Strange Times

“Then they said, ‘Come, let’s build ourselves a city and a tower that reaches Heaven (the heavens).* Let’s make ourselves famous so we won’t be scattered here and there across the Earth.’” (Genesis 11:4 MSG)

*”the Babylonian ziggurats had temples at the top, suggesting they reached to the heavens, the dwelling place of the gods.” (NET Bible footnotes)

Some principles of investigation

Use all 66 books for building our picture of God

Consider the time and culture Jesus is the clearest revelation of who God

is “You’ve heard it said…”

It’s OK to ask questions, to consider all possibilities, and to change ones mind

We must decide what we believe and not allow someone else to determine truth for us

“Joshua said to all the people, ‘This is what the LORD God of Israel says: Long ago your ancestors, Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor, lived on the other side of the Euphrates River and served other gods. But I took your ancestor Abraham from the other side of the Euphrates River. I led him through all of Canaan and gave him many descendants. I also gave him Isaac.” (Joshua 24:2-3 – GODS WORD)

“The LORD took him outside and said, ‘Look at the sky and try to count the stars; you will have as many descendants as that.’ Abram put his trust in the LORD, and because of this the LORD was pleased with him and accepted him. Then the LORD said to him, ‘I am the LORD, who led you out of Ur in Babylonia, to give you this land as your own.’ But Abram asked, ‘Sovereign LORD, how can I know that it will be mine?’” (Genesis 15:5-8 – GN)

“He answered, ‘Bring me a cow, a goat, and a ram, each of them three years old, and a dove and a pigeon.’ Abram brought the animals to God, cut them in half, and placed the halves opposite each other in two rows…” (Genesis 15:9-10 – GN)

“When the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and fear and terror came over him. The LORD said to him, ‘Your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land; they will be slaves there and will be treated cruelly for four hundred years. But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and when they leave that foreign land, they will take great wealth with them. You yourself will live to a ripe old age, die in peace, and be buried.’” (Genesis 15:12-15 GNB)

“…it was common, in Abram’s day, for kings to subjugate defeated enemies. But when you defeat an enemy, how do you assure yourself that the enemy will not rise up and fight you again? The way the people of Abram’s time could make themselves feel safe was to require the defeated foe to sacrifice animals, split them in half, and walk between the separated halves saying…”

“May all this and more happen to me if I do not fulfill my promise”

- Bill Edwards

“When the sun had set and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch suddenly appeared and passed between the pieces of the animals.” (Genesis 15:13-17 – GN)

“The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had: He always had the nature of God, but he did not think that by force he should try to remain equal with God. Instead of this, of his own free will he gave up all he had, and took the nature of a servant. He became like a human being and appeared in human likeness. He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death--- his death on the cross.” (Philippians 2:3-9 – GN)

“So Abraham hurried into the tent to find Sarah. ‘Quick,’ he said, ‘get three measures of flour, knead it, and make bread.’ Then Abraham ran to the herd and took one of his best calves. He gave it to his servant, who prepared it quickly. Abraham took cheese and milk, as well as the meat, and set these in front of them. Then he stood by them under the tree as they ate.” (Genesis 18:6-8 GW)

“So Sarah laughed to herself and said, ‘Now that I am old and worn out, can I still enjoy sex? And besides, my husband is old too.’ Then the LORD asked Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Can I really have a child when I am so old?' Is anything too hard for the LORD? As I said, nine months from now I will return, and Sarah will have a son.’ Because Sarah was afraid, she denied it. ‘I didn't laugh,’ she said. ‘Yes, you did,’ he replied. ‘You laughed.’” (Genesis 18:12-15 GNB)

“Sarah said, ‘God has brought me joy and laughter. Everyone who hears about it will laugh with me.’” (Genesis 21:6 GNB)

“God said, ‘Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I will show you.’” (Genesis 22:2 – GN)

“Surely You wouldn't do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked. Why, You would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same! Surely You wouldn't do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?” (Genesis 18:25 – NLT)

“Joshua said to all the people, ‘This is what the LORD God of Israel says: Long ago your ancestors, Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor, lived on the other side of the Euphrates River and served other gods. But I took your ancestor Abraham from the other side of the Euphrates River. I led him through all of Canaan and gave him many descendants. I also gave him Isaac.” (Joshua 24:2-3 – GODS WORD)

God the iconoclast 1 : one who destroys religious images 2 : one who attacks settled beliefs or

institutions “He (God) is the great iconoclast.”

(C.S. Lewis)

“When the king of Moab realized that he was losing the battle, he took seven hundred swordsmen with him and tried to force his way through the enemy lines and escape to the king of Syria, but he failed. So he took his oldest son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him on the city wall as a sacrifice to the god of Moab. The Israelites were terrified and so they drew back from the city and returned to their own country” (2 Kings 3:26,27).

“They have built altars to Baal in Hinnom Valley, to sacrifice their sons and daughters to the god Molech. I did not command them to do this, and it did not even enter my mind that they would do such a thing and make the people of Judah sin.” (Jeremiah 32:25 – GN)

“What shall I bring to the LORD, the God of heaven, when I come to worship him? Shall I bring the best calves to burn as offerings to him? Will the LORD be pleased if I bring him thousands of sheep or endless streams of olive oil? Shall I offer him my first-born child to pay for my sins? No, the LORD has told us what is good. What he requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God.” (Micah 6:6-8 – GN)

“What I want from you is plain and clear:

I want your constant love, not your animal sacrifices. I would rather have my people know me than burn offerings to me. (Hosea 6:6 – GN)

“What is more pleasing to the Lord: to bring him {the blood of his Son} or to offer obedience to his voice? Obedience is far better than sacrifice. Listening to him is much better than offering him {the blood of his Son}.” (1 Samuel 15:22)

“Do what is right and fair; that pleases the LORD more than bringing him {the blood of his Son}.” (Proverbs 21:3)

“You do not want {the blood of your Son}; you did not ask for {the death of your Son} or for sacrifices to take away sins. Instead, you have given me ears to hear you, and so I answered, ‘Here I am; your instructions for me are in the book of the Law. How I love to do your will, my God! I keep your teaching in my heart.’” (Psalms 40:6-8)

“I do not reprimand you because of the {blood of my Son} which you always bring me. But yet I do not need blood. Do I eat flesh and drink blood? Here is what I want: Let the giving of thanks be your sacrifice to God, and give the Almighty all that you promised.” (Psalms 50:8-14)

“You do not want {the blood of your Son}, or I would bring it to you; The sacrifice that you desire is a humble spirit, O God; you will not reject a humble and repentant heart.” (Psalms 51:16-17)

“I will praise God with a song; I will proclaim his greatness by giving him thanks. This will please the LORD more than offering him {the blood of his Son}.” (Psalms 69:30,31) 

“The LORD says, ‘I hate your religious festivals; I cannot stand them! When you bring me {the blood of my Son}, I will not accept it; I will not accept all this blood you bring me as offerings. Stop your noisy songs; I do not want to listen to your music any longer. Instead, let justice flow like a stream, and righteousness like a river that never goes dry.’” (Amos 5:21-25)

Blood

The atonement: “[God] appeased his holy wrath against us…” – John Piper

“…if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in yourselves. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them to life on the last day. For my flesh is the real food; my blood is the real drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood live in me, and I live in them.” (John 6:53-55).

The Atonement Webster’s: “reparation for an offense

or injury” Dictionary.com: “to make amends” Latin “ad” (“to”, “at”) and “unum”

(“one”) Literally: “to at-one”, “at-one-ment” 16th century “atwun” Shakespeare (2 parties reaching a

reconciliation)

KJV “And not only so, but we also joy in

God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” (Romans 5:11 - KJV)

So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.” (Romans 5:11 – NLT)