Studying the Book of Books – The Bible

Studying the Book of Books – The Bible

A few weeks ago my wife and I began a journey of going through the entire Bible during our discussion times. We chose a book to help with this process, "What the Bible Is All About", by Dr. Henrietta C. Mears. It is proving to be a rich time of learning, and re-learning, the events recorded in scripture.

There are a few things so far that have brought questions, and even more that have reminded me of the goodness of God. First of all I’ll mention some of the questions.

Why did Cain and Abel bring sacrifices to God? My guess is that it came from the covenant that God made with Adam after he sinned. God made a promise to Adam that He would bring an end to the enemy’s ability to control man. Even though it was not recorded, there could have been consequences added to the covenant that required sacrifice to atone for their transgressions of the terms of the covenant. We don’t know.

Why was God pleased with Abel’s offering and not Cain’s? The answer I’ve always heard is that Abel’s offering contained blood. Another plausible explanation is that Abel brought the “firstling” of his flock; Cain brought “fruits” from his harvest. I personally believe it had to do with the heart. Clearly Cain had some heart issues.

Why did Lot choose to go to the small city instead of to the mountains where the angels tried to direct him? The next morning he headed for the mountains. Why did the angels allow him to do this?

There are several more, but there’s no need to look at all of them. The best thing that came from our discussion so far is how God interjected Grace into the Old Testament stories recorded for us.

The first one came when Adam was displaced from the Garden. We know it was because of the Tree of Life. God said He did not want Adam to live forever. This is Grace! Because of sin Adam was now separated from God. He could no longer have the relationship that they once enjoyed. God did not want Adam to be separated from Him forever. Therefore, Adam had to die. God put a plan in motion that would eventually allow Adam to once again have the face-to-face fellowship that they once enjoyed. This plan was eventually completed in Jesus Christ.

After Cain killed Abel God made a covenant with Cain. God declared that anyone who brought harm to Cain would have to deal with God Himself. That is Grace! Cain did not deserve having his life spared. But God, in His never-ending love for mankind, wanted to show that there was always hope found in Him.

The ark that Noah built was a picture of Grace. God found a way to spare mankind from His wrath. Through Noah, eventually Messiah would come and redeem man.

The dispersion of the people from Babel was an act of God’s Grace. If they had continued pursuing their plan to “make a name for ourselves,” God knew they would have to die. Confusing their speech caused them to spread out and fill the earth as God had previously commanded them.

The blessing of Ishmael was a picture of God’s Grace. God had a plan for Abram. He blew it in an attempt to help God. However, because God had already decreed that Abram’s descendants would be blessed, He blessed Ishmael. God is true to His word, even when we are unfaithful with His plans for us.

Again, there are many more. All of this came from just the first two-thirds of the first book of the Bible. I can’t wait to see all of what the Lord will show us in the remaining 65 books. I love His Word!