NT Framework - Image Bearers

As humans we all bear the image of God since we were created in the image of God. If you take this away by denying God then you destroy the basis for justice.

More information about Beyond the Walls, including additional resources can be found at www.beyondthewalls-ministry.com 

This series included graphics to illustrate what is being taught, if you would like to watch the teachings you can do so on Rumble (https://rumble.com/user/SpokaneBibleChurch) or on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtV_KhFVZ_waBcnuywiRKIyEcDkiujRqP).

Jeremy Thomas is the pastor at Spokane Bible Church in Spokane, Washington and a professor at Chafer Theological Seminary. He has been teaching the Bible for over 20 years, always seeking to present its truths in a clear and understandable manner. 

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Welcome to Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas and
our series on the New Testamentframework.
Today, a smaller, bite-sizedpiece from the larger lesson.
We hope you enjoy it.

SPEAKER_01 (00:10):
The first one about his unique death on the cross is
a strange idea that involves anumber of ideas that are built
through scripture.
So I'm gonna, this is the mostcomplicated point, but I want to
build it because I think it'sinteresting to watch and see.
Jesus was crucified as acriminal under a misallocation

(00:31):
of justice, which was givenunder the divine institution
number four, which is humangovernment.
Remember, we talked about divineinstitutions earlier in the
series.
In the Old Testament, we saidthere's basically five divine
institutions.
A divine institution issomething that God lays down for
the whole human race to follow,and if we don't follow it, there

(00:52):
are serious consequences to pay.
There are five of these.
They're all given, the firstthree are given at creation, the
other two are added after theflood.
So at creation and then afterthe flood and the new world
after the flood.
The first three are responsiblelabor.
God created man to laborresponsibly before him, and all
men will be evaluated as to whatthey have done.

(01:14):
The second one is marriagebetween one man and one woman.
So this is a divine institution.
If we try to manipulate that orredefine marriage, well, there's
going to be societalconsequences to pay.
The third one is family, whichis built on marriage.
And this talks about thepopulation of the human race,
how to raise children, all thesethings.
And so those three are divineinstitutions that God gave for

(01:37):
the whole human race atcreation.
Now, after the flood, hereinstitutes those three, and he
adds two more.
The first one he adds after thatis human government.
You say, well, what was going onbefore the flood?
Was there not human government?
No, there was no humangovernment.
So you say, well, how were theworld's affairs arranged?
How was governing, how didgoverning take place?

(02:00):
Well, I mean, there's a coupleof options.
You know, when you see Cain andAbel, you know, and Cain kills
Abel, God himself carries outthe justice that was due, right?
You also have the situationwhere you have the angels, the
cherubim, placed at the easternentrance to the garden.

(02:20):
Remember, and they have theflaming sword.
And the sword in the Bible is apicture of, if you hold the
sword, it's a picture of theweapon that would be used, the
instrument used for capitalpunishment.
Okay?
And so whoever holds the swordis the one who has the right to
exercise governing force.

(02:41):
And in the pre-flood world, wesee the angelic realm having
this uh capability.
So this is an interesting story.
It was a totally different worldbefore the flood, we know that.
So for about the first 2,300years of world history, there
was no such thing as humangovernment.
God had never given humangovernment.
Um, but rather the angels andhimself they carried out the

(03:04):
governing functions.
But now when you come to Genesischapter 9, which we'll turn to
now, you'll see that God givesthe sword to man.
And the cornerstone of humangovernment is the right for a
govern a government to capitallyexecute those who commit crimes
that are worthy of a capitalpunishment.

(03:28):
So in the midst of this givingof the fourth divine
institution, uh humangovernment, he also in Genesis
9, for the first time gives themanimals to eat.

(03:48):
Any moving thing that has lifein it, he says is now free to
eat.
So, in other words, before this,God did not authorize the eating
of meat.
Genesis 1 29 through 30 saysthat our original diet was
herbivorous only.
We were strictly herbivorous.
But for some reason, after theflood, in the new world after

(04:11):
the flood, God gave us uh meatto eat so that we became
omnivorous, right?
Both plants and animals are nowon the menu.
And all of God's people said,Amen.
I don't want to just eat saladevery day or broccoli or seeds.
Uh as good as those things are,we we enjoy, most of us, eating

(04:33):
meat.
Okay, so but there's somethingimportant uh that's taking
place.
Let's read Genesis 9:1.
God blessed Noah and his sonsand said to them, Be fruitful
and multiply and fill the earth.
This is talking about family,divine institution number three.
The fear of you and the terrorof you will be on every beast of
the earth and on every bird ofthe sky, with everything that
creeps on the ground and all thefish of the sea into your hand

(04:55):
they are given, being given toeat.
But God has placed this fearinto the creatures, and of
course, we we've domesticatedsome animals and so forth, but
this in general, this is thestate of the world between
animals and man.
Verse 3 Every moving thing thatis alive shall be food for you.
I give all to you as I gave thegreen plant.

(05:15):
He gave the green plant inGenesis 1 for the world up to
the flood.
Now, in the post-flood world,this new world, he gives
everything to us, both meat andthe plant.
So we will be omnivores.
He says, Only you shall not eatflesh with its life.
And then it just says, It'sblood.

(05:37):
Um in other words, you have todrain the blood out of the
animal, right?
You can't eat it with the bloodinside the animal.
Now, why?
Well, because God has assigned avalue to the blood, He has uh He
has assigned a signification ofthe blood.

(05:57):
The blood signifies the life ofthe creature, of the animal, and
that belongs to God, so youcan't eat it with the blood in
it because it belongs to God.
So it was to be poured out andto go back to Him, so to speak.
Okay.
So He said, No, you can't eat itwith the blood in it.

(06:21):
Let's let's go on.
Surely I will require yourlifeblood.
From every beast I will requireit.
What's he saying?
He's saying, I require you giveit back to me.
It's mine.
That's mine.
The blood is mine.
It's because it signifies thelife, and I gave life to the
creature.
So it belongs to me.
Right?

(06:42):
He says, also from every man,from every man's brother I will
require the life of man.
Now, this is the institution ofcapital punishment for murder.
We're not talking about killing.
Killing is a matter of war.
That's a different topicbiblically.
There is what we call just war,meaning wars that are to be

(07:03):
fought to stop certain nationsfrom spreading their bad ideas,
like for example, Nazi Germany.
It was right for the world, theallies, the Allied powers to to
go against Germany and stopthese atrocities.

(07:25):
But murder is a different thing.
That's this is this is differentfrom manslaughter, too, right?
Manslaughter is notpremeditated, it's an accident
where you accidentally killsomeone.
But murder is premeditated.
That's what the intent ofcapital punishment is here for.
To and it's this given beforethe law.
This has nothing to do with theMosaic law, does it?

(07:47):
This has to do with the wholehuman race.
It's the cornerstone of humangovernment.
A government has the right tocapitally execute those who
murder others.
Now, why?
Well, it tells us in verse 6whoever sheds man blood, man's
blood, by his blood shall beshed, man, by man his blood

(08:09):
shall be shed.
For in the image of God he mademan.
So see, if a man shed someoneelse's blood, then a man will
shed that man's blood, see?
Why?
Because in the image of God hemade man.
In other words, if someone killsanother person, if you look out
on the world and you look at allthe people, there's almost 8

(08:31):
billion people up there.
Every one of these individualsis made in the image of God.
That means they're imagebearers.
They're like an icon or statueof God.
What's an icon or statue?
If you go to the Northeast, yousee that probably Paul Revere,
you see Abraham Lincoln, you seeall sorts of statues.
Now, that's not Abraham Lincolnand that's not Paul Revere, but

(08:52):
it is an icon or image of them.
What would it mean if youdefaced it or destroyed it?
Well, you'd be making an attackon Abraham Lincoln or Paul
Revere.
Well, we little statues areicons of God.
Whenever someone murders anotherhuman being, they are making an
attack on God Himself.

(09:15):
And this is why that man's lifemust now be taken, because it's
a direct affront to God.

SPEAKER_00 (09:22):
Thank you for joining us on Beyond the Walls
with Jeremy Thomas.
If you would like to see thevisuals that went along with
today's sermon, you can findthose on Rumble and on YouTube,
Under Spoke and Bible Church.
That is where Jeremy is thepastor and teacher.
We hope you found today's lessonproductive and useful in growing

(09:43):
closer to God and walking moreobediently with Him.
If you found this podcast to beuseful and helpful, then please
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And until next time, we hope youhave a blessed and wonderful
day.