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The Bible Teaching Commentary on Genesis: The Book of Foundations
Commentaries that specialize on training the teacher!
Redemption Through The Scriptures: The Purpose for Redemption
Closer and Closer
Paul J. Bucknell
Purpose | Curtain | Closer | Two Covenants | Mosaic Covenant |
Belonging | Change of Covenants | New Covenant | Fellowship | Questions
God’s Purpose for His People
God has higher goals in sending Jesus to die for us than we normally think. This incomplete perspective greatly weakens our trust of His involvement in our lives. Learning these two major purposes, on the other hand, will certainly help you rethink your Christian lives!
Closer and Closer
With that fundamental purpose of God in place, we can go on and ask the important question, “How can a holy God get closer to a people without His wrath breaking out and destroying them?” (This is the proper question and not, "Why doesn't He love me?) Being willing to help mankind in his plight does not change things in and of itself. This is not a minor problem as we see this glaring problem pop up both before and after the Old Testament was formed. People are sinners. The closer to God, the more apt God’s wrath will break out upon them. His covenants (agreements) in different ways hide man's glaring sin from God that judgment might be held off.
The Mosaic covenant, named for the Old Covenant made on Mt. Sinai with Moses, was enabled God to live in the presence of God’s people through an elaborate sacrificial system. Just think of the arrangement as seen in Numbers. God dwelled in the middle while each of the tribes surrounded Him (see diagram below). The same pattern is found again when the people were established in the Promised Land. Jerusalem was the center, not perfectly geographically but close. Even more important was that Jerusalem was the cultural, religious, government, economic, commerce, military and educational hub for all of Israel.
Three times a year all males twenty one and older traveled to this holy place for sometimes a week long period. “Three times in a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the Feast of Weeks and at the Feast of Booths, and they shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed” (Deuteronomy 16:16).
All
this points to God’s not so hidden purpose to be close in fellowship with His
people. Jesus Himself stated, “Behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst”
(Luke 17:21). The people of God are the temple of God! “Do you not know that you are a temple
of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Cor 3:16; 6:19). And
again, in a broader perspective, notice how Paul’s benediction enfolds all
these ideas of grace, love and fellowship together, “The grace of the Lord
Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be
with you all” (2 Cor 13:14). These thoughts will be more fully developed as we
Next -> The Two Testaments and Covenants
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Scriptures typically quoted from the New American Standard Bible unless noted:
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