00:00Act 3, People
00:07The third act in the story of God is all about His response to people. It covers hundreds of
00:14years of history and focuses specifically on how God advanced His plan to redeem people from sin
00:20during these years. Yesterday we learned that sin entered the world when Adam and Eve first
00:26disobeyed God. From that moment in the garden, people struggled mightily to follow God. But God
00:33did not abandon them. Just the opposite, God got even more involved with people. Genesis 12 through
00:41Genesis 50 is the story of how the Israelites became a nation. It all began with God's promise
00:48to one man, Abram. I will make you into a great nation. All peoples on earth will be blessed
00:55through you. By Genesis 50, the Israelites are living in Egypt and their numbers were swelling
01:01far beyond the Pharaoh's comfort zone. As we learned yesterday, the ancient Egyptians brutally
01:08enslaved the Israelites. The famous story of Moses is about how God freed His people from slavery.
01:15Though generations had passed, God had not forgotten His promise to Abram or His promise to Eve that a
01:22Savior would come, and so He set the Israelites on a course to a new homeland. Along the way,
01:28God gave the Israelites what we know as the Ten Commandments. These rules were not a prerequisite
01:34for God's love and faithfulness. The Israelites had already experienced God's faithfulness and His
01:41miraculous power to save them. The Ten Commandments are about how to love God and love others.
01:47Abiding by these commands, as well as the rest of the law, enabled the nation of Israel to live in
01:54harmony with God and bless all people on earth, just as God promised Abram. Why does all this history
02:01matter? Because God hasn't changed. He's still a promise keeper. He's still forgiving people and setting
02:09them free from what binds them. He's still incensed by injustice and He's still powerful. This is the
02:17God that created you and loves you. God loves people, including you. Reflection. What were you taught
02:25about the Ten Commandments in the past? What do you think about the Ten Commandments being about loving
02:32God and loving others? What do you think about them in light of Matthew 22 verse 36-40? Is there a
02:40commandment that is especially challenging for you? Would you pray about that today? Prayer. Thank you,
02:47God, for loving people, including me. Thank you for being upset by injustice and for using your power to
02:55free enslaved people. Help me, please, by your power to love you and to love people as much as you love me. Amen.
