FOUNDATIONAL TRUTHS
SIN AND JUDGMENT Sin means to miss the mark; it’s to fall short of God’s holy and perfect moral standard. Judgment is God’s administration of justice and righteousness by punishing sin. Some consequences are logical outworkings from the sin itself, but God may also send judgment because of sin. Ultimately, the penalty for sin is death (Rom. 6:23), and God delivers judgment as He sees fit. Before captivity, Israel sinned corporately, engaging in idol worship, committing sexual perver- sions, and offering children as sacrifices. God could not allow His set-apart people to continue living rebelliously. After abundant warnings and pleas to repent, He used the Babylonians and Assyrians to bring judgment on His people, who were taken captive and carried off into exile from their promised land. 8 REDEMPTION The Bible is the story of God’s redemption of His people from the captivity of sin. Because of the fall of man (Adam and Eve), every person is corrupt- ed by sin and separated from holy God. However, in God’s love and mercy He made a way for man to be restored in fellowship with Him. Even as God pronounced judgment on Adam and Eve for their sin, He offered the hope of the gospel in the promise of an offspring who would crush Satan and save man from sin and death. Throughout the Bible, redemption is a theme that we’ll study repeatedly. When Israel was exiled as judgment for their sin, God redeemed His people for Himself, restoring their land, bringing them back to Himself, and restoring the blessings He intended for them. We too expe- rience redemption through faith in Jesus Christ, who paid the price for our sin and gives us eternal life in His presence. 6. The destruction of Jerusalem proved God’s faithfulness to the covenant curse for disobedience. As a just God, He is true to His promise to judge. God’s people did not obey His covenantal stipulations that set them apart as His people. Instead, they followed the evil intentions of their hearts and lusted after the idols of the pagan nations.
Considering this two-part Old Testament recap, what have you learned about the human heart, man’s need for redemption, and God’s promises?
8 “What was the Babylonian captivity/exile?” Got Questions: Your Questions, Biblical Answers. March 2025. https://www.gotquestions.org/Babylonian-captivity-exile.html
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