ACT 3

Act 3 is about Israel and the redemption of God’s people. God’s planting of the Israelites in the land is a major step on the way toward the recovery and restoration of the creation. The land is like a second Eden, and Noah will be like a new Adam. A major underlying principle i gained from this act is that its important to be faithful to God, without straying away. Straying away slowly doesn’t count as living righteously.

The fall on all of us doesn’t mean that we stop being human because we remain in the image of God. However, our rebellion has definitely deeply affected how we are human. The story of Cain demonstrates clearly that after a humans fall into sin, they have a terrible capacity to misdirect their lives. I see this displayed in everyday life as well as my own. When a person starts to engage in sinful activities, they usually end up heading down the wrong path in life. Cain being the one who develops the first city makes us wary of the possible cprruption of God’s intention, even though his intention is for cities to be developed. Cities can become places of squalor and oppression. This can be seen as true just by looking at the cities in the world today and all the horrible actions taking place in them.

A point that intrigued me was how the Babylonians in Mesopotamia had chosen to control their own environment and adopt different unity and identity than God’s. God then judges the people by confusing their language and scattering them abroad. I found this interesting because I learned about this ancient people when I was younger, and realize that it is no coincidence they are non existent today. Another thing I learned in communications class recently is that people are social beings. Their lives and who they are and everything they do are all based on the interactions of other people. This act states that God’s people are to be missionary, and are chosen to be a channel of blessings to others. The principles I learned go hand in hand with the human nature of people, and how it should be. I also found interesting the story of Jacob and Esau. God will work through people to bring blessings into the world, but first he has to work in them and with them, to bring reconciliation and maturity. This is definitely true, because in order for one to live right and be happy and receive blessings in life, one must accept God and reach the maturity level of knowing how to live life.

God made a covenant with Abraham promising to bless him and make him great, as well as his seeds. Israel will fulfill the Abrahamic covenant. They are to be God’s own special people and live in a way that fits his character. Israel will be a holy nation that is a display to all the other nations. The ten commandments become the law for the Israelites in their covenant relationship with God. They tell Israel how to live so as to please God and display to the Nations God’s creational purposes for humanity. The commandments are the keys to living fully human lives. I agree with this because if one adopts these laws and follows them, they will lead to a better world for everyone. The Israelites encountered numerous obstacles to finally get to the promise land. They aren’t true to God and suffer as well. A part I found interesting was that when they heard the report from the spies about the land, their faith in the Lord collapsed and they became depressed and disgruntled and complained that God had only wished to