way has been opened through Jesus so that people can live with God again. Jesus is now the new priest-King who rules God’s world from heaven waiting to defeat all His enemies.
Objectives • To explain that Jesus is coming back again as Judge • To see God’s Kingdom completed in the new heavens and the new earth
Connections • The promises to Abraham are finally completed when the nations come to worship Jesus in a new creation • God’s Kingdom in Eden and in the new creation – similar themes
Summary When Jesus returns He will judge the world and complete God’s Kingdom. In the new creation God’s people will live in God’s presence, under His rule and blessing forever. 281
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The Completed Kingdom Jesus’ return (John 14:3, Acts 1:11) Just before Jesus died He promised His followers that after He went to heaven He would return again. After Jesus left the earth, some angels appeared to the disciples and promised His return. Jesus explained that only God knew when His return would be. The Bible encourages Christians to look forward to the day when Jesus will return. We have every reason to believe that He will return because He always told the truth. His resurrection proves to us that He is not a liar, and will keep His promise.
Bad news (Acts 17:31; Romans 2:16)
Jesus’ return is not good news for everyone. The Bible says that God has appointed a day of judgement to punish all the wrongs committed by every person on earth. This coming day is as certain as the day Jesus rose from the dead. On judgement day, even the secrets of people’s hearts will be exposed. Nothing will be hidden from God’s sight.
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Punishment (2 Thessalonians 1:8-10) Everlasting punishment awaits those who have lived their lives ignoring God in His world, and who have not responded in faith to the good news message of Jesus.
Blessing to the nations (Revelation 7:9-12) Early in the Bible God promised Abraham that through his family He would bless the nations. This was fulfilled through the person of Jesus Christ. Through His death and resurrection all who believe in Him are blessed. The Bible describes a day in the future when people from every nation, tribe, people and language will gather around the throne of God to sing praises to King Jesus, the Lamb who was slain.
God’s Kingdom completed (Revelation 21:1-3)
The Bible ends as it started. There are similar themes and pictures at both ends of the Bible: God’s rule, God’s presence with His people, God’s blessing, and a heaven and an earth. In the beginning God established a Kingdom – God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. However, human
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beings rebelled against God’s loving rule and chose to live life their own way. God then initiated a rescue plan to win back human beings from Satan. He promised to rebuild His Kingdom through Abraham and the nation of Israel. God’s Kingdom promise was “I will be their God, they will be my people”. However, only when Jesus came was God’s Kingdom really established and victory over Satan secured. God’s Kingdom is here now, but it is not yet finally completed. Jesus is God’s exalted King and through Him God can live with His people again. But only when Jesus finally returns will He bring in the new creation and then God’s Kingdom will be completed. Then God will rule from His throne; He will live among His people; He will be their God; and they, forever, will be His people.
A new creation (Revelation 21:4-5) The curses that Satan brought into the world will be permanently removed. The sea (which symbolises all opposition to God) will be no more. All things will be made new…forever! God’s loving covenant – made with Adam, ruined by Adam, re-promised to Abraham and Israel, and established by Jesus, will finally be completed. God’s perfect Kingdom will finally have come, and the constitution will never again be broken, for it is sealed in the blood of the King!
When Jesus returns He will judge the world and complete God’s Kingdom. In the new creation God’s people will live in God’s presence, under His rule and blessing forever.
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God’s Kingdom Constitution:
‘I will be their God, they will be my people’ God’s promises Place
Creation
People
Eden
Rule & Blessing
Adam &Eve God’s word
King
Adam
God’s Kingdom ruined Abraham
Canaan
Abraham’s family
God’s promise
Kings from Abraham’s family
Israel in desert
Tabernacle
Israel nation
God’s rules
Tribe of Judah
Israel in Canaan
Temple in Canaan
Israel nation
God’s rules
David, Solomon
Israel in exile
Return to new temple in Canaan
Remnant
New covenant
A perfect King is promised
JESUS
Jesus
The fulfilment of God’s promises The church
God’s people = living temple
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New heaven & new earth
Perfect people from every nation 285
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Think it through & discuss 1. How do we know Jesus is going to return again?
2. Why will Jesus’ return be bad news for some people?
3. How is God’s promise to bless the nations fulfilled?
4. What is at the centre of the new creation?
5. Name some things that will be missing from the new creation.
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New Testament Books
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Romans 10
The Story so Far Before Jesus left the earth He promised that He would return. It would be good news for His followers, but bad news for everyone who had refused to submit to His rule and accept His offer of forgiveness through His death and resurrection. When Jesus does return He will bring in a new creation. God’s Kingdom will then finally be completed. God will rule from His throne; He will live among His people and be their God, and they will be His people. This means that God will have a perfect relationship with His people forever. Satan and all the bad things that he brought into the world will be finally removed from the new creation.
Objectives • To understand the implications of Jesus’ Kingdom • To present people with the choice that we all face
Connections • Our response to the gospel will determine whether Jesus will be our Saviour and Lord, or our Judge
Summary We will all meet King Jesus one day because He is God’s King of the world. And so we all face a choice – will He be our Saviour and King, or our Judge?
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The Choice we all Face
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“…if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart your that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Christianity is not one religion among many. Jesus is God’s King of the whole earth. This means that truth is not relative and all religions cannot be equally valid. There is one God who made the world; Jesus is God’s King, and therefore all people on earth are accountable to King Jesus. This is true whether people believe it or not. Oxygen continues to exist and keep one alive whether one believes in it or not. Only because of God do we live and breathe, and have our existence. God is not going to stop existing because some people don’t believe in Him! And the same is true with Jesus as God’s King. Whether one believes it or not, we will all stand before Jesus one day and give an account as to how we lived in His Father’s world. Ignoring this fact about the future, or disbelieving it, doesn’t change the future – we will all meet King Jesus. And so we all face a choice. Will we live in God’s world like Adam in rebellion and independence from God, or will we live with Jesus as our Lord? If we choose to continue in our rebellion, then we must understand that we will face Jesus as our judge one day. It will be a terrible judgement of eternal punishment forever. The Bible describes this as hell. However, the good news of the Bible is that if we choose God’s way through faith in Jesus, we receive forgiveness and acceptance with God. From then on we have a right relationship with God and live in His Kingdom, under His loving rule and blessing. We become His children and followers of His Son Jesus. The Bible presents it as an unavoidable fact - we will all meet King Jesus one day. The question is: will it be as Judge, or as Saviour and King? The choice is ours. We will all meet King Jesus one day because He is God’s King of the world. And so we all face a choice – will He be our Saviour and King, or our Judge?
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Think it through & discuss 1. Why do Christians believe that truth is not relative, and that all religions are not equally valid?
2. Why should we listen to the message that Jesus is God’s King of God’s world?
3. Do you agree that we will meet King Jesus one day? Justify your answer.
4. How can a person be saved from God’s judgement?
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Romans 3, 5
The Story so Far Jesus is King of God’s world and because He is God’s appointed judge everyone will meet him one day. And so we all have a choice – will Jesus be our Saviour and King, or our Judge?
Objectives • To explain how to have a right relationship with God
Connections • Entering God’s Kingdom by being put right with God through faith in Jesus
Summary To have a right relationship with God and enter His Kingdom we trust Jesus as the one who receives our punishment, and who provides the perfect life we need.
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A Right Relationship with God In the beginning human beings had a perfect relationship with God. He was their Father and they were His children. But when Adam disobeyed God, the relationship was broken and we all inherited a wrong relationship with God. He became our judge, and passed the verdict that we are guilty. The payment for our rebellion is everlasting punishment.
Human beings deserve to die and receive God’s eternal punishment. This is just. The question is - can a person ever be put right with God? The problem was solved when Jesus died in the place of guilty people and received the eternal punishment from God. On the cross God the Father was Jesus’ judge. So justice is accomplished. Payment has been paid. A punishment has been received for the wrong life of human beings.
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But it is only half the solution. Human beings are still not in a right relationship with God. They have no righteousness of their own. Justification consists of both pardon and the receiving of righteousness. Justification is more than forgiveness; it is also about being put right with God. The good news of justification is that not only does Jesus receive the punishment for our sins, but we also receive His perfect life into our account. When we believe in Jesus we receive a right relationship with God – Jesus’ right relationship with God is credited to us. God is no longer our judge; He is now our Father.
The Good News (Romans 3:25-26) This is why the Bible says that God is both just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. When God declares guilty people innocent He remains just, because Jesus paid the punishment for them, and He can justify guilty people because Jesus lived a perfect life for them. It is the great exchange. Jesus receives our death; we receive His life. He receives our punishment; we receive His righteousness.
A right relationship with God (Romans 5:1) God is now satisfied. His just demands have been met by the death of Jesus. To have a right relationship with God we trust Jesus as the one who receives our punishment, and who provides the perfect life we need. When we do this we have peace with God and we enter His Kingdom. To have a right relationship with God and enter His Kingdom we trust Jesus as the one who receives our punishment, and who provides the perfect life we need. 295
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Think it through & discuss 1. Why do we have a wrong relationship with God?
2. What has Jesus done for us to have a right relationship with God?
3. How do we receive a right relationship with God?
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Chapter 43
Matthew 16
The Story so Far Jesus is King of God’s world and because He is God’s appointed judge everyone will meet Him one day. And so we all have a choice – will Jesus be our Saviour and King, or our Judge? To have a right relationship with God and enter His Kingdom we trust Jesus as the one who receives our punishment, and who provides the perfect life we need.
Objectives • To show the Christian life is the best life, but also the most difficult life to live
Connections • Christian’s follow the example of Jesus – He suffered, so will His followers
Summary The Christian life is the best life because we live in our Father’s world as He intended. But it is also the most difficult life as it involves suffering for Jesus. We suffer because He suffered.
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Considering the Cost
The best life The Christian life is the best life you can live, but it is not an easy life. In fact, in a strange way, the Christian life can be said to be both the best and the most difficult life to live. It is the best life because when we become Christians God accepts us and He becomes our Father. We live in our Father’s world as He intended under His loving rule and blessing. We enjoy the blessings of forgiveness, adoption into His family, a relationship with Jesus, the Holy Spirit living in us, and the hope of a perfect life in the future. Christians also enjoy the ordinary things in life: like food, drink, music, art, sport, family and friends, because we acknowledge that they have come from God. We understand the reason for work and enjoy our rest. We do all these things to the glory of God. Christians have the most fun in life because we are learning how to live in our Father’s world as He intended. People who live their lives outside God’s rule are like children who choose to stay at home in the rain, and build sandcastles in the garden with mud, when what is offered to them is a day at the beach in the sun!
A difficult life (Matthew 16:24) But Jesus also said that the Christian life is difficult. He described it in terms of self-denial and suffering. To deny ourselves means that we surrender our own goals, ambitions and desires to King Jesus. Our plans and purposes in life are now centred on God and His Kingdom. This does not mean 298
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that we do not pursue jobs or the studies that we would like; but rather that we do so with the purpose of helping to build God’s Kingdom. We are no longer living for ourselves, but we now live for Jesus. We are citizens of His Kingdom. Jesus’ life led to the cross, which was a very offensive symbol in His culture. It represented shame and suffering. To follow Jesus is to live the same life He did, with opposition for what we believe. Christians will suffer. There is no option. But this does not necessarily mean physical sufferings like cancer, or blindness, or a difficult boss at work. All people on earth suffer these things; whether they are Christian or not. Rather, Christians suffer for the good news message about Jesus. We suffer as we try to live good and upright lives in this evil world, and we face opposition as we try to tell others about Jesus.
The Christian life is the best life because we live in our Father’s world as He intended. But it is also the most difficult life as it involves suffering for Jesus. We suffer because He suffered.
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Think it through & discuss 1. Why is the Christian life the best life?
2. What does it mean for followers of Jesus to deny themselves?
3. Why do Christians suffer?
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The Story so Far . . .
The Bible The Bible is God’s book. God is the author of the Bible, but He used human beings to write it. Every word in the Bible comes from God. The Bible has one story – Jesus and His Kingdom.
The beginning of God’s Kingdom In the beginning God created a perfect world. He created human beings (Adam and Eve) to be in a relationship with Himself and to obey His words. God had a special place called Eden where He lived with His people. In the beginning, God put His people in His place and asked them to obey His words. God had established a Kingdom - God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing.
The ruin of God’s Kingdom An angel from heaven called Satan rebelled against God and was thrown out of heaven to the earth. He entered the Garden of Eden and tried to destroy God’s Kingdom. God gave human beings the role of ruling the world, but they failed in a big way. They wanted to be their own rulers, deciding for themselves what is right and wrong. They listened to Satan and rejected God’s authority and His loving rule. The result was a broken relationship with God and the Kingdom was ruined.
God’s punishment God judged human beings and threw them out of His place and did not let them go back into the Garden of Eden. The punishment was a broken relationship with God and with each other. Death entered the world. The Kingdom God had established was ruined.
God’s promise But God also acted in grace and promised a Rescuer-Ruler who would come and defeat Satan and rebuild God’s Kingdom. The Rescuer-Ruler would come from the family line of Adam and Eve and rescue people back into the Kingdom of God. The rest of the 301
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Bible is the progressive story of how the promised Rescuer-Ruler will come and establish God’s Kingdom.
A new beginning In the story of Cain and Abel we saw that human rebellion had been passed on to the whole human race. We all die because we have all chosen to be the rulers of our own lives. However, human rebellion increased to the point where God decided to judge the world. In the flood God re-created the world and gave human beings a new beginning. By saving Noah He showed His commitment to restoring His Kingdom through the promised Rescuer-Ruler.
Human rebellion again But things soon went wrong again. People disobeyed God’s words to populate and fill the earth. They tried to stay in one place and build a city for security and a tower for their own religion. Like Adam and Eve they tried to become like God, and make a name for themselves. God judged them by confusing their language, scattering people over the whole earth. God’s purposes were still fulfilled.
The promised Kingdom God’s response to the rebellion at Babel was to choose a man called Abraham. God graciously promised him three things: a land, a people, and a blessing. God was re-establishing His Kingdom through the family of Abraham – God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. God tested His own Kingdom promises by asking Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham obeyed God, but just before he was about to kill Isaac, God provided a substitute sacrifice in order to keep His Kingdom promises.
From slavery to service God’s promises to Abraham involved his children living in a foreign land as slaves for 400 years. Through Joseph God’s people went to live in Egypt and after some time they became slaves to Pharaoh, king of Egypt. God then sent Moses to Egypt to rescue His people, but Pharaoh refused to let them go. So God fought for His people as the Warrior-King against Pharaoh and destroyed their enemy. God then brought Israel to Mount Sinai where He gave them His rules. He was now their King and so they could not 302
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live any way they wanted. Israel was to live in obedience to God, and so like Adam, be a priest to the world. Through Israel God would rule and bless the world.
From Sinai to Canaan At Mount Sinai God instructed the people to build Him a tent. God’s plan was to rescue back a people for Himself so that He could live with them. God was restoring His Kingdom – God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. However, it was not long before Israel disobeyed God and broke the rules of the covenant. But God was able to keep the covenant going by graciously providing a sacrifice and a priest to help pay for the people’s disobedience. When Israel reached the Promised Land they refused to enter it because they were scared of the people. God punished Israel for 40 years in the desert, yet He remained faithful and eventually brought their children to enter the land, along with Joshua and Caleb. Just before they entered the land Moses warned them: “If you obey, you will be blessed. If you disobey, God will punish you by removing you from the land.”
From Canaan to exile Through Joshua’s victories Israel inherited the land God promised to Abraham. During the first 350 years in the land judges ruled Israel. But the system was not working – Israel needed a king. God’s Kingdom could not come until Israel had a king. Israel’s first three kings were Saul, David and Solomon. Each of them was good in different ways, but they all failed and disobeyed God. After Solomon the kingdom declined, and eventually God removed the people from the land due to their disobedience. God’s Kingdom was ruined again. However, all hope was not lost. God had promised David that from his family there would come a King, whose Kingdom God would establish forever. This King was the promised Rescuer-Ruler that was introduced at the beginning of the Bible.
From exile to Canaan Before, during and after the exile God spoke to His people through prophets. They were people called by God to speak God’s words to His people. They message was simple – Israel had sinned, God would remove them from the land. But they gave a message of hope – God would be faithful to His promises. He would bring a remnant back into the land. In particular God promised a new
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covenant, one in which He would change the human heart to obey His laws, and also in which He would forgive people’s sins forever. When God’s people arrived back in the land there was great expectation for the restoration of God’s Kingdom. The temple and the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt. However, the people’s hearts had not changed and they soon disobeyed God’s rules again. God was going to come in judgement to His temple. We were left waiting for the promised Rescuer-Ruler who would finally change the hearts of God’s people and restore the Kingdom. There were 400 years of silence and God’s people still waited…
The Kingdom is near Jesus’ birth was very unique because He had no human father and prophets predicted His birth 700 years before it actually happened. Jesus is the long promised King from David and Abraham’s families, and His name “Jesus” identifies Him as the promised Rescuer-Ruler. Jesus overcame Satan in the desert and so proved himself as the final obedient Son who could establish God’s Kingdom. Where Adam and Israel failed Jesus did not fail, but proved himself as the perfect Son. His message was simple: “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is here”. The reason the Kingdom had arrived was because the King was now here. Jesus demonstrated His authority as God’s King through His miracles. He showed God’s rule over Satan, sickness, sin and creation. Jesus taught in parables. These were challenging stories that communicated an important truth about the Kingdom of God. Jesus told various parables explaining that His Kingdom was here and that people should respond positively to it. Those who did not respond positively to God’s King remained under His judgement.
The Kingdom has come Jesus was taken by His own people and put on trial for claiming to be God. The religious leaders wanted Him put to death, but Pilate the Roman Governor found Him innocent. However, in the end he handed Jesus over to be crucified. Jesus the innocent King died in the place of guilty rebellious people. Jesus was the innocent substitute who was punished by His Father instead of guilty rebellious people. Through His death Jesus provided a new relationship with God, which was available to everyone. Three days later Jesus rose from the dead.
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Through His death and resurrection Jesus defeated Satan and therefore established God’s Kingdom – the new age when God’s people would live in God’s presence, under His rule and blessing. When Jesus ascended to heaven He sent His promised Holy Spirit, which was a fulfilment of God’s Kingdom promise to live among His people and be their God. The new covenant had come. God’s Kingdom was now here. The constitution of God’s Kingdom is – “I will be their God, they will be my people”. God’s people now live in God’s presence, under His rule and blessing because of what Jesus has done for them. A new way has been opened through Jesus so that people can live with God again. Jesus is now the new priest-King who rules God’s world from heaven waiting to defeat all His enemies.
The completed Kingdom Before Jesus left the earth He promised that He would return. It would be good news for His followers, but bad news for everyone who had refused to submit to His rule and accept His offer of forgiveness through His death and resurrection. When Jesus does return He will bring in a new creation. God’s Kingdom will then finally be completed – God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing. God will rule from His throne; He will live among His people and be their God, and they will be His people. This means that God will have a perfect relationship with His people forever. Satan and all the bad things that he brought into the world will be finally removed from the new creation.
God’s Kingdom and us Jesus is King of God’s world and because He is God’s appointed judge everyone will meet him one day. And so we all have a choice – will Jesus be our Saviour and King, or our Judge? To have a right relationship with God and enter His Kingdom we trust Jesus as the one who receives our punishment, and who provides the perfect life we need. The Christian life is best life because we live in our Father’s world as He intended. But is also the most difficult life as it involves suffering for Jesus. We suffer because He suffered.
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God’s Kingdom Constitution:
‘I will be their God, they will be my people’ God’s promises Place
Creation
People
Eden
Rule & Blessing
King
Adam &Eve God’s word
Adam
God’s Kingdom ruined Abraham
Canaan
Abraham’s family
God’s promises
Kings from Abraham’s family
Israel in desert
Tabernacle
Israel nation
God’s rules
Tribe of Judah
Israel in Canaan
Temple in Canaan
Israel nation
God’s rules
David, Solomon
God’s Kingdom ruined…again! Israel in exile
Return to new temple in Canaan
Remnant
New covenant
A perfect King is promised
JESUS
Jesus
The fulfilment of God’s promises The church
God’s people are a living temple
People who The Gospel King Jesus have faith in Jesus
New creation
New heaven & new earth
Perfect people from every nation
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Story of a Kingdom (SOK) Other resources to help explain the Bible to all ages: SOK Booklet A shortened version of this book. Contains a study guide as well. SOK Power Point Useful for presentation of the SOK material. SOK for Children A simple explanation of the Bible for children.
Contact us:
[email protected] www.sok.org.uk
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