A Way God Wants to Connect With You (You Might Not Think Much About)

Summary

The script explores the concept of a partnership with God in the Bible, starting with humanity's rebellion and God's establishment of covenants with Noah, Abraham, Israel, and David to restore this partnership. Despite humanity's failures, God's promises are fulfilled through Jesus, who embodies all covenants and offers a new covenant, inviting all to become faithful partners in God's kingdom of justice and peace.

Takeaways

• 🤝 The Bible frequently discusses the concept of a personal relationship with God, often framed as a partnership.
• 🌏 At the creation, humans were appointed as God's partners to cultivate goodness from the world's potential.
• ❌ Humanity's rebellion led to a broken partnership, resulting in a world filled with corruption, injustice, and death.
• 🔄 God initiated a new form of partnership called a covenant, selecting specific individuals to reestablish a broader relationship.
• 🌊 The first covenant was with Noah, promising never again to destroy the world with a flood, despite human nature.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 With Abraham, God promised blessings, a large family, and land, asking for trust and righteousness in return.
• 🏛 The covenant with Israel involved obeying laws for communal living, with the promise of becoming a representative people.
• 👑 The covenant with David involved leading Israel righteously, with the promise that his lineage would extend God's kingdom.
• 📜 These covenants aimed to form a covenant family that would eventually include all people.
• 🕍 Israel's disobedience led to the breaking of the covenant, resulting in exile and loss of land.
• 🌟 The prophets foretold a new covenant, with Jesus introduced as the fulfillment of all covenants, bridging the gap between God and humanity.
• 👼 Jesus, as both human and divine, represents the ultimate covenant partner, offering a path for a renewed partnership with God.
• 🌱 The Bible concludes with a vision of a restored world where humanity partners with God to expand creation's goodness.

Q & A

What is the concept of having a personal relationship with God in Christian belief?

In Christian belief, having a personal relationship with God can mean different things, such as viewing God as a friend, father, or teacher, and also includes the concept of a partnership with God to work together to accomplish goals.

How does the Bible explain the broken partnership between humans and God?

The Bible explains the broken partnership as a result of humans rebelling against God and trying to create a world on their own terms, leading to a world filled with corruption, injustice, and death.

What is a covenant in the context of the Bible?

A covenant in the Bible is a special agreement or partnership that God makes with a select group of people, involving promises from God and certain commitments from the people involved.

How many covenants does God initiate in the Old Testament?

In the Old Testament, God initiates four covenants, with Noah, Abraham, the nation of Israel, and King David.

What was the nature of the covenant God made with Noah?

The covenant with Noah was a one-sided agreement where God promised not to destroy the Earth with a flood again, despite knowing humans would continue to be evil, and Noah had no specific commitments to fulfill.

What did God ask of Abraham in return for the blessings promised in their covenant?

In return for the blessings of a large family and land, God asked Abraham to trust Him and train his family to do what is right and just, with the ultimate goal of bringing blessings to all families of the world.

What were the terms of the covenant with the nation of Israel?

The covenant with the nation of Israel involved the tribe obeying a set of laws as guidelines for living well. In return, God promised to bless them and make them a representative people to the rest of humanity.

How does the covenant with King David differ from the others?

The covenant with King David was a promise that one of his descendants would extend God's Kingdom of peace and blessings over all nations, with the requirement for David and his lineage to lead Israel in obeying the laws and doing what is right.

What is the significance of Jesus in the context of the covenants?

Jesus is significant as He is introduced as the one who fulfills all the covenant relationships, being from Abraham's family, a faithful Israelite, and a king from David's line, thus extending God's Kingdom and restoring the partnership with humanity.

What is the 'new covenant' mentioned by the prophets and how does it relate to Jesus?

The 'new covenant' is a future covenant prophesied by Israel's prophets, where God would restore the broken covenants. Jesus is central to this new covenant as He embodies the fulfillment of all previous covenants and opens a way for a renewed partnership with God.

How does the Bible's story conclude in relation to the concept of partnership with God?

The Bible concludes with a vision of a fully renewed world where humanity, now in partnership with God, works together to expand the goodness of creation, signifying a new beginning after the old broken partnership has been mended.