The Bible Story Condensed: Pursueing the Thread of God’S Purpose for Humanity

By Ben Weaver

A Book Report, written for people who would like to read the whole Bible, but find its 774,000+ words a bit overwhelming. This writing is an attempt to condense the mass and complexity of the Bible to less than 36,000 words, including comments and notes to connect various Bible passages that refer to the same subject. In order to condense the subject material, much of the historical and geographical material has been avoided, as well as genealogies and details of human failures.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Dec 24, 2013
• ISBN: 9781490817996

Ben Weaver

Ben Weaver is a military scholar who spent years conceiving, researching, and writing Brothers In Arms.

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Copyright © 2013 Ben Weaver.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-1798-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-1799-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013922228

WestBow Press rev. date: 12/23/2013

CONTENTS

Introduction

In the beginning, God. (Gen.1:1)

Chapter 1   Foundation Of Project Earth

By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin. (Rom.5:12)

Chapter 2   God’s Command And The Human Failure

In your seed shall all the nations of the world be blessed. (Gen.22:18)

Chapter 3   Wickedness Of Humanity And The Flood

Chapter 4   Abraham And Introduction To The Eternal Covenant

Chapter 5   Moses As Leader

The law, given 430 yrs. later, cannot make the promise of non effect. (Gal.3:17)

Chapter 6   Temporary Law Of Commandments

Chapter 7   More Prophecies Including For The Latter Days

Chapter 8   Psalms

Chapter 9   Life And Teachings Of Jesus

Where a testament is, there must be the death of the testator. (Heb. 9:16)

Chapter 10   Cross And Resurrection Of The Christ

Chapter 11   Church

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit (Gal.5:25 )

Chapter 12   Holy Spirit Indwelling And Enablement

Chapter 13   Prayer

Chapter 14   Evangelism

Chapter 15   Warnings Against Human Religion

Chapter 16   Instructions For Practical Christian Living

Not perish but have everlasting life (Jn. 3:16)

Chapter 17   After This Life

Acknowledgments

About The Author

INTRODUCTION

T he precious God inspired writings of the Bible reveal a glimpse of God’s spirit world and his purposes, to our limited natural world concepts. We cannot comprehend unlimited space or unending time, neither can we imagine them ending. Likewise, on our own, we cannot comprehend the vastness of God and all His purposes, but Jesus said, I thank You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hid these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them to babes. (Matt. 11:25)

The general theme of the Bible, seems to be a competition between the ultimate of opposite forces; with humanity being the scene. We have the supreme God of wholeness, ruling, and an anticipating powerful opponent, the devil and his armies, who are striving until eventual defeat. Although their identities are at times obscured in the panorama, they are behind the scenes plotting their cases. Logic would suggest, that in order for God’s goodness to be appreciated, there needs to be a contrast to space it from, hence the enemy’s troublesome evils are complimenting God’s good purposes.

Humanity was given the free choice to serve God, as being supreme, or try out other appeals, which result in wrong and suffering. God has now painfully endured about six thousand years, with many wrong choices by His creation, resulting in much suffering and death on the earth. He says, "I have set before you life and death; blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may live." (Deut. 30:19) He didn’t create us to be puppets, but has lovingly directed, and provided means for an abundant life, here and hereafter. Throughout the Bible, we see he has had many disappointments with us.

Our English Bible seems to be the result of many complex translations and cultures, attempting to preserve the truth of God’s message to humankind. In this writing, Bible data will most likely be derived from KJV while using words and phrases as we would say it in our time. Specific word studies in the N.T. are mostly from Marshal’s translation of the Nestle Greek text. The definition of questionable words is determined by use of the Analytical Greek Lexicon.

I have chosen to use the English word GOD (which seems to have been invented about 700 A.D.,) since it is most commonly understood, rather than Jehovah or various other understandings.

The word heavens is said to come from heaved up places, which can refer to either the physical or spiritual, i.e. where the birds fly; where the stars are; and also the higher spirit kingdoms. Maybe the spiritual heavens are a fourth dimension anywhere, even here among us. This book is written as though the highest heaven of the Bible refers to the spirit world where Almighty God rules supreme, and Satan has lost his authority over believers, since Jesus said, Now shall the prince of this world be cast out,(Jn.12:31) but he is still allowed to influence humans, since he has not yet been completely put under the feet of Jesus.(1 Cor.15:25)

The Bible presents God’s heaven as being a very real and wonderful place to be, and those who actively trust Jesus, are being secured by Him for eternity there. According to Ephesians 1:20-2:6, and other scriptures; those being In Christ are already positioned in authority above their spirit opponents in the heavenlies.

In an attempt to maintain a progressive order, I have combined related portions from various parts of the Bible, along with my own connecting comments. I do not claim to qualify for this undertaking, but feel called to submit a limited, and hopefully a more simplified perspective for consideration by those pursuing the purposes of God.

I have included Bible references in parentheses marks ( ), and recommend that the reader check out the broader context in a reliable older version of God’s printed word to us; KJV recommended. Quotes usually are to convey the supposed intent of the original speaker/writer, rather than any specific version of scripture. Please enter this study prayerfully and feel free to scrutinize its accuracy, as I also have done to some traditional interpretations.

Blessings

CHAPTER 1

FOUNDATION OF PROJECT EARTH

Eternity Past

T he Bible starts with In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth . This likely refers to the beginning of earth and its heavens, since there was no beginning for God. He said, I am He: Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. (Isa. 43:10) The high and lofty One that inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy, says, "I dwell in the high and holy place ." (Isa. 57:13)

Divinely inspired writers wrote, as if speaking to God: "Your throne is established of old: You are from everlasting." (Psa.93:2) "Before you formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God." (Psa.90:2) The phrase, "from everlasting" is found nine times in the Bible. God had no beginning.

Before Creation of Earth and Its Heavens

Since the Bible presents that God always was, and that our world was created only about six thousand years ago, (also supported by numerous scientific calculations,) but it gives little indication of what may have transpired in the meantime. Was there a spirit community before our system of shapes, sizes, weight, and quantity? Were there such things as time, and forces like gravity, heat, and light. We are hardly capable to define the spirit world by our limited worldly standards.

There are 273 mentions of angels in the Bible, who are said to be an innumerable company.(Heb.12:22) Since angels do not reproduce or have a limited life span as earth bound humans do, the following scriptures indicate that they were all created before our world was.

You, even you, Lord alone; You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host. (Neh.9:6) Col.1:13-16, tells us: For by Him [God’s dear Son] were all things created, that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by Him and for Him.

I wonder what was in God’s heart when He began laying the foundation for project earth and humanity? Years later, in Isaiah 43:7, God says, I have created mankind for my glory. Even though God was self-sufficient, He expanded His realm, to demonstrate his love and thereby bring Him glory. 2 Cor. 13:11 says, He is the God of love and peace, and 1 John. 4:8 states that God is love. His mercy is everlasting and his truth endures to all generations.(Psa.100:5) God directed his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners … enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son.(Rom. 5:8-10) In laying the foundation for the world, it stands to reason that He would plan to demonstrate His love to undeserving living humans.

Also, we are told, The Word was with God and the Word was God… All things were made by Him. So this Word, (expression of Life,) was before the creation of our world and later became flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1:1-14) {This of course, was Jesus who is the only human that was ever begotten by God into the human race. Adam was a created son of God, (Luke 3:38) and believers are adopted sons of God, (1 John. 3:2) but Jesus was the only begotten son of God. (John. 3:16) I suppose that, in the spirit world, God can have many aspects and still be One. Saying that the Word, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and many other aspects are very God, doesn’t necessarily indicate more than one God.

Another indication to events before the earth’s structure, is where the Lord answered Job, Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?… When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy. (Job 38:1-7). I wonder, who the sons of God were at that point? It seems there were various ranks of angelic beings before creation. Cherubim, (Gen.3:24) Seraphim, (Isa.6:2) and Archangels; Michael, Gabriel, and Lucifer."

Ezekiel 28:12-19, appears to describe Lucifer as; You are the anointed cherub that covers; and I (God) have set you so: you were upon the holy mountain of God: