What is the Bible about?

The Bible answers the question, “who is God?”

There are many characters in the scripture, but the main character is God.

Even when the bible speaks about us it is in relationship to God. Our worth comes from the image of God within us and our sin is not just immorality but it’s straying from the image of God.

The bible, and actually every second of eternity in every place in creation, was created to answer the question, “who is God”

Since the bible was created to answer this question then when you’re reading scripture this is always a safe one to ask. Even in the more difficult prophetic scriptures of Revelation you are always safe in asking the question, “What does this say about who God is?”

Old Testament

Is not set up chronologically, or in order of events. Job was written first and although genesis does start at the beginning the historical books basically jumble the timeline.

It is set up categorically; Books of Moses, historical, poetry, prophetic, etc. Today we will look at the 5 books of Moses.

Genesis starts, “in the beginning the earth was without form and void” but that’s not the context in which Genesis was written. Moses wrote Genesis after the Israelites left Egypt. Genesis is basically the prequel.

Moses wrote Exodus as an account of what God had done for Israel, so that they wouldn’t forget. He wrote Genesis to establish the foundation of the answer to that question, “who is God?”

Isreal had been a Nomadic people throughout their entire history, so far, however, God was turning them into a nation. They needed a book to tell them how things got to where they are, so that they wouldn’t be enticed to believe the false narratives of other lands.

Genesis

In the beginning, God created...

God was not created and it was not difficult for Him to create.

He created man separate from the other earthly creations, in His own image and He lived with them. But man was not complete in himself but required a bride, so from the man God created the bride.

Man rebelled against God because he did not care responsibly for the bride God gave him. He allowed her to go astray anunopposed and then followed her.

So God cursed everything. This is where both spiritual and physical suffering and death was born. In the fullness of man’s rebellion from God.

God cannot dwell with a rebellious people. He is holy.

Cain killed his brother able because he was disregarded for a sacrifice that was unworthy. God doesn’t just want any form of worship.

Then you have Noah. Without God men fall into every form of darkness. Like a slow decent wrong is called write and what is wicked is called admirable. This is unacceptable because God is just. He doesn’t allow wickedness to go unpunished. So God kills every living creature.

But God is also a savior. He is a redeemer. So He called Noah and his family to take a portion of creation for Him to redeem back to Himself.

God instructed mankind to fill the earth and multiply. But instead, in pride, they sought to make a name for themselves. They weren’t interested in depending on God and tried to reach heaven by themselves. God crushed them in their pride and forced them to become dependent and weak by scattering them.

But God is also a redeemer and calls to Himself Abram. But Abram is not really what God is looking for God is looking for Abraham. God calls Abram and fashions him into a new man, a man of faith, and promises him a land and nation. Remember Israel is listening to this right before going to the land. Moses is telling them God promised this land that stands before you to your father Abraham.

Abraham, the faithful father of Israel, fathers Ishmael, the son born into slavery and Isaac the child of promise who then fathers Jacob the deceiver. Jacob steals his older brother’s blessing but God also cares for Essau.

Jacob lives a life plagued by lies. Not only does he manipulate but he’s also tricked at every turn. But God takes the vile deceiver and wrestles with Him. He creates a new man named Israel, which means wrestles with God. Remember Israel is the audience. Their namesake is the man who wrestles with God. The man who knows God.

Jacob is reconciled with his brother and fathers 12 men, the twelve tribes. The tribes turn on the chosen leader and sell him into slavery but God isn’t having it. God takes all the suffering inflicted upon Joseph and turns it for good. No matter the circumstance God gets his way and raises Joseph up as Lord over his brothers. God uses suffering and evil for his good purpose.

That leads us up to Exodus:

Genesis covers a ton of time, but that’s because Moses is showing them with a broad brush who God is and how they got where they find themselves.

Exodus tells of Moses's origin. How God kept him from harm to prepare him for God’s purpose. It shows Moses's faults and weakness and a God who isn’t concerned with them. God isn’t stopped by Moses’ weakness but He also isn’t stopped by Pharoes’ strength. During the Exodus Egypt was at it’s strongest point in it’s history. And scripture tells us that God made them that way so that He could display His power. Remember If you were a people going into an occupied land, you would need to know the strength of the one leading the way.

Exodus is God the savior of little broken Israel and God the judge of big and powerful Egypt. Exodus ends with the law and the Tabernacle. God wants to dwell with His people. And His people are supposed to be a kingdom of priests and a set-apart nation.

Leviticus

Leviticus is the book of the Levites, the priests of Israel. These are the commandments that the Lord gave to Moses. This is how God wanted His people to relate themselves to Him.

The Israelites grew up in Egypt and needed to be retaught how God wanted to be worshiped Remember God wants things His way

The theme of Leviticus is this… God is holy and the will of God is Israel’s holiness. The people of God are set apart. God ruled, among men, from the Tabernacle as King.

Leviticus teaches us about the scapegoat and substitutionary atonement. It reveals the stain that sin carries and what is required to remove our failure to be holy.

God will bless Israel in the land if they obey and he will curse them if they disobey. God has no problem harshly judging wickedness to keep Israel in right relationship with Him.

Numbers

Numbers describes Israel’s time in the wilderness. Israel, out of the gate, refuses to follow God into the land and is severely punished for it.

They are told none of the adults will enter the land because they were too afraid when the 12 spies came back with their report.

It’s rarely mentioned but after God told Israel they weren’t allowed to go into the land they tried and they were slaughtered because God was not with them. They lost their chance and God was not going to change His mind about their punishment.

Numbers covers a span of 40 years but says nothing at all about 37 of them. Israel did not have one thing worth mentioning happen to them during the 37 years in the wilderness. It was just wasted time. Moses is writing a book of warning to the next generation.

The warning is this: God is going to get this done but He doesn’t have to use you. He can and will, if you’re willing, but if you’re not he will raise up another.

Deuteronomy

Moses wrote genesis, exodus, Leviticus, and numbers for this new generation. He wanted them to follow God into the land and live as His precious nation.

Moses wrote Deuteronomy at the very end of his life. He tells the next generation to trust God and be obedient to His commandments. He reminds them of man’s deceitful past but also God’s faithfulness to His promise.

In Deuteronomy Moses repeats the phrase “the Lord your God” more than 250 times.

The song of Moses

Deuteronomy 32

Moses wrote a song which ends his life and his writing. It is literally the entirety of his writing in a song, so that the next generation can know everything He’s getting at.

The song of Moses, and the 5 books of Moses, answer the question “Who is God”