Chapter 1 - The God Who is There

The Nature of Biblical Theology and the Scope of Scripture

Well as Andy said this is going to be somewhat elementary from the beginning as we go through this. What does anybody remember when Andy said last thing? What is this book not? That is true, but specifically he said this is not a systematic theology it is a Book on biblical theology.

Just to review just a second if you were going to do systematic theology, it would be a circle. Okay, because your systematic theology is a sensitization of the biblical data into categories. So you would put your category in here if it was God.

Then you would have all the attributes of God. Biblical theology comes to us in history. So it is in a line. This would be not the Big Bang Theory, but let there be light. Okay, so if we were to take we wanted to know about the Biblical theology we have to go to the document the foundational documents everybody read for chapter 1.

Everybody read chapter 1. When I do a book study I'm not gonna do it here. But when I did book study with men if you didn't read you couldn't comment. So I'm not gonna do that here because it's Sunday school.

All right, but read so what what is the foundational documents consist of? What does the foundational documents consist of? 66 books. Written over the course of how long? 1 ,400 to 1 ,500 years. You may know how many authors?

Who said it? Who said it? 40 out of those 66 books. There's 1100 and 89 chapters. 31 ,102 Verses. 39 in the old books. 27 in the new. This would be 23 ,145 verses. This would be 79 ,057. Those are from the authorized version.

Okay, if you want to be technical more technical with 3 .5 million letters. So out of these out of this. How much what's the genre in the Bible? Out of those authors, what's the genre the Bible is written in?

How many? Types of literature. Types of literature we have. Narrative. Okay, so Genesis would be what? Narrative it's telling the story of how the beginning so we have narrative we have narrative. That's what I wish I was left-handed.

Andy. Spelled wrong, but it's on this side. So we have narrative and so what are some other types of literature that's in the Bible. Oh big word. Apocalyptic what is that? Yes, it's stuff like not just Revelation in the old but the revealing of coming judgment kingdoms.

What else can that do? Imagery. Imagery. Most of this will come to us in imagery. So what other kinds of a literature in the Bible made of poetry. Yes poetry. What are some of the poetry books. Psalms everybody goes right to the Psalms and Andy is not here so I can brag on me.

Hey, Andy is by far and I listen to a lot of preachers. There's one of the best preachers I know and dealing with the Psalms. So he comes back in y 'all can tell him that he is. Hands-down is dealing with the psalm.

So when I hopefully when I get older I will be as good as him and dealing with the Psalms because he is. What other kind of what what other is in Color-coded what what other kinds of a or a book to the poetry.

Solomon? That's right. What else? History well, what other types are poetry literature, but that's what we're getting there. Please he asked ease. Proverbs is poetry. Although it comes to us in in wisdom.

Alright, what other types of a literature prophecy comes? Yes, and it would fall under Apocalyptic at some point. Yes. Yeah tip for telling things that will come. Genealogy. Oh, yeah, that's right genealogies and those are boring, but they're very important.

So when you get to things like Chronicles where I think you have seven chapters of that and you're like man I can't even pronounce these dudes names. They're important because as you're reading through those what happens is those point to Christ and how?

His the coming kingship and how God preserved each clan and he preserved each line. But he also it comes to us in law in law. So this becomes very important as the Bible unfolds for redemptive history.

The Hebrew Canon, Torah, Prophets, and Writings

Okay? Very important and just just for a. If you want to know how the Old Testament is separated. It is separated as Torah. This is a under the Hebrew canon because that's how it would be called it would be the Torah the prophets writings would be all of your poetry literature, although if you were to look at the The Hebrew canon some of your stuff that ends up in the poetry or in the wisdom literature.

Wounds up being how did Daniel end up there? How did Jeremiah and some of it's because it was lamentations. And how many ever heard of the Tanakh? Anybody ever heard of the Tanakh? That's the Hebrew the Masoraic text.

That's where we translated our English version of the Old Testament from was the Tanakh just to let you know Tanakh actually this ain't in the book, but just so you know, this is Torah. This would be the Nevahim.

This is would be in in Hebrew and this would be the Ketuvim so this becomes See that Tanakh that becomes an acronym for how they pronounce the Old Testament Tanakh Jewish. All right, any questions on what you read?

Or did not read anybody anybody. You want me to give you a summary of the first chapter? Okay. Summary the first chapter that the heading is God who made everything and it is dealing basically with. Here's the the line of redemption and as we go through this We're gonna have to move that because we can't put every event that takes place on biblical theology.

Creation, the Image of God, and the Dwelling Place of God

So we're here. Let there be light the God who created everything and we're not going to get into a debate or a Conversation on was it six literal days? Well, of course it was six literal days. It was six literal days.

It was morning and it was night and it was the first day. Okay, so it was six literal days. So the God that made everything he created. The birds the fish the trees everything right? What do you do on the sixth day?

Hey. Most important thing he created somebody man and what was man supposed to be? What's that? Image bears, that's right very important as we image. That's huge. Because God did not put that in snakes.

He didn't put it in the praying mantis. He didn't put it in a donkey. Although you're looking at one. He didn't put it in any type of insect. He put it in man. How was man supposed to bear God's image?

True, but explain how was he supposed to act like him? Before the fall way there and you'll do the fall next week. Maybe what were they supposed to do? As image bearers of God they were supposed to rule God's creation vice regents is what they were supposed to be.

They were supposed to be God's vice regents. They were yes, sir. That's right, yeah because then he no longer because it wants to be the image of God he wants to be God himself. Yeah, he wants to be a god of himself and that's actually what happens in the garden.

And it's so hard to not get into that right now because that becomes wrecked the image of God but what as as Creation is made we have the image image of God. These are things that you want to remember all through the Bible.

Remember this is on a line and Because the Bible comes to us in history as you said a minute ago. It comes to us in history. So we're seeing how it plays out now if the cross is here I'm just putting it here because that is the center point of all things.

I'm not saying it's the exact amount of time from this end of this and that's just the center point of all things. If the cross is the center point then we need to see how things unfold under the Old Covenant.

Okay, no unfold and how law is given and all those things. But hey, not not only is the image of God going to be a theme. This is one that we fail to remember the dwelling place that's huge. You may not think it but that's huge.

The garden was the dwelling place of God that's where Adam and Eve walked with God in the garden and walk now some that. Yes, there might be some of you that disagree with this you may say that just kind of a an anthropomorphism of God.

Trying to describe how his interaction was with Adam. My personal opinion and I know this you may disagree. I believe that the pre-incarnate Christ communed with Adam and Eve in the garden. That's my opinion.

You can disagree with me and that's fine. But the dwelling place of God was in the garden and he dwelled with his image bearers as. This is lost. We lose this next week. Lord willing. Well, that sounds weird.

But and you'll get to this we lose this. For oh my goodness, we lose the to a dwelling place of God in history for 2 ,500 years, I think 2 ,500 years because a dwelling place of God is here in the beginning in the garden.

Lose it somewhere right here. We don't know how long they were before the fall. But then we don't get anything about the dwelling place of God and I'm just gonna make this. Till we get the tabernacle.

We have no dwelling place of God till we get the tabernacle and even when the dwelling place of God emerges again. This was limited limited access to the tabernacle. Okay. All right. What other themes unfold?

Relationships, Work, and Worship Before the Fall

And We have the image of God the dwelling place of God. What else unfolds in one and two? Yep. Relationships. What relationships Andy tell us? Hang on let me. Are y 'all anybody need me to write this or y 'all writing it?

Are y 'all writing it or not writing it you need me to put this up here? No. Okay. Go ahead. Sorry Andy. Adam and Eve. Yep. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Adam and God. Adam and Eve. Adam in the creation. Perfect communion.

And imagine this man in perfect communion with your wife and your creator. That's why when you get to the end and it goes they were Naked in unashamed. I mean, that's you that's a huge statement because when you go on into the fall, what were they doing?

Nobody told them they were naked they knew. So they were never stupid shame. So there it is there's relationships that unfold. What else? Who said it? Who said it? Work. Yes, that's huge. Not just cuz I like to work.

God created men and women to work. You had the theology of work in the garden. Hey. This is part of the image bearer of God is working. God worked. God worked what? Six days. Six days he worked creating.

The universe and everything that's in it. There's a theology of work and as you look this the theology of work that even as we work We're to bear God's image in how we work. That's how we manage our time.

How we manage the things that God's given us how we manage and or how we work for someone. How we manage that time? Look. That Adam deserved to be created. No. No, he didn't. God created him. Did Adam deserve to be the vice regent or the ruler of all of God's stuff?

Nope. Therefore because it was a gift and entrusted to him. He was to bear God's image by doing it and doing it. Well, and he did it. Well for how long we have no idea. We have no idea. Okay, so we have the image of God the dwelling place of God.

We have relationships and work. Is there anything else in there that we can Pull out that's of importance at this pump moment. Yep, all of these. Every one of those I know some of y 'all can't see that over there.

Every one of those will make us worship God. Why. Because our love for our Creator. Love for the Creator. And it's crazy man. All this is blown up next week. He just blows it up and he gets to ruin everybody's Sunday next week.

The Fall, the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and the Need for Righteousness

Yeah, we've got the image bearers of God and perfect communion with his Creator. We had the dwelling place of God where they can commune with God unhindered. He can work like he wants and not get tired in the sense.

There's no toil. He can have no conflict with him and his wife nor the everything that's created. He doesn't have to worry about a bearing him. And all of that he can do because he's worshipping his Creator.

Unhindered without sin. Hey, there's something we need to. I need to make very clear and if someone disagrees We can talk about it because some of our confessions historical confessions. Say. Was Adam innocent or righteous?

Not trying to be a trick question. He was innocent. Can somebody tell me what the difference is? Theologically and biblically. Of innocent and righteous before the fall was innocent in in the fact that he had never sinned.

He could sin. But he had not sinned. Okay was Adam Created with the righteousness of God. No. No, he did not have righteousness. He had the goodness that God had created him in now. There are some confessions are not going to get into all the ones that say that Adam was created righteous.

That's errored because even if you look through his He just way to explain this if you're innocent you're here right after the fall. He goes this way. Does he not? He goes which way He goes negative. To dwell with God in His transcendent nature.

What do you need to go from here to here? We know who we need here. Okay, but we need righteousness. It's called positive righteousness here. You're innocent. You're you're you're not. I say nothing. You're either you're you're not a sinner.

You haven't sinned you were created. Adam was created innocent. Okay. But Adam was not righteous he was created with goodness and he was created perfect. But Adam had the ability to sin. Adam had the ability to choose right and wrong.

And he was put in the garden and he was told to to do what. What was he when you put in the garden? What was Adam told to do? I'm sorry. Take care of it. But part of that was what? Not just cultivate it Protect it Protect it.

Christ the Center of Biblical Interpretation and Redemptive History

There's two things that Adam did not do he did not protect his wife from the serpent. He didn't keep the serpent out. Okay. All right. Begin. Yeah. He said I would use the big words so Me and Andy have what's called a Christ centered hermeneutic and this book does too just to let you know Hermeneutic is the art and science of interpreting Scripture.

Just that's what it is. Okay, so Who's the main person of the Bible? Christ. We know that Christ is the one who created all things is what does it say in the New Testament? It was through him and by him were all things created.

So the main character I say character, this is not a story in the sense of a fairy tale. So, please Understand what I'm saying Jesus Christ, he is the main person if we were to take We were taking the Bible and We were going to separate it.

Into four parts you have the creation Redemption. I'm doing this so you can see because they they're bigger. So here's the reason I'll show you two chapters. God creates everything in it, right? These kind of go together because the in one chapter the fall takes place and then redemption begins and the rest of the Bible is Is about redemption.

Until you get to the last two chapters of the Bible. So you have 1189 chapters in the Bible. 1185 of them or what? Redemption. Redemption and who's the main character of all of it? It was Christ that created it.

It was Christ that intervened and at the fall after the fall and made a covering. Then it's him that comes through all of these Progressive revelation through time. Then the cross somewhere in here, right?

Then Christ the King Consummates his kingdom in it. So if we were going to look at the book. This is how it's going to be laid out. Would you agree this? Okay, I didn't should run that by you. But that's kind of the easiest way to to understand it for part.

You're gonna come up here at the end. That's an easy way. For me if there's another way I could explain it better to you. Tell me and I will but that's just an easy way of looking at the Bible and how it unfolds through redemptive history.

Okay. Does anybody have any questions on what they read? There is no way that nobody read this and didn't go. That sounded a little funny. I can tell you the first time I read it. I had all kinds of funny stuff.

I look I made corrections to the editor. No, I'm kidding first couple times I read I went. I don't know if I agree with that or I don't understand that. So is there anything you didn't understand? Kids.

Hit snap. How about you guys? Nothing in here at all. What does divine fiat mean that wasn't in there, by the way? Divine. Yep. God created everything out of nothing. And another word for that. I don't remember that was in here or not.

But X Nahila that means out of nothing. God created all things. It was everything that God created. He created out of nothing. He spoke it and it was he Created it and there it is and he upholds it by the power of his word now.

The the D anybody know what deism is. God didn't create everything. Spin it up and get it started and then step back. God is actively involved in everything that The world is doing although at times it seems like it's out of control.

One thing that was hard for me to understand when I first got saved I was in control. Why Not. Who was God to let it happen, okay, not like that but man He could have stopped it. Right. Sure, that's not way.

That's not how he planned it. He planned to yes. He crucified him before let there be light. Not in the sense that he actually put Jesus on a cross and hammered him with nails. Through his hands and feet, but he Cruz he was crucified in the mind of God before the foundation of the world.

So if he was crucified before the foundation of the world, then what was in the mind of God to do? It was to redeem sinners and to redeem sinners. That has to happen that has to happen. I Turn away from Christ when he calls us.

Yes. Yeah. Because we we don't run to him. No, we run from him. We run from him. Anybody else got anything? Andy. Yeah, you go right to Genesis chapter 3. Sure because in the beginning we understand that what.

It's not spoken of as sin yet. But in the in the garden Adam and Eve were given one prohibition. One they wanted. One prohibition. What was it? That's it. That's all that's it. They do whatever they wanted.

He said have at it. It's yours. Just don't do this. So we see in the beginning I said we had things that are gonna unfold think law. That was a law. God said don't do this and he what was the consequence?

And the day that you eat and dine you will die. I know most of our translations don't say it that way. But in the Hebrew expression, that's what it means it's saying and the day that you eat and dine you die and then we see that acted out as Adam eats.

Did he actually die chomp chomp? Did he die? No, he didn't he didn't die physically, but he died spiritually. And the communion with God separated.

Because really if you look at the root of it, when God told them then to eat of it was bad, they already had the knowledge of the good and the evil.

No knowledge of evil. And. Can I go into that Andy? You don't mind do you? They did not have the knowledge of evil.

So you think that's what they were trying to gain?

Based on Hey, this is the knowledge of good and evil. But the knowledge of evil was being able to know it by not experiencing it. Is God evil? Here's what is God evil? Does he know everything about evil but has God experienced evil because he's evil?

No, not like you and I mean, you know sin from an inner way God's not that way even when Jesus was on the cross. Did Jesus become a sinner? Don't be a theological nitpicker. Okay understand did Jesus be did he actually sin?

But he took on the sin and God did to him What he would do to every sinner that would ever believe but Jesus Experienced the punishment of sin without actually being a sinner. Okay, Adam and Eve chomp chomp.

Now they have the knowledge of good and evil. Experientially. Experientially. Yeah, and it and the desire Comes from them wanting to be like God. Amen. God gave them everything in the garden everything.

Everything they needed in the garden. All they were supposed to do. This is one reason why We don't agree with covenant theology. Okay, it's classic covenant theology Adam was not supposed to earn his way to the tree of life.

Adam was told to do what? Don't eat from the knowledge of the tree of good and evil, you know God never said hey if you don't do that, I'm gonna give you this look. Adam was already told He was a living breathing soul.

Was he is that not what it says? Adam was living he was breathing. All right. He said don't do this. Adam was not on some type of Probationary period if he did this then God was gonna reward him. That's all conjecture.

Understand how guys come to that conclusion, although I don't agree with it I understand how they come to that conclusion at what was Adam supposed to do in the garden. But how. But how the same way you and I once we came to a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ is to trust and obey.

He was to walk his His his walk of faith with his creator in perfect communion going. I'm gonna trust God. I'm gonna move forward and I'm gonna do what he tells me to do and as he reveals things to me I'm gonna trust and obey.

What did Jesus do when he came in? That's exactly what he did and he if Jesus is the second Adam We see what Adam did not do and typologically as we go We'll see that Israel is supposed to be the the next Adam or somewhat a type of that and they didn't do the same thing that Adam did.

They didn't trust him. But when Jesus come what did Jesus say? Hey, I just do what he tells me to do. He tells me and I go. I put everything I've trusted myself into him and what he tells me to do I'll do and there's some things I don't even know yet.

How can Jesus the Son of God not know anything because it said even when he was 12 years old. He submitted himself when they went back and they found him what did it say they see he submitted himself to his parents and he grew in the grace and knowledge of God.

Because he was to trust and obey. Yes, ma 'am Perfect innocent. Because they had the ability to choose or not choose they had the ability to choose or not choose. I Had the opportunity. Did you look like you were fixing to say something Andy?

Okay. No, go ahead go ahead. No, and I was gonna say that but I didn't want to get nitpicky. I did. Yeah, and I didn't want to be nitpicky. I understand what you're saying. That is what Eve says, but God never said don't touch it because actually if he told him to cultivate the garden.

At some point you gonna have to touch it. Because they were not created as Christ where Christ could not could could Jesus sin. No, we're not created that's why you go you still the line. I wish I had four boards.

I could follow my lines of it. Jesus did not need positive righteousness when Jesus came in did he earn righteousness? Jesus was. He was righteous and everything he did was righteous. He didn't have to earn anything.

That's why Jesus did not have it was not the second Adam under classic of theology. Which says hey he had to earn. Adam had to earn righteousness so he could have a way to reward of the tree of life that made God a debtor and God the Bibles Bible say God's not a debtor.

So what did Jesus do? He came and not earned righteousness. Christ came and Fulfilled the righteous just demands of the law being perfect in all ways and then willingly laying him his life down. That's what he did.

Oh God wrap it up. Okay. You have 35 seconds for rebuttal. Yes, ma 'am. That's right, we're not God's we're created with his image. And it's wrecked we're still his image bears and that's why we have we have Dignity and we do have worse but understand the worth that we have is not saving worth you are not worth saving.

If you believe that God that you are worth saving. That makes no grace means God owes that to you and that once again makes God a debtor. But because you are the image bearer of God God lovingly extends salvation to those who believe and We'll talk about that.

Where does evil come from? Because it did not come from God. All right, let's pray Father God, thank you so much for your word. Thank you God that you did not come to us in a song that God you did not come to us in a picture.

But God you came to us in written word. To be examined to be looked at and to see how you revealed yourself to man. So that God we would know all there is to know that you have revealed and father God.

We thank you so much for that. Thank you that We're not disconnected from you as believers not knowing what you require of us and what we should expect is from you. But God, we we know that you demanded our worship and father.

We thank you for that. We thank you for making us image bearers. We pray that God we would magnify you in our lives and that we would Honor you as image bearers and that God we would reflect you and everything that we say and do.

Be with us as we go into the time of corporate worship that you would be glorified and all that said and done in Christ's Name. Amen.