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God's Plan of Salvation
God's Plan of Salvation
CCC 280 Creation is the foundation of "all God's saving plans," the "beginning of the history of salvation that culminates in Christ. Conversely, the mystery of Christ casts conclusive light on the mystery of creation and reveals the end for which "in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth": from the beginning, God envisaged the glory of the new creation in Christ. CCC 1080 From the very beginning God blessed all living beings, especially man and woman. The covenant with Noah and with all living things renewed this blessing of fruitfulness despite man's sin which had brought a curse on the ground. But with Abraham, the divine blessing entered into human history which was moving toward death, to redirect it toward life, toward its source. By the faith of "the father of all believers," who embraced the blessing, the history of salvation is inaugurated. CCC 1081 The divine blessings were made manifest in astonishing and saving events: the birth of Isaac, the escape from Egypt (Passover and Exodus), the gift of the promised land, the election of David, the presence of God in the Temple, the purifying exile, and return of a "small remnant." The Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms, interwoven in the liturgy of the Chosen People, recall these divine blessings and at the same time respond to them with blessings of praise and thanksgiving.
Noah Abraham Moses David Household Tribe Nation Kingdom Rainbow Circumcision Passover Temple & Throne
Covenant is an extension of kinship by sacred oath. We are brought into a family by oath. Adam- Creation-. Gods relationship with His creation, man. God creates Adam out of clay and fills him with the spirit. Made in image of Gods likeness, -means he is a son of God. Adam as priest (works) and son (image of God), and prophet, and dominion (over animals). Eve is created, flesh of my flesh- marriage. First covenant is marriage. They walk with God and then fall by Original Sin. " Creation moves toward the Sabbath...The Sabbath is the sign of the covenant between God and man; it sums up the inward essence of the covenant....Creation exists to be a place for the covenant that God wants to make with man. The goal of creation is the covenant, the love story of God and man." Pope Benedict Noah- Seth's descendants, seduced by the beauty of the daughters of Cain, take them as wives. They take more than one wife . The sons of Seth violate the sanctity of the marriage covenant instituted by God in the garden. Noah build s ark. Ark saves man from sins. Man is set adrift on watery chaos. Dove, the spirit hovers over the water- like creation. New Eden. With this covenant, God renews His covenant with creation. By this covenant, God also expands the "family structure" of His covenant people - from a husband and a wife to a family unit. Rainbow is sign. Noah builds an altar and offers sacrifice-hes a priest. Abraham- God's covenant with Abraham has three parts, and it begins with three promises: to make Abraham a great nation ; to give him a great name; and to make him the source of blessing for all the world. You will have a great name, a blessing and nation. Your son will give you descendants as numerous as stars in the sky. Abrahams covenant is tribe. He offers sacrifice. Let what happens to these animals happen to me if I am unfaithful. Takes a woman, Hagar to have a child. God makes Abraham suffer with circumcision (sign), because what he did with Hagar. Isaacs birth. Take son, Isaac and kill him. Sacrifice of Isaac (sacrifice of Jesus. The test, his son will inherit the land , --if killed God will raise him. Moses- Joseph ends up in Egypt (as savior). God sends Moses (mediator) to get Israel out of slavery of Egypt (slavery of sin). Egyptian deities were frogs, bulls, goats,, etc.. Passover is sign. Blood on door posts, kill a first born unblemished lamb and eat it. All first born Egyptians die. Exodus. Red Sea is parted. God gives 10 commandments. Worship of golden calf. Manna (Eucharist) and quail in the desert. God wants His firstborn son (Jesus first born), His own people, to be "to Me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation" Priesthood, (Jesus as priest) levities. Animal sacrifices are now required daily. But sacrifice wont take away sin. The nation of people is covenant wander through desert to Promised Land. David- The people demand a king "as the other nations have. Saul. God makes His final covenant of the Old Testament with David. He promises to establish David's kingdom as an eternal and everlasting dynasty, promises that David's heirs will sit on his royal throne forever. He promises, too, that He will regard David's heir as His own son. David acts as priest, blesses things, eats shew bread, is prophet, he is a son. He dances before tabernacle, come into the presence, come to eat, come to Jerusalem and feast. David commits adultery and murder. He is sorry. I want to build you a house. Kingdom is the Covenant. The throne of David. Your kingdom will last forever. Solomon builds the temple. The presence of God in the temple. 700 wives. Pagan women. Idolatry. Tribes divided. False worship. Prophets remind people to return to covenant. The Babylonian Exile, Daniel prays in the temple, Messiah will come 70 weeks of yrs., when counted exact day Jesus is presented in the temple.