Bible Overview: Sin and God's Desire to be the God of His People - Part 8

Sin and God's Desire to be the God of His People - Offerings and Sacrifices

God's covenant with Israel was more than a promise that they would inherit the land. They would be God's chosen people, the people of His Royal Kingdom. He would be their God and they would be His people.

But it was not unconditional. His people were required to obey the laws, and commandments that He gave to them. God instituted a sacrificial system as a means to worship Him as their God, and to make atonements for their sins. The blood from these sacrifices would cover their sins. God later sacrificed His Son Jesus, whose blood would make atonement for the sins of all men.

• The Burnt Offering - The purpose of the Burnt Offering was to make atonement for an individual's sins. The required offering was either a male bull, ram, or bird without defect. The burnt offering was a free will offering, required to be made at the door of the tent of meeting. The individual making the offering would place their hands on the head of the animal to symbolically identify with it. The animal was then slaughtered and its blood was sprinkled against all sides of the altar. The animal was then skinned, cut into pieces, and burned on the fire. The animal died for the sins of the individual offering the sacrifice. It was an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD (Leviticus 1).

Burnt offerings were required to be made in the morning and in the evening of each day, as well as on each Sabbath day, at the beginning of each month, and on holy days. Burnt offerings were often made in conjunction with the other offerings and for cleansing and purification of an individual.

• The Grain Offering - The purpose of the Grain Offering was to express gratitude to God for His provisions. The grain offering was required to be burned on the altar and consisted of grain, fine flour, oil, and incense. If it was baked in an oven, it consisted of fine flour cakes made without yeast and mixed with oil or wafers made without yeast and spread with oil. If it was prepared on a griddle, it consisted of fine flour mixed with oil, and without yeast, and was to be crumbled and oil poured on it. If it is cooked in a pan, it consisted of fine flour and oil. All grain offerings must be seasoned with salt. Honey or yeast was not allowed to be burned in an offering made to the LORD  A portion of it was burned in fire, and the remainder went to the priests. It was an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. It was a most holy part of the offerings made to the LORD by fire (Leviticus 2).

The Grain Offering was required to be made whenever a Burnt Offering was made.

• The Peace Offering - The Peace Offering was offered in gratitude as a reminder that the only way to have fellowship and communion with God was through the blood of a perfect, substitutionary sacrifice. This offering was a meal shared in fellowship with God, the priest, and the individual making the offering. The peace offering was required to be made at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. It consisted of slaughtering an animal from the herd of flock that had no defect. Prior to killing the animal, the individual was required to place his hands on the head of animal to symbolically identify with it. The priests sprinkled the blood of the animal against all sides of the altar. All the fat that covers the inner parts or is connected to them, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which will be removed with the kidneys, was to be removed. The rest of the animal was to be burned by the priests on the altar as food, on top of the burnt offering. It was an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. All the fat belonged to the LORD, and should not be eaten, or should any blood be eaten (Leviticus 3).

The Peace Offering was made for thanksgiving, after fulfilling a vow, and as a freewill offering.

• The Sin Offering - The Sin Offering was made to make atonement for specific sins, unintentionally sinning against God and His commandments, and for sins of defilement of the body.  The sin offering was required to be made at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and consisted of either a young bull without defect, a male goat without defect, a female goat or lamb without defect, a dove or pigeon, or a tenth of an ephah of fine flour, depending on who the offering was being made for. The individual making the offering was required to place his hands on the head of the animal to symbolically identify with it. The animal was then slaughtered and the priest dipped his finger into the blood and sprinkled some of it seven times before the LORD, in front of the curtain of the sanctuary in the Tent of Meeting. The priest then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting. The rest of the blood was required to be poured out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. All the fat of the animal, the kidneys and the covering of the liver, were to be removed and then burned by the priest on the altar of burnt offering. In this way, the priest will make atonement for their sins, and they will be forgiven. The rest of the animal was taken outside the camp to a place ceremonially clean, where the ashes are thrown, and burnt in a wood fire on an ash heap (Leviticus 4).

When someone did not speak up when he heard a public charge to testify regarding something he has seen or learned about; when he touched anything unclean, or thoughtlessly takes an oath, he was guilty of defiling his body, therefore a sin offering was required. The person was required to publicly confess their sin and offer a female lamb or a kid of a goat as a sin offering.

If they could not bring a lamb or goat, they were required to bring two turtle doves or two young pigeons, one as a burnt offering, and the other as a sin offering.

If they could not bring two turtle doves or two young pigeons, they were required to bring one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a sin offering. He could not put oil or frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. The priest would take a handful of it as a memorial portion, and burn it on the altar according to the offerings made by fire to the Lord. The priest would make atonement for his sin that he had committed in any of these matters, and it would be forgiven him. The rest of the offering was given to the priests as a grain offering (Leviticus 5:1-13).

• The Trespass/Guilt Offering - The Trespass Offering was made to make atonement for unintentionally doing what God's commandments forbid, and make restitution for the harm done against the holy thing. The trespass offering included publicly confessing the sin, offering the blood sacrifice, making restitution, and paying an additional 20% to the priest. 

An individual was required to bring a ram without blemish from the flock and of the proper value, as well as the additional penalty of one fifth of its value to the priest. The priest would make atonement for the individual with the ram and his sin would be forgiven. 

If an individual did something that was forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD, even though he might not realize it, he is guilty of sinning against God. The individual was required to bring a ram without blemish from the flock and of the proper value, as well as the additional penalty of one fifth of its value, to the priest, as a trespass offering. The priest would make atonement for the individual "regarding his ignorance in which he erred and did not know it, and it shall be forgiven him. It is a trespass offering; he has certainly trespassed against the Lord".

If an individual sins and commits a trespass against the Lord by lying to his neighbor about what was delivered to him for safekeeping, or about a pledge, or about a robbery, or if he has extorted from his neighbor, or if he has found what was lost and lies concerning it, and swears falsely, then he has sinned and is guilty. He was required to restore what he has stolen, or the thing which he had extorted, or what was delivered to him for safekeeping, or the lost thing which he found, or all that about which he has sworn falsely. He was required to restore its full value, add one-fifth more to it, and give it to whomever it belongs, on the day of his trespass offering. 

His trespass offering was required to be a ram without blemish from the flock, and of the proper value, as well as the additional penalty of one fifth of its value. It was too be given to the priest, as a trespass offering. The priest would make atonement for him, and he would be forgiven for his trespass against the Lord.

The trespass offering was required to be brought to the priest and killed in the same place as the burnt offering. Its blood was to be sprinkled on the altar, and all its fat was to be offered. The fat tail and the fat that covers the entrails, the two kidneys and the fat that is on them by the flanks, and the fatty lobe attached to the liver above the kidneys, was required to be removed and burned by the priest on the altar as an offering made by fire to the Lord.

Every male among the priests could eat it. It was required to be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy. The trespass offering is like the sin offering; there is one law for them both: the priest who makes atonement with it shall have it

(Leviticus 5:14-7:7).

As you can see, sin is a very serious matter to God. It's so serious that He instituted a sacrificial system so the children of Israel's sins could be forgiven so they could be His people and He could be their God. However, this system would have been very difficult to keep and because it was so complicated, it was not ideal. So in time, God would institute a new covenant with His people, the church, through the sacrificial blood of His only Son Jesus, for the forgiveness of sins for all who believe in Him so He can be their God and they can be His people.

 

Bible Overview: Sin and God's Desire to be the God of His People - Part 7

Sin and God's Desire to be the God of His People - The Tabernacle

When God speaks, He does not give vague generalities, but very specific instructions, all for His purposes and glory.

While the children of Israel were wandering in the wilderness, God instructed Moses to build a tent of meeting where the children of Israel could meet with God, and a tabernacle and furnishings where the priests would minister and offer the required sacrifices to the LORD. God gave Moses very detailed instructions on how to build each item. 

Whoever's heart was stirred to give, and whoever was willing, could offer the materials required and their talents to build the items. More than enough was given, therefore Moses commanded the people not to give anymore. God called certain men whom He filled with His Spirit to have the skill, knowledge and ability to do artistic works for the tabernacle, its furnishings and the priestly garments.

When it was completed, Moses inspected the completed work and saw that the children of Israel did the work just as God commanded. And Moses blessed them.

God would cover the tabernacle as a pillar of cloud by day or a pillar of fire by night. His glory filled the tabernacle. When the cloud was taken up, the children of Israel would go on in their journey. The pillar of cloud was there by day or a pillar of fire was there by night in the sight of all Israel throughout all their journeys.

Exodus 35-40

God was with the children of Israel because He wanted to be with them. They could meet with Him at the tent of meeting and the tabernacle was in preparation for the sacrificial system that He would use to forgive the sins of His people so that He could continue to be with them, because being with His people is His desire.

Bible Overview: Sin and God's Desire to be the God of His People - Part 6

 Sin and God's Desire to be the God of His People - A Renewed Covenant with Israel

Because of the golden calf, Israel broke their covenant with God immediately after they made it. Fortunately for them, God is merciful and gracious and He renewed His covenant with them. Under the renewed covenant, God included many feasts and laws that were necessary for Israel to observe in order for the covenant to be binding (Exodus 34). One of the primary elements of the covenant was that they would not be at all involved in the worship of any other gods, and in fact they would be required to destroy them:

Observe what I command you this day. Behold, I am driving out from before you the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst. But you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they play the harlot with their gods and make sacrifice to their gods, and one of them invites you and you eat of his sacrifice, and you take of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters play the harlot with their gods and make your sons play the harlot with their gods. “You shall make no molded gods for yourselves.

Exodus 34:11‭-‬17 

Israel were the people God had chosen to be the people of His Kingdom. His plan was to lead them to the *Promised Land, **destroy the people who inhabited the land, and be their God and their King. Unfortunately, Israel even broke their end of this renewed covenant by breaking the laws, and participating in the worship and sacrifice of false gods and idols, and therefore sinning against God, time and time again.

*The Promised Land was the Kingdom where God would reign as King and be the God of His people Israel who were the subjects of His Kingdom.

**God commanded Israel to destroy the inhabitants of Canaan (the Promised Land), because He knew that Canaan would entice Israel to worship false gods and commit idolatry. God is a jealous God and wants total devotion from His people. Israel again failed to obey God's command, thereby committing idolatry against Him, and "playing the harlot" all throughout the course of their history.

Bible Overview: Sin and God's Desire to be the God of His People - Part 5

 Sin and God's Desire to be the God of His People - God Leads Israel Out of Egypt

Israel's Exodus from Egypt

After God killed the firstborn of Egypt, not only did Pharaoh release them, he drove them out, but not before Israel found favor with Egypt and plundered them as commanded by God (Exodus 11-12).

After 430 years of being enslaved to Egypt, 600,000 Israelites, not including children, as well as "a mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds - a great deal of livestock" (Exodus 12:40-41; 12:37-38). In other words, millions of people, including those who were not of Israel, and A LOT of livestock, left Egypt and its bondage to them. But it wasn't long before God again hardened Pharaoh's heart so that he changed his mind, and Egypt pursued them (Exodus 14:5-9).

Israel Grumbles Against God

When Israel was still in Egypt, Moses instructed Pharaoh to allow them to leave Egypt so they could go and worship their God. Because of this, Pharaoh penalized Israel by increasing their labor while keeping the same quota of bricks made (Exodus 5:1-23). Therefore Israel complained to Moses:

Then, as they came out from Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron who stood there to meet them. And they said to them, “Let the Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

Exodus 5:20‭-‬21 

Their response was similar when they learned that Pharaoh was pursuing them after they left Egypt:

And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”

Exodus 14:10‭-‬12 

The people of Israel had witnessed the power of God through the ten plagues.  They had witnessed God's protection of their first born when all of the firstborn of Egypt were slaughtered. They had witnessed the favor of the Egyptians because of the power of God. God was among them in their presence as He led them through the wilderness as a cloud by day and fire by night. Despite all the miraculous events that Israel witnessed, they still did not trust Moses, or God for that matter, so they grumbled against Him (Exodus 13:17-14:12).

They finally feared God and believed Him and Moses after God destroyed Pharaoh and his army at the Red Sea:

So the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Thus Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt; so the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and His servant Moses.

Exodus 14:30‭-‬31 

However, just three days after God saved Israel from the Egyptians at the Red Sea, they again complained to Moses because they had no water to drink (Exodus 15:22-24), and they continued to do so throughout their 40 year journey through the wilderness. 

Israel at Mt. Sanai

Three months after leaving Egypt, the children of Israel camped at Mt. Sanai where God came down upon the mountain in the sight of all the people. God instructed them to not even touch the mountain or else they would die, and they were terrified:

You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with an arrow; whether man or beast, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain.”

Exodus 19:12‭-‬13

Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice. Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

Exodus 19:16‭-‬20

Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.”

Exodus 20:18‭-‬20

Mt. Sanai is where God made a covenant with the children of Israel and they agreed to the terms. But when God called Moses up the mountain to give him the laws that they must keep as His people in order for the covenant to be binding, the children of Israel convinced Aaron to make them "gods" that they could worship. They said that the "god" they made from their own hands was the god that delivered them from Egypt, and Aaron built an altar and they offered sacrifices and burnt offerings to it.

The ink of the covenant was not even dry when Israel broke it. When God saw what was happening, He wanted to destroy them, but Moses interceded on their behalf, so God relented of the harm that He wanted to do to them. However, God commanded Moses to gather to himself all who were on the LORD'S side, and to kill whoever was not. So 3,000 men died that day.

Afterwards, Moses rebuked the remaining people and went to God to make atonement for their sin, but God said that whoever sinned against Him will be blotted out of His book, and that He will punish them for their sin:

Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.” And the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon them for their sin.” So the Lord plagued the people because of what they did with the calf which Aaron made.

Exodus 32:31‭-‬35

Bible Overview: Sin and God's Desire to be the God of His People - Part 4

Sin and God's Desire to be the God of His People - Moses

After Egypt enslaved Israel, the people of Israel turned to God and began crying out to Him, so He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He acknowledged them by raising up Moses to lead them out of their bondage to Egypt (Exodus 2:23-3:22).

In order to persuade Pharaoh to release Israel, God performed many miraculous signs and brought ten plagues upon Egypt through Moses and his brother, Aaron. During many of them, Pharaoh promised to set them free and pleaded with Moses to stop the destruction. However after God ended it, He hardened Pharaoh's heart, so Pharaoh changed his mind and did not let them go (Exodus 7:1-10:29).

The tenth plague which God brought upon Egypt finally convinced Pharaoh to release Israel. The plague was death to all of the first born of Egypt, including Pharaoh's first born and all of the first born animals.

The Blood of the Lamb

God protected the people of Israel from the plague of death by instructing them to kill an unblemished male lamb, a year old or less, and applying its blood to the door frame of each house. Along with other regulations, they were required to eat the entire lamb that evening, and to observe the day each year as a memorial throughout their generations (Exodus 12:1-30). 

The blood of the lamb that Israel applied to their door frames so that God would not destroy them, is a type and foreshadowing of the blood of the Lamb that was shed for the forgiveness of sins. In both cases, the blood of the Lamb was shed to save the people from death. If Israel disobeyed God's instructions to apply the lamb's blood to their door frames, they would have been included in the death of Egypt's firstborn, but because they obeyed God, they did not die, but lived with God in their presence.

Similarly, God sacrificed His only Son Jesus to atone for the sins of all mankind. If anyone refuses to believe in Jesus as His Son and as the Messiah whom the prophets foretold of, and that he shed His blood and died for them, and was resurrected from the dead, then they will die. However, if anyone believes that Jesus is the Son of God and the Christ (Messiah), who died for their sins, was resurrected and now sits enthroned as King in Heaven at the right hand of God, then His blood will cover their sins and they will not die an eternal death, but will be resurrected from death to live forever in the presence of God under the Kingship of Lord Jesus.

Bible Overview: Sin and God's Desire to be the God of His People - Part 3

Sin and God's Desire to be the God of His People - Israel and His Twelve Sons

How Israel Came to Dwell and Be Taken Into Captivity In Egypt 

Jacob (Israel) had twelve sons who comprised the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel whom God would later lead out of Egypt by Moses (Genesis 35:22-26). This is how they ended up in Egypt:

Jacob's son Joseph was hated by the rest of his brothers because Jacob favored him more than them (Genesis 37:3-4). One day, they threw Joseph into a pit, but when Ishmaelite slave traders came along, they decided to sell him to them instead, where they took him to Egypt where he was sold to Pharaoh's captain of the guard (Genesis 37:36).  Through a series of hardships and trials, Joseph became Pharaoh, King of Egypt's, right hand man. No one other than Pharaoh had more power over Egypt than Joseph had (Genesis 41:37-45).

Due to Joseph's obedience to God, he was extremely wise. He built a storehouse of grain when there was an abundance during the good years, so when a famine came upon the surrounding nations, they all came to Egypt to purchase food (Genesis 41:47-57). When Israel sent his sons to Egypt to buy food, Joseph recognized his brothers, and eventually their relationships were restored. Soon after, they brought Israel down to Egypt with them to be reconciled to his son Joseph, whom he thought was dead. God appeared to Israel as they traveled to Egypt, and He said to him, “I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes” (Genesis 46:1-4). Pharaoh gave Israel and his sons the land of Goshen, which he described as "the best of the land" (Genesis 47:6). There in Egypt, is where the twelve tribes of Israel lived, and where their possessions and population multiplied. (Genesis 46-48).

The twelve sons whose descendants would comprise the twelve tribes of Israel were not guiltless of sin. As we just saw, Israel's sons had it in their hearts to kill their brother Joseph. Although they ended up not killing him, they did sell him for profit and they deceived their father by telling him that he was dead.

Genesis 38 gives another account of sin within the sons of Israel. It tells the story of Israel's son Judah and his children and how God killed two of them - one for his wickedness, and the other because his actions displeased God.

Judah's daughter in-law, Tamar, was the wife of the first son that God killed, Er. The account does not describe what Er did for God to kill Him, only that he was wicked in the sight of the LORD. Judah told his other son, Onan, to have a child with Tamar and to raise it as an heir to Er. However, Onan knew that the child would not be his heir, so when they had sex, he emitted on the ground rather than within her. Because this displeased God, He killed him. 

Judah then promised Tamar that he would give his son Shelah to her to have a child with when he was grown. When she realized that Judah was not going to go through with his promise, she deceived Judah by dressing as a harlot and conceiving a child with him. When Judah found out that Tamar was pregnant, he was going to burn her to death for being a harlot, but she had proof that she was pregnant by him by revealing some of the items that he had given her as a pledge of payment. Therefore Judah did not kill her, but acknowledged that the items were his, and said that she was more righteous than he because he did not give Shelah to her as he had promised. 

After the sons of Israel had all died in Egypt, their children were multiplied and increased throughout the land. They became a mighty people. A new Pharaoh was now reigning over Egypt, who did not know Joseph, and who became concerned that the descendants of Israel were becoming mightier than them. Therefore, he conquered and enslaved them and afflicted them the more they increased. He commanded that male babies be drowned in the river, and that female babies to be kept alive (Exodus 1).

*Ishmaelites were the descendants of Abraham's son Ishmael, who was the son of his wife Sarai's Egyptian maidservant Hagar, and whom God also promised many descendants through (Genesis 16)*.

Bible Overview: Sin and God's Desire to be the God of His People - Part 2

Sin and God's Desire to be the God of His People - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Esau

Abram (Abraham) and his wife Sarai (Sarah) had faith in God (Hebrews 11:8-11) because they did as He commanded them to do when He called them to leave their country for another. God promised Abram, "I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:2-3).

After Abram arrived in the country that God led him to, there was a conflict between him and his nephew Lot regarding not having enough land to support all of their livestock. To resolve the problem, Abram suggested separating, so Lot went and dwelt in the city of Sodom because it appeared to be the better option. However, "the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord" (Genesis 13:1-13). 

One day, *three men came to visit Abraham and Sarah to announce to them both that they would have the son that He previously promised to Abraham. Afterwards, the LORD went down to destroy Sodom because His people were crying out to Him against them because of their grievous sin. As soon as they arrived, they encountered Lot whom they went to stay with. But as soon as the men of the city heard that Lot had guests in his home, they came and surrounded the house, demanding Lot to bring them out so they could have sex with them. Lot refused to give them the guests, but instead insisted that he give them his two virgin daughters. The men refused his offer and began trying to break down the door of the house, saying they were going to do even worse to him than they do to his guests. Fortunately the LORD was there to save Lot and his family, but He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, "the cities of the plain"  (Genesis 18-19).

Through Abraham and his descendants, God's everlasting covenant would be established. Abraham's descendants, who would be as numerous as the stars in the sky (Genesis 15:5), would live among and serve a people who would cause them great pain and suffering for four hundred years. However, God would judge the nation whom they served, and they would come out with great possessions, including a large region of land already inhabited by various tribes of people (Genesis 15:13-14; 18-20). Abraham and Sarah would be the father and mother of many nations. Kings would come from them and God would make him abundantly fruitful. God would give Abraham and his descendants all these things, plus He would be their God in the land which He will give to them. (Genesis 17:1-8, 15-16). Abraham and Sarah's son through whom God's covenant would come was named Isaac, "the son of promise" (Genesis 17:19-22).

Even though God's covenant was through Isaac's descendants, sin was still rampant within the family and his descendants. Isaac and his wife Rebekah had twin boys named Jacob and Esau, whom God said “Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; one people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger" (Genesis 25:23). Rebekah also favored Jacob over Esau (Genesis 25:28). Because of the sin of deception, which Jacob apparently inherited from Rebekah, these two nations would oppose one another.

One day when Esau came in from hunting and was exhausted, Jacob tricked him into trading his birthright for a bowl of stew (Genesis 25:29-33). Then when Isaac was old and blind, Rebekah encouraged Jacob to deceive him by pretending to be his brother Esau, and stealing his blessing. Because of his deception, Esau vowed to kill Jacob.

Jacob's life recorded in Genesis was filled with deception and deceit. Despite this, many years later, God promised Jacob the same thing He promised Abraham, “Your name is Jacob; your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name.” So He called his name Israel. Also God said to him: “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land” (Genesis 35:9-13).

* "the LORD" - could this possibly be the Trinity? 

Bible Overview - Sin and God's Desire to be the God of His People - Part 1

Prologue

I've been working on this article for several months now, which has greatly evolved from my original intent. It is a work in progress. Though it's very simplistic, hopefully you will find it useful as an overview of the Bible, and maybe even get a different or more accurate perspective of the Bible narrative, especially if you have never read the Bible.

Introduction

"God created man in His image, in the image of God He created them, male and female" (Genesis 1:27). Of all the things that God created, man is the most precious in His sight because they bear His image. Everything else pales in comparison. He created man to know Him, to be known by Him, and to be with Him. No other thing in all of creation has this amazing privilege and honor.

 After reading the Bible for many years now, I have come to the conclusion that it is a story about God's longing to be with His people. He has always wanted His people to be with Him. He has always wanted to be their God. In the Garden of Eden, God walked with Adam and Eve until they sinned against Him by disobeying Him, and He had to cast them out. He came down as a Pillar of Cloud by day and a Pillar of Fire by night to lead Israel to the Promised Land. He wanted them to be the royal subjects of His Kingdom, where He ruled as their King. He met with Moses on the mountain. He continuously sent His prophets to Israel with a message to turn back to Him so they could be with Him in His Kingdom. He sent His Son Jesus to come down to live among us as a human. Jesus was tortured, died and was resurrected so we can be with God forever. God sent the Holy Spirit to be with Jesus's disciples after He went to be with God in heaven, and He gives the Holy Spirit to live within believers of Jesus today, so He can be with us and help us to fulfill His purposes. He has given believers in Jesus a place in His Kingdom, where He will be their God, and they will be His people. God's primary purpose for mankind is that we will be saved from our sins so we can be with Him always. This is the core of the Gospel.

Sin and God's Desire to be the God of His People - Adam, Eve, Noah, and Tower of Babel

Ever since Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden by doing the one thing He told them not to do (Genesis 2:16-17), both man and the earth have been cursed with sin, and their fate is death (Genesis 3). And just as they sinned by disobeying God by eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, so we sin by our disobedience to God. God's plan all along has been for man to walk with Him; to be in relationship with Him. This is the picture we see of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden prior to the fall, and it's the very purpose of God creating us in the first place. However because of man's disobedience to God - his sin - he can not walk with God, therefore he must turn away from his sin (repent), and turn to God. After Adam and Eve sinned against God, He cast them out of the Garden of Eden and placed armed guards at the gate to guard the way to the tree of life. Mankind was longer allowed to live or walk with God in His perfect paradise forever, as Adam and Eve had the opportunity to do.

After Adam and Eve's disobedience and their exile from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:23-24), their firstborn son Cain killed their younger son, Abel, resulting in the first murder and death of a human being, and the first shedding of blood (Genesis 4:1-15). From that point on, evil continued to increase upon the earth until God finally had enough, and He caused a flood to destroy all but one family who were considered righteous in His sight, who would reproduce the human race (Genesis 7-9:17). 

Following the flood, God said to Noah that He would "never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done" (Genesis 8:21). God also said to Noah, "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man’s brother I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man. And as for you, be fruitful and multiply; Bring forth abundantly in the earth and multiply in it."

Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying: "And as for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ark, every beast of the earth. I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth" (Genesis 9:3-11).

Immediately following the flood, within Noah's own family, man falls into sin once again. By Genesis 11, the descendants of Noah already thought of themselves as being greater than God, so to deter them from thinking this way, He confused their language and scattered them throughout the earth (Genesis 11:1-5). 

*Note - Just for verification, I am sometimes using man/mankind to describe the human race; not man only, but man and woman.