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A Little Perspective

Image from Subsplash by Ioann-Mark Kuznietsov
That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. - Luke 24:13-27 ESV

Stories, whether fact or fiction, are formed a layer at a time. They slowly reveal parts of a vast world that, when viewed as a whole, tell one grand narrative. Stories not only need to show the visible parts of the world, but also the invisible. If you are telling a story, you need to describe the characters, scenes, and environment, but you also need to detail what the character is thinking, how they feel, where characters connect to each other. For instance: Who is the main character? Who is the villain? What is the ultimate conflict? Why is there conflict? Why does it matter to them? You also need to understand how the character became who they are. The more layers you develop, the fuller the story. It is only when you consider all chapters and dimensions does the story really becomes complete. From the first page, to the last. 

In the same way, the scriptures are a collection of books formed through the leading of the Spirit to His people. Individually, each of them reveal a small part of the big picture of who God is, who we are, and how those two go together. Similar to stories today, you only get a small picture of the whole story when you read one story apart from the whole since each story builds on top of one another. From the first light to the final call, the scriptures are formed character by character, event by event. When you read about Adam and Eve, the flood, Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah, and so much more, they all build on top of one another to form one complete story. This is because the Scriptures is not about the events or the characters, but THE main character.

Let’s take an early example from Genesis. In the story of Cain and Abel, chapter 4, you can see that the children of Adam and Eve were given the opportunity to give an offering to God. Each of the brothers gave to God in a different form, from the fruits of their labor. Abel was a keeper of the sheep so he gave a sacrifice from his flock. Cain was a tiller of the soil, so he gave an offering of the fruits of the ground. After they gave their offerings God regarded Abel’s offering but not Cain. This rejection caused Cain to kill his brother in anger. When God, who foresaw this, called out to Cain for his actions, he was exiled and marked as one who was separated from God.

If you were to take this story separate from the rest of scripture you can make this a story about how we need to make sure we offer the right sacrifice, or maybe the sacrifice that Cain presented was not the actual first-fruits (which was not mentioned in the text). Maybe we should learn now not be jealous of the success of others. We can say that the parents should have taught them better, or how they should have listened to God, although God technically never said we should not murder at this point. In doing this you lose sight of the bigger picture.

What if this part of this story is a continuation of Genesis 1-3? God created a world full of beauty and magnificence, a place where Adam and Eve can live with God in the garden unashamed and without death. As they came upon the forbidden fruit of knowledge and ate, they broke the relationship that they had with God and were exiled from the garden because of their sin, unable to live with God. From that point on man was cursed to live with the brokenness they created, clothed by God in the skin of an animal to temporarily cover their shame. Death was now in this world.

When Cain and Abel were given the opportunity to show their offering for God, one decided to use grain from the cursed ground, the other brought a sacrifice from his flock. God, knowing the need for a sacrifice to cover their sin, regarded (looked at, gazed upon) the sacrifice of blood. He never said that Cain’s offering was “bad”, but that his brother’s sacrifice fulfilled the correct purpose (did well, be pleasing, make glad). It was a cover for the sin that broke their relationship. Then, in Cane’s anger, he outwardly displayed the sin that he held in his heart.

The story of sin and exile was repeated to show something beyond the surface of just their actions. We can see that what happened that day in the garden did not stay in the garden. It was passed on to all of the children of Adam and Eve. As scriptures begin to build on top of this story, we begin to see patterns emerge. Sin after sin, we push God further way. Some walked with God, like in the garden, and some spurned Him into anger through disobedience. In each instance the focus should not have been in the action, but where his people are in the story.

You see, the garden not only began the story of our exile, but of God's eventual redemption of mankind.  To the serpent, God said:

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. - Gen 3:15 ESV

Adam and Eve had hope that one day God would break the chains of sin that now bound them. This promise was just a hint at the promises to come, but each of the promises were not set apart from the promises before it.

Through Abraham, God promised that through his seed would come a blessing that would bless the world (Gen 12/15).

Through Moses, God revealed a God that restores His people, even if they were a stubborn people. God kept His promises because through them He would be glorified (Deut 9). He would get instructions from God to build the Tabernacle, where God would remain in, but separate from His people (Ex 40).

Through David, God raised a King (1 Sam 16:1) to reflect the coming anointed one (1 Sam 16:6, 12–13).

Through Isaiah, God would foretell of the coming Messiah (Is 7:14, 9:6-7, 11:1, 53:6).

In the end, His people were left waiting in hope for the promised restoration... 

When Jesus came, a new chapter was written, different than the chapters before it. Jesus was not just adding a layer, but transforming the scriptures in an entirely new light. This was why Jesus said those words in Luke 24:13-27. Followers of Jesus watched His power and might through His hands, heard His preaching and teaching, witnessed His crucifixion, and heard about His resurrection, and they still did not understand who He was. So He said:

“O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. – Luke 24:26-27 ESV (emp mine)

He literally said, “Haven’t you been reading my story? It all points to Me!”

When Adam and Eve sinned, I am the one God said would rescue them.

When Abraham was set apart for God’s glory, it was through his line that Jesus would come.

When God gave His people the law and the sacrificial system to cover the sins of Israel, it would be fulfilled by the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus! 

When God told them to build a temple as a dwelling place for Him, He knew that that barrier that separated us from Him would be ripped from top to bottom. 

This is why Jesus said in Matthew:

“Do not think that I have come to abolish (dissolve, disunite) the Law (something established, command, custom) or the Prophets (those speaking God's warnings and promises); I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill (make full, complete) them.” – Matt 5:17 ESV Emp Mine

In other words, this story that you have been reading for thousands of years was all leading to me. I am here to complete the story, to fulfil God’s promise that He gave in the garden. Then after verse 5:17 he goes through some of the laws and reframes them in way to show what it really means to murder, lust, commit adultery, or be dishonest, and how we are supposed to be true and love others. He does not say that we should or should not be doing these things, but that even our belief that we are keeping the law is far from perfection. We are far from being in the garden.

We need a little perspective.

What if we were to stop reading scripture as a manual and started reading it as a story? I do not mean a tale, but a true narrative describing who we are, who God is, and how these two go together in this world. This would transform what we see when we read His word. Rather than taking one part of the word and building our foundation on that, we can take the scripture as a whole. You would see why God said what He said with a new vision that brings glory back to Him.

Let's take one more example to see how important this idea is. When Moses gave the Law (Torah) to His people on the mountain in Exodus 24, His people were presented with a number of commands to separate His people from those around them. If they kept these commands, they would be blessed and protected. If they did not, then God would not be with His people and they would be overpowered by the nations. I will let you answer some of these questions:

What happened to the previous chapters that brought us to this story?

What happened to Israel throughout the rest of scripture?

How does this story point to Christ?

Linking this story with the rest of scripture not only opens it up in a new light, but properly frames God and our relationship and our need for repentance. Just as Israel failed, so did we. The laws were not meant to bring us close to God, but to show the gap between us and God. The Pharisees never understood this, nor the Jewish people in Galatia. As Paul wrote: 

Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. - Galatians 3:23-29 
We are Abraham's offspring! Amazing!

As humans, our stories are a beautiful thing. Some write novels, some share experiences. This is how we best express what we experience. God is no different. He wants us to experience His story, which starts with our failure and ends with our redemption. It is through His story that we see the garden, the fall, the struggle, the rejection, and then the garden once again. His words speak to us because although the story is about God, it is also about us. We are part of God's story since it never ended! God is still working and this time we are characters in this adventure. God will eventually make all things new and all those who joined Him will be restored once again to a clear picture of how we were meant to be.

How great is that!?!?

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