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LESSON AIMS To know and be able to communicate to others the metanarrative of the Bible. To understand how each book of the Bible tells the story of God s relationship with mankind. To be able to read the Bible for yourself and grow in your understanding of who God is and how to make Him known to others. 2
METANARRATIVE TIMELINE TITLE TEXT Body Level One Body Level Two Body Level Three Body Level Four Body Level Five 3
THE METAPHOR OF A ROSE: FOCUSING ON THE BIBLE AS ONE UNIT Body Level One Body Level Two Body Level Three Body Level Four Body Level Five 4
FULL BUD It is a complete flower but is not opened. The whole flower will be seen someday. There is more beauty to come. Torah Heart of the Bible. It is the seed bed of all major doctrines in the Bible, though not in full detail. It contains all major revelations of God. 5
THE TORAH Genesis - The theme is covenant; God makes a binding relationship with His people. Exodus - The theme is redemption; how a nation was saved from sin and death. Leviticus - The theme was sanctification; how sinning people may relate to a holy God. Numbers - The theme is mercy; how God, in wrath, remembers mercy; takes pity on his children. Deuteronomy - The theme is love; this OT book is as much about love as the NT book of John. 6
THE OPENING The bud has opened into a flower. The fragrance begins to emerge. There is more beauty to come. Writings and the Prophets Seeks to bring people back to God and His truths. Built on the revelation contained in the Torah. Takes us back to the Torah, but also points for forward to Jesus. 7
FULL BLOOM The flower is presented in full perfection. It is clearest, strongest, and most beautiful in full bloom. It exists in this stage only for a short time. The Gospels Jesus came to reaffirm God s teachings. Jesus made most beautiful what God said in the beginning. Jesus makes the best presentation ever of the Torah. In Jesus, the Torah came to fruition. 8
FULL BLOWN The flower is complete; no petal has dropped off. The flower is completely open and ready for propagation. Individual petals may be examined in fine detail. The Epistles Written to the Church; beginning Christians (God-fearers and Jews). Written to people who knew the Hebrew Bible. Written to explain the purposes of God for Israel and the church. 9
TITLE TEXT Body Level One Body Level Two Body Level Three Body Level Four Body Level Five 10
THE END OF TIME 1 Cor. 15 : 20-26 - Christ was resurrected from the dead and so will those who believe in him. - Satan, beast and false prophet are cast into lake of fire (Rev. 20:10) - Death, the last enemy, will be abolished 11
THE END OF TIME 1 Cor. 15 : 27-28 When Christ, who God gave the power to rule over the earth, has established his kingdom on earth, he will give the power back to God and be under His authority, so that God can viewed for who He is, the God of everybody. 12
THE END OF TIME 1 Cor. 15 : 27-28 When Christ, who God gave the power to rule over the earth, has established his kingdom on earth, he will give the power back to God and be under His authority, so that God can viewed for who He is, the God of everybody. * Was there ever a challenge that God did not have the right to be God? 13
THE CHALLENGE Satan was an angel who, along with a legion of other angels, challenged God s right to rule over the earth. - Luke 10 : 18 Jesus tells his disciples, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. - Revelation 12 : 9, The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. - Isaiah 14 : 12-15 - Psalm 48:2 - Ezekiel 28 : 12-18 14
Isaiah 14 : 12-15 THE CHALLENGE 12 How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! 13 You said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. 15 But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit. Psalm 48 : 2 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King. 15
THE CHALLENGE Ezekiel 28 : 14-16 14 You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. 16 In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 16
THE FALL Genesis 3 - Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God Responds: 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, What is this that you have done? The woman said, The serpent deceived me, and I ate. 14 The Lord God said to the serpent, Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring[a] and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel. 17
PROTOEVANGELIUM Golden Thread of Kingdom Serpent X Seed Bruise his heel Bruise your head Woman Seed Scarlet Thread of Redemption 18
ADAM TO NOAH After the fall, Adam and Eve populate the earth: Chap. 4: Cain and Abel (v. 1-2) Seth is born after Cain kills Abel (v. 25) Chap. 5: Seth s lineage to Noah (v. 6-29) Noah has 3 sons (v. 32) Chap. 6-9:17 The Flood God s Covenant with Noah (v. 13-17, Rainbow) 19
NOAH TO ABRAHAM Noah s 3 sons and their lineage: Chap. 9:18 - Shem, Ham, and Japheth Ham dishonors Noah and is cursed through his son Canaan (v. 20-27) Chap. 10 - Lineage of Noah s 3 sons shows how the earth was populated Chap. 11 - Tower of Babel shows how they were dispersed and spoke different languages (v. 1-9) Shem s lineage to Abram (v. 10-27) 20