Description

This week's episode of Start2Finish focuses on the display of the Kingdom of God throughout the Old Testament. While the Kingdom has eternally existed due to God's transcendent and eternal nature, it had a visible entrance in the earth as the book of Genesis chronicles the creation of all things. From Creation to the Fall to the Redemptive Covenants, God continually expresses His reign and authority through individuals, families and eventually a nation (Israel). As the Old Testament shows, while humans will inevitably fail in being true to the covenant promises that God made with them, God will never fail and His purposes to establish His Kingdom through covenant partners will continue. Special interest will be given in this episode to:

• Adam's royal and priestly role in Eden.
• The fall as a "dual loss" of both relationship and rulership for Adam.
• The establishment of the Kingdom of Darkness in the earth (foreign kingdom rooted in the "will of man.")
• God's strategy to perpetuate His reign through the institution of covenants.
• The dramatic scene of the Exodus & its role in visualizing the conflicting kingdoms (Kingdom of God & the Kingdom of Darkness).
• In Israel, as in Adam (and eventually Jesus) the "Kingdom was at hand."
• Though Israel would fail to be faithful, and end up in exile, God would establish a remnant that would maintain their hope that through the eventual coming of the Messiah, God's Kingdom would come once again to the earth. 

Scriptures: Psalm 115:16; 1 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 1:5-6; Gen. 2:15; Gen. 3:15; Col. 1:13-14; Gen. 12:1-3; Exodus 1; Ex. 19:5-6; Psalm 24:7-10.

Music: "On My Way," by Justin Jollie.