Audio from Pastor's Class
Slides from Pastor's Class (PDF)
Online Class and Video (PDF)
Audio from The Heart of the Story
Slides from The Heart of the Story (PDF)
Bringing The Story Home Resource Page (PDF)
Teaching Calendar and Passage Guide (PDF)
The Story in Review- Chapter Eight
Chapter 8 covers the constant cycle Israel goes through. That cycle of sin, subjugation, forgiveness & freedom is not only the cycle of Israel but each and every individual who is one of God’s people.
The “Brief Order for Confession & Forgiveness” in Lutheran Worship covers this cycle quite nicely. 1. (Sin) “We have sinned against God in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone.” 2. (Subjugation) “We are in bondage to sin and cannot fee ourselves.” 3. (Forgiveness) “. . .for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us.” 4. (Freedom) “. . . renew us and lead us that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways.”
Unlike other “life cycles” that progress from one stage to the next and once at the end of the line it is complete this cycle is a constant loop. Not just in chapter 8 but throughout the history of Israel, and the history of each individual who desires the ending of Chapter 7 of the Story, “we will serve the Lord” to be the beginning of their personal story.
Over and over again we face temptation and fall into sin. (1) Whether we find ourselves subjugated momentarily or continually sin takes us (2.) captive. Unable to secure our own release we need the intervention of another, not simply a ‘judge’ but the one who is both judge over us and judged for us, the crucified one Jesus Christ. He who did battle with sin on our behalf rises up again and again to remind Satan and sin that He is victorious and has secured forgiveness (3.) for us. Forgiven in this Christ we again can move forward to live in the freedom that belongs to the children of God and the “cycle” starts anew.
It is important to note that Israel is the Lord’s at every stage of the cycle as is the church and the Christian.