Have you considered that God is a relational being. He likes people, in fact he loves people. Actually, he wants a whole family of people from every nation, tongue and tribe. He is so committed to his family that he is patiently working out his plan over thousands of years. What you are about to read is designed to give you a glimpse into this mysterious plan. There are twists and turns and seeming dead ends but the outworking of this plan is truly marvelous. The best part is that we are invited to help fulfill it – we are part of his magnificent story.

From the beginning the plan was for his family to live with him in his creation. This human family would walk in fellowship with their creator even sharing his nature. So mankind was made in his own image and destined to rule as Yahweh’s viceroy on the earth. 

Tragically, there were three episodes which occurred in the early pages of Genesis which exacted a heavy toll on Yahweh’s plan.  Namely, the fall in the garden (G), the flood of Noah (F) and what happened in the plains of Shinar culminating at the Tower of Babel (TB)^*.  As a result of these events humanity was left in a condition of:

broken fellowship with God – (G)
Satan became the prince or legal owner of this world – (G)
we became his subjects – (G)
we experienced a loss of innocence and the introduction of guilt and shame – (G)
wickedness – (F)
violence – (F)
sexual perversion – (F)
pride / arrogance – (TB)
introduction of mystery religion – (TB)
hidden knowledge – (TB)
communal rebellion against God – (TB)

These horrible outcomes provide the backstory to the call of Abram out of Ur of the Chaldees, that great ancient Mesopotamian city of antiquity. God’s desire has always been to fellowship with and relate to his creation but due to the above-mentioned events, that vision was delayed.  The original garden vision must be restored, but how?  This is where we pick up the storyline with our study of Abraham.  God reached down and chose a man and his family line to begin undoing the results of the tragic events above. It is this “restoration of all things” that the balance of scripture, both Old and New Testaments describe and invites us in as participants.

Throughout the scriptures God foreshadowed this mysterious plan through a continuing series of interwoven and ever-expanding types, shadows, stories, promises, covenants, and prophetic revelations. It is a story of war and peace, mystery and revelation, redemption and judgement, kings and peasants and a story for the past, present and future. This drama is not only unfolding in this terrestrial world but within the heavens as well. On occasion, the Lord lifts the curtain and allows us to perceive the angelic sparring which takes place all around us. My goal in the pages to follow are to present one cohesive story helping the reader understand how the myriad subplots fit together into God’s big story.

Personal Observations
For many years, I have witnessed believers get sidetracked in what I might call subplots of the Biblical narrative. Consider the tendency to elevate a pet doctrine to an unjustified position of importance while excluding other relevant truth. In contrast to getting stuck in subplots, very few of us are able to offer an intelligent, cogent explanation of the big picture story of God. Since we may not understand his overarching plan many of us are confused in understanding the subplots. Those subplots are intended to fit into and support the larger story line, not replace it. When we see the big picture it will help us make sense of the smaller pieces.

God has written the story from beginning to end through the agency of his human family. Many who have gone before us have participated in the story and as we approach the end of the age we are offered the same invitation. One such individual who participated and provided great insight in unlocking this mysterious plan is the Apostle Paul. We will enlist his (and others) help to guide us on our journey in the pages to follow. 

In his writings, Paul made references to a mystery which had been in the heart of God from the beginning. When we see the big picture of this mystery, it becomes easy to recognize in all of Paul’s writings and will profoundly re-frame the way we read the New Testament, allowing us to more fully rest in God’s care for us.

Listen to Paul’s words as he describes this mystery:

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No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord.
I Corinthians 2:7-8

I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Colossians 2:2-3

God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me.  As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ. God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit, he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets.
Ephesians 3:3+

Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains.
Colossians 4:3

To see how the great mystery of God is a recurring theme you may wish to consider the following verses as well:

Ephesians 1:9+ | Ephesians 6:19 | 1 Timothy 3:9 | Revelation 10:7

The mysterious plan we seek to unravel in this book did not begin in the New Testament. It was in the heart of God before the world began. We get the first real understanding of this plan with the call of Abraham and the promise God made with he and his descendants.  This plan is God’s response to the brokenness in the world as a result of the garden, flood and tower incidents mentioned earlier.

Do you want to go deeper in your understanding of the Lord’s ways; do you wish to know him without all the religious artifacts; are you ready to remove the veil; have you been yearning for more?  If so, then stay with me as we dig a little deeper into the things of God. In these days, as it seems his return is all the more imminent, I believe the Lord wants his people to understand these truths as the battle rages on all sides.

Theological Approach
In my study of the scriptures, I make some assumptions which I want to share as it may help you understand the conclusions and perspectives which follow.  My worldview is shaped by the basic tenets of the Christian faith and doctrines that have been accepted by mainstream Christendom for centuries.  In addition to generally accepted Christian teaching, I have come to understand the following points in my knowledge of God and his word, and these concepts have helped shape my understanding.

• God is the same God in both the Old and New Testaments; he did not change to become the loving, compassionate Messiah at the incarnation – “I am the Lord, and I do not change…”  Malachi 3:6
• Regarding “big picture” theology, I think most of us have not been told the whole story regarding the origins of evil, pain and suffering in the world. Even in scholarly literature, the cause of evil is more complex than Adam and Eve eating from the forbidden fruit. The first eleven chapters of Genesis paint a far more sinister plot.
• I believe the scriptures make generous use of types and shadows. People, events and emblems under the old covenant system often foreshadow their future fulfillment which may occur decades, centuries, or even millennia in the future.
• I accept the idea or principle of “first mention”.  God often introduces something in the Torah (5 books of Moses) and then uses the balance of scripture to more fully reveal and build on that initial principle or idea.
• The books of Romans, Hebrews, and Galatians form the foundation of New Testament theology. As the theological foundation, the story and experiences of Abraham play a pivotal role in all three of these books.  Without an understanding of Abraham’s life, his experiences with Yahweh and the larger Genesis story, our understanding of the gospel and plan of God will be limited.
• In understanding God’s plan, I find value in studying the people, history, motivations, context, original language, etc. in which the author is writing.  This understanding provides a fuller revelation in our study of God’s word.
• Peter certainly had it correct by saying that Paul’s letters contain some things which are difficult to understand. Personally, I find Paul’s letters easier to comprehend by breaking them into three broad categories, namely; theology, personal experience, and cultural relevance.
  • Most of Paul’s letters (Galatians, Romans, Hebrews, and parts of Ephesians and Philippians) are theological in nature.
  • In the second half of Acts and sections in Philippians, we find a description of Paul’s personal experiences as an outgrowth of his encounter with Christ.
  • Lastly, Paul uses books like I and II Corinthians and Philemon to bring cultural relevance to the theology discussed elsewhere.

The above three areas are broad generalizations of Paul’s writings which may help in our comprehension of his teaching. For example, when reading one of Paul’s books, we may wish to ask ourselves:
What is the major theme(s) of this book?
What was Paul’s motivation for writing?
How did the original audience understand the message?

And finally, the Genesis story is incredibly relevant for us today as we approach the end of the age. The two contending kingdoms will each reach the height of their glory, the people will choose sides, to the victor belongs the earth and the conquering king will reign forever.

OK, time for a disclaimer
The journey we are beginning may significantly re-orient your understanding of Christianity and provide a different framework to understand what changed between the Old and New Testaments.  But my real hope is to lay a foundation which allows us to move from a religious, duty-bound Christ follower to a responder of his benevolent grace which is freely bestowed on us without precondition.  In short, I hope we come away with a paradigm shift as we discover a richer experience responding to the lover of our souls.  Lastly, I’ve been told by friends that a lot of the content requires time, meditation and reading more than once.  Please don’t be in a hurry, I have included a lot of scripture, Take the needed time for meditation and ask the Spirit of God to complete his work.

A Personal Word
Before we dive into the content, I would like to share a bit of my own journey and how I’ve come to embrace the story of Abraham. As I write this in 2020, I’ve been a believer over four decades and have been actively involved in Bible Study and church life during this time.  But it wasn’t until the last ten years that God began to open my eyes to the deeper significance of Abraham’s life.

It was in 1979 that I responded to the Lord’s call and since that time, I have read through the scriptures countless times and enjoyed fellowship with believers from many different persuasions.  Much of my early experience was rooted in the spiritual disciplines, self-effort and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  Although I still maintain most of those disciplines, my motivation has changed.  I have come to a deeper understanding that it’s not about me or us; rather there is a much bigger storyline being worked out and it’s incredibly exciting to see how I fit in to his big picture.

In recent years a job loss led me to a different part of the country.  For nearly five years we had trouble finding a fellowship of believers.  During this time, it was a dry spiritual climate in our home.  In addition, there were family issues and job struggles.  There were periods where we honestly did not know if we were going to make it.  All I could do was hang on to the Lord.  For some reason which I still do not fully understand, I developed an interest in the patriarchs; first Noah and then Abraham.  Abraham led me to a deeper study of Galatians, appreciating its’ nuances and complexities.  It became apparent that except for a few verses. I really did not understand this book.  Normally, I would study for my own growth and edification, but in this case, the Lord seemed to say it was time to share.  So, in the spirit of sharing, I have included discussion questions at the end of each chapter which you may wish to use in a small group setting.

Enough about me, let’s get started.  I hope and pray you are blessed as much in reading and meditating on these words as I have been in capturing this message. May we all continue to mature in the truth we are about to uncover. Lastly, I would love to hear any feedback you might have or just reach out to say hello.

God bless you on your journey!

Meditation and discussion

Is the Lord calling you into a deeper walk with himself?  What has been holding you back?

Has the Lord ever challenged your theological understanding?

Have you considered that the Bible is one complete book, one story from Genesis to Revelation and one God revealed in its’ pages?

What is the connection between Abraham and Jesus?  Why is Abraham talked about more in the New Testament than any other Old Testament character?

FootNotes:

^*I am working on a companion study which goes into the details of the above listed outcomes.  When complete it will also be available on this site.