THE LAW (REVISED)

Have a good day? Are you awake? Tonight we’re going to go pretty heavy so…

Last night/our theme for the week:

Luke 24:27 (ESV)

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

Luke 24:32 (ESV)

They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”

Explain “Torah” // Pentateuch (5 part book). One author // to be read as a whole.

So, obviously, we can’t walk through the entire Torah—verse by verse—or story by story tonight. But what I do want to do is start at the beginning. Just like any story. And we’re going to focus in on the first 3 chapters of the Torah. I believe they are an introduction/framework for the rest of the Torah and the Bible as a whole.

There are themes that are introduced in these first three chapters that run throughout the rest of the Torah. I want you to write them down as we see them. Make sure you’re taking notes because, honestly, tonight might be like drinking out of a fire hydrant. But, you guys are sharp.

Illustration :: Keys :: 1st three chapters is the key that unlocks all the doors.

Genesis 1:1 (ESV)

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

“In the beginning” — the start of every good story. Right? A beginning also implies that there’s going to be an “end,” too — grand inclusio.

But…what is Moses (the author) telling us? Is he just starting the story of God? Is this his way of saying, “Once upon a time…” In order for us to fully see what Moses is doing, we need to focus in on those three words.

In Hebrew…two words:

“Be reshith”

“in the beginning”

“be” — a preposition :: in/through/by means of

“reshith” — beginning (a specific moment in time)//firstborn//firstfruits

From very early on, in Jewish rabbinical tradition, and in other parts of the Bible (we’ll see in a bit), Genesis 1:1 was interpreted as not just saying that “at a specific moment in time // at the beginning of all things” but also as “by means of/through the firstborn, the heavens and the earth were created.”

So…who is this firstborn? What does firstborn mean?

Does it just simply mean “first one born?” If that’s the case then that means there was someone created BEFORE this creation account that Moses is about to give us. Does it mean “firstborn” in the sense that we’re used to?

Me—I’m the firstborn son of my parents. I have two younger sisters.

“Firstborn” is a title. It’s a title of importance. It’s a title of preeminence. So, here in the very first verse of the Pentateuch and the Bible…Moses refers to someone who has been given the title “firstborn” and that firstborn is the one through whom God creates the heavens and the earth.

So…if you’re taking notes…I want you to keep up with the themes that Moses gives us:

FIRSTBORN

Genesis 1:2–5 (ESV)

The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

LIGHT // DARK

Light — life // darkness —death // Light — of God // Darkness — not of God.

Rest of chapter 1—God is creating the domains (1-3) and then filling the domains (4-6).

He “saw that it was good” — God is providing everything that the crowning achievement of His creation (mankind) will need for life. I want to make sure I drive this home—to “see” that something is “good” means that the person is providing what is good…providing for the life/well-being of someone/something. In fact, I bet there are lightbulbs going off in some of your heads because in just a few minutes…later, in chapter 3…we’re going to see this phrase again when someone else decides to provide what they think is good for themselves outside of God’s good provision.

But…first…we get to verse 26…

Genesis 1:26–28 (ESV)

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

BLESSING

Favor/Grace—undeserved

COVENANT

Relationship

What have we seen so far? Firstborn, Light/Dark, Blessing, Covenant

So, out of his undeserved grace and kindness and favor, God creates mankind for relationship with him.

Genesis 2:8–15 (ESV)

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.

A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. The name of the second river is the Gihon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush. And the name of the third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.

LAND

EDEN = place of pleasure//delight

Verse 1 — “Rest”

2:15 — The Lord God PUT (caused to rest).

So…let’s flesh this out…the blessed man is created to live in relationship with God in the good // delightful land where God’s presence dwells.

But, there’s another image that emerges, here, too..

TEMPLE

God’s presence

Description of precious jewels—also found in the temple (particularly on the priest).

Gold, Onyx, Bdellium (pure white)

PRIEST

“Work and Keep” — does this mean Adam is to be breaking his back out there working the ground? No! In fact, THAT kind of work is what God said the curse of sin would bring.

Same verbs used to describe the function/job of the priests serving in the temple.

Worship & Serve.

So…let’s keep fleshing this out…the blessed man is created to live in relationship with God in the good // delightful land where God’s presence dwells and where he serves as a priest.

Genesis 2:16–17 (ESV)

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.”

LIFE & DEATH

Physical & Spiritual

Trees

They would be cut off from the tree of life

Genesis 2:25 (ESV)

And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

Setting us up for a coming theme…

Genesis 3:1–7 (ESV)

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 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.’ ” 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.” 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, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

Walk through…

Temptation (provision of good).

SIN

SHAME

Covering of nakedness/sin

Genesis 3:8–13 (ESV)

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. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Confrontation // Hiding // Blame Shift

So…let’s stop right here and catch our breath…So, here, you’ve got the human condition. Here’s where WE come into the story.

God’s original design for us (humanity). LIVE IN RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM…TRUSTING/OBEYING/AS WORSHIPPERS/LIVING IN THE LAND OF GOD’S BLESSING AND FAVOR…LIVING IN HIS PROVISION…BUT WE CHOOSE TO BE OUR OWN gods. WE CHOOSE OUR OWN PROVISION. AND, AS A RESULT, WE THINK THAT WHAT WILL MAKE US WISE…WHAT WE THINK WILL GIVE US LIFE…ACTUALLY BRINGS DEATH…SEPARATING US FROM THE LIFE AND LOVE OF GOD.

Genesis 3:14–15 (ESV)

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.”

SEED (OFFSPRING)

Genesis 3:21 (ESV)

And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

ATONEMENT

FORCED TO LEAVE…

And, so, the rest of the Torah (Pentateuch) centers on these themes.

Adam’s sons — Cain, Abel, Seth

Moses begins to focus in on the line of Seth.

**RECAP ALL THEMES SO FAR**

1) Firstborn

2) Light/Dark

3) Blessing

4) Covenant

5) Land

6) Temple

7) Priest

8) Life & Death

9) Sin

10) Shame

11) Seed

12) Atonement

GOD’S RESCUE MISSION BEGINS...

Genesis

A family line…Noah - Shem - Abraham - Isaac - Jacob - 12 Sons

EXODUS

The family—Enslavement for 400 years

Pharaoh — slaughter of male children

One Hebrew child saved

hidden in an ark

put in the water of death

delivered out of the ark & water

Is this the one???

Leads the people of God (the family) through the waters of the Red Sea.

Fire by night//cloud by day

Sinai — covenant, priests, law

Water from the rock

Wilderness — temptation/sin/wandering

LEVITICUS

The central message is that God is holy and he requires his people to be holy. The book also shows that God graciously provides atonement for sin through the shedding of blood.

Priests, Sacrifice, Atonement

“For the forgiveness of sin”

NUMBERS

Israel is faithful at Sinai but they quickly rebel against God….ends with preparation of the new generation to inherit the land.

DEUTERONOMY

Recommitment to the covenant/law and preparation to enter the land.

**RECAP ALL THEMES SO FAR**

1) Firstborn

2) Light/Dark

3) Blessing

4) Covenant

5) Land

6) Temple

7) Priest

8) Death

9) Sin

10) Shame

11) Seed

12) Atonement

And, you get to the end of the Torah—and the OT—There hasn’t been one generation—much less one person—who has been completely faithful to the covenant and the law of God. There’s not one perfect, flawless, and righteous priest over the people. The people go into the land—but you know the story…it’s not too terribly long before they are taken out of the land because of their sin…and are exiled.

And, worst of all… there hasn’t been a Firstborn Son who has been born that has crushed the head of the serpent.

John 1:1–14 (ESV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Colossians 1:9–23 (ESV)

(The Father) He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 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.

The Son of God is the Agent of creation who gives life; the Seed of the woman who will crush the head of the serpent; and the sinless high priest who makes atonement for sin by His own blood.

There is a firstborn son who is the Agent of Creation. This firstborn Son will also come into His creation (as part of the creation) and will be a greater Adam. He will be a more faithful priest. He will establish a greater temple. He will crush the head of the serpent and undo what sin and the curse have brought. He will restore life and bring His creation—the family of Adam—back into right relationship with God by covering their nakedness and shame.

THIS IS THE GOSPEL! THIS IS WHAT YOU AND I NEED…WHAT WE CANNOT DO FOR OURSELVES!

We are “in” Adam//descendents of Adam…we are dead in our trespasses and our sins. We are Adam & Eve choosing foolishness. We are Adam & Eve seeking our own provision. We are enslaved by the serpent…again, DEAD.

>>RESPONSE<< Hiding, Covering, Denial

You cannot cover your guilt, shame, and sin.

But God…Sent the Son—to give us life, to crush the head of the serpent, and to make atonement—to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.

Hearts on Fire—See Jesus