Genesis 4:11–26
We have been talking about the Story of the Bible, and I want to keep emphasizing that word Story, because one of the easiest mistakes we can make with the Bible is to reduce it to a collection of individual stories. We know the stories—David and Goliath, Noah and the ark, Joseph in Egypt, Daniel in the lions’ den, Esther before the king. But sometimes we take those stories out of the larger Story that the Bible is telling. David and Goliath becomes a story about overcoming your personal giants. Noah’s ark becomes a children’s story about animals getting on a boat, while sin and judgment almost disappear. Joseph becomes a formula for success: remain faithful, and eventually God will promote you. Daniel becomes a promise that if you are faithful enough, God will always keep you safe. Esther becomes a story primarily about discovering your personal destiny. But if we can tell any biblical story without connecting it to creation, ruin, rescue, and renewal, then there is a good chance we have made that story about us instead of seeing it as part of God’s Story.
Continue reading “The Unraveling of Creation”