The Story of the Bible | Pastor Justin Cheely

God’s story begins with God creating the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void. The chaotic waters cover the face of the earth. Darkness reigned.

From the chaos God created order and beauty.

Light, Land, vegetation, and creatures. God tames the chaotic waters and sets a boundary for them. He creates a magnificent sanctuary garden set upon the top of the highest mountain – EDEN.

His presence dwells in Eden – the place where heaven and earth collide. This is where God rules and reigns among his creation.

In this place God creates and establishes his son and king – Adam. Adam is created in the image and likeness of God. He is God’s son – a perfect image bearer. He is also God’s king – having the likeness of God in authority and power. Adam and His wife are to multiply God’s image and likeness, and to rule over the earth from the City of Eden on God’s behalf.

Enter the Serpent.

More deceptive and dishonorable than any living thing that the LORD God had created, it successfully tempted Adam and Eve to turn against God. Instead of banishing the serpent from the garden, casting it into the outer darkness and saving his bride, Adam bound himself to the serpent's rule and reign, recreating himself in the serpent's own image and likeness.

God banishes Adam and Eve from the garden sanctuary with a promise: One day, a Son will be born who will do what you could not do. The serpent will bite and try to devour him, but he will crush the serpent once and for all.

Upon being cast out of God’s presence, humanity spirals out of order and into chaos. A failure to love God and others leads to rebellion against God. Rebellion leads to corruption and perversity. By the time we get to Genesis chapter 6, every intention of the thoughts of mankind's heart is only evil continually.

In an effort to make things right again and to establish order in the midst of this now-chaotic world, God de-creates all he had made by flooding the earth and returning it back to its original state – without form and void.

But out of the chaotic waters, God calls a new son and a new king: Noah.

Noah, his family, and a pair of every animal on earth are saved by God through the Ark built by Noah. The Ark lands upon the top of a high mountain and from there God gives Noah a similar charge to the one he gave to Adam: To multiply God’s image and likeness throughout the earth.

Unfortunately, Noah is not the anticipated Son we were waiting for, and like Adam, Noah fails.  In the midst of a different garden, drinking from the fruit of a different tree, Noah rebels against God and humanity once again spirals out of order and into chaos.

Enter Babel.

Failure to love God and love others leads humanity to create a wicked city opposed to God’s City of Eden. We claimed, “Come! Let us build ourselves a city and a sanctuary with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be multiplied upon the face of the whole earth” – the ultimate perversion of God’s created purpose for humanity.

But out of the chaos of Babel, God calls a new son and a new king: Abraham.

God tells Abraham, “Come! Let me make you a great city and give you a great name, and I will make you the father of a multitude of ethnicities. Nationalities and Kings will come from you, I will establish your sons and daughters upon the earth, and they will be a blessing to every nation on earth. They will be multiplied like the stars in the sky, but first they will be slaves in a different kingdom for 400 years.”

Enter Egypt.

Abraham’s offspring eventually became the nation of Israel. Israel lived under the captivity of Egypt for 400 years before God saved them out of that kingdom of darkness. Egypt, like Babel before it, was a picture of what happens when humanity builds cities and sanctuaries for our own glory – a true failure to love God and love others.

But out of the chaos of Egypt, God calls a new son and a new king: Israel.

God says to Pharaoh King of Egypt, “Israel is my firstborn son, let my son go so that he may serve me. If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.”

Pharaoh refuses to listen to God, so God judges Pharaoh and Egypt with plagues, ultimately resulting in the death of Pharaoh’s firstborn son.

Israel flees Egypt, covered by the blood of the lamb, through the chaotic waters of the red sea and into the wilderness where God teaches His Son how to live in the image and likeness of God.

However, Israel is not the long anticipated Son humanity had been waiting for, and like Adam and Noah before him, Israel fails to live as God’s Son and King. Failure to love God and love others causes Israel to spiral into sin, rebellion, corruption, and perversion.

But out of the chaos of Israel’s failure, God calls a new son and a new King: David.

God tells David in 2 Samuel 7, “Come! I will give you a great name; I will cut off your enemies, and I will establish a place for my people Israel. I will raise up your offspring after you, and I will establish His Kingdom. He shall build a household and a dynasty for My name, and I will establish the throne of His Kingdom forever. When He becomes corrupt and rebellious, I will discipline Him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but My steadfast love will not depart from Him.”

Enter Babylon.

King David and his son Solomon ruled in peace and order but nearly every king afterward became corrupt and rebellious, eventually casting Israel into slavery to Assyria and Babylon, then to Greece, and finally to Rome. These kingdoms, like Babel and Egypt before them, were pictures of what happens when humanity builds kingdoms for our own glory – a true failure to love God and love others.

The Old Testament ends with a cliffhanger – Where is the promised Son who will crush the serpent once and for all; the King from the line of David who will establish God’s saving rule and reign, bringing worldwide restoration to God’s creation?

But out of the chaos of defeat, slavery and exile, God calls a new Son and a new King: Jesus.

Jesus is an Israelite, the son of Abraham. He’s a King from the tribe of Judah, the son of David. He’s a man, flesh and blood, descended from Adam. And yet, he’s the living and eternal God.

Jesus is the God who promised Adam that a Son would be born who would crush the serpent. Jesus is the God who brought Noah through the flood. Jesus is the God who promised to make Abraham a great name and a great nation. He’s the God who brought Israel out of the land of Egypt and He’s the God who promised David that his Son would be given an eternal throne.

Little did we know that God himself would be both the promise giver and the promise fulfilled.

Jesus is the Son of Adam who crushes that ancient serpent once and for all, casting the devil from his presence and saving his Bride – the church. The name of Jesus is the great name promised to Abraham, His church the multi-ethic nation promised to Abraham. Jesus is the representative head of Israel, and therefore he is God’s firstborn Son. Jesus is the Son of David, the great King who establishes God’s eternal Kingdom and cuts off every enemy who would stand opposed. He is the King who suffered the cross by rod of men and was disciplined for our rebellion and corruption — though he did not sin. And He is the God who rose from the grave conquering every power that would hold us captive.

Jesus is the Son and King who will banish chaos and establish order on the earth once and for all — a new heaven and a new earth. He is the perfect image and likeness of God who shows us how to truly love God and love others. He is the temple of the living God, a walking sanctuary — A walking Garden of Eden. God himself has come to live among us once again as the man Jesus, your Savior.

God’s presence dwells in Jesus – He is the place where heaven and earth collide. In Jesus, God rules and reigns among his creation.

He is the same God, yesterday, today, and forever.