The first three chapters of Genesis explain why our world is a mix of good and bad. God made the world so that humans could participate in God’s greatest feature – loving! But the ability to love requires freedom that allows – even invites – abuse that derails God’s good intentions.
The core problem rests on our human need for God. We have enough power to fool ourselves into believing we can call our own shots in life. While God asks to serve as our Lord, the Deity isn’t into abuse. God isn’t going to force belief or obedience on us. Instead, God is going to show us the value of putting our faith in the Divine in every possible way that doesn’t usurp our free will.
This is essentially what the story of the Bible is – from Genesis 4 through Revelation – tale after tale of God interacting with humans to demonstrate that when we let God be our Lord, we can learn how to love, what it costs, and why it’s worth that cost.
The narratives of the Bible – like those in our own lives – are stories of struggle. We seem to progress in our trust and respect of God only to fall back into our desire to grab control for ourselves.
But God proves a patient mentor. If we make the Lord our Master, we find ourselves accepted into a profitable apprenticeship – a tremendous opportunity to be schooled in the most delicate and nuanced skills of loving.
Of course, it’s not easy work and there are plenty of setbacks. That’s where the stories of the Bible offer us light. When we don’t understand what the Master is trying to teach us, it’s helpful to glean some insights from the way God has interacted with people in the past.
Beyond defining the world’s sorry state of affairs, Genesis serves us further by offering us some key insights into the way God runs this mentoring program. Get ready to hear about a Master who has some unexpected teaching methods!
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