Themes Of Redemption

David & Goliath

1 Samuel 17:2-11

And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. 

And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him. He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” 

And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.” When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

vs.16

For forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand, morning and evening.

vs.24

All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid.

vs.26

And David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel?

vs.38-39

Then Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail, and David strapped his sword over his armor. And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them.

vs.41-47

And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.” 

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hand.”

vs.50

So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David.

_______________________________

When we read the story of David & Goliath, who do we most want to associate ourselves with?

Maybe this is another example of our American perspective, but we often want to associate ourselves with the underdog of the story.

Evidence of that can be seen in….  Every sports movie, ever.
The Underdogs
Rudy
The Replacements
Invincible
Remember The Titans
The Bad News Bears
A League Of Their Own
Moneyball
The Rookie
Miracle
The Mighty Ducks
Cool Runnings
Million Dollar Baby
Rocky 1-5 and Rocky Balboa
Cinderella Man
Real Steal

Psychologists have studied this phenomenon and it is a fact that people are more interested in stories about underdogs.  

A 2007 study found that when a group of people were presented with two imaginary Olympic swimmers, EVERY SINGLE PERSON believed that the underdog would win.  For NO REASON!!!

And David was, on the surface (and in the eyes of the Israelites) an underdog.  And since David is an underdog who wins, we want to associate ourselves with him.  

The internet is full of blogs and articles and Youtube is full of sermons associating ourselves with David in his fight against Goliath.
-Defeating the giants in your life
-Facing the giants in your life
-3 steps to defeating the giants in your life
-How to slay your giants

***Not all of those sermons and articles will associate us with David, but it is a common theme***

And I’m not saying that we can’t learn anything from David in his fight with Goliath.  There is a lot from this story, both physically spiritually, that we can learn.

>>>Side note—David was allowed to fight the lion and bear.<<<

But there’s another look at the story of David and Goliath that we should consider.  And this other perspective allows us to see the theme of God’s Plan Of Redemption.

The Israelites were a people who were trying to follow God.  They weren’t always very good at it and we are often pretty hard on them for it.  But they’re not necessarily any better or worse than us today in many way.  

They were a broken and sinful people.

There was an overwhelming enemy.  An enemy that couldn’t be conquered.  An enemy that no amount of strategy or cunning or strength could defeat.  

The Israelites were powerless before this enemy.

And there was David.  David was a man after God’s own heart.  David was chosen by God to lead His people and to save them from an enemy they couldn’t fight on their own.

In the story of David and Goliath we have the broken and sinful people, the overwhelming enemy, and the man after God’s own heart.

Of those, which one most closely represents us?

In the story of David and Goliath we can learn a lot about how to live our lives from the example of David.

But in the story……. WE’RE NOT DAVID.

We’re the Israelites.  Sinful, scared, and facing an enemy that we can never defeat.

Sin has brought wrath on us that we can’t appease (propitiation), a debt that we can’t pay (redemption), broken a relationship that we can’t heal (reconciliation), and incurred a guilty sentence that we can’t avoid (justification).

THOSE things are the Goliaths in the story.

Really, deep down inside, as much as you want to be David…..Who do you most resemble?

When Satan marches out every day in front of you and dares you to resist him, do you?

Do you stand up to temptation and sling rocks at it?  Every time?

When Satan comes down off his side of the valley and he looks like sexual temptation, do you always sling rocks at him?

When he looks like jealousy of your peers who are prettier, or stronger, or richer, or smarter…..do you always resist the temptation to covet what they have?

When Satan looks like frustration and anger and ugliness toward your brothers or sisters and parents, do you always suppress that or do you give in to it?

And Christ is David.  The unexpected hero.  David conquered Goliath alone, while his brothers and the other Israelites mocked him.  Christ conquered death without our help, while we were still in rebellion against him.  

Romans 5:6-11
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Justification

Justification is a legal term which stands in opposition to the word condemnation.

It is a judicial act by God, by which he pardons sinners and treats and accepts them as innocent in the eyes of the law.  Justification declares that all of the claims of the law are satisfied.  

This is a way in which the word “pardon” may be hard for us to understand.  A president, or governor may go to a guilty person and “pardon” them, even if they are guilty.  

Justification is the act of a judge, not a King.  A king could decide to set the law aside.  But a judge, after looking at the evidence and considering the law, declares the accused person innocent.  The law IS NOT relaxed or set aside.  

Romans 5:1-10
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Therefore, since we have been justified (declared to be innocent) by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified (declared innocent) by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God (our relationship with God was mended) by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled (our relationship with God is mended), shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation (our mended relationship).

The declaration of innocence is key to this passage.  We talked on Sunday about reconciliation and the peace that Christ makes through God.  Paul says in verse 1 that we have that peace BECAUSE we are justified.  The declaration of innocence brought about peace.  

Romans 5:12-19
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

Paul says here that justification is a “free gift”, which is a roadblock for a lot of people when it comes to their faith.  They have a hard time working out the relationship between faith and works.  

Looking at our justification in terms of a legal pronouncement may help some people with that.

How do we extract our works from God’s pronouncement of innocence?  By realizing that if we are guilty, even a little bit, innocence cannot be the verdict.  

Innocence isn’t pronounced because the good outweighs the bad.  Innocence is pronounced because there is no bad.

And so no amount of good works can justify a declaration of innocence.  

A declaration of innocence for a guilty person can only be viewed as a free gift.  

So how can a just and righteous God declare someone innocent who is actually guilty?

On the basis of the death of Christ….
Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

The sacrifice of Christ…
1—Appeased the wrath of God (propitiation)
2—Repaired our relationship with God (reconciliation)
3—Washed away our sins (expiation)
4—Obtained our innocence (justification)

From a comment in Sunday’s class….
“We don’t automatically become like God.  We can see transformation.”

So it might be good to briefly talk about sanctification.

Sanctification is the idea of being set apart.

Easton’s Bible Dictionary
….it is the work of bringing the whole nature more and more under the influences of the new gracious principles implanted in the soul. In other words, sanctification is the carrying on to perfection.

Colossians 3:5-10
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

That’s a very tall order….  Put ALL of these things to death.  ALL passion, ALL evil desires.  You MUST put them ALL away….anger and malice.  

But Paul says that you’ve put on the new self, which IS BEING renewed.

Paul believed that growing in our faith and obedience, that growing in our separation or “set-apartness” from the world, was a process…not an event.

We can be declared innocent in the eyes of the law and still struggle with living up to that declaration.

What are some ways that we’ve seen that growth in our lives?

Do we see how that growth could be useful in evangelizing the lost?

We also see this idea of sanctification in our relationship with our children.

Go clean your room.
1—OK. Tries to clean their room but just can’t.  They can’t run the vacuum cleaner or reach the top shelf to put things away.
2—OK.  Starts walking to their room and gets distracted by their favorite cartoon.  And then distracted by their toys.  They WANT to clean their room, but they’re just kids.
3—NO.

As parents we would interact with these three kids differently.  Of course we would.  And I can’t help but believe that our heavenly father interacts with us the same way. 

God is merciful to us all….He is first a father, then a judge.
—Alexandre Dumas  The Count Of Monte Cristo

Where do we see themes of this growth in our worship?

Jesus Draw Me, Ever Nearer

“Jesus draw me ever nearer
As I labour through the storm.
You have called me to this passage,
and I’ll follow, though I’m worn.

May this journey bring a blessing,
May I rise on wings of faith;
And at the end of my heart’s testing,
With Your likeness let me wake.

Jesus guide me through the tempest;
Keep my spirit staid and sure.
When the midnight meets the morning,
Let me love You even more.

Let the treasures of the trial
Form within me as I go –
And at the end of this long passage,
Let me leave them at Your throne.”

This is a completely different view of “treasures” than what we see in the world.  

The world’s view of treasures at the end of a journey look more like a warrior fighting dragon to rescue the princess and take all of the gold.

Our treasures aren’t won and deserved after the end of a hard battle.  

Our treasures are “formed within us as we go”.

Several words are translated 

Reconciliationg1259. διαλλάσσω diallassō
To change someone’s mind.
To renew a friendship.

g2643. καταλλαγή katallagē
Atonement & Reconciliation
At-One-Ment
It means essentially reconciliation… In current usage, the phrase ‘to atone for’ means the undertaking of a course of action designed to undo the consequences of a wrong act with a view to the restoration of the relationship broken by the wrong act.
—Cambridge University Press

It may help to think of it as….Atonement being the action that results in reconciliation.  

Either way, they both relate to a repair of a broken relationship.  Things being torn apart, but then being made “At-One”.

Romans 5:6-11
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:16-20
From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

-God reconciled us to himself.  It was God that repaired the relationship.
-God doesn’t count our trespasses against us.
-And when he did he not only repaired the relationship, he gave us the “ministry of reconciliation”.
-AND SO we should be ambassadors for Christ. 
-God makes his appeal to the world THROUGH US.

How can we make that appeal?

How can we take the message of reconciliation to the world?

Someone mentioned in a previous class that part of the problem we face when studying these this topic is that we just can’t relate to God’s character.  For example, when God completely forgives us we have a hard time relating to that because it’s so hard for us to truly forgive each other.

The idea of “making peace” is another aspect of what was accomplished at the cross that we have a hard time relating to.

Colossians 1:19-20
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

eirēnopoieō—To be a peacemaker
This word is only found once in the Bible, but a derivative of it is found in Matthew 5:9.

Matthew 5:9
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

The Greek word translated “peacemakers” in Matthew 5 is only found once in the Bible.
eirēnopoios—Someone who makes peace

Both of these words are only used once in the New Testament, but we can see how they’re connected.  If we’re going to let the Bible be a commentary on itself, we can see what kind of peace Christ made and use that as a guide to see what kind of peace we should make if we desire to be called the “sons of God”.

We can start in Colossians 1 where we see that WE are the reason Christ needed to make peace with us, not because of some sort of mutual disagreement.

Colossians 1:19-23
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.  And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, He has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before Him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Romans 5:6-11
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

The peace that Christ made, emptying himself of His own desires and giving Himself up so that we could have a peaceful relationship with Him….

We’re called to make peace in the same way.

Phillipians 2:3-8
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 

The peace that we’re called to make is the same type of peace that Christ made.  When Christ died on the cross He gave himself up to cleanse us of our sin and rebellion.  Christ didn’t seek justice, Christ sought peace at the cost of His own life.

And that leads us to the conflict of the gospel and our society today.

Because today, in America in 2016, we have RIGHTS.

We have a system of laws that tell everyone exactly what they can and can’t do, what happens to us when we do the things we shouldn’t and what happens to other people when they infringe on our rights.

That notion, the idea that there are things that are right and wrong and that we should all get exactly what we “deserve”, what we have a “right” to, has distorted our view of Matthew 5.

Matthew 5:9
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Quote from Georgetown Mayor Dale Ross….
“‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ is true in Georgetown because we absolutely love our first responders. They always put our citizens first and they deliver that service and safety at the highest levels. They need our support in a very vocal way.”

The notion that many today have of “peacemakers” is that people who make peace are the people who make us safe.  And that, I believe, may be a very uniquely American point of view.

God created all men, but Sam Colt made them all equal.

The SAA was adopted as the official sidearm of the United States Army in 1872 and is known as “The Gun That Won The West”.  It’s also known as “The Peacemaker”.

We’ve made peace synonymous with safety and justice, and nothing could be further from the truth.

But Eric, those signs were supporting law enforcement and quoting the Bible, how could there be anything wrong with that?

It’s really not supporting the police, it’s romanticizing what they do….likely because we don’t want to think about what their real job is.

Romans 13:1-4
Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.

When a police officer is called to make people safe or to facilitate justice, he’s absolutely doing God’s work here on Earth.  He’s an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.

But no more a servant of God, carrying out God’s work here on Earth than those who adopt children or who take widows into their homes.

James 1:27
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

No more so than a Christian who decides to remain single so that they can devote more attention to God’s Kingdom.

1 Corinthians 7:32-35
I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.

And no more so than a young Christian who decides to devote their studies to the interpretation and translation of God’s word, rather than a more lucrative career.

John 21:15-17
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”

So don’t get me wrong, I believe that those who are carrying God’s wrath to the wrongdoer are doing a good thing, just like many other Christians are doing.

But make no mistake about it….They’re not peacemakers. 

Because peace by force isn’t peace at all.

When a police officer catches a bank robber, does he set the robber free and repay the stolen money out of his own pocket?

When a police officer goes to court to testify against a murderer, does he give the damning testimony and then offer up his own life so the murderer can go free?

OF COURSE NOT.

But THAT is “Making Peace”.

But that’s what Christ did on the cross.  He paid our debt of sin that we could never afford to pay.  He died the death that we deserve, so that we could one day live with Him in Heaven.

This popular notion that peace can be found through force, by asserting our rights and seeking justice, is a lie.

How do we get this message out to the world?  How do we start correcting this misconception society has about peace?

We can let the world see Christ’s example of peacemaking in us.  We can suffer wrong without complaining.  We can stop demanding our “rights” and seek to meet the needs of others before ourselves.  We can take on the role of a servant, washing the feet of those people who would betray us.

And THEN, through that example, we can lead people to the sacrifice of Christ.

Redemption

Another word that’s used to describe what happened on the cross is the word redemption, which gives us a different look at Christ’s redeeming work and a deeper appreciation for his sacrifice.

The word redemption in the Bible always carries with it the notion of a debt being paid, a record being cleared.

Why is being specific with the definition important?

Because the debt that we owed God wasn’t cancelled.  A cancelled debt is one where the creditor just says “never mind”.  A cancelled debt is a debt that you can’t pay THAT NEVER GETS PAID.  A creditor who says “ah, forget it, don’t worry about it” may be a merciful creditor.  

But that’s not a just creditor.  

Expiation, the forgiveness of our sins, without redemption, the debt being paid, completely leaves God’s justice out of the picture.

g3083. λύτρον lytron
It’s the price that must be paid for something.
Specifically, a life.

Exodus 21:28-30
“When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall not be liable. But if the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has been warned but has not kept it in, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death. If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed on him.

Numbers 35:30-31
“If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses. But no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness. Moreover, you shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer, who is guilty of death, but he shall be put to death.

Matthew 20:26-28
But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Christ’s understanding of his life was that he would die.  And that his death would save mankind.  It would redeem them from their sins.

Hebrews 9:11-12
But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.

The redemption accomplished through Christ’s sacrifice is eternal, once and for all.

Ephesians 1:7-10
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

We’ve already read this passage once in reference to our forgiveness, but it’s worth looking at again with an eye on the bigger picture, including the theme of redemption.

1 Timothy 2:5-6
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

This passage gives us the idea of redemption (ransom) and introduces us to another theme, the theme of a mediator or intercessor.  

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Galatians 4:4-7
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

When we have a deeper understanding of these different attributes of God’s character…..
1—The notion that God’s wrath was satisfied through the propitiation of Christ.
2—That God’s mercy extended complete forgiveness to us.
3—That God’s justice was satisfied by Christ paying our debt.

When we understand all of that we can have a deeper appreciation for God’s word.

Can you think of any passages that show these different attributes, below the surface?

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 is about God’s love, because his love MOTIVATED God to send Jesus.  

But it was God’s wrath and justice that made the sacrifice necessary.

It was God’s holiness that could not be reunited with man until the sacrifice was made.

After this class Paul is going to teach on Man’s Response To God’s Plan and then Young Travis will teach on The Christian Walk.  I don’t want to get too far into Travis’ class, but I’ll quickly note the specific references in these last few passages.  

Holiness can’t happen without redemption.  And redemption is so that we can be holy.

Romans 6:1-12
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

We have been raised to walk a new life.  We are instruments of righteousness.  

Sin won’t have dominion over us.  We will no longer be slaves to sin….  But then who and what will rule over us?

Titus 2:11-14
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

We have been redeemed to live with self control and to be zealous for good works.

1 Peter 1:13-19
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

We weren’t just purchased to be possessed.  We were purchased FROM our futile ways and called to be holy.

Expiation

On Sunday we talked about Propitiation and how it (the appeasement of God’s wrath) differs from Expiation (the removal of the guilt of sin).  

Now we’ll take a deeper look at the idea of expiation.  Expiation means the removal of guilt, the clearing of a record.  It should be the most exciting to us because it involves the actual declaration of innocence.

The word expiation doesn’t occur in the New Testament, but it is an idea that encompasses several Biblical themes and words that are used in the New Testament.

Matthew 26:26-28
Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Acts 2:38
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 13:38-39
Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

Ephesians 1:7-10
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

We see in Ephesians the plan of redemption we’ve been talking about.  

Christ redeemed us (we’ll talk about redemption next) and our sins are forgiven.  Why?  So we could be reunited with God.

Hebrews 10:1-18
For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”

When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

—We have been “sanctified once for all”
—A single sacrifice for sins.
—We have been “perfected for all time”
—I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.
—There is forgiveness.

Where else do we see this in our worship?

In the Lord’s Supper

Matthew 26:26-28
Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

The songs we sing

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you washed in the blood?
In the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless, are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

It is well with my soul
My sin, oh, the bliss
of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, o my soul!

What can wash away my sins?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

When we talk about what was accomplished through God’s Plan of Redemption….. Forgiveness of our sins, being washed clean, is the other side of the coin from propitiation.

Propitiation

Now we’re going to look at the word propitiation.  What does it mean, how and where is it used in the Bible, how does it relate to the Cross, and what does that mean for us?

First, let’s talk about what the word actually means….

There are three words translated as propitiation in the Bible.

The Hebrew word kapporeth is translated as the “mercy seat”.   It was the lid of the ark of the covenant.  The word has come to mean “cover / covering” because of this double service…..It was the literal lid of the ark and it was the place where the sacrificial blood symbolically “covered” the sins of the people.

Exodus 25:17-22 kapporeth
“You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.

The greek words hilasterion and hilasmos.

Romans 3:22-25 hilasterion
For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.

1 John 2:2 hilasmos
He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

When we’re looking at these passages it’s important to understand the nature of the word.  

Easton’s Bible Dictionary
That by which it becomes consistent with his (God’s) character and government to pardon and bless the sinner.
The propitiation does not procure his love or make him loving; it only renders it consistent for him to exercise his love towards sinners.

This is not a word or idea that is unique to the Hebrew or Christian faith.  The notion of “propitiation” is seen in the worship of false gods throughout the Bible, in modern religions, and in pop culture.  

Leviticus 20:1-2
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Say to the people of Israel, Any one of the people of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech shall surely be put to death.

2 Chronicles 28:1-3
Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as his father David had done, but he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel. He even made metal images for the Baals, and he made offerings in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom and burned his sons as an offering, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel.

2 Chronicles 33:1-6
Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel. For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had broken down, and he erected altars to the Baals, and made Asheroth, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “In Jerusalem shall my name be forever.” And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. And he burned his sons as an offering in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and used fortune-telling and omens and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger. 

There’s an important distinction to make here between propitiation and expiation.

Propitiation is the placating of God’s wrath that our sin has caused.

Expiation carries the idea of cleansing us from sin or removing the guilt of sin.

Both of those things occurred with the crucifixion of Christ, but they are two different things.  

Even in the Old Testament blood sacrifice was not always for the removal of guilt.  Look at the Passover, full of imagery that relates directly to the sacrifice of Christ.

Exodus 12:12-14
For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.

So why the confusion?  It’s primarily a misunderstanding of who God is and what makes up his character.  Expiation has to do with our sin.  Propitiation has to do with God’s reaction to our sin.  

If we only acknowledge the loving, merciful aspect of God’s character and refuse to acknowledge the potential for his wrath and anger, then propitiation (placating that anger) won’t make any sense.

Propitiation is translated “Sacrifice of Atonement” in the New International Version and Revised Standard Version.  By removing the idea of propitiation, we’ve removed a part of God’s character.

Oxford Companion to the Bible
…while some translate it as “propitiation”, this suggests appeasing or placating an angry deity–a notion hardly compatible with biblical thought and rarely occurring in that sense in the Hebrew Bible.

Exodus 32:9-10
And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.”

Jeremiah 7:16-20
“As for you, do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with me, for I will not hear you. Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The children gather wood, the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven. And they pour out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger. Is it I whom they provoke? declares the LORD. Is it not themselves, to their own shame? Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, my anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place, upon man and beast, upon the trees of the field and the fruit of the ground; it will burn and not be quenched.”

Romans 1:18
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

Romans 5:6-9
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

Revelation 6:15-17
Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

Romans 3:5-6
But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) By no means! For then how could God judge the world?

A key difference between the gospel view of propitiation and the pagan view of propitiation is that the wrath of God towards man’s sin should not be seen as arbitrary or capricious.  It should be seen as a a manifestation of God’s holiness.

God is our creator and our sin is a rebellion against him.  

And not only that, but sin causes harm (spiritually and physically) to the creation that God loves.  God isn’t angry with an abusive husband just because the husband sins, but because of the harm he inflicts on his family.  

Because of our sin we could not stand before God’s holiness.  Evil cannot dwell with him (Psalm 5).  God abhors and destroys those who sin.

A sacrifice was needed to appease that wrath.  And the gospel difference is that God provided the sacrifice for us.

Romans 3:20-26
For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

1-The law couldn’t save us because the law is what we were unable to keep.
2-Since the law couldn’t save us, God provided a sacrifice outside of the law.
3-God offered Jesus as the propitiation.>>>>>> WHY?
4-To show his RIGHTEOUSNESS.  God’s justice, his holiness, can be maintained AND we can be justified.
5-God’s holiness and his mercy are both manifested in the fact that he is JUST and THE JUSTIFIER.

1 John 2:1-2
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Jesus is….
1-The person who goes to God on our behalf.
2-Able to do this because he was righteous.
3-Effective in this because he is the propitiation.  He appeased God’s wrath and can now intercede for us.
1 John 4:9-10

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

God does not love us because Jesus died.  

Jesus died because God loves us.

Psalm 5:1-7 ties propitiation directly to our theme of God’s plan of redemption and being reunited with mankind.
Give ear to my words, O LORD;
consider my groaning.
Give attention to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you do I pray.
O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.
For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil may not dwell with you.
The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;
you hate all evildoers.
You destroy those who speak lies;
the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
will enter your house.

Read Genesis 2:15-3:24

The Talking Serpent
An objection to the Genesis account of the fall is the talking serpent.

First, we need to establish what I would have assumed would be obvious, and I suppose is to honest folks seeking the truth.  It appears that the serpent was influenced by Satan to tempt Eve. 

Revelation 12:9 and Revelation 20:1-2 seem to speak of Satan as a serpent.

Revelation 12:9
And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

Revelation 20:1-2
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan….

The curse God pronounced on the serpent was, in part, for Satan.

Genesis 3:14-15
The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

What should Eve’s reaction have been to a talking snake?

—Well, what would YOUR reaction be if your dog or cat started talking? I would be shocked, but the first thing I would do is start talking back to them.

We see an example of this with Balaam.

Numbers 22:22-30
But God’s anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the way as his adversary. Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him. And the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand. And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road. Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side. And when the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pushed against the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So he struck her again. Then the angel of the LORD went ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam. And Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you.” And the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?” And he said, “No.”  

This next part I don’t have an answer for.  I just don’t know what is meant by some of this story and there’s no use in us guessing our way through class.  But it is worth mentioning and maybe these questions could be a good conversation starter for later, outside of class.

God cursed the actual serpent.

—Not just Satan, but the serpent, too.  Why is that?
—The serpent was “more crafty”.  What does that mean?  Was there something about the serpent itself that made Satan choose THAT animal?

The Trees

Generally speaking, where do bad things happen?

—In the open, or hidden?

—In the light, or in the dark?

Do we encourage our kids to take shortcuts through dark alleys?  Of course not.  

We expect dangerous places to look like Gotham in Batman movies.  Dark, dirty, and over-exposed in film editing.

And that’s the impression that many people have of the The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.  The Tree of Life was beautiful and sparkling, always in the sunshine.  And the TOKOGAE was broken and craggly, hidden in a cave.  

That’s not what we see in Genesis.

Genesis 2:8-9
And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Midst—H8432—ṯâewḵ

To sever, to bisect….In the middle

Both of the trees were apparently together, and were both equally accessible, in the middle of the garden.  

Additionally, the tree was beautiful to look at.

Genesis 3:6
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate….

So, what are some things we can take away from the description of the trees and their location?

1—Don’t judge a book by its cover.

2—Don’t assume that dangerous things will always be hidden.

3—Just because something is easy to access doesn’t mean that its good for you.

Knowledge Of Good & Evil

What does that phrase mean?

Sometimes we can get a better understanding of what something means by knowing what it DOESN’T mean.

Genesis 2:15-17
The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Adam and Eve already had an understanding of “right and wrong”.  God told them not to eat the fruit of the tree.  Eve understood the command.  Even knew that abstaining was right and eating was wrong.  She even explained this to the serpent.  

So it’s NOT just knowing right and wrong.  

Genesis 3:4-5
But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

The word “knowing” is literally knowledge.  

Genesis 4:9
Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?”

Exodus 2:3-4
When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him.

Numbers 10:29-32
And Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place of which the LORD said, I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will do good to you, for the LORD has promised good to Israel.” But he said to him, “I will not go. I will depart to my own land and to my kindred.” And he said, “Please do not leave us, for you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will serve as eyes for us. And if you do go with us, whatever good the LORD will do to us, the same will we do to you.”

Perhaps the passage in Numbers 10 gives us a little more insight.  It wasn’t just knowledge that Moses wanted.  It was understanding.  He wanted insight.  

Deuteronomy 1:13
Choose for your tribes wise, understanding, and experienced men, and I will appoint them as your heads.

We’ve probably experienced something similar in our lives.  We teach our kids to NEVER chase a ball into the street.  They know what is right and what is wrong, but they don’t understand WHY.  As they mature, they have a better understanding of traffic and physics and know that they could get hurt if they chase a ball into the street.  Before they knew, but now they KNOW.

We’ve probably experienced something like that with our secular work.  NEVER push the red button.  And only later we understand how everything works and why we shouldn’t press the red button.  

Genesis 2:7
Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

Adam and Eve knew right and wrong only in the sense that God had instructed them that some things were right and wrong.  

But after the fall their eyes were opened and the KNEW that some things were inherently wrong, in and of themselves.

As “children” they were able to act in a certain way that didn’t bring them disgrace because they “didn’t know any better”.  Toddlers run around in nothing but a diaper without any shame.  But the transition that we see in our children as they grow up seems to be the same transition we see in Adam and Eve.  

They didn’t have to be told what was immoral.  They intrinsically knew.

And that allowed them greater capacity for evil.  That’s why bullies don’t exist among four year olds, and why teenagers can be so emotionally harmful to each other.

Maybe.  That’s my theory.

Eve’s Conversation With Satan

Genesis 2:16-17
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Genesis 3:2-3
And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’”

1-Eve made God less generous than he was
—God allowed them to eat of EVERY tree.  Eve says THE trees.
—Imagine giving your child ALL of your money, and they tell their friends that you gave them SOME money.

2-Eve made God harsher than he was
—The command was to not eat of the tree, but Eve said they couldn’t even touch it.
—This is important because it indicates the way Eve is portraying God.

3-Eve wasn’t careful with God’s word
—and from tree-of the knowledge of good and evil not you shall eat from  that in day of to eat of you from to die you shall die
—to die, you shall die
—muth thmuth…..the word “die” is repeated
—The understanding would have been “you will begin to die”
—When Eve repeats God’s command, she says that they will “die”.

We need to be careful that we don’t commit these same mistakes.

1—When we speak of our relationship with God, do we appreciate all of the love that he has shown us?
2—Do we portray God in our lives as a being out to ruin our fun, who we put up with so we can get to Heaven?
3—Are we as careful as we should be when we handle God’s word?

The First Sacrifice

Genesis 3:21
And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

Leather is obviously more durable than fig leaves.  The new clothes Adam and Eve wore served a practical purpose.  

But there seems to be a lot of symbolism here, too.  The first sin was covered, it was hidden, with the death of an animal.  Blood was shed.  

These notes are part of a class on The Fall and God’s Plan of Redemption.  I’m publishing excerpts from my notes here as a resource for the students in the class.  They won’t always be in narrative format.  If you have questions about these notes or would like to see a recording of the class please reach out to me.
-REW

What is the Bible all about?  In the biggest sense of that question…. What story is the Bible telling us?

We might say that the Bible is telling us…
—What God expects from us.
—How we should live.
—Who God is.

I’d propose that the one over-arching theme for the entire Bible is God’s plan of salvation for man.

We see this theme repeated throughout the Bible….

Genesis 1:27, 31
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them…..And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.

Genesis 3:8
And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

Genesis 3:15
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.

Isaiah 53:11-12
Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

John 14:2-4
In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.

Revelation 21:1-4
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.”

The big picture story of the Bible seems to be that God created man, man rebelled against God, and God has been working ever since to be reunited with man.

Everything else seems to contribute to this theme….

Who God is (tells us about his attributes that demanded an atonement)

What God expects of us (tells us how we should react to the atonement)

And that’s what we’re going to talk about for this class session….

The Fall of Man & God’s Plan of Redemption For Man

Some of the things we’ll talk about….

1. What was Jesus’ impression of his life and death?  What did he think his death would accomplish?
2. What words are used in the Bible to describe what Christ accomplished on the Cross?  What can we learn from them?
   -We’re cleansed from sin.
   -God’s wrath was satisfied.
   -Our debt was paid.
   ***All of these things highlight a different aspect of what Christ accomplished.***
3. What are some themes of redemption that we see in the Bible?
   -David and Goliath
   -The Prodigal Son
   -What do Moses, Lightning McQueen from Cars, and TLOTR all have in common?
4. Did Jesus HAVE to die on the cross?  Why?
5. Why does God allow man to sin?
6. What happened during The Fall

But for now, by way of introduction to the class, let’s talk in a big-picture sort of way about The Fall.

After Adam & Eve sinned in The Garden, what changed?

Man’s Relationship To Work

Genesis 3:17-19
And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Genesis 2:15
The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.

“Dominion” over the animals.

A Woman’s Pain In Childbirth

Genesis 3:16
To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”

The Earth Changed

Genesis 3:17-19
And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Romans 8:18-22
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

Jeremiah 12:1-4
Righteous are you, O LORD, when I complain to you; yet I would plead my case before you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive? You plant them, and they take root; they grow and produce fruit; you are near in their mouth and far from their heart. But you, O LORD, know me; you see me, and test my heart toward you. Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and set them apart for the day of slaughter. How long will the land mourn and the grass of every field wither? For the evil of those who dwell in it the beasts and the birds are swept away, because they said, “He will not see our latter end.”

Revelation 20:11-21:4
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”

Physical Death

Genesis 2:15-17
The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

***We’ll talk more about this on Wednesday***

Separation From God

They were cast out of The Garden

John 14:1-4
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.”

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Genesis 3:22-23
Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15
According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (ESV)

There are two things that Paul says here that I’d like to talk about for just a minute.

When we start building on the foundation of Christ, not all of our work will be of the same quality.

Paul uses imagery that we’re all familiar with to portray this.  Remember the story of the three little pigs?  One built a house of straw but when the big bad wolf came he was able to huff and puff and blow that house down.  And the same thing happened with the house made of sticks.  But when the wolf came to the house made of bricks he huffed and puffed and couldn’t blow the house down.  The house made of bricks withstood the test.  

And Paul uses the same idea here of buildings that are made of sticks and straw or gold and silver.  The buildings in 1 Corinthians 3 won’t have a big bad wolf huffing and puffing at them but Paul says that they will be tested with fire on “the Day”.

Peter talks about that on the judgement day fire will reveal the works that each person has done.

2 Peter 3:10
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. (ESV)

And when that day comes, some Christians will find that their works were of sufficient quality.  The works may not be perfect, but the works will be compared to “gold, silver, and precious stones”. 

Other Christians are going to find that their works aren’t able to stand up to the test of fire on judgement day.  Even though they tried hard and even built on the greatest foundation, good intentions won’t be enough to change the fact that their works were made of grass and sticks.

And God will absolutely reward his disciples based on the quality of their work.  This is the plain reading of 1 Corinthians 3 and passages like the parable of the minas in Luke 19.  

Those facts…
That some works will be of insufficient quality
That God will reward Christians based on the quality of their works

Those facts are undeniable, even if they make you uncomfortable.  

But Paul says one more thing, not about the works but about the builders.  

Paul says that the quality of your works has no bearing on your salvation.

Look again at what Paul says in vs. 15…
If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

Paul couldn’t be more clear here.  The Christian whose works are compared to grass and stubble, who at the judgement day will see their life’s work to be declared polluted, unworthy, or Just.  Not.  Good.  Enough.  Those  Christians will be saved.

Paul says that when your works are burned you’ll suffer loss and there are several things that could mean.  I tend to look at it in light of the previous verse where Paul promises that if your works are found worthy you’ll receive a reward.  

Worthy = Reward
Unworthy = Loss (or no reward)

In light of passages like the parable of the minas in Luke 19, I tend to believe that in Heaven Christians will be rewarded with either greater glory or greater responsibility based on the quality of their life’s work. 

But whatever the terms “reward” and “loss” mean in verses 14 and 15, it’s undeniable that BOTH Christians, the one who is rewarded and the one who suffers loss, are both saved.

Paul says that the Christians with works of sticks and straw will be saved “as through fire”.  

The metaphor of fire is used in the Bible as a means of purification.  Fire burns away the defects.  Fire makes the polluted, pure.  Fire doesn’t consume the good because of impurities, fire makes the good perfect by removing them.

And so when the Christian with unworthy works is saved “as through fire”, he’s saved because the fire has removed the impurities.

Paul is talking here about disciples who have declared Christ as their foundation and who have devoted their life to serving Him, however imperfectly that service may have been.  

That imperfect service is not what condemns a Christian on the day of judgement, the imperfect service is what God purifies on the day of judgement so that we can be reconciled to Him.

Isaiah 1:18
Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. (ESV)