Here is the outline of our first No BS BS. I encourage you to follow along with your Bible:
I.
Promise and Provision to Adam and Eve
a.
Recount the Fall—what did Adam/Eve use to cover
themselves? Did it work?
b.
Read Gen. 3:15—what is this promise
saying?
c.
Who clothes Adam/Eve as they leave the Garden? What are
they clothed in?
Bottom line: Our sin cannot be atoned for by the "fig leaves" of our own hands, but only by a blood sacrifice provided by God. This blood sacrifice will be what accomplishes the promise of Gen. 3:15--Jesus Christ will crush Satan under His feet (1 Cor. 15).
II.
Two Types of Sacrifices (Read Gen. 4:1-7)
a.
What sacrifices did Cain/Abel make? How were
they each received?
b.
Two differences— (1) God’s pattern of blood sacrifice
for sin, and (2) only one done “by faith” (Heb. 11:4)
c.
How does Cain respond to this rejection? What
warning does God give Cain?
Bottom line: Abel, part of the line of the woman, followed God's pattern and offered a blood sacrifice, and he did so by faith. Cain, part of the line of the serpent, followed Adam and Eve's pattern trying to atone for himself, and did so in rebellion against God. Like his parents, Cain did not subdue the serpent who was "crouching (slithering) at the door."
III.
Cain’s Murder of Abel (Read vv8-16)
a.
Sin upon sin: Premeditated murder, talks back to
God, disavows love for fellow man
b.
How does God respond? What is blood of Abel
crying out to God for?
c.
The power of Abel’s name— means chaos/meaninglessness
(key word from book of Ecclesiastes)--result of sin, summary of this act
Bottom line: If Genesis 3 introduces sin, Genesis 4 shows us what it looks like. It is rebellion against God and His people and it results in chaos. It is as if Cain raised his hand to strike God, but unable to do so, brought it down upon His servant (as we would do to Christ). The blood Abel thus cries out against mankind in judgment.
IV.
The Blood Still Speaks
a.
Cry for judgment echoes through ages against
God’s enemies (read Eph. 2:1-3)
b.
How much more for Son’s blood, but another cry
accompanied: Forgive them—mercy
c.
Heb. 12:24—the blood of Jesus speaks a better
word than the blood of Abel
d.
Also reversed curse of Cain—Christ did subdue Satan and
was without sin, ultimate keeper of his brother by dying for him and securing him from all eternal harm
e.
Read Eph. 2:4-10
Bottom line: The blood of Abel is echoed by the blood of Christ, who bears the judgment of all the Cain's of this world (us included) and cries out for mercy. And this shows for us the pattern of Scripture and human history: Two lines--those belonging to Christ and those belonging to Satan. And the line of Christ will often suffer (have its heel struck), thought Christ will prevail (after having his heel struck) and crush the head of Satan and all of his followers (1 Cor. 15).
Preview: In Gen. 4, the line of Satan grows worse and things look bad for the line of Christ. At the end of chapter 4, the line of Christ is continued through the birth of Seth ("God has appointed") and people once more call on the name of the Lord. In Gen. 5, the genealogy shows us the continuation of this line that would eventually lead to Christ. In Gen. 6, the line of Satan continues to grow worse and threatens to eradicate the line of Christ, thus preparing us for the next "Christ in the Old Testament" lesson in a month: The Gospel According to Noah.
No comments:
Post a Comment