Stories in the Bible are not random events but part of an interconnected story. Just like a TV series where if you sit down and just see one episode of ‘Lost’ (which is about all I watched) you end up confused and mystified. You may be able to glean a little life-lesson from the episode (or not) but you can’t possibly get the whole story arc. Reading individual episodes of the Bible without reflecting on the big picture can be like that.
Like a good play or movie, the Bible can be divided into Acts. I call these six Acts Creation, Crisis, Covenant, Conquest, Community and Consummation.
ACT 1 - CREATION
This is the set-up. We are introduced to the characters and the scene is set. Firstly we meet the Sovereign Creator, then as Genesis records he says: "Let us make human beings in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground”.
One writer puts it like this: “By causing the creation to come into being by his word of power, God establishes it as his own vast kingdom. He thus establishes himself as the great King over all creation, without limits of any kind, and worthy to receive all glory, honor, and power in the worship of what he has created.” He exercises dominion as he speaks and all creation responds. He names what he creates. He pronounces blessings over his creation; all unmistakable acts of a monarch.
His kingship is relational and loving as he walks with his subjects in the garden he has created. He invites them to participate in his ruler-ship over creation. This is more than creating servants, but of vice-regents, co-heirs, image-bearers and friends. Human beings are ‘image-bearers’ - we have authority and a degree of autonomy to also rule. So to some extent we are all rulers just because God has created us in his own image to have responsible dominion. What follows is that we all have a little kingdom. We are accountable for the creation’s good as commissioned. This authority is an essential part of our humanness and remains with us to be used for good (if under God’s dominion) or for potential great harm if exercised apart from the relationship we were created for.
At creation everything is good. Shalom (peace, well-being, wholeness, safety, completeness, welfare) reigns. Human-kind is created uniquely in God’s image and put in the perfect environment where all is in harmony. God is in close relationship with his creation.Which leads us to Act 2.
ACT 2 - CORRUPTION
We could also call this Crisis or Chaos: Within creation God had also given a degree of authority and autonomy to another class of being to carry out his will. But within this angelic class there was one who overstepped his God-given boundaries - later called “… the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray…” Satan desires to be like God. To do this he must usurp the authority over the earth that humans alone carry.
His tactics are the same as that of a scheming abuser. He carefully grooms his victims then once the innocent have fallen their guilt and shame keeps them in his clutches. Afraid and confused they withdraw from each other and hide from God. The harmony of the Kingdom is shattered and the authority given the vice-regents becomes an instrument of destruction. The “dominion of darkness” has found its entrance into the Kingdom of Peace. Satan becomes the de facto “god of this age ...” continuing to blind and enslave victims who are powerless to break out of the victimhood and abuse cycle. Another writer says: “Victims victimise others, and even themselves. In this way sin gains momentum. Worse, all sinful lives intersect with other sinful lives....”And so we come to Act 3 - capturing the chaos.
ACT 3 - COVENANT
Humankind is bound in covenant to their cruel oppressors – sin and Satan. We are powerless to save ourselves or our broken world having surrendered our authority over to Satan.
God wants willing subjects, co-workers, friends and vice –regents. He doesn’t want robots. For free, powerful creatures like us to willingly submit to God is impossible; especially when we have literally sold our souls to the devil by choosing our own way above that of our sovereign King. So God allows us to feel the full weight of our independence from him. Society is like a train that’s jumped the tracks. We plummet to destruction smashing into each other and ripping apart our societies and God’s creation in the process.
So God does an incredible thing – through Covenant he binds himself to our fate. He partners with us in our destruction, not as participant in evil but as co-victim. In setting up the covenant with Abraham he is setting the stage for Act 4 – Conquest through the cross of his Son. Through the covenant God takes back for us what all the effort in the world could never earn; what all the military force could never win; what all the wealth in the world could never buy – but it is incredibly costly.
As God and Abraham bind themselves together in covenant it’s for the blessing and recovery of the whole world as God says: “all nations will be blessed through you”. It’s for Abraham submitting his little kingdom to the Creator King on behalf of all who follow in the path of the faith of Abraham; those who are of faith are the children of Abraham who inherit this blessing. So like the prodigal son "came to his senses" we also realise that we have squandered our inheritance and return to the gracious Father’s house.
Ominously the covenant was about blood. Innocent animals die as if to say "this is serious". Some blood covenants were sealed by the blood of animals, some by the blood of the participants. This covenant looked forward to a time over 2000 years later when a descendant of Abraham and of God would become the sacrifice, would go down with the train wreck, and would win it all back. Covenant captures the chaos.
ACT 4 - CONQUEST
Now the Son of God comes as the truly faithful, righteous covenant partner – the representative of human kind – the faithful Israelite - their expected Messiah. He also becomes the sacrifice. The "god of this age" is defeated – his legal claim over humanity is broken through the cross of Messiah. Jesus' resurrection is absolute conquest over our captors – sin and Satan, making a way for new creation and eternal life – the restoration of all things to the Shalom of the garden.
Recovery and restoration starts with the return of our wayward kingdoms to God’s Kingdom. But in our sinful broken state we can’t even do that - so God makes a way. Have you recognised that? If you’ve been a victim, Jesus has too. Some victims victimise others. We’re all victims and we’re all victimisers to different degrees. The good news is that through him there is forgiveness and freedom and restoration.
If you are afraid of being abused God says to you like he said the Abraham "Do not fear, I am your shield". Satan is the abuser, who whispers that God will never have you back, there’s too much shame; you’re too corrupted. Abram recognises that he is as powerless to help himself as he and Sarah are barren. All he can do is dare to believe and God does the rest.
ACT 5 - COMMUNITY
The victory is won, Satan has been defeated, the prison doors are open; the frail survivors begin to leave the concentration camps of sin. Yet like victims of long-term abuse there is still sometimes an unhealthy affinity with the abuser - a fatal attraction to what has enslaved fuelled by ignorance or fear of the unknown. Freedom feels too foreign. The familiarity of the abusive relationship feels familiar and therefore safer than freedom. So in his patience the King waits, trying to lure us out with foretastes of the goodness of his Kingdom.
This is where we find ourselves; we who know what it’s like to be back in the Father’s house. We willingly submit our ways to his and in return he clothes us with garments of righteousness, a ring of authority and sandals to take the good news to others. We willingly and gladly serve him through love and relationship not through compulsion. Our joy and restoration to true humanness as displayed by Jesus attract others to the house of the Father because the one who is Creator and King is also the loving Father. We model the mercy and justice of the King in the humility and servanthood of Jesus and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. That's our challenge
As the community of the people of God we have inherited the promise that "all nations will be blessed though you"; restated by Jesus as "go into all the world and make disciples of all nations" - offering to people release, freedom from fear, refuge; calling and reconciliation through Jesus the Messiah. We are a foretaste of the fullness of the kingdom yet to come in the final Act.
ACT 6 - CONSUMMATION
Consummation is defined as “the perfect ending; bringing of something to a satisfying conclusion, or the final satisfying completion or achievement of something”. The announcement is complete; the followers have modelled and proclaimed the kingdom so that all of creation has heard the invitation to freedom. It’s time for the Kingdom to come in its fullness. The groaning of creation is over. Evil is finally purged from the earth as the Son returns in unvieled glory with all the returned prodigals from all generations. The masterpiece is restored and heaven and earth can once again dwell as one. God has a creation in harmony and a people who will enjoy him for eternity.
LOST?
Why is the most popular genre on TV criminal drama? Why are there so many stories about broken relationships and the struggles to see restoration? Because deep down we know this story – the longing for justice and restored relationship is embedded in our DNA. God has placed eternity in our hearts. It will be a happy ending, but not for all. Not all the prodigals will return. But let us not be a stumbling block to any like the elder brother in the story. God's promise is that if we will take this reality seriously and submit our lives to God's reign then we will come alive in this new life and reflect it out into our world. Are you ready?