Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth : Divisions Lesson #3
In the previous lesson we started looking at the major divisions in the word of God. We looked at the first two divisions. The first one was called Innocence and it dealt with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden before their sin. The second one was called Conscience and it dealt with man as a result of Adam and Eve’s sin being under their conscience. In this lesson we will look at the next two major divisions in the word of God which are going to be called Human Government, and Promise.
Division 3 : Human Government (Genesis 8:20 – Genesis 11:32)
- This division begins with Noah and his family getting off of the ark after the flood and it will end with the tower of Babel in Genesis chapter 11.
- When Noah and his family get off the ark he is given the same commission as Adam, that was to be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth. (Genesis 9:1)
- When Noah got off the ark God changed some things. Note that in Genesis 9:2-6 man is to now eat meat and also that man’s blood is required at the hand of man. Here is where the death penalty or capital punishment is instituted in the word of God. Note that it is well before the Law was given in Exodus 19.
- This is the reason that we call this division Human Government because man is now governing man.
- Under this division we see that salvation is still faith and works. Note that in Hebrews 11:7 Noah is said to have both.
- Once again we see this division end with man in a mess. In Genesis 11 after the earth was populated by mankind again we see that man tried to build a tower to heaven. This is where God came down and changed the languages (up till this point everyone spoke one language) and this is why we have all the different languages today.
Division 4 : Promise (Genesis 12:1 – Exodus 19)
- This division starts with the call of Abram to start a chosen people of God and ends with the giving of the Law in Exodus after the children of Israel depart from Egypt.
- The reason that we call this division Promise is because when God calls Abram out in Genesis 12:1-9 he gives him some promises. Now the promise are part of what is called the Abrahamic Covenant and are still in effect today even though the division has ended. We will study the Covenants next in this series of Rightly Dividing God’s Word.
- This promises included that Abram would become a great nation, a land grant that they will receive in full during the Millennial Reign of the Lord Jesus Christ and that God would bless any nation that blessed them and curse any nation that cursed them.
- Nations of the world today would do wise to take note of that last promised mentioned above for history has proved over and over again that a nation that goes against Israel ceases to be a world power shortly there after.
- Salvation in this division is Faith and Works, note once again in Hebrew 11: 8-19 that Abraham had both faith and works.
- Now this is interesting because Abraham received his righteousness by faith (Genesis 15:6), but he received his justification by works (Genesis 22:1-14 and James 2:24)
- In the church age today we receive both our righteousness and our justification by faith without works (Romans 5:1 and Romans 10:1-13)
- Even though Abraham is said to be both righteous and justified he was not born again, spiritually circumcised, or baptized by the Holy Ghost. None of these things happened until after the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
By now you should be starting to see just how important these divisions are to studying and correctly teaching the word of God. This will become plainer as we go through study. Remember that the word of God itself says that we should “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” 2 Timothy 2:15.
Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth : Divisions Lesson #3
(Handout)
1) List the third major division in the word of God and give some of the details about it.
2) List the fourth major division in the word of God and give some of the details about it.