Why God Tests His People

Summary

The video script explores the theme of divine tests in the Bible, starting with God's creation and the initial test given to Adam and Eve. It discusses the nature of tests as opportunities for loyalty and trust, contrasting God's benevolent tests with the deceitful traps set by rebels. The narrative follows Abraham's trials, the Israelites' failures in the wilderness, and Jesus' ultimate test and sacrifice. The message emphasizes that tests, though challenging, are opportunities for growth and surrendering to God's wisdom, becoming more like Jesus who passed the ultimate test for humanity.

Takeaways

• 🌏 The Bible's narrative starts with God creating the world and entrusting it to Adam and Eve, setting the stage for a test of their loyalty.
• 🚫 Adam and Eve are given a choice to rule with God, with the prohibition of eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil as a test of their obedience.
• 🤔 The concept of tests in the Bible is introduced as both an opportunity for humans to demonstrate trustworthiness and a challenge that can lead to downfall.
• 🐍 The presence of a rebel figure who tempts Adam and Eve away from God's instructions represents the transformation of a test into a trap.
• 🧑‍🦳 Abraham and Sarah's story illustrates the struggle with trust and obedience, showing that even great figures like Abraham can fail tests but are still given opportunities to redeem themselves.
• 🐑 The ultimate test for Abraham, sacrificing his son, demonstrates the depth of faith required to pass God's tests, and God's provision of a substitute signifies His commitment to fulfilling His promises.
• 🇮🇱 The Israelites' journey through the wilderness and their lack of trust in God's provision highlights the recurring theme of human failure in tests.
• 🌟 Jesus' life and ministry, including His time in the wilderness and His ultimate sacrifice on the cross, exemplify the passing of the ultimate test on behalf of humanity.
• 🙏 Jesus' prayer in the garden and His willingness to submit to God's will, even in the face of suffering and death, serve as a model for how to face and pass tests.
• 🎁 The idea that tests from God are opportunities for growth and transformation is reinforced, encouraging believers to embrace trials as chances to become more Christ-like.

Q & A

How does the story of the Bible begin?

The story of the Bible begins with God creating a beautiful world and sharing it with all of his creatures. He appoints Adam and Eve to rule it on his behalf.

What does God give Adam and Eve access to, but with one restriction?

God gives Adam and Eve access to his wisdom and life, but tells them they cannot eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, as it will lead to death.

What is the nature of the test God gives to Adam and Eve?

The test is about their loyalty and trust in God's wisdom, as they are commanded not to eat from the forbidden tree.

How does the concept of a test differ from a trap in the context of the script?

A test from a good source is an opportunity to demonstrate trustworthiness and loyalty, while a trap is a deceitful attempt to lead one astray, often with negative consequences.

What opportunity does God give to Abraham and Sarah?

God gives Abraham and Sarah the opportunity to trust him by leaving their family and going to a new land where God will use them to restore his blessings to all people.

How does Abraham initially fail his test of loyalty?

Abraham initially fails by lying to protect himself and scheming with Sarah to get a son through one of their servants, instead of trusting in God's plan.

What is the ultimate test that God asks of Abraham?

The ultimate test is when God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son as a demonstration of his loyalty and trust in God's promises.

How does Jesus demonstrate passing the test in the wilderness?

Jesus passes the test by trusting in God's wisdom when tempted by a sinister creature during his forty days and nights of fasting.

What does Jesus' prayer in the garden before his arrest signify?

Jesus' prayer signifies his willingness to submit to God's will, even if it means facing suffering and death, and his desire to not have his own will prevail over God's.

How does the concept of tests and trials in the life of believers continue after Jesus?

Jesus states that every generation of his followers will face their own tests that will challenge them to trust God in radical new ways, which can be difficult and often painful.

What is the perspective offered by James, a leader in the early Jesus movement, on tests and trials?

James encourages believers to be grateful when facing tests and trials because they offer the opportunity to surrender to God's wisdom and become more like Jesus, who passed the ultimate test on behalf of all.

Outlines

00:00

🌳 The Biblical Test of Loyalty and Trust

This paragraph introduces the Biblical narrative starting with God's creation of the world and entrusting it to Adam and Eve. It discusses the divine test of loyalty, where Adam and Eve are given a choice that leads to a significant decision about their relationship with God. The paragraph explores the concept of tests, differentiating between opportunities and traps, and how the ultimate goal is to act in God's best interest. The story continues with Abraham and Sarah, who are given a chance to demonstrate their trust in God by leaving their homeland. Despite initial failures, Abraham ultimately passes a critical test of faith. The narrative then shifts to the Israelites' struggles with trust and loyalty in the wilderness, culminating in the anticipation of a savior who will pass the ultimate test on behalf of humanity.

05:00

🛡️ Facing Trials with Faith and the Example of Jesus

This paragraph delves into the ongoing challenges of faith that believers face, emphasizing that tests are an inevitable part of the spiritual journey. It highlights Jesus' own trials in the wilderness and his ultimate sacrifice in Jerusalem as the ultimate demonstration of trust in God's plan. The paragraph underscores the idea that tests, while difficult and painful, are opportunities for growth and transformation. It references the teachings of James, who encourages believers to view trials as gifts that allow them to become more Christ-like, surrendering to God's wisdom and embodying the love and selflessness exemplified by Jesus.

Keywords

💡Creation

The term 'Creation' refers to the biblical account of God's initial act of bringing the universe and all life into existence. In the video, it sets the stage for the narrative by describing the beautiful world God created and shared with all creatures, including Adam and Eve.

💡Adam and Eve

Adam and Eve are the first human beings according to the Bible, created by God to rule over the earth on His behalf. They are central figures in the story of the Garden of Eden, where they are given a choice that leads to a test of their loyalty to God.

💡Test of Loyalty

The 'Test of Loyalty' is a pivotal moment in the biblical narrative where Adam and Eve are presented with a choice that will determine their faithfulness to God. This test involves the prohibition of eating from a specific tree, which becomes a metaphor for obedience and trust in God's wisdom.

💡Rebel

The 'Rebel' in the context of the video refers to the serpent or Satan, who opposes God and tempts Adam and Eve to disobey God's command. The rebel's role is to challenge the trust and loyalty of humans towards God, turning the original test into a trap.

💡Opportunity

In the video, 'Opportunity' is portrayed as a chance given by God to humans to demonstrate their trustworthiness and to fulfill a noble purpose. It is contrasted with a 'trap' set by the rebel, highlighting the importance of discerning between genuine opportunities for growth and deceitful enticements.

💡Trust

Trust is a central theme in the video, emphasizing the necessity for humans to rely on God's wisdom and guidance rather than their own understanding. It is the foundation of the relationship between God and humans and is tested throughout the biblical narrative.

💡Sacrifice

Sacrifice in the video represents the ultimate act of trust and obedience, where a person gives up something of great value for the sake of a higher purpose or to fulfill a divine command. The concept is exemplified by Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son and Jesus' offering of His own life.

💡Jesus

Jesus is depicted in the video as the ultimate fulfillment of the tests of loyalty and trust in God. He is the one who passes the ultimate test on behalf of humanity, offering His life as a sacrifice to cover for the failures of others.

💡Wisdom

Wisdom in the context of the video is the divine knowledge and understanding that comes from God. It is the source of guidance and direction for humans, and trusting in God's wisdom is contrasted with relying on one's own understanding.

💡Trials

Trials refer to the challenges and difficulties that believers may face as part of their spiritual journey. The video suggests that these trials, while painful, are opportunities for growth and for becoming more like Jesus, who also faced and overcame trials.

Highlights

The Bible's story starts with God creating a world and sharing it with creatures, including Adam and Eve.

God provides wisdom and life to Adam and Eve but sets one restriction: not to eat from the tree of death.

The tree of life and the forbidden tree represent a test of loyalty and choice in ruling with God.

Tests are not inherently cruel; they can be opportunities to demonstrate trust and worthiness.

A rebel figure tries to convince Adam and Eve against the king's (God's) wishes, setting a trap.

The difference between a test and a trap lies in the intentions of the tester.

God's test of loyalty involves trusting His wisdom over human desires.

The rebel twists God's test into a trap, leading humans to exile and death.

God promises a human who will pass the test and defeat the snake, symbolizing redemption.

Abraham and Sarah are given an opportunity to trust God by leaving their family for a new land.

Abraham initially fails the test by lying and scheming, but God offers him a final chance.

Abraham's ultimate test is to sacrifice his son, which he nearly does before God intervenes.

God's promise is fulfilled through Abraham's family because of his tested loyalty.

The Israelites face tests in the wilderness, often failing to trust in God's provision.

Jesus passes the ultimate test in the wilderness by trusting in God's wisdom against the sinister creature's traps.

Jesus' sacrifice on the cross covers for the failed tests of humanity, offering redemption.

Jesus' prayer in the garden shows the essence of passing the test: trust in God, love for others, and confronting evil with good.

Tests from God are opportunities to surrender to His wisdom and become more like Jesus.

Transcripts

The story of the Bible begins with God creating a beautiful world and then

sharing it with all of his creatures.

And he appoints Adam and Eve to rule it on his behalf.

And God gives them access to his wisdom and life but then tells them that

there’s one tree they can’t eat from because it will lead to death.

So they have a choice about how to rule with God.

This kind of feels like a test.

Well, that’s because it is a test.

But isn’t that kind of cruel for God to test them?

Well, not all tests are bad.

Let’s say there’s a king who chooses you to fulfill

a royal task because he wants to know if you are trustworthy.

Well, I guess that’s a test, but really it’s an opportunity to do something important

and noble.

Right.

But then let’s say there’s a rebel who hates the king and you, and he

tries to convince you that you would be better off not doing what the king

asks.

Well, the rebel is setting a trap.

Right, so a test could be an opportunity or a trap.

And the difference is whether the one testing you has your best

interest in mind.

I see.

And both types of tests appear in the beginning of the Bible.

God tells them to eat of the tree of life and not the

forbidden tree.

Yeah.

This is God’s test of loyalty.

God wants to rule the world with humans as his partners, which means they will need

to trust his wisdom over their own.

But then a rebel comes and tests them to eat of that other tree.2

Right.

The rebel seizes this opportunity and twists it, so he can lead the

humans into exile and ultimately death.

He turns the test into a trap.

But after the humans fail, God promises that one day a human will come

who will pass the test and defeat the snake.

And as the story moves on, God gives a couple, named Abraham and Sarah,

an opportunity to trust him by leaving their family behind to go to

a new land, where God will use them to restore his blessing to all people.

So this is a test.

And at first things go well, but Abraham quickly fails.

He lies to protect himself, and then he and Sarah scheme to get a son their own way by

abusing one of their servants.

Definitely not passing the test.

But God doesn’t give up on Abraham.

He gives him one final opportunity, a test to prove his loyalty.

God asks Abraham to go up onto a hill and offer

his son as a sacrifice.

I can’t imagine a more intense test.

And Abraham does it.

But in the last moment, God stops him and provides

a substitute animal in the place of his son.

God then says he will fulfill his promise through Abraham’s family because

he passed this test.

So Abraham passed this test, but he hasn’t proven to be a fully trustworthy

partner.

We’re still waiting for someone who can pass the ultimate test.

Yeah, and as the family of Abraham grows and becomes a nation, God continues to test them.

Like when the Israelites wander in the wilderness for forty years.

They have lots of opportunities to trust in God to provide water or daily

bread.

But they instead blame God and even say that he trapped them in the desert to kill them.

And so the rest of Israel’s story in the Hebrew Scriptures is pretty much the

same.

The Israelites don’t trust in God and his promise.

They’re not loyal, and eventually the whole nation fails.

So humans have an amazing opportunity to partner with God, but no one

is really qualified.

And so all of this brings us forward to Jesus.

There’s a story where Jesus goes into the wilderness for forty day and forty

nights without food or water.

Ah yes, the wilderness!

And there he meets a sinister creature who tries to

trap him.

But Jesus trusts in God’s wisdom.

And he passes the test.

Then later there’s a story about Jesus going to pray with some friends, and

God commissions him to go up to Jerusalem and give up his life.

And so he goes.

And on the night of his arrest, Jesus took his friends and

went to a garden.

And he told them to pray because tonight, he said, is “the great test.”

And he prayed to God, “Please let this test pass from me.

But not my desire; rather, may your desire be done.”

In this garden, Jesus shows us what passing the test looks like.

He trusted in God’s wisdom, he loved others more than

himself, and he confronted evil with good.

Even though it cost him his life.

Right.

Jesus offered his own life as a sacrifice to cover for all of the failed

tests of his people Israel and of all humanity.

Jesus passed the ultimate test on behalf of us all.

This is amazing, but that doesn’t mean everything is going to be great in our

lives.

I mean, let’s be honest.

We’re going to face our own tests every day.

Right.

Jesus said every generation of his followers would have their own

tests that will force them to trust God in radical new ways.

And these tests can be difficult and often painful.

But remember, a test from a good God is an opportunity.

This is why James, a leader in the early Jesus movement, said

that we should be grateful when we face tests and trials because they offer

us a gift.

It’s an opportunity to surrender to God’s wisdom and to become

more like Jesus, the one who loved us and who passed the test on our behalf.