Years

Romans 5:14

14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

Examine / Explain

From the fall of man with Adam, sin entered the world. And Until Moses is reigned, a separation of man and God. There was no known way for man to get back into the presence of God. Twenty-five hundred years without the law, and then Jesus enters the scene after twenty-five hundred years with the law. Jesus redeemed what Adam had broken.

How do I apply this to my life?

So man was on the earth for 2500 years, and God gave His people the law. Not the world, just His chosen. 2500 years later the Messiah came to fulfill the law of His people and allow everyone else to be grafted in to be redeemed of their sins, which they really didn’t know they had for 5000 years. And now, as believers today, we are to let the world know that 7000 years of sinful habits are wrong and they need Jesus. Talk about a progression of steps and the “long game.” I know that when Jesus preached He ruffled feathers. But my understanding was that He ruffled the feathers of the religious leaders of the day. Not to say He didn’t cause issues with the Romans but Jesus was opposing the religious traditions of God’s people. Pointing out that they had become legalistic with the law and were missing out on the relationship. Some gentiles heard His message before it was really time for them to receive it, and they believed. But this passage has really grabbed me with the centuries of gentiles, barbarians, and any non-Jew who could only barrow morality from God. I have the luxury of having a bible in 2023. I must be in a line of believers from 2000 years ago to be a believer now. The amount of people who have not heard the gospel astounds me. With the lens of the gospel, looking to the past and knowing that countless people had something in them, they needed to worship something. An inner morality that was skewed because they didn’t have the ultimate guide of a true morality given by God. And here we are today. Still witnessing a broken world desperate for security and significance and groping for anything to satisfy that need. Lost in the darkness of this world. They needed a savior but rejected Him when it was presented.  How did Jesus preach? Would is stand there and tell them how much they needed saving. Did He point out all the wrong things they had going in their life? I know He couldn’t preach one on one in everything but I do know He went out of His way to be relational. He was curious about people. Did He really need to ask them the questions that He asked? He knew the answer. Self-realization is a powerful thing. “Aha!” moments are able to change our minds which in turn change our beliefs. For we are unable to live outside our belief system. But that system can be changed. What changes do I need to make? What questions is Jesus asking me right now?

What is my response?

Father, I pray for a soft heart. I pray that I am receptive to the Holy Spirit working in me. You have tasked us with the relational spreading of the good news of Jesus. Where am I lacking? Where am I not being in Your presence? Teach me to put aside the performance mindset and be a disciple. Expose my areas that need to be adjusted. Let me hear Your curiosity in me and allow me to change my mind from the false things I set in front of You. Let me find the truth and live it out for You. Amen.