Profiles of the Bible: Abraham (Part 1)
Abraham is one of the key figures if not the key figure of the Old Testament. His name is cited over and over again in the Old and New Testaments and is set forth as an example of a man who walked with God. More importantly, Abraham is set forth as an example of faith. His greatest feat? Trusting God.
Profiles of the Bible: Cain Genesis Chapter 4 picks off after the Fall of Adam. If you remember, God had promised Adam and Eve that someone born of the woman would crush the head of the snake. Not long after Adam and Eve were forced out of the garden, Eve became pregnant and gave birth […]
Profiles of the Bible: Adam (Part II)
Made in the Image of God & God’s Representative
Last week we began our series of significant people in the Bible by discussing Adam. Adam was the first human created by God. Although Adam was created from dust and dirt, he was given a special status. Unlike the animals and living creatures, Adam was made in the image of God and was breathed into by God’s Spirit. He was charged with caring for and ruling over the world as a lesser king under God. But instead of believing, trusting, and serving God, Adam sinned by eating the fruit that God forbade him to eat. The result? Adam’s sin resulted in a curse being placed not only on Adam, and not only on the entire human race, but on all creation. All the brokenness, the fighting, the jealousy and the pride stems from this broken relationship with God.
This event is summarized as “original sin”. Contrary to what many have mistakenly believe, Original Sin does not describe Adam and Eve’s act of sex, but of Adam’s disobedience. Still, many object to the idea of Adam’s sin being the cause of our curse. How could one man’s actions result in the curse on all humanity? That doesn’t seem fair. Why should one man’s actions thousands of years before affect me? It seems unjust that God would punish me for someone else’s disobedience.
Made in the Image of God, God’s Representative This year, I hope to be able to go through profiles of various individuals in the Bible. There are three ways I hope that studying the stories of people will be of benefit to you. First, and foremost, you will gain an understanding of the God that […]