Biblical Plotlines Kris King

The wilderness is a common place that many characters enter into throughout the Bible, from Adam and Eve to the children of Israel. The day of atonement, with an exiled scapegoat, then brings the theology of the wilderness to greater light. Jesus himself enters into the wilderness in order to undo the failures of humanity. Though the wilderness is a desolate place, the Bible often paradoxically shows God creating an Eden in the desert. Listen with us as we explore the Biblical theme of the wilderness traced throughout the Bible.

Joshua may be remembered as a great military leader for Israel, who began the settlement of God's people in the promised land. But more than anything, Joshua wanted to be seen as a man of the Word. The focus of this book shows that God's Word was central to the life of Joshua and was the key to his success in battle and obtaining the promises of God.

In this short episode we look at the theme of the chaotic waters that appear in the opening verses of the Bible and are traced through the history of Israel, with books like Jonah and Job adding to the imagery. The ministry of Jesus features these chaotic waters and the book of Revelation foresees the end of the waters altogether in a new heaven and earth.

In this episode we look at the book of Ezekiel by focusing on the main theme of the dwelling place of God. The prophet Ezekiel was part of the tribe of Levi and would have been a priest in the temple if he weren’t living as an exile in Babylon, so he was familiar with the importance of the presence of God in the temple. Ezekiel shows that since the temple has been defiled by the idolatry of the people, God’s presence is departing from the city of Jerusalem, which is a disruption to God’s plan of making his dwelling place on earth. The prophet then looks forward to a day when God’s presence is renewed in his temple, which brings us to Jesus as the ultimate temple where God dwells.

As the Israelites continue their journey towards the Promised Land they enter into a covenant with the Lord. In this episode we explore how the Old Covenant relates to the New Covenant by seeing it as a pattern of what was to come in Christ. We then talk about the theme of Mount Zion throughout Scripture and then look at the golden calf incident, seeing how the Hebrew text gives greater insight into the details of this event.

The book of Exodus marks the beginning of the nation of Israel as they are delivered from slavery in Egypt and brought into covenant relationship with the Lord.
In this first episode, of two parts, I discuss with Desmond Alexander the feature of knowing God as a framework that unites the book of Exodus. This idea can be seen from the opening narratives in Egypt through to the covenant at Sinai and concludes in the culmination of God presence coming to dwell in the midst of the people in the closing chapter. 
We then discuss the significance of the passover ritual and how the details of what is involved in the meal reveal God’s means of ransoming the firstborn from death, removing the defilement of sin and making the people holy in order to come into God’s presence. These aspects of the passover then form a pattern of atonement that culminates in Jesus who’s sacrificial death as the lamb of God redeems us from the power of death, cleanses from sin and makes us holy in order to be made 'at one’ with God. This picture of atonement broadens our perspective of the work of Christ and sheds new light on passages throughout New Testament relating to the full implications of the work of Christ on the cross.