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Genesis three is where we are this morning in the middle part of our series. I’m going to go ahead and dismiss our 10 11 year olds for their class so they can be a part of it. I’m going to invite you to turn to Genesis chapter three. This is exactly the middle part of our series together in believe. Um, just you know the, the days ahead would be talking about God’s restoration for all of creation. We will be talking about the, the Trinity and then we’ll be answering the questions. So what now, what do we do with, with the information we’ve been given? That’s how we’re going to conclude in this series together today when we’re talking about the second part of a, of a section that we began last week on the redemption that’s created for us in Genesis chapter three so that we can understand God’s grand scheme of scripture.
This is an important passage and in the end, as we go through this story together, my hope is for all of us have we seen, have seen in the, in the first three chapters of Genesis, the story of God’s creation. And redemption for mankind unfold for us. It answers the big questions of life. Why do I exist? Where did I come from? Where am I going? This was what God laid out for the foundation for Israel to understand their direction and purpose and God calling them out of Egypt and just as it related to them. It’s still relates to us today as we’ve unfolded this message together. When we looked out in the first part is though the holiness of God all mighty God, how sacred he is and how sacred the Jews even considered his name, a yacht way in the way that they would refuse to utter the name of God in fear of blaspheming, his glorious and Holy name, and seeing that, Holy God, we’ve looked at how he’s created us in his image mean different than any other creature he has made.
God has created us in such a way that we can relate to him as creature to creator for intimate relationship. That is to be enjoyed in him in all of eternity or throughout all of eternity. And then when we saw last week, it was, we started in Genesis chapter three man’s response to that that man partakes the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. And when the Bible talks about the knowledge of good and evil, it means more than just simply understanding right and wrong, but rather declaring to God what is right and what is wrong by making themselves God. The lie that the serpent told to Adam and Eve was that you will become like gods. And so the the sin that that Satan following in Isaiah 14 and trying to set himself up to the position of God that caused him to be cast from heaven is the same lie that the Adam and Eve laid into or bought into and declaring to God what was right and what was wrong, making themselves to be God.
And therefore in that sin was born, we saw that in this act of sin, the first act of sin in human history, that sin will, will take you further than you want to go. It will cost you more than you want to pay, and it even appears to be good with the absence of godliness. We looked at the Hebrew word for Satan in scripture or the serpent and scripture. It also relates to the same Hebrew for brass and for enchanter showing us in that text that Satan possessed the the attitude of a serpent in chanting Adam and Eve with the appearance of good or shiny, shiny goodness before them, and they bought into the lie. Adam and Eve’s response we looked at together was to take fig leaves, sew them together, hide themselves from the presence of God, and what we noted in the passage of scripture is Adam and Eve in their actions brought forth the first manmade religion in this world.
The idea of sewing fig leaves as we studied that in the Hebrew, gives the appearance of a soldier putting on a battle garments to prepare for battle. So they’re not only hiding from God, they’re saying to God, God, we can handle this on her own and going out to make war against the sin they brought upon themselves by, by denying God and positioning themselves to the place of God. When that didn’t work for them, they begin to blame others has got approached them. Adam says, God, it’s your fault and it’s the woman’s fault. The woman says it’s the serpent’s fault and they’re blaming everything in this world that they can around them, but when we recognize and Adam and Eve’s positioned together as that they are helpless. Genesis chapter three that’s where we pick up together and Adam and Eve’s rebellion, the response of God. It’s one of mercy and grace. Genesis chapter three in verse eight remember, this is written poetically, this story, but as it unfolds in this passage of scripture, what we find in chapter three and verse eight says this, they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. And the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Verse nine then the Lord God called to the man and said to him, where are you? And verse 13 it goes on further and says, the Lord God said to the woman, what is it that you have done? And the woman said, the serpent deceived me, and I ate. Well, this passage is a scripture. God’s propositioning these questions to Adam and Eve. When the position of God, these would be more perceived as rhetorical because, uh, by the nature of God, we understand that God is omniscient. So by him asking the question, God already knows the answer.
But what he’s bringing Adam and Eve to as a state of recognizing their own position before God. When he walks into the garden and says he’s asking the question, man, where are you? It’s this rhetorical question. Not, not just recognize the Adam and Eve have hidden themselves from God, but to also recognize where they are positionally in relationship to God in the garden of Eden, when it began, God experienced this perfect relationship to Adam and Eve. What we call last week is untested creature holiness because there had been no sin in which Adam and Eve had lived out in their lives, but there was this relationship between creator and creature and now having part taken of sin. Adam and Eve have been separated from God and now they’re hiding from the presence of God and God is bringing this to the attention of Adam and Eve. Verse 13 then asking the question, what is it that you’ve done and he recognizing the decision that she has made, how that action has placed a wedge between their relationship that’s ultimately demonstrated at the very end of Genesis when God removes Adam and Eve from the garden, a distinguishment between God though creating us for relationship now having a, the severance between the relationship for which we were created to enjoy with creator God and as God or is Adam and Eve are the ones that that run away from God. God in this story is the one that continues to pursue Adam and Eve in spite of their sin. And then in Genesis three 15 we find this verse position between the curse that falls upon mankind and God makes this statement and his statement against the serpent, but this is what he said to the serpent. I will put enmity between you and the woman between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise bruise you on the head and you shall bruise him on the Hill.
This is the first gospel statement made in, in scripture this plan of redemption, the story that God will carry out as the theme throughout the rest of the Bible. The, the idea of scripture is this, that God is in pursuit of the redemption of mankind through his sacrifice on the cross in Christ, in this story unfolding and scripture begins in Genesis chapter three as he says to the serpent, and I will put enmity between you and the woman in between your seed and her seat. Well, think about the significance of the statement that’s taking place here. When when God makes this declaration of what’s to happen to the serpent, the first thing he says to us is that he’s going to put enmity between your seed and her seed, the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman. This is important to just draw our attention to because when, when the scriptures are written, it’s written predominantly to patriarchal societies to talk about a woman’s see did not happen when they would reference genealogy and the way that a mankind would progress into the future would always be by the seat of the man.
But here in this verse, it’s different by the seat of the woman. Genesis chapter three in verse 15 is already declaring to us the idea of the Virgin birth one, which Isaiah in chapter seven and verse 14 would prophetically continue to say, he said to us, therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold a Virgin will be with child and bear a son and she will call him Emmanuel, which means God is with us within the same context of the scripture, talking about the redemption. Mankind through Christ would be born of a Virgin, it says, and he will bruise you on the head and you shall bruise him on the Hill. No doubt. The idea of being bruised on the Hill was represented in, in the cross when Jesus was crucified. But it also talks about the bruising of the head. And when scripture refers often to the crown or to the head, it’s this state of ruling the state of headship.
And so it says in Isaiah chapter nine in verse six prophetically talking about Jesus for a child will be born to us. The sun will be given to us and the government will rest on his shoulders and his name will be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, eternal father, the Prince of peace and referencing to Jesus’ kingdom. It’s, it’s stating to us that this world no longer experiences the order for which God had created, but rather it’s under chaos. In Romans eight it tells us all of creation groans. Yet there is one, a ruler, the Prince of peace who shall come to restore. Genesis three identifies for us prophetic statements about the one who had ultimately come and give his life for us on behalf of our ends. And and then in Genesis three in verse 21 says this, the Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and close them.
Dan will just point out the significance of why it’s identifying both the man and woman in this passage of scripture, but I’m going to just highlight two of these phrases that he’s talking about in this verse. He says, God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. Now I want to, I’m just remind us for a moment of what happened and Adam and Eve’s response in the garden when they sinned against God, they ran from God. They took fig leaves, they placed them together, and they covered their bodies with it. And the Hebrew text says to us, this is a soldiers garment. Adam and Eve are preparing for battle. They’ve created the first manmade religion as a response to handle sin, which inevitably does not handle sin. We’ve looked at that together. Religion doesn’t help. It condemns, we’ve looked at verses with the law that the law was given us. Romans three, Galatians three, James chapter two. Uh, as a way of condemnation, not a way of salvation, even relating that to the law today, the officers when pull you over, they’re not going to pull you over and tell you great job obedience to the law today. Rather, when they pull you over, it’s to show you where the condemnation is and you’re breaking of the law. That’s why law exists.
Okay, law condemns. It doesn’t. Free law shows us where we violate, and in the same sense, when Adam and Eve sinned against God, they find that their religious practice is not what brings them salvation. And so they begin to blame others. They sewed fig leaves, they prepare for battle, but then in a position contrary to what Adam and his response is, God now gives this statement. He made garments of skin, any clove them.
The reason this is so important to look at in contrast to Adam and Eve’s response is because of the way the Hebrew explains the statement for garments. This word for garment and Hebrew is the same word that’s used for the priestly garments in which the priests of the old Testament would wear the ones that would minister in the temple before the presence of God. And this idea of, of clothing them, the only people that God clothed in the old Testament apart from the story is the priests of the old Testament. And so what God is drawing on is this idea of his presence being brought near again because of the sacrifice that he’s promming sing to us in Genesis chapter three in verse 15 by the one who would come from a Virgin who would crush the head of the serpent.
We were clothed as religious rebels in fig leaves, but God and the story rips off those big Leafs pursues the presence of Adam and Eve, though they sin makes the first sacrifice and close them in priestly garments as a way to demonstrate his grace and what he would ultimately do on our behalf. What happens here is important.
It answers for us a solution to the idea of evil and an answers for us. An important question of, uh, of even Israel at this moment saying, well, what is the garden of Eden has to do with me? So let me just the problem of evil for just a moment. Let me, let me just talk about this in such a way, because we think about, we think about the problem of evil in this world. Many people look at the evil things that happen in life and wonder how can there there be a loving God in the midst of evil? And there’s all kinds of answers that we could give to particulars of evil and what God can do with evil. But let me just give this overriding thought to all of it.
In everything that takes place in all of creation that groans and all the destruction that exists in sin, the hope that we have beyond that rest in Christ. Because in this story though, sin is clear. God’s pursuit of mankind and his redemptive promise outlasts the destruction of sin. And so in all of that and beyond all of it, there is hope. We think about the curse of sin and even into the new Testament, Jesus is talking to his followers. He, he tells them, take up your cross and follow me. And, and there will be a father against son and mother against daughter. His kingdom will cause dissension, the goodness of who he is because the darkness of the world will oppose it. And if God would have promised us or to tell us to do such a thing, but yet his redemptive hand isn’t strong enough to overcome it all. How good could this guy be?
But yet when we find throughout scripture, because the promise of this hope, what we ultimately find in this is a God whose power transcends beyond the evil and destruction and sending this world. It’s why it says in Psalm 56 that he can keep track of every tier of our eyes. And Matthew five, when he gives on the sermon of the mountain, the very beginning, while he said, blessed are you who hunger and thirst for righteousness. It’s why he can say in triumph, he’s overcome sin and death. And the grave in first Corinthians chapter 15 in verse 50 and revelation 21, it’s the reason why he tells us he overcomes all pain and suffering. And Romans eight 28 to 38, it’s the reason he says all things work together for good to those who love God, who are called according to his purpose, but ultimately in this because of the promise Jesus has given in Genesis chapter three and verse 15, that we have victory that transcends the disparity of sin.
Well, this answers the question, the ultimate question. What happens with the destruction of sin in this world? It also answers the question for Israel begins to answer the question for them. So what does this have? What do we have to do with the garden of Eden? I mean, you remember, uh, as we started this series together, and we’ve reminded us throughout this time period that, that Moses is writing this passage of scripture. He’s writing to a people who have come out of the Exodus out of Egypt as slaves. They’ve lived in slavery, their identity was in slavery, and God’s bringing them into the promised land of Canaan. He shaping new identity, new purpose, new meaning in them, putting their identity in God and what he ultimately wants to accomplish in this world. And so he begins the story of Genesis with the garden of Eden. And if you read the beginning of the Bible, history happens very rapidly until you get to Genesis chapter 12.
What is the garden of Eden have to do with Israel? What does this have to do with us who were slaves? Deuteronomy seven, God’s response to Israel is, was to say this in verse seven. Lord did not set his love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples for you were the fewest of all peoples because the Lord loves you and kept the oath which he swore to your forefathers. The Lord brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh, King of Egypt. God, what does this have to do with us in the garden of Eden? God, God says to them, it’s not because you’re anything special or great or it’s none of that. It’s you are even the fewest of everyone in this world, but through the few, through the weakest, I chose to work my will to bring about the promise of redemption. You’re the people through which Christ what come.
As the book of Genesis unfolds, that promise continues to share itself. It it tells us in Genesis chapter 12 and verses one this is repeated in Genesis chapter 15 I think in the best part of the story. In verse 17 God makes a covenant with Abraham or Abram in this passage, and again in Genesis chapter 17 but in Genesis 12 it says this, now the Lord said to Abraham or Abrahm go forth from your country and from your relatives and from your father’s house and to the land which I will show you talking about the land of Canaan, and I will make you a great nation and I will bless you and make your name great. And so you shall be a blessing. And I will bless those who bless you and the one who curses you. I will curse and look what he says. And in you all, the families of the earth will be blessed. God’s identifying for us how his hand continues to work beyond Genesis chapter three in first 15 Israel says, what does the garden of Eden have to do with us? God’s response is the redemptive hand of promise. In Genesis chapter three in verse 15 it’s continuing to work itself through a particular people group.
And this is the promise I gave to Abraham that I’m going to fulfill in you that threw you. One seed would come who would bless all nations and as a continual reminder of Genesis chapter three in verse 15 God went on to establish a sacrificial system for the people of Israel that continued to point back to the promise of redemption that would ultimately come and Jesus, the sacrificial system led was led by a priest in a temple and it was a symbol of all that Jesus would fulfill. The temple became God’s hands on classroom of pointing to the redemption that Christ would ultimately bring. The Jews would gather there for worship. The priests would offer the sacrifice. The Jews didn’t go to the temple because they were worthy. They went because they were unworthy.
Sacrifices would take place there. The blood of an animal would be spilled as a demonstration of death and ultimately a need for someone to stand in our place to pay for our sins. Because the Bible has told us, we looked at this last week that the wages of sin is death and the shedding of blood is a demonstration of the loss of life and the curse of sin. And so they would go into this temple not because they’re worthy, but because they were unworthy and the sacrifice of an animal who was to be demonstrated as a substitute on their behalf because of their sin and as the blow, as the blood would flow from this animal. It was a demonstration that the curse of sin was still there and someone needed to make a payment for that sin when they would walk into the temple for the sacrifice.
Jewish tradition tells us that they would place their hands on the head of the animal and they would confess their sins, recognizing their violation against, Holy God, we’ve talked about this together, but when we talk about what makes sense and it’s not the consequence though sin has consequence, what makes sense then is that it’s ultimately begins against God is a violation to his character and his nature and they would go into this temple recognizing their sin and they would place their hands upon the head of this animal and confessed their sins. Isaiah chapter 53 is it was written in scripture to identify as the ultimate sacrifice that was to come and look what it says. We all like sheep have gone astray. Each one of us have turned our way and look and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all and this passage would have blown away the Hebrew mind because they understood what this phrase means to lay on him.
They were doing that to go into the temple, to place their hands on an animal to confess their sins. They knew exactly what God was saying. In this passage of scripture, the Messiah would come and and laid on him would be the iniquity of us all. In fact, the very next verse in verse seven says, he was led as a lamb to the slaughter and referenced to this Messiah, which is no doubt the reason why when Jesus appears in John chapter one that John himself declares Jesus this way. John the Baptist on the Jordan river seeing Jesus. This is what he said. The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. The Lord has laid on him, sins of us, all the sacrifices that took place from the temple.
We’re God’s hands on demonstration. Genesis chapter three in verse 15 then how has John declares in this passage, the lamb of God has come to take away the sins of the world and Jesus himself, he, he, he did not shy away of continuing to identify himself as that temple. In fact, Jesus continued to go to the temple and as ceremonies took place, he would direct everything taking place here back to himself as the ultimate one who was the sacrifice. The temple was the ultimate demonstration of what Jesus would do in his life. In fact, in in, in John chapter eight as a, as a lighting ceremony took place at the temple, they would light torches in the temple and place it along the outside of the temple as a demonstration to the world that this was God’s light to the world and Jesus says in the middle of the ceremony in John chapter eight I am the light of the world in, in John chapter seven just before that, in a ceremony that ended with the pouring out of water as a sacrifice to God, Jesus stands in the ceremony and says, I am the living water in John chapter 14 knowing that the Jews referred to their three entrances in the temple by three different names.
They refer to it as the way and the truth and the life into the Holy of Holies. Jesus stood and he said, in John chapter 14 I am the way and the truth and the life. In John chapter two Jesus answered and said, this, destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. This statement is made in all four gospels, the Jews and Jesus, Jesus. His statement, we’re confused by what Christ was saying. They literally thought that if the, this physical temple was destroyed, that Jesus would physically rebuild the physical structure of the temple. But what Jesus was ultimately demonstrating was that he himself was the ultimate temple and what’s the physical temple was for shadowing. The temple was God’s great classroom.
But do you know as you look at the structure of the ceremonies that took place in the temple, it also served as a reminder that we experienced separation between us and our God because it was the priest who had to carry out the duties and out of the priest. It was only those from the, from the family of air and that were able to conduct the temple ceremonies. Just a small percentage of Israel’s population represented those that could conduct what took place within the temple. And even when you consider that the priests were the only ones to allow the conduct, the ceremony between God and the people. When you look at the structure of the temple itself, the temple was only two rooms, the Holy place and the Holy of Holies, the Holy of Holies, which was the most sacred room, was the room in which God’s presence dwelt.
That room was separated even from the priests by avail. And that room was only able to be entered once a year by a high priest who had to follow a very structured system of cleansing before he could even walk behind that veil. It’s like saying to us this morning, everyone gathered a worship. We have to stand in the parking lot. They built this entire structure to identify the the this place for which people could come and connect to God, but yet even still in the midst of that, they still saw this distinct separation between them and God cause his presence was separated from them.
Matthew 27 verse 51 Jesus recognizing his statement that he would destroy the temple and in three days he would raise it up again. It tells us as he’s being crucified, as he, as he gives up his life, the veil is torn from top to bottom, signifying to the world that the distinction of the separation between us and God has now been torn into because the sacrifice in which Jesus has made, which brings me to Hebrews. Hebrews chapter eight chapter 10 I think do a glorious job in painting this broad picture of all of scriptural context for us. I think this is a place that beautifully ties together. What happens in Genesis chapter three all the way in to the new Testament. In fact, if you carry this idea of what Jesus has done as the ultimate sacrifice and replacing the sacrificial system of Israel, the book of Hebrews just magnifies as bat. Hebrews chapter 10 and verse one listen to what the author says, who himself was a Jew. It says for the law, since it was only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things.
Okay, can never by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year make perfect those who draw near. So it’s saying the law and comparing the law to that system which took place within the temple. It’s saying to us it’s merely a shadow.
Otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered? Because the war spurs having once been cleanse with no longer have had a consciousness of sin. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sin year by year four, it is impossible for the blood and bulls and goats to take away their sins. What he’s saying is the temple is God’s great classroom and the recognition that that there was no animal that ultimately could be the sacrifice to take their sins away because they had to continually do it. And so the whole system in which God brought forth in this temple was merely a shadow, merely a teaching tool of what ultimately would take place. And so if you read on the Hebrews down in the verse 14 this is what it says for by one offering he referring to a purse has perfected for all time. Those who are sanctified and the Holy spirit also testifies to us for after saying, this is the new covenant that I will make with them after those days says the Lord, I will put my laws upon their heart and on their mind I’ll write them. He didn’t says and their sins and their lawless deeds. I will remember no more. Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. What’s happening here is really important. In the quote, you’ve noticed that the, the that context of this past is starting in verse 16 it’s a different font because it’s a quote from the old Testament. Let me just explain.
Verse 14 says this, that when Jesus grabs a hold of your life and you grab ahold of the sufficiency of his sacrifice on your behalf, you belong to him forever. You are adopted in this kingdom. Jesus has perfected for all times those who are being sanctified. This idea of perfection deals with past, present, and future, all of your sins. [inaudible] this is where we get the security, uh, of the saints, uh, our, uh, our blessedness in God in the sense that when Jesus sacrificed himself for you on your behalf, as you placed your faith in him, Jesus died not just for all of your sins up to that moment you professed in Christ. Jesus also died for every future sin you would ever conduct past, present, and future secure in Christ. And then the rider goes to Jeremiah. The writer does this in Hebrews chapter eight.
And in Hebrews chapter 10, he quotes Jeremiah 31 31 to 34 and Hebrews eight, he quotes 34 in this passage of scripture. Jeremiah 31 31, if you’ve ever studied this in scriptures, the reason why our Bible is called the old and new Testament today is why we distinguish this is Jeremiah 31 gives us the promise that a new covenant would be made. The old covenant that God made with Moses, the one with the law was a covenant of death. It was a reminder of death that began for us all the way back in the beginning of Genesis. We looked at the fact that the law for us demonstrates that we are cursed. It’s not a way of salvation. It’s a way of condemnation. It represents to us a need for salvation, a need for a new covenant, one who would give his life, and that covenant does not come until the shedding of blood.
That’s how a covenant is established. That’s how God made his covenant with Abraham in Genesis chapter 15 God and saying to Abraham, through you all nations will be blessed. He has Abraham sacrifice and animal. He causes Abraham to fall asleep and then God walks through this animal establishing this covenant. The word covenant in the Bible literally means cutting a covenant because they would kill an animal, separate it and walk in between it to say, may what happened to this animal happen to me if I break this covenant and through the shedding of blood, a new covenant is brought forth under the old covenant. Animal after animal is sacrificed, demonstrating the curse of the law under the new covenant. There is life and the Hebrew author is quoting Jeremiah 31 to save the new covenant for us has come and Jesus has ultimately fulfilled.
Therefore in verse 19 so this concluding statement, this therefore now, now wrap your mind around this. Since we have confidence to enter the Holy place, blood, the blood of Jesus. Now think about this for just a moment. The priest, when he would go to the temple, he himself was separated from the very Holy place where God’s presence was found. This temple of two rooms, even though there were priests designated to demonstrate the people before God, they themselves couldn’t come before the very presence of God. And so he says, therefore, think about this. Since we have confidence to enter the Holy place by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way, which he inaugurated for us. Look through the veil, his flesh, and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, well let us draw near sincere heart and full of faith.
Having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. It was a demonstration to us. The temple was a demonstration to us of ultimately what Jesus do, the perfecter of our faith. He himself destroying the temple, tearing the veil, and in three days rebuilding it, giving us now the opportunity, access behind the veil for the sacrifice which Jesus has made by by becoming our high priests. It’s why the new Testament says in first Corinthians three 16 in first Corinthians six 19 you now are the temple of God, that God now dwells within you. I remember the promise of, uh, of Jeremiah 31 what he says in verse 16, this is the covenant that I will make with them after this day, says the Lord. I will put my laws, look in their hearts and on their minds, God’s presence. Now, whether the rather than this external practice or demonstration, God’s presence now is within his people. This is why in first Corinthians three 16 six 19 it says, you are the temple of God. And I’ll think about this for just a moment.
When God made the sacrifice. In Genesis chapter three verse 21 he very clearly said to us, he did not just clove Adam. He also clothed Eve with those same priestly garments when it talks about coming before the presence of God, it’s not this patriarchal thought that separates, distinguishes between men and women. In fact, first Peter talking about both men and women says this, you also as living stones. He’s Peter’s taking this picture of the temple that was built. He’s calling you living stones now. He says, as living stones, you are being built up as a spiritual house for a Holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. You are a chosen race, a Royal priesthood, a Holy nation of people for God’s own possession that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. The spirit of God is not gender bias.
It doesn’t matter what gender you say you belong to. The same promise is given to both us that just as God clothed Adam Eve, that separation of took place in the old Testament. Though they could draw near to God by the priest. They’re still separated from God has now been brought near because the blood of Jesus and now all of us had direct access to God. Let me tell you this, there is nothing more special than the prayer I make before God as a pastor. Then the prayer you make before God because of what Jesus has done for you, and can I tell you one of the most sacred intimate things you have available for you today?
It’s to become for almighty God and the intimacy that’s described in first Peter. Now, if you’re asking yourself, well, how do you really know it’s talking to both men and women here. If you turn to the very next chapter in chapter three and verse seven of first Peter, Peter’s telling to the husbands, husbands love your wives because they are joint heirs in the kingdom of God. Yes. I think sometimes in our lives we downplay the significance of what Jesus has done in, in our very practice by this making little the opportunity that we have to come before God who was paid so much for us to access him.
I think when you really understand what Jesus has done, you can’t help become but become a person of prayer. A person who can’t wait to access the God of all glory who has humbled himself to the point of becoming a sacrifice for us that may, we may continue in that relationship with him because of the new covenant to understand is that separation was there, that God has now brought us in the year in this new covenant and we have direct access before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, that we, we can communicate with him and talk with him and share our burdens with him in glory in his presence.
I told you this last week, but one of the things that’s important in all of scripture to understand as high as we see, we see the intimacy of what God has done to the sacrifice of Jesus. Starting in Genesis chapter three is to understand the picture of how God has redeemed us throughout all of scripture and all of scriptures about the redemption of Jesus and what he would bring for us. The new Testament looks back to Christ. The old Testament looks forward to Christ, but the whole picture of that is, is the redemption of mankind as God has pursued us, the sacrifice of Christ. In fact, Jesus himself taught that if you’re to read in Luke chapter 24 after Jesus, his crucifixion as the is taken place, but the people don’t really know it yet, Jesus has resurrected from the grave and you’re reading the story in Luke chapter 24 about the strangers on the road to a maze.
Two people walking on this road dialoguing together and tells us a third person enters into the conversation. It’s Jesus, but the people don’t realize in the begin dialoguing about what happened in this, Jesus says to them, what are you guys talking about? And they say to Jesus and Luke 24 how do you not know? I mean, are you from planet earth? I mean, anyone who is in Jerusalem knows what’s happened here and they begin to share how this one came who they thought was going to lead them and lead Israel and redemption, and he was crucified and killed and now they don’t know what to do and how this took place. And then Jesus, his response to them is this, and he said to them, Oh, foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken. Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his glory? Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, he explained to them the things concerning himself and all the scriptures.
The story of Genesis chapter three Jesus is saying continues itself throughout all of the Bible. The whole point of the Bible isn’t the sacrificial system. Sacrificial system was just God’s told remind us that death was on us, but God in Genesis three 21 reminds us that life is in him through his redemption. The whole point wasn’t to get us to lock into religious system. The whole point was to connect us to Jesus and to see how the whole scriptures paint this picture to him as Genesis chapter one to three. This is what we’ve learned. Again, if someone were to come to you or your proposition, someone this question, why, why do you exist? I can tell you in a religious world this is the stand they’re going to take well to do the best I can and to live out the 10 commandments and then God will be happy with me. That’s it’s this idea of performance on my value is placed on performance and my worth is there and you could say, no, no, no. Let me just tell you how God starts this story. In the first three chapters of Genesis, glorious, Holy, beautiful. Yahweh creates God who is transcendent above us.
He speaks and he speaks purposefully into this world he creates in seven days, he says, and he speaks. When he speaks, life begins God by the word of his mouth begins life and then when he creates mankind, he stops and he creates us intimately, forms us out of the dust of the ground. He breathes into us the breath of life and he says he creates us in image. God created us to connect to him as creatures for worship, and in this passage we find that man, man turns from God. We had this relationship with him, but man turns from God and God kicks us out of the garden to distinguish our separation from creator. But look at this while we were creating religion, while we’re blaming others, God pursues us for relationship and God gives his life for you.
You may enjoy intimacy with him forever. The most sacred thing we can experience is that relationship with God. My encouragement to us this morning, don’t take it lightly, but enjoy his presence.