Backstory – Still Hiding?
Backstory explores the early stories of Genesis. It probes deeper into the events we thought we understood. It helps us understand what was lost, why it was lost and the roots of evil, pain and suffering in the world.
Origins of Grace
Abraham. God chose a man and his wife to begin unwinding the results of the last 1900 years. This redemption and restoration is God’s big story worked out through human agency in the Old and New Testaments.
Zion – Coming Kingdom
The disciples asked, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” Many talk about kingdom, but few understand it Biblically. In these posts we explore the connection between Kingdom and Zion.
Welcome
The Bible has a major overarching theme. I often think of it as the “Big Story of God.” But it also has dozens (if not more) subplots which support the larger theme. If we don’t understand the big picture, we may fall prey to focusing on the subplots and miss the main story line. This is a trap we are all susceptible to; it is like working a jigsaw puzzle without first framing it out. There are a couple of principles that help me keep the “big story of God” in view.
The first is connecting the Old and New Testaments together. What I mean by this is reading them as one story, the old as a foundation for the new. As an example, I view Genesis chapters 1 – 11 as the cause of evil, pain and suffering in the world. The beginning with the call of Abraham in chapter 12, God begins the story of redemption and restoration.
The second principle I find helpful is to consider the scriptures in their Jewish context. They were written by Jews, primarily to Jews, for people living thousands of years ago and in a land very different than my own.
Incorporating these two basic suggestions may be difficult at first, but I encourage you to stay with it; it is well worth the effort.
With this perspective, let’s dive in!
~blessings