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The Holy Bible is an amazingly unified text that encompasses the whole plan of God to bring salvation to man through Jesus Christ and complete all of history in our Savior (Ephesians 1:10). Knowing the plan of God helps us realize the meticulous detail by which He brought us eternal life through His wisdom, knowledge, and love, for his good pleasure and praise (Ephesians 1:4-8).
Key to this plan is:
- The structural elements to bring salvation.
- The teaching elements to allow us to recognize the Savior.
Both are detailed below in the order of the scriptures. The following is an overview and not an exhaustive study.
Progression of the plan of God
Adam and Eve (Genesis 2-3) – The sin in the Garden of Eden completely corrupted the mind and physical being of man and separated him from God (Romans 5:12-14). God punished Adam and Eve for their disobedience (Genesis 3:16-19).
· Adam is a type of Christ in that, as one man, brought death and disobedience into the world while through one man, Jesus Christ brought grace and salvation to the world (Rom. 5:15-21)
· Key Messianic prophecy (Genesis 3:15) – God first promised a solution to the sin problem created by Adam’s fall by indicating that Eve’s seed would defeat the serpent (Satan) who caused the transgression in the garden.
Cain and Abel (Genesis 4) – Eve hoped the birth of her son, Cain (Genesis 4:1), would provide the holy man God promised in Genesis 3:15. Cain, unfortunately, proved to be a man of sin and killed his brother Abel because he offered a more acceptable sacrifice. Therefore, God banished Cain. From this time onwards, the threads of two separate societies, one from Cain, that hates God and embraces sin, versus the people of God’s choosing who love and obey Him. Over time, the sons of God were overtaken by wicked men, and the world was filled with sin (Genesis 6:1-6).
Noah (Genesis 6-9) – Because of so much sin in the world, God sent His wrath to destroy mankind in the great flood, except for righteous Noah and his immediate family, whom he graciously saved in the ark. Noah typed (foreshadowed) Christ in that:
· He was chosen by God.
· He built the ark out of obedience and faith.
· The end (the beginning of the flood) came suddenly at an unknown time.
· The chosen were saved from God’s wrath.
After Noah, God gave man a third opportunity to be obedient to God.
· Key Messianic prophecy (Genesis 9:25-27) – This verse states that the Messiah would come from the line of Shem, indicating the land of Palestine.
· Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) – After Noah, over time, people divided into 70 countries. However, in the land of Babylon, the Tower of Babel was created to replace and resist God. Babylon came to represent in scripture a system of government that is anti-God and will ultimately be destroyed in the tribulation (Revelation 17 - 18). God punished man for his sin by confusing the languages to inhibit their ability to work together to resist Him.
Abraham (Genesis 11:30 through Genesis 25:11), a new plan by means of Israel – Abraham is a central figure in scripture. God chose Abraham to leave Ur of the Chaldees, which he did by faith, coming to Palestine at God’s direction. Abraham received the first major covenant from God (Genesis 12:1-3; 15:1-5).
The Abrahamic Covenant consists of three promises which are:
· Isaac, Abraham’s son – He was significant because Abraham and his wife Sarah were too old to bear children, and so believing God’s promise of a son was a test of faith, which Abraham passed (Genesis 15:1-6). The provision of a son was a sign to Abraham of God’s faithfulness in completing the remaining two promises that would not be fulfilled in his lifetime.
· A blessing to all nations – This is a promise of Messiah coming from Abraham’s seed (Galatians 3:16) through Isaac (Genesis 21:12; Romans 9:7; Galatians 4:28: Hebrews 11:18). Isaac was a type of Christ whom God ordered Abraham to sacrifice as his only begotten son. God saved Isaac from sacrifice by providing a ram in his place (Genesis 22:1-18). It is through Isaac that the spiritual blessings of Messiah come (Genesis 21:12; Romans 9:7; Hebrews 11:18).
· A founder of a great nation – This is Israel, and the promise comes through Abraham’s grandson Jacob to the ‘seed after you’ (generations following Jacob). It was confirmed by the sign of circumcision in (Genesis 17:7-14; Psalm 105:6).
· Key Messianic prophecy (Genesis 49:10) – When Jacob gave blessings to his sons he further identified the coming Messiah as a king from Judah.
The Abrahamic covenant represents, in essence, the cornerstone of scripture, which lays out the purpose of the Bible to the Book of Revelation consisting of:
· The plan of God to salvation through Jesus Christ and to conclude the history of the whole world in Him at His second coming.
· The provision of Israel to provide Messiah and the fulfillment of God's promises to them at Christ’s return and the establishment of His kingdom.
We have a great God who has given us a wonderful plan for salvation, to sum up all things on the earth and in heaven for eternity in Christ (Ephesians 1:10)!
Thank you for reading my blog. Join us next time as we continue this journey through God's plan and the events following Abraham.
Join us again next time and share this important blog with your friends and family!
William C. Stewart, MD
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Disclaimer - This blog and its content are provided only as information and are intended for visitors 18 and older. No content on the website should be taken as advice or recommendation to any personal or institutional situation. The views expressed are those of the author alone and not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Teleios. Both the blog and the contents are subject to change at any time without notice. Although I endeavor to ensure that the blog and the content are current and accurate, it may contain errors. I do not represent that the blog or the content is current, accurate or complete, or appropriate for your specific requirements. I do not accept any liability from any person for the blog, the content or any other information (or the use of such information) I provide. I do not have a seminary degree, but I have trained myself in the scriptures to teach and provide this information. For any specific question, I suggest you contact experts in that field and or do your own research into the scriptures.
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