The Bible in less than a day

Adapted from faithfacts

These are questions that are always common at any time and place:
What is the origin of mankind—where did we come from?
What is our purpose in life?
How do we know how to live our life?
How do we get to heaven (and avoid hell)?
In this study we will answer these and many other questions. The purpose of the course is to guide you through some of the highlights of the Bible. While it is only a brief overview covering a small portion of Scripture, this outline covers most of the basic concepts of the Christian faith.

You may be coming to this study from a particular perspective. You may have a curious or an academic approach, seeking to find some intellectual satisfaction in religion. Or you may even be an atheist, looking for ways to satisfy your previously conceived ideas.

Perhaps you are broken and hurting, and desperately need spiritual help. Or perhaps you are self-assured, confident in where you are at this time—but an examination of your weaknesses would actually help you deal with your selfishness and lack of concern for others.

Our study will jump around throughout the Bible to focus on important themes. We suggest that you read every verse listed in this study that has the notation READ immediately in front of it; others may be skipped to speed up the study. While we will offer our commentary as an aid, the important thing is for you to let the words of the Bible speak to you. You can complete the study, if you choose to do so, in one sitting—in less than a day. Set aside a few hours one day to go through the entire study. Or you might want to break it up into two or three parts.

The Bible is an amazing document: an incredibly rich book of books: 66 books from approximately 40 different writers in 3 different languages over a span greater than 1500 years, all with a consistent theme. It is certainly the most influential book in history. Whether Christian or not, one’s education is incomplete until you have studied this book.

There is tremendous misinformation over what is actually in the Bible. Sadly, many people who have gone to church for years still do not have a comprehensive understanding of the Bible. Lifelong Christians still learn much and deepen their knowledge of God by reading Scripture. The Bible reveals God’s thoughts, his heart, his plans.You may be of the opinion that the Bible is just a bunch of myths. The evidence suggests otherwise. The Bible has proven to be authoritative and reliable. If this is a concept that is at all surprising to you, you may first want to take a look at certain articles on our website which offer some of the evidence why you can trust the Bible:

How do you know that the Bible is true?
Why I Can Trust the Bible
We recommend the book I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist, by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek. If you find that you are unable to read the Bible with an open mind because of various intellectual pre-conceptions, this book will be extraordinarily helpful.

One of the important themes of Scripture is how God is active in people’s lives. Indeed, it can be said that the Bible is largely about God’s take on reality; it is the story of God at work. The skeptic rolls his eyes at this thought and it becomes one reason why some people are inclined to reject the Bible. It seems hard for them to appreciate that God does regularly work in the lives of people. But let us offer a line of logic or reasoning to counterpoint. Here is a series of questions that we first read from Stan Telchin, a Jewish believer in Jesus (http://www.telchin.com/):

First, is it reasonable to believe that there is a God? (Most people will say yes.) If so,
Is it therefore logical to believe that God knows what is going on down here on earth? If, so,
Is it then reasonable to believe that He cares about what is going on down here? If so,
Is it also reasonable to believe that He cares enough to communicate his concerns to us? Then,
How might he communicate to us? Isn’t it reasonable that he would communicate to us in ways that we could grasp, including historical events recounted in the Bible, and in fact, a permanent written communication such as the Bible itself?
This logical thought progression encourages us that we should not reject the Bible and its events out of hand. It is reasonable and logical that God would communicate to us in history and through the written word in the Bible. We hope that you will take this into consideration and approach this study with an open mind.

You can read the Bible online. One good source is Bible Gateway. Bible Gateway offers many different translations of the Bible. The New King James Version (“NKJV”) and the New International Version (“NIV”) are popular versions. Our favorite for serious Bible study is the English Standard Version (“ESV”). The NKJV and ESV are word-for-word translations, while the NIV is a phrase-for-phrase translation and may take a little liberty with the text to make it easier to understand. For just everyday reading of the Bible, consider the New Living Translation (“NLT”). It makes reading the Bible as easy to read and as exciting as a novel! While not a word-for-word translation, the NLT is delightful.

Some Thoughts about Biblical Interpretation
The Bible is generally straight forward and easy to understand. Yet most words in every language can have multiple meanings. The author, however, had a specific meaning in mind. As it states in the Reformation Study Bible (page 844), "No allegorizing or other fanciful method that ignores the original writer's expressed meaning can be appropriate." If a concept needs clarification, it should be considered in context. Individual passages should be considered in their immediate context as well as in the context of the whole Bible. We say that “Scripture interprets Scripture.” This means that all passages on a relevant subject should be taken together to get the fullest meaning.

A common mistake is to build a theological position on some passages without taking them in light of other passages on the same topic. Similarly, some Christians arbitrarily emphasize some parts of the Bible to the minimization of other parts. This is one of the reasons that denominations exist. We think this is an error. While there are legitimate differences of opinions among sincere Christians on a few non-essential issues, most “differences” are a result of not seeing the Bible as a whole document.

For example, some groups tend to emphasize God’s justice and wrath. Other groups tend to emphasize his mercy and love. But the truth is that God is both just and merciful. In fact, his mercy makes little sense without an understanding of his justice. It is clearly wrong to arbitrarily emphasize just one aspect of God’s nature.

The Bible can and should be harmonized as a congruous document. With this approach, we are confident that the Bible is consistent throughout. There are no contradictions in the Bible. The student of Scripture should interpret the occasional uncertain passage in light of the clearest passages on a topic so that all passages harmonize. When the Bible is read in this way, there really are no seriously problematic passages.

Because of the vast amount of research accumulated over the years that supports the Bible as true, every word should be given the benefit of the doubt and taken as true. But this does not mean that the Bible should always be taken literally. The Bible, though mostly narrative in form, like other literature contains different literary devices, including poetry, parables, hyperbole, allegories, metaphors, and other figures of speech.

For example, when Jesus said that, “I am the vine,” he did not mean that he is a woody plant. Or when Isaiah (55:12) describes the mountains and the hills breaking into song and the trees clapping their hands, we are not to understand this literally. Another example is that Jewish writing often uses symbology through numbers. Thus, the "millennium" spoken of in the book of Revelation is most certainly not a literal thousand years, but merely a significant or completed period of time. This view is substantiated by the fact the millennium is mentioned nowhere else in the Bible and that it is in the context of much allegorical language in Revelation. So we should interpret the Bible in the way that it was intended.

Still another example is Jesus frequently referring to himself as the "Son of Man." This phrase has little meaning unless we understand that Jesus is referring to the term from the Old Testament book of Daniel (7:13-14), in which the son of man is one that comes from heaven to have everlasting dominion. So to understand the Bible fully we must sometimes cross-reference passages, which may require study.

Matthew, in his gospel has some 60 references to the Old Testament. And over two-thirds of the passages in the book of Revelation contain references or allusions to Old Testament passages. So while we study the Bible, we have to be alert to such things.

Another point to keep in mind is audience relevance. While the Bible was written for us it was not written to us. We should appreciate what the Bible meant to the original hearers.

It is also incorrect to arbitrarily read into the Bible views or pre-conceived assumptions from secular society. For example, to assume out of hand that the biblical miracles could not have really happened is reading an atheistic assumption into the text.

In summary, there are four criteria for biblical interpretation: (1) the plain meaning of the text, (2) the context of the passage both in its immediate surroundings and throughout the rest of the Bible, (3) the meaning that the writer intended, (4) the meaning that those to whom the writer was addressing would have understood it.

For these reasons, you may want to supplement this study by reading the explanatory notes in a good “study Bible." There are many such study Bibles available on the market. Your local Christian bookstore will have several of them. Included among those Bibles that we use often are the NIV Study Bible (Zondervan Publishing House), the Quest Study Bible (Zondervan Publishing House), The Defender's Study Bible (World Publishing), and the Reformation Study Bible (Ligonier Ministries, Publisher). However, keep in mind that the notes offered by the authors of these study Bibles are opinions and are not inspired like Scripture itself. They may include interpretations on certain topics with which other people disagree.

The Bible is the grid. The reader should not superimpose his own grid or pre-existing beliefs onto the Bible. Passages that do not seem to conform to your view of how you think they ought to be (either because of your arbitrary wishes or because of how you may have been taught) should not be glossed over. And, in general, the Bible should be read for its plainest and most obvious meaning.

In other forms of communication, we generally give the communicator the benefit of any doubt unless proven to be wrong. The reader should give the Bible the same benefit. While a skeptical reader will tend to make assumptions about the Bible based on his worldview, we encourage you to start with an open mind.

It It is helpful to ask oneself when reading the Bible, “Why is this passage in the Bible? What does God want me to understand here?” The Bible is the most marvelous book ever—an all-time best seller. Enjoy it! For more on the art and science of biblical interpretation see this link:

Does the Bible Apply To Me Today?

Let’s begin our Bible exploration with one of Jesus’ parables, the “Parable of the Sower.”: READ Matthew 13:1-13
This parable is beloved by many. The message is that some people hear the “word” and will be like the seed that falls on rocky or thorny ground; it will have no lasting effect. But others will hear the word and it will take root. In our study of the Christian faith over the years, we have noticed that some people reject Christianity because of reasons other than the evidence; they reject it because they do not want to accept its implications. We hope that you will follow this study as a seeker of truth. We pray that you will be like the good soil, accepting the seeds of truth in Scripture, and will nurture and multiply them in your life.


Top of page In the Beginning
READ Genesis chapters 1 through 10 (Gen 1-10)

Genesis, especially this first section, is important to the rest of the Bible. It sets the stage for several themes that are played out in the rest of Scripture.

Some comments are appropriate about how to interpret the book of Genesis. Theologians down through the ages have wrestled somewhat with just how to interpret this book. On the one hand, the events told here are anchored in actual history. We note that there are places mentioned that are identifiable today, such as the Euphrates River in Genesis 2:14.

On the other hand we see much symbolic language, such as this statement in Genesis 3:15: "He shall crush your head, and you shall strike His heel." This is covenental prophetic language about the coming Messiah, his crucifiction and atonement—things that eventually came to pass in actual history. It is stating prophetic truth—not myth—in beautiful symbolic/poetic language, not unlike we find throughout the Bible.

There are some who think that Genesis is a statement about details of science. It is misleading to be so distracted. A careful, serious evaluation of the nature of biblical language leads us to understand that the purpose of Genesis is theological rather than scientific. Those who try to tie every detail of the early chapters of Genesis to modern science miss the point. Writers Timothy Martin and Jeffrey Vaughn (in their book Beyond Creation Science) quote Milton Terry: "Terry sums up the best criticism of science-driven interpretations of typical views of Genesis creation: 'We gain nothing for the honor of the Scriptures by attempting to force upon them a meaning they were never intended to convey.'"

The Bible's earliest verses set out to explain things about God and about man and God's relationship to us. As put by Bernard Ramm (also from Beyond Creation Science), Genesis "teaches that the universe has its origins in God and reveals in a magnificent way God's power, God's spirituality, God's wisdom, and God's goodness."

Martin and Vaughn point out that one of the implicit assumptions of some is that if the creation account is not communicated and defensible in scientific terms, then it is not true: "The truth is Genesis is married to the rest of the Bible, not to modern science!" These authors argue that, for example, a literal interpretation of the 6-day creation account is not necessarily the dominant view of theologians down through the ages. They quote St. Augustine, considered the top theologian in the early Christian age, as saying in his ancient book titled The Literal Meaning of Genesis: "But at least we know that it [the creation day] is different from the ordinary day with which we are familiar."

Having said all of that, we know that the Bible and science do not contradict one another. We show in another article on our site that they are not contradictory. Genesis makes it a point that everything was created by God—not by some random chance natural process. This is consistent with a serious study of what science can tell us about origins.

Modern science has to a great extent confirmed a key aspect of the biblical account of creation. As recently as the mid-twenthieth century, a majority of scientists believed that the universe was eternal. But the study of "Big Bang Cosmology" has lead to a universal view among scientists that the universe—including time and space—had an absolute beginning, just like the Bible says! And by an understanding of Einstein's theory of general relativity, some are convinced that it is now possible to reconcile the 6-day creation account with science. If you would like to spend about 50 minutes watching a video on this, here is a lecture by Jewish nuclear physicist Gerald L. Schroeder: Science of God. Or you can read his book The Science of God. Also, if you would like to see a discussion about the evidence for God's existence, go elsewhere on our site to Evidence for God.

Walter Bradley is the author of a terrific essay entitled “Why I Believe the Bible is Scientifically Reliable.” His essay is one of several in a book entitled Why I Am a Christian; Leading Thinkers Explain Why They Believe, edited by Norman Geisler and Paul Hoffman. This book is a compendium of essays by 16 authors addressing many penetrating questions about the Christian faith. Bradley demonstrates that the events in Genesis are indeed consistent with science. You can also go to Dr. Bradley's website: Walter Bradley.

The God of the Bible is unique. As put by Glenn Sunshine in his book Why You Think the Way You Do, "All of the pagan religions had stories of origin for their Gods. Not Judaism. The God of Israel simply was and is and will be forever. To put it another way, Israel's God is self-existent. Furthermore, God created everything that exists apart from himself, and he is sovereign over the natural world. Rather than being a nature god or a god associated with the forces of nature, the natural world comes from God and answers to him."

Let's consider miracles. The miracle of creation is the greatest miracle of all. Every human being that has ever lived has been awed by the universe of which we are a part. Concerning miracles, the Bible relates other miracles—some of which are done by God himself, others by his designated agents. Biblical miracles are not everyday occurrences. They are pointed actions used in important circumstances.

Some people discount biblical miracles as impossible. Yet just a little reflection should suggest that if God can create the universe, the other miracles in the Bible are a piece of cake. To say that the miracles of the Bible did not (or could not) happen is really atheism. If God exists, miracles are very much within the realm of reason. (See Jesus' miracles.)

We encourage the reader to examine ideas and follow them to their logical conclusion. For example, if the Creator God of the Bible really exists, what is the logical conclusion for your life—a concept we will explore further in this study.

There are many, many observations we could make about this section in Genesis. The Bible—some may say Judaism—has given mankind its fundamental understanding of human rights. First we note in Genesis 1:26-27 that mankind (both male and famale) is made in God's image. Also, we see the roots of the concepts of adjudication and covenant. These things have meaning only as mankind being a steward of the earth as a subject of God. Such concepts are fundamental as prototypes of western civilization's understanding of human rights.

What makes humans valuable? The answer is here in Genesis. We are valuable because we are created by God in his image. If we are nothing more than the result of a long process of the struggle of the survival of the fittest, then morality becomes simply whover has the most power. But no! We say that even the most defenseless among us deserve respect! Being "made in the image of God" suggests man's uniqueness among animals. We alone can contemplate God. We alone can consciously choose to forgive or not to forgive. We alone understand beauty and have tremendous creative capacities, etc.

Notice also as we begin our study the focus the Bible places on the concept of sin. Good and evil are very real. Note that God created everything good, indeed very good (Genesis 1:31). There is order to the universe. This order includes the proper relationship of man to God.

God created mankind and gave him a lot—a beautiful earth, indeed a garden. But God also gave man an interesting character trait—free will. Obviously, God could have created us as robots. But God’s desire is that we love and honor him out of our own free will. Our love for him would be bogus if we were wired in such a way that we had to do so. Love is not truly love if it is forced. So while God is perfect in his goodness, he gave mankind the ability to choose evil.

Now God laid out certain rules for his creature man, and then gave us the free will to respond as we might. God said to Adam and Eve that they must not eat from one certain tree in the middle of garden (Genesis 3:3). That didn’t seem like too big of an order, given that God gave them so very much else!

But the devil himself—the great deceiver and tempter—clothed himself as a serpent and talked Adam and Eve into disobedience. Satan lied to Eve (Genesis 3:4-5), and the world’s first human couple bought into the lie. Adam and Eve succumbed to temptation. And the rest, they say, is history.

Genesis sets the stage for the concept of good and evil. It makes it clear that God defines good and evil—not man. God makes the rules. It is noteworthy that God gives reasons for his demands. Here in the text God tells Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit because it would kill them.

A common question about Genesis concerns the extremely old ages of these early humans. Is that believable? The explanation is surprisingly simple. Remembering that God made everything very good, humans initially did not have all the harmful genes and diseases that we have today. So it is really quite reasonable to believe that these early people in fact lived to be hundreds of years old, as the Bible relates.

Still another interesting question arising from Genesis is—who is Satan? Christian understanding is that Satan is a “fallen” angel. Angels are creations of God. And like all his creations, they were created good. But just as mankind “fell away,” Satan fell away. According to the annotations in the Reformation Study Bible (page 693), “Satan is a creature, superhuman but not divine; he has much knowledge and power, but he is neither omniscient nor omnipotent; he is not omnipresent; and he is an already defeated rebel, having no more power than God allows him and being destined for the lake of fire."

When you think about it, you can see that the order of things as laid out in the Bible is within a logically consistent system. It explains how the universe came to be, by the hand of a pre-existent God. It explains how evil could result in a world created by a good God. And it explains why a savior (Jesus Christ) is a necessary complement to a fallen world.


Top of page Implications of Man’s Rebellion against God
READ Isaiah 59:2 and Romans 5:12 - 6:23

There is a problem—your sins have cut you off from God. Sin is essentially man’s failure to trust in God—an act or state of unbelief, and an assertion of autonomy. Christians also define sin as “missing the mark.”

God’s very good world became marred by man’s sin. Man’s rebellion against God, that is, his falling away, is known as The Fall. The result of sin is death (Genesis 3:3; Romans 6:23). Death in this biblical context refers to spiritual death, and according to some interpretations—even physical death in some sense. The result of Adam and Eve’s sin had enormous consequences. Indeed, mankind has been forever tainted and condemned. The NIV Study Bible (page 1713) says, “The context of Romans 5:12 shows that Adam’s sin involved the rest of mankind in condemnation (Romans 5:18-19) and death (Romans 5:15). We do not start life with even the possibility of living it sinlessly; we begin it with a sinful nature.”

While someone can deny this situation, he cannot escape it. It is because of man’s sinful nature precipitated by, or at least demonstrated by, Adam that necessitated the ultimate coming of Christ to overcome man’s sin. Man has separated himself from God’s standard. God ultimately gave his only son to pay the ransom for man’s sin. Justice had to be done. While man proved himself unwilling and incapable of God’s standard, God—out of inexplicable mercy and grace—provided a way to satisfy the judgment through Jesus Christ. (More on this later.)

The Bible has an answer to the problem of evil and suffering. It is a different answer than any other worldview or religion. If you deny the Fall, what other explanations exist? Here are some alternatives:

Marxism says that evil is the result of economics—that capitalism precipitates aggression against the weaker. Yet the Marxist revolution led to the murder of 70 million Russians.
Communism and Islam have somewhat similar views in that law and education can make us righteous. Yet these utopian philosophies always lead to failed states and oppression of the worst kind.
Darwinism said our problems are biological. Yet Hitler, applying the Darwinian model, perpetrated the Holocaust.
Humanism, similar to Communism and Darwinism, denies the evil in the human heart. It says that we are all really good after all. Each of these views are atheistic philosophies that place man as the center of all that matters rather than God. But they face problematic realities at their core. If there is no God that determines moral absolutes and human rights, ultimately political power becomes the determinant of what is right. A lack of any objective basis for morality must lead to chaos, struggle, and oppression—and if taken to its logic extreme ultimately to nihilism and despair.
Still others say that sickness, pain, death, and evil are nothing more than natural realities. Or perhaps that aggression is necessary for progress, and thus what we think of as evil is really good. Thus some simply cop-out by saying that aggression is just the way we are—or that evil and wickedness are just social or cultural conventions. Eastern religions fall into this category, as they often say that evil is an illusion. Thus Hinduism and Buddhism teach that we must accept evil.
Freud said that our distortions are all psychological—it’s either just in our head, or worse, that we must blame our parents’ treatment of us for our hang-ups that make us do evil. But Freud’s theories, while popular for a short while in human history have been discounted and abandoned.
These explanations fall short on examination. They underestimate the call and reality of evil. There are no real answers to the question of evil apart from Christianity, which teaches that evil is real and that it is a product of man’s sinful nature. The Bible teaches that there are moral laws that are just as firm as physical laws. If it does not matter what we do, life is meaningless. While other worldviews, carried to their logical extreme end in despair, Christianity offers hope. We are living in an abnormal world—not the world that God created nor the one that he will restore in the end.


Top of page The Jewish People
The Old Testament is concerned mostly with the interaction between God and the Jewish people through history. God established and chose the Jewish nation to be the focal group for his interaction in history. Many people will inevitably ask, what do the activities of an ancient civilization have to do with me today? Why did God choose this relatively obscure group for his eternal purposes?

Here are some explanations. There are several answers. One, of course, is that God can do whatever he desires for his own will and pleasure!

But there is more to the answer. The fact that he used a small, relatively weak and uncouth group, demonstrates that he cares about the unworthy. An important biblical concept is God’s grace, which means unmerited favor. Ultimately, his grace would extend even to people from nations who reject him and whose actions God expressly hated. (More on the concept of grace later.) Also, God’s choice of the Jews demonstrates that with his help, even the weak can do mighty and powerful things.

It is helpful to emphasize that God chose the Jews not because of their worthiness, but as an instrument for his universal purposes, namely the ultimate offer of salvation for all the nations of mankind. Thus, they were elected not to privilege but to service. This service was that they were to be evangelists (“priests”) to the world. The Bible explains this in such passages as: Genesis 12:3; Exodus 19:4-6; Deuteronomy 9:1-6; Isaiah 49:6; Luke 2:29-32; Acts 13:46-49.

Also, Israel was a nation dedicated not only to represent God to the world, but to represent the need of the world for God. Their imperfections cried out for the One who could save them.

An interesting observation is that the eastern Mediterranean area was the center of the ancient populated world. It was in the middle of the trade routes between the northern kingdoms (eventually Greece and Rome), Asia to the East, and Egypt to the south. Geographically, the people of this region would have the greatest impact on the world because of its geography.

Another question has to be, why did God use history as a means to bring the message of himself and his plans for mankind? When you think about it, it makes sense that only through experience (history) can it be shown that mankind—this creature of free will—is a fallen sinful being that needs the salvation that only God can bring.


Top of page Deliverance
The Bible is filled with stories and symbols. The term story does not imply that an event is not true or historical. God uses stories—many times recounting historical events to relate to us. A story is a vehicle by which we learn.

There are so many marvelous events related in the Bible that we could highlight. But a survey of the Bible is not complete without the story of how the Israelites got to Egypt and then escaped back to Palestine. This is a tremendous story about people and personalities, especially Joseph and Moses. But it is more about God’s hand in history.

The story begins with a shepherd boy by the name of Joseph. Joseph was the next-to-the-youngest son of Jacob (also called Israel). Jacob was the son of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham, the patriarch of the Jewish nation:

READ Genesis 37, then Genesis 39-50, and Exodus 1-14
There are many points that can be made about this sequence of events. But let us just comment on the persons of Joseph and Moses. Joseph was a man of tremendous moral character. He was a model for people in leadership roles today. Moses, on the other hand was more flawed. He was, in fact, a murderer (Exodus 2:12)! He was not a man of great confidence and doubted his own ability (Exodus 3:11, 4:10). Yet God chose to use this very imperfect man to deliver the Israelites from Pharaoh.

The Bible often displays in vivid detail the imperfections of the people God raises up to accomplish his purposes. We can see from these people that heroic events can emanate from lowly folk. We should never underestimate what any one life can do with the power of God in it.

Exodus 12:1-14 is another famous and significant passage. Here we read that it is the blood of the perfect lamb that will allow the Israelites to avoid God's wrath. This passage is an example of how important the Old Testament is in understanding the New Testament. With this we have such a clear foreshadowing of how the blood of the perfect human lamb, Jesus—the Lamb of God, will save all of mankind from God's wrath.

The final paragraph in this sequence, i.e. Exodus 14:31, is also worth noting. Make no mistake. The power of God is awesome. We are making a great mistake if we fail to appreciate this. The Bible makes it clear that failing to respect the power of God can be a fatal mistake. To fear God is to appreciate who he is. It is the first step in trusting God. As it says in Psalm 111:10,

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures for ever.”

The exodus from Egypt, in which God delivers his people from the bondage of slavery, is referred to throughout the rest of the Bible. It is a key event in history. It stands as a prophetic event of how God will ultimately rescue the whole world by sending his only son to deliver all mankind from the bondage of sin.


Top of page The Ten Commandments
READ Exodus 20:1-21
This passage is the list of the Ten Commandments, given to Moses by God on Mt. Sinai. This concept is special in history. The Israelites were to be ruled not by whoever had the most political power, but by laws. This principle became known as the “rule of law.” And the foundational set of laws was from God himself, which insured that they should be applied consistently without change by whoever is in power.

This was unique. The rule of law, if consistently applied, keeps government out of the hands of despots and tyrants. America was a product of this tradition, inherited from the Israelites. America was founded on the same basic principle, made quite clear in the Declaration of Independence—unalienable rights and obligations from the Creator God.

But the specific items in this biblical list of commandments have broader application than just civil government. They are laws for the heart and for personal conduct—that is, moral laws.

It is very significant that the first law is, “You shall have no other god’s before me.” What “god’s” do you have in your life that you have placed before the God of the universe—money, pleasure, power, idleness, rock music, people, sports, hobbies, sex? These things are not bad in themselves, but if they supplant God as the most important thing in your life, it is a very serious thing.

You will note that the commandments are not numbered. In fact, there are different ways to come up with ten distinct commandments from this one passage of Scripture. Different faith traditions compile the list slightly differently from one another, but all of the commandments are always all there, though presented a bit differently. The most common delineation of the list is this one:

You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make any idols.
You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy.
Honor your father and mother.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
You shall not covet.
One reason that some people reject Christianity is simply because they do not want to be burdened with rules! They want absolute autonomy. As we will see later, Christianity is a lot more than just a bunch of rules. But the following point should be made. The only rules God gives us are ones that are good for us (or for our fellow man). The Ten Commandments, and likewise all other instructions God gives us in Scripture, are not arbitrary. They are ultimately for our own good.

Remember that in Genesis 3:3, God gave a reason for his instruction not to eat of the fruit of the tree of life. He clearly gave a very good reason not to eat of the fruit of that particular tree—it would cause death!

We have already noted that a reason one can trust the Bible so much, is that when you compare what Scripture says with the observable real world, they match up. Here’s a little example. In the middle of the Ten Commandments section (Exodus 20:5) there is a statement—which is repeated several other times in the Old Testament—that the sins of the father are felt by the third and fourth generation.

This is an interesting statement. Skeptics will say that this appears unfair. Why should someone suffer for what their great grandfather did?

But the hard facts are that this is an observable truth in the real world. Take for example a man who fathers a child out of wedlock and deserts the woman and child. So often, this action starts a cycle of poverty and family separation that may take generations to overcome. The mother is caught in poverty, the child likewise, and it becomes very difficult for future generations to get out of the cycle.

Another point that should be made about God’s law, is that it begins with LOVE. Note how God prefaces the Ten Commandments. He says, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (Exodus 20:2). And then in Exodus 20:6 God put his law in further context, “showing love to a thousand generations.”

The First Commandment is perhaps the most important one—people should have no other gods before Him. This is so important to God that it is more important than life itself. Much of the Old Testament is about the cycles of the Jewish nation turning away from God, suffering the consequences, then returning to God. The consequences of turning away were very often physical, as we will see in the next section about the prophet Jeremiah.


Top of page The Prophets
Old Testament history portrays a repetitious cycle of the Hebrews turning away from God, followed by God’s punishing judgment, then God’s grace and restoration of his people. Many of the figures of the Old Testament were prophets. Their role included instruction to the people about God and his law. The prophets often reminded the Jewish people of the consequences of their turning away from God. They were God’s spokespersons.

One of the prophets was Jeremiah. We have listed several chapters that will give the reader the guts of the message of this book. The events in this book occurred about 800 years after the exodus from Egypt, and 600 years before the coming of Christ. At this time, the Jewish people had been split into two geographical groups—Israel and Judah. It was to the nation of Judah that Jeremiah was principally speaking.

READ Jeremiah 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, and Jeremiah 16
In these above passages, you read how God repeatedly warned the nation of Judah through Jeremiah exactly what the consequences of their sins would be. Jeremiah warned that the Jewish people needed to put God at the center of their lives or suffer a serious penalty. He predicted (prophesied) that they would be under a disastrous siege from a foreign power. Read on.

READ Jeremiah 39
As this incredible story unfolded, this chapter (and subsequent ones) relate the dramatic fulfillment of God’s prophecy made through Jeremiah! King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (modern day Iraq) destroyed Jerusalem. He slaughtered the sons of Judah’s King Zedekiah while their father looked on, and then Nebuchadnezzar put Zedekiah’s eyes out! He set fire to the royal palace and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. The conqueror ransacked everything, and took many people back with him as captives. History confirms that Nebuchadnezzar, in fact, attacked Jerusalem twice, first in the year 605 BC, then again in 598-597 BC.

But in Jeremiah, there is also a message of salvation from God. It was prophesied that the Babylonian rule over Judah would be for a limited time only, and that God would restore his people, at least a remnant of them, to faith. And God would return the Jews to their homeland (Jeremiah 12:14-17, 24:6-7, 29:11-14, 30:1-3, 31:3-4). God’s judgment is evident throughout, but his faithfulness and love are part of this story.

God would in turn punish Babylon for its atrocities (Jeremiah 25:11-14). This latter prophecy was fulfilled in the year 539 BC, when Babylon was defeated by an alliance of Persians and Medes, paving the way for the exiles of Judah to return (Jeremiah 51:1-11; 2 Chronicles 36:20-23).

Also very important in the book of Jeremiah is the promise of a New Covenant sometime in the future (Jeremiah 31:31-32). Christians understand this prophecy to be the coming of Jesus the Savior (Hebrews 9:11-15).

The book of Jeremiah, among other lessons, certainly makes it clear that we should have a healthy respect for God, his word, and his requirements—to put it mildly. We cannot help wondering about our world today. Is mankind honoring God, or thumbing its nose at him?


Top of page The Nature of God
Who is God? What is he like? A discussion of the nature of the God of the Bible could emphasize several of his many aspects. We could discuss such characteristics as his omnipotence, his omniscience, or his faithfulness. These are important ones which have imposing implications for the way that one lives his life, and actually we have already touched on these somewhat. God is eternal, unchangeable, self-existent, self-sufficient, infinite, transcendent, sovereign, longsuffering, wise, good, truthful, and jealous. However, we choose to briefly discuss now other considerations of God’s nature that are especially important in understanding Christian theology. (For further study we recommend a book by J. I. Packer entitled Knowing God.)

1. God is holy.
The word holy (or holiness) is used hundreds of times in Scripture to describe God. For a sense of it, please look up these passages:

READ Exodus 3:5, 15:11, 19:23; 1 Chronicles 16:29; 2 Chronicles 20:21; Psalm 29:2; Psalm 93:5; Psalm 96:9; Psalm 99:9; Isaiah 29:23; Isaiah 40:25; Revelation 4:8; and Revelation 15:4.

The concept of the holiness of God is a rather comprehensive notion. Some synonyms are that God is distinct, upright, true, and unique. It suggests God’s perfection. It is also closely associated with his righteousness and being set apart from the common. The Bible says man should be in awe of God’s holiness! God is awesome. As put by Rev. D. James Kennedy, “The very foundation of his throne was holiness, and no sin would ever come into his presence without his inevitably consuming it with his wrath.” God plays for keeps, and we should tremble before him. Those people who would make up a God to suit their own image are pursuing a false god. Read such passages as: Job 34:10; Psalm 2:4-6; Psalm 7:11; Psalm 11:5; Psalm 89:46; Psalm 90:11; Ezekiel 36:16-21; Hosea 5:10; Zephaniah 3:6-8; Romans 1:18; Romans 2:5-11; Romans 9:22-24; Revelation 16:19. Now READ Isaiah 6:1-8.

Pretty scary stuff, right? In the last passage, Isaiah 6:1-8, please note a couple of things. While this passage is written in descriptive form that may seem surreal or symbolic, it is set in the context of actual history (6:1). Here Isaiah gets a glimpse of God. What Isaiah notices is how holy God is—so much so that he repeats the word in a chant—“holy, holy, holy” (6:3). The realization for Isaiah is this—that the difference between the Creator and the created is so distinct that Isaiah can only say that he is “undone” or “ruined” or “lost” (depending on which translation of the Bible you are reading). The result for Isaiah in this realization is that he can do nothing else but submit to God’s will. “Here I am. Send Me!” exclaims Isaiah. Anyone who begins to understand who God is, will realize how weak we are in his sight.

2. God is just.
READ Deuteronomy 32:3-4. Many people in our culture have this idea about God that he is just some wishy-washy grandfather in the sky. Who knows where they get this idea; it is certainly not in the Bible! It seems that people make up their own God, perhaps out of ignorance, but more likely out of a desire to live by their own standards rather than God’s. Worshipping one's own invented god is the sin of idolatry (Second Commandment)—a very serious offense.

We included the book of Jeremiah in our study to show a very important aspect of God—his justice. To some readers, God might seem pretty harsh from reading the passages from Jeremiah and other Old Testament books. But it is crucial for us to understand that God is just. God’s holiness dictates that he cannot just wink at sin.

God himself says, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked” (Ezekiel 33:11). Yet the people in the Old Testament who were punished, often with their lives, were guilty. For example, Jeremiah points out that the Jewish people were guilty of horrible crimes, even sacrificing their own children (Jeremiah 7:30-34)—a practice specifically prohibited (Leviticus 18:21; Deuteronomy 18:10-14).

God insists on allegiance, which does not seem unreasonable given that he created us. A god who is not just and holy is not worthy of our worship. But a God who is both just and holy demands our worship.

3. God is merciful.
On the other hand, God is also merciful. (READ Micah 7:18-20.) As we will see later, while God ordered the destruction of entire nations, he holds out that individuals can gloriously spend eternal life with him in heaven if they do not reject him. There is much violence in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament. But this violence is mitigated by God’s eternal promises and blessings.

Returning to the book of Jeremiah, God promises mercy by restoring Israel after punishing them. According to the NIV Study Bible (page 1117), “God’s judgment of his people (and the nations), though terrible, was not to be the last word, the final work of God in history. Mercy and covenant faithfulness would triumph. Beyond the judgment would come restoration and renewal. Israel would be restored, the nations that crushed her would be crushed, and the old covenants (with Israel, David and the Levites) would be honored. God would make a new covenant with his people in whom he would write his law on their hearts (Jeremiah 31:31-34) and thus consecrate them to his service.”

4. God is loving.
The Bible says that “God is love.” READ 1 John 4:7-11
The theological question is, how is it possible for God to mete out sometimes harsh punishment and still be considered a loving being? The answer comes in Jesus Christ. The fact that God is both perfectly just and completely loving is resolved by his sending his only son to suffer and die for the sins of the world. John 3:16 says,

“God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

READ also Psalm 103:8; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:1-7; and Colossians 1:13-14. It is Jesus who delivers us from the wrath that otherwise should be (1 Thessalonians 1:10).

5. God is personal.
Finally, in addition to the other aspects of God, a key understanding that Christians have about God is that he is personal. The word personal is used sometimes almost as God’s first name, as you often hear the term the “personal God of the Bible.”

This personal aspect of God’s nature refers to his accessibility and his continual interaction with people. It is a distinctly different picture of God than one gets from non-biblical world religions. God wants us to have a relationship with him. You can see this in many of the passages we have already explored. He is not just a great grandfather in the sky. He is intimately involved in our daily lives! We definitely have access to him!

The Bible teaches that God is a friend to those who love him! God humbled himself by revealing himself through Jesus. In this way, God could relate to us humans in a way that we can grasp. Here are just a couple passages out of many that you can READ in the context of God as an approachable friend: Psalm 23; Philippians 2:5-8.

There are many more passages that will give you comfort that God is close and available. Especially if you are hurting at this time, you may benefit from these passages: Psalm 32:8-11; Psalm 34:18; Psalm 46:1-3; Psalm 107:19; Proverbs 16:9; Isaiah 40:27-31; Isaiah 43:2; Isaiah 46:4; Jeremiah 29:11-13; Matthew 18:12-14; Luke 11:9-12; Romans 8:38-39; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; Philippians 4:13; 1 Peter 5:7, and Revelation 3:20.


Top of page The Nature of Man
Biblical theology can be summed up by saying that God is holy and we are not. When we catch a glimpse of the holiness of God, we begin to see just how far we humans fall short of that standard. While we have already given some passages to convey the idea that man is sinful, we would like to explore this even further. It is crucial to understand this truth in order to understand Christianity. It is because of the depth of our sin that it was necessary for Christ to come to redeem us from our sin.

READ Genesis 6:5; Genesis 8:21; 1 Kings 8:46; Job 14:1-4; Job 25:2-6; Psalm 14; Psalm 51:3-5; Psalm 53:1-3; Psalm 58:3-5; Psalm 143:1-2; Proverbs 14:12; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Isaiah 53:6; Isaiah 55:8-9; Isaiah 59:2; Isaiah 64:6; Jeremiah 17:9; Daniel 9:1-11; Mark 7:20-23; Romans 3:9-23; Romans 5:12-21; Romans 7:13-25; Romans 8:5-8; Romans 14:23; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 2:1-3; James 2:10-11; 1 John 1:8-10.

Christianity is different from all other worldviews or religions. Christianity teaches that man is basically sinful; all other religions teach that we are basically good. Who is correct? We don’t necessarily need someone to tell us that we sin. We have a self-awareness of our own sin because we’ve been created by God with a conscience that has a sense of right and wrong—an innate moral code. For example, in every culture murder is wrong. Why? Because God has written a moral code on our hearts that all human life is sacred.

Yet, some even insist that either sin does not exist, or that it does not matter. They say that, “That is just they way we are.” Statements like that are first of all naïve. We only have to examine ourselves to see that we are selfish, selfish, selfish. Nobody wakes up every morning with the thought, “How can I help all the people of the world who need help today?” Face it. We wake up with thoughts of our own problems and how we can serve ourselves. We want to make our own throne and sit on it.

There are those who argue that man does not have a sinful nature. But the above passages as well our observation of people in the real word argue that we are indeed sinful by nature. We do not whole heartedly seek God. Our thinking is distorted; our emotions and desires are unruly and misdirected. We delight in vengeance and find forgiveness more unpleasant than pulling teeth. Man is carnal; he has corrupt affections; his will is stubborn. In this condition we are bent on rebellion. As put by Arnold Kuntz in his Prayers for Worship:

There is a tedious struggle within us, for our instincts and desires war against the ways that you would have us follow. Were you not the active agent in our Christian lives, how self-serving and how wicked we would be. Our inclinations run to lust, our motives tend toward envy. Our aims are self-indulgent. Forgive us for Jesus’ sake, and lead us out of darkness into light.

We mortals are not as bad as we could be—even Hitler had some positive traits. Yet every aspect of our being is tainted by sin. It affects our body, our capacity to think rationally without bias, indeed our whole self is infected with sin. Sin penetrates to the core. As Jesus said in Mark 7:20-23 sin comes from the heart, the very center of our existence. It is not, as some say, peripheral or incidental to mankind. And we note that God looks not at just our outward actions, but judges our heart (1 Samuel 16:7). The evidence from all of history cries out to the fact of man’s sinful nature.

Consider the following. In italics are virtues given by Jesus in Matthew 5. Juxtaposed in bold are the "7 Deadly Sins."

Blessed are the poor in spirit. But in our pride we exalt ourselves.

Blessed are those who mourn. But in our envy we hate others' happiness.

Blessed are the meek and the peacemakers. But in our wrath we seek revenge.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. But in our sloth we despair of virtue.

Blessed are the merciful. But in our greed we demand to possess and fail to give.

Blessed are the pure in heart. But in our lust we sacrifice others to serve ourselves.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness. But in our gluttony we consume unto sickness.

Think for a moment about this short list of specific sins (the so-called "7 deadly sins"): pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, lust, gluttony. If we are honest, while we may be able to suppress them, we are never ever to completely rid ourselves of them.

Evangelist Ray Comfort (http://www.livingwaters.com/) uses a series of questions using the Ten Commandments like the following to get people to see their sin. He first asks, “How many lies have you told in your life?” (Most will acknowledge many.) He then asks, “What does that make you?” (Most will admit that it makes them a liar.) He then asks, “Have you ever cheated or stolen anything at all?” (The honest person will normally again will say yes.) He then focuses on adultery and points out how Jesus taught that it is a sin to commit adultery even in one’s heart through lust (Matthew 5:28), the inner instincts being just as important as the external. Ray then asks, “Have you ever lusted after someone, or had sex outside of marrige?” (Most say yes, of course.)

Ray then summarizes with, “Then you have just admitted that you are a lying, stealing, adulterer at heart!” If we are honest, we must admit that on examination, we are in fact all lying, stealing, adulterers at heart. And this covers only three of the Ten Commandments!

Go back to the Ten Commandments and look at each one honestly. The First is “Have no other gods besides Me.” Do you ever put something higher than God on your priority list—sports, money, fun, sex, or whatever? If so, that “something” may even have become a god to you. Everyone has false gods that they worship. Just track the trail of you life—how you spend your time, your money, your thoughts—will lead one to the throne of the gods you worship.

The Second is not to make any "graven image." Have you ever decided to ignore what the Bible says about God, inventing a God to suit yourself? For example, some people may say, "My God would never send anyone to hell." Of course, in a sense they are correct because their God does not exist. He is a figment of their imagination.

Do you ever blaspheme the name of God (Third Commandment)? Please do not take this commandment lightly. This is quite serious.

Do you ever fail to honor the Sabbath day (Fourth Commandment)? You do, don’t you? Have you ever failed to honor your father or mother (Fifth Commandment)?

The Bible says (1 John 3:15) that whoever hates his brother is a murderer (Sixth Commandment). Do you ever have the feeling of hatred? Then you have broken the Sixth Commandment. Hatred and lust are where murder and adultery begin.

Speaking personally, the writers of this study lesson are guilty of being angry, unloving, unaffirming, inconsiderate and too often have said unwarranted things even toward those people closest to us. We only have to look at ourselves honestly to see how far away we are from God’s standard of unconditional love toward others. Can you acknowledge the same?

Have you ever failed to pay a bill on time, costing your creditor interest on his money? Fudged here and there on taxes or elsewhere? Downloaded music illegally? Then you have stolen (Eighth Commandment). What does that make you? A thief, right?

Are you ever guilty of gossiping—saying things about someone else that tear down that person or which may not be entirely true? You are breaking the Ninth Commandment when you do that.

Or have you ever coveted after something, or felt jealousy? Then you have broken the Tenth Commandment. This commandment alone should force the honest seeker to his knees.

You may say, “Well, I’m just human. Everyone does these things.” But remember this. Every sin is a sin against God. It is less a matter of how great our sins are than the greatness of whom we sin against! Some people may deny their sin, thinking that sin only means murder or adultery. But sin is much more than these big and obvious sins. It is self-centeredness. If narcissism is the curse of the earth, Jesus is the antidote. Can you imagine what the world would be like if everyone around you loved perfectly?

Other questions that can be asked of ourselves that reveal who we really are include: Have you done everything Jesus would have done? Have you always done everything you ought to have done? In fact, sin is not simply the result of a decision to do a bad thing; it is the result of failing to make a decision to do a good thing. (READ James 4:17.)

Are you always a peacemaker (Matthew 5:9)? Do you ever lose your patience (Galatians 5:22)? Do you ever fail to exhibit self-control (Galatians 5:23)? Have you ever been disobedient, unfaithful, or lazy? Do you ever waste anything (John 6:12)? Or be arrogant, quick-tempered, or drunk (Titus 1:7). How about, do you ever do emotional injury to another person—or its opposite, the failure to build someone up? Or feel contemptuous toward another person? Or do you ever harbor partiality toward others (James 2:1-9)? If you are a parent, have you adequately inculcated the ways of God to your children (Deuteronomy 11:18-21; Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4)? Do you tend to retaliate or nurse grudges (Matthew 5:38-42)?

In order to show us how far we are from God’s standard, Jesus told us that we must be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48). The Bible says that if we have broken even one item of the law, we are guilty of breaking the entire law (James 2:10). You may say, “That’s not fair!” But consider this, if a person goes into a store a hundred times and does not steal anything, but one time does steal something, is he guilty or innocent? The law considers him guilty! But the sinfulness of man goes even deeper than that. We sin every day in one way or another in thought, word, and deed. Every thought we have and every word we utter are recorded. On judgment day God hits the playback button! There are no secret sins (Psalm 90:7-8; Ecclesiastes 12:14; Hebrews 4:13). Against God’s perfect holiness, we must acknowledge that we deserve his wrath.

The Bible says that we suppress the truth. READ Romans 1:18-23. In some cases, the more we sin, the more we deny our sin. We get in our comfort zone and find it easy to deny our sin. Human beings are in trouble most of the time. Those who don't know they're in trouble are in the worst trouble. Read what Jesus says about this in Revelation 3:17-18. Remember back in Genesis 3 how Adam blamed his sin on Eve, who in turn blamed it on the devil. Our nature is to just pass the buck.

Human beings are into “impression management.” Examine how concerned we are with other people getting a good impression of us versus a true impression of us. Sin binds us to see ourselves better than are. In one study, out of a million respondents not even one person said that they considered themselves below average in their ability to get along with other people.

Even our charitable acts are often motivated out of selfishness. We want the recognition before man or God that we have done something good. Or we want to appease our conscience to try to overcome our past errors.

Langdon Gilkey, who spent time in a minimum security Japanese internment camp in China, in his book Shantung Compound explored the nature of man:

Most of us, in spite of whatever harm we may be doing to others, have long since convinced ourselves that the cause for which we do what we do is just and right...Having found these truths about human existence enacted before my eyes, I began to recall some of the theological ideas I had almost forgotten. The idea of original sin was so striking in this new context, it seemed ironic that of all the ideas linked with Christian belief, this one should probably strike the average man as most dubious. Yet, when one looks at the actual social behavior of people, this theological notion of a common, pervasive warping of our wills away from the good we wish to achieve is more descriptive of our actual experience of ourselves than is any other assessment of our situation. What the doctrine of sin has said about man’s present state seemed to fit the facts as I found them. In camp, both “good” people and “bad” people found it incredibly difficult to will the good; that is, to be objective in a situation of tension, and to be generous and fair to their neighbors. Though quite free to will whatever we wanted to do in a given situation, we were not free to will to love others, because the will did not really want to. We were literally bound in our own sin. This was, I knew, the way Christian thought had long viewed man’s predicament. It was also precisely what the facts of my experience seemed to substantiate.

The great faith leaders in history—for example, Augustine or John Calvin or Martin Luther or Billy Graham, etc.—assert that the more one seeks true spirituality, the more one realizes how truly weak and impotent the human condition really is. Even the great St. Paul, who wrote two-thirds of the New Testament, acknowledged his constant failure (Romans 7:18-20). Let’s face it. When we look in the mirror we see a sinner. And what is needed are not some small adjustments to our behavior. What is needed is a radical solution for our sin.

Jesus often spoke of sin in metaphors that illustrate the havoc sin can wreak in one’s life. He described sin as blindness (Matthew 23:16-26), sickness (Matthew 9:12), being enslaved in bondage (John 8:34), and living in darkness (John 8:12; John 12:35-46). Jesus also taught that both inner thoughts and external acts render a person guilty (Matthew 5:28). He taught that from within the human heart come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly (Mark 7:21-23). The fact is that at times we are all condemning, spiteful, arrogant, and conniving. The unclean thoughts we all have convicts us. Jesus affirmed that God is fully aware of every person’s sins, both external acts and inner thoughts; nothing escapes his notice (Matthew 22:18; Luke 6:8; John 4:17-19).

Theologian R. C. Sproul in his book Saved from What? says this:

In addition to the external measuring rod there is also the consideration of the heart, the internal motivation for our behavior. We judge outward appearance. God looks on the heart. From a biblical perspective, to do a good deed in the fullest sense of the word requires not only that the deed conform outwardly to the standards of God’s Law but that it proceed from a heart that loves Him and wants to honor Him. We remember the great commandment: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart’ (Matthew 22:37). Let’s just stop there for a second. Is there anybody in this world who has loved God with all of his heart for even the last five minutes? No. Nobody has loved God with all of his heart since being born, nor have we loved Him with all of our mind or strength.

I know that one of the things I will be accountable for on judgment day is the way in which I have failed in the pursuit of the knowledge of God. Many times I have been lazy and slothful and too bored to apply myself to the fullest possible measure of knowing God. I have not loved God with all of my mind [also Matthew 22:37]. If I loved God with all of my mind, there would never be an impure thought in my head. But that’s not the way my head works.

Michael W. Smith and Kirkpatrick cry out to God in their beautiful song "Never Been Unloved."

I have been unfaithful.
I have been unworthy.
I have been unrighteous.
And I have been unmerciful.

I have been unreachable.
I have been unteachable.
I have been unwilling.
And I have been undesirable.

And sometimes, I have been unwise.
I’ve been undone by what I’m unsure of.
But because of you, And all that you went through,
I know that I have never been unloved.

I have been unbroken.
I have been unmended .
I have been uneasy.
And I’ve been unapproachable.

I’ve been unemotional.
I’ve been unexceptional.
I’ve been undecided .
And I have been unqualified.

Unaware, I have been unfair.
I’ve been unfit for blessings from above.
But even I can see the sacrifice you made for me.
To show that I have never been unloved.

In the site of an all-powerful and holy God, we are all guilty and must face judgment. In fact, we are not just simply guilty. We are regularly and eternally guilty. We deserve eternal punishment. Yet, as we continue our study, we will see that there is a way to gain favor before our righteous God.

May we pray. Oh Father. We acknowledge who you are in contrast to who we are. You are holy; we are lowly. You are loving—indeed love itself; yet we are selfish, spiteful, deceitful, and bent toward revenge. You are the powerful creator of the universe, and we cannot even control our own emotions—our lack of self-discipline weighs on our being. You are the truth; yet we cannot even be honest with ourselves, putting up smokescreens to avoid the truth. You are the just judge; and we think we can ignore your plain commands with impunity. You are faithful; we bend in the wind. You are diligent; we procrastinate. Father, we fall so short. Help us with our condition. We beseech you.

Top of page The Promise: A Messiah
One cannot fully understand who Jesus is without an appreciation of Jesus as the Messiah. The Old Testament prophesied of a coming Messiah (sometimes referred to by various names such as the Anointed One or the Holy One).

In fact, the whole topic of prophecy is an important aspect of the Bible. There are over 2000 accurately fulfilled prophecies or implications in the Bible, including some 300 about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Of all the prophecies of the Bible, amazingly, none have proven to be false. This is proof that the Bible is what it claims to be—the Word of God. Fulfilling 2000 prophecies without a single error could not have happened without divine origin. There is no other holy book from other religions like the Bible in this regard. The Bible stands out as a unique document in all of history.

Regarding the Messianic prophecies, as they are called, the Bible demonstrates that Jesus uniquely matches the person of the expected Messiah. Jesus often referred to himself as the fulfillment of these prophecies. And the early Christians made a big deal out of showing how Jesus was indeed the Messiah. Many passages of the New Testament refer back to passages in the Old Testament to demonstrate this.

Some of the Messianic prophecies are subtle, which has led skeptics to say that Christians could only have tied them to Jesus with the benefit of hindsight. Others, they say, were easy for Jesus to have acted on with foreknowledge to prove his Messiahship. But many of the prophecies are not at all subtle, and many are ones that Jesus could not have controlled, such as his genealogy, the actual town of his birthplace, or the method of his death.

Below is a short list of some of the Messianic prophecies from the Old Testament and the corresponding New Testament passages that demonstrate their fulfillment. For our purposes now, it is enough to just look through the list to get an idea of this important theme. But, to get extra credit in our study, look these up one by one. Yes, it will be a bit tedious but absolutely fascinating. It will be worth it if you will take the time!

Examples of Messianic Prophecies
Prophecy Old Testament New Testament Fulfillment
Messiah to be the seed of Abraham Gen 12:1-3, 18:18 Mt 1:1-2
Lk 3:34
Ac 3:25
Gal 3:16
Messiah to be of the seed of David 2 Sam 7:5,16
Ps 132:11
Jer 23:5 Mt 1:6
Mt 22:42-45
Lk 1:31-33
Ac 2:29-35
Rom 1:3
Messiah to be born of a virgin Is 7:14 Mt 1:18-25
Lk 1:26-38
Messiah to be born in Bethlehem Mic 5:2 Mt 2:1-6
Lk 2:4-6
Tribute paid to Messiah by great kings Ps 72:10-11 M