EXPERIENCE GOD’S MAJESTY.

01
18 Margin Notes
Let God’s Word and these images of His created world encourage and uplift you in the days
and years to come. Landscapes of His Grace: A Visual Devotional showcases Dr. Stanley’s finest
photography from around the world, accompanied by passages of Scripture, short
meditations, and inspiring quotes from Dr. Stanley’s lifetime of ministry.
Landscapes of His Grace: A Visual Devotional, $40 USD

MEET IN THE MIDDLE

The patterns in Scripture reveal a God who loves order.

BY JAMIE A. HUGHES  ILLUSTRATIONS BY ADAM CRUFT

 LIKE AN AGILE plate spinner , I’m all about keeping things mov-
ing and balanced. At work, I’m a mistress of schedules and time-
lines, helping coordinate the many steps required to get a magazine
out the door on time. And at home, I manage a family agenda jam-
packed with medical appointments, sports, church events, and
school assignments. A color-coded calendar and tidy to-do list
have become my best friends, allies in the battle against calamity.
But don’t think all this is onerous. I’d still sort, collate, and systemize
even if life weren’t so hectic, because deep down I crave order. I want
|a place for everything and everything in its place. However, in my
attempts to keep things tidy, it’s easy to forget that structure is God’s
forte too, not some burden I must bear alone. And evidence of this is
everywhere, from the seasons that pass methodically one to the next,
to the predictability of the tides and
phases of the moon. Halley’s Comet,
the Golden ratio, the geometrical skills
of honeybees, the radial symmetry of a
dahlia, the rightness of a C major chord:
A single lifetime isn’t enough to soak in
the wonder of this ordered world.
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31 INTOUCH.ORG
 M A R G I N N O T E S
X MARKS THE SPOT God’s
Word is also
precisely arranged in ways we
might not realize, and not just
in the neatness of books, chap-
ters, and verses. The Bible is
filled with methodical literary
devices like allusions, imag-
ery, metaphors, similes, and
symbolism—all of which are
relatively familiar. However,
another device, chiasmus,
might not be so recognizable.
The word is a Latin term taken
from the Greek word khíasma,
which means “crossing” or “to
shape like [chi], the letter X.”
In chiasmus, two or more words,
phrases, or ideas are balanced
against each other by the rever-
sal of their structure. You know
it well, even if you don’t real-
ize it. Think back to your high
school English teacher’s dusty
classroom where you studied
Shakespeare’s Macbeth. In that
play, three witches observe the
weather and tell readers, “Fair
is foul, and foul is fair.” That’s
chiasmus at its finest. Oh, and
remember President Kennedy
saying, “Ask not what your coun-
try can do for you; ask what you
can do for your country”? Yep,
that’s chiasmus too.
In the Bible, this pattern is
most apparent in single verses.
Take Matthew 6:24, for instance:
“No one can serve two masters;
for either he will hate the one
and love the other, or he will
be devoted to one and despise
the other. You cannot serve God
and wealth.” The verse opens
with an assertion, gives evidence
for that assertion, stresses it
via repetition, and then closes
with a restatement. In the cen-
ter, two ideas—love of God and
love of money—are contrasted.
T H O U G H T F U L FA I T H . D E V O T E D L I V I N G .
Halley’s Comet, the
Golden ratio, the geometrical
skills of honeybees, the radial
symmetry of a dahlia, the
rightness of a C major chord:
A single lifetime isn’t enough
to soak in the wonder of
this ordered world.
The crisscross structure creates
emphasis and forces readers to
recognize that the two cannot
be reconciled. One love must be
given pride of place.
This device isn’t just a nifty
parlor trick. When both the
Old and New Testaments were
created, chiasmus was a type of
mnemonic aid, a way of mem-
orizing large passages of text.
Without affordable ink and
32
paper, people had to learn by rote.
According to scholar John Breck,
once the first half of a chiastic
passage was memorized, recall-
ing the second was easy since it
followed the same structure.
Breck also asserts that Greek
and Latin students “were trained
throughout their school years
to read from the center out-
ward and from the extremi-
ties towards the center” due
to the use of scrolls. “When envy, anger, and all those other last verses bring balance to the
fully unrolled, a scroll creates lovely sins we call our own. We passage and emphasize the cen-
a symmetrical perception of the bring nothing of value to God, tral takeaway: Our authority is
overall content,” according to and yet we are “crowned with from God, and His granting it to
theologian Brad McCoy, which glory and honor.” Selah, indeed. humankind both gives us dignity
led people to “focus on the con- The next section parallels and brings Him glory.
tent in its center.” As it turns verses two and three, detailing This structure is not mere hap-
out, all those historical movies the things placed under man’s penstance. It is the handiwork of
got it right. Folks really walked dominion: all manner of beasts an almighty Father who metic-
around in togas reading from and birds and creatures cruis- ulously cares for and arranges
tightly rolled pieces of parch- ing the sea (vv. 5-8). Finally, His world down to the last jot and
ment. The codex—predecessor David closes the psalm with the tittle. Examples of His orderli-
to the modern-day book—wasn’t same declaration he used in the ness can be found everywhere in
invented by the ever-resourceful opening lines (v. 9). He’s not lazy the Bible, and they’re cause for
Romans until the first century. or lacking in creativity. These much oohing and ahhing—and
(And boy, was that a honey of
an idea. By the fifth century, the
humility as well. They’re remind-
ers that we are meant to live and
codex outnumbered scrolls 10 to
one. By the sixth century, scrolls
move and have our being in Him
and the grander structure He has
had disappeared altogether.)
Knowing these facts, all of
created. (See Acts 17:28.) We
are free to forget ourselves and
which literally shaped the way
the Bible was written, should
surrender the need for control
to the Creator of all things fear-
compel us to step outside our mod-
ern “bookend” mode of thinking. In
fully, wonderfully, and perfectly
made. 

a chiastic passage, the beating
heart—the essential message—
is found not at the beginning or
end as we expect but, rather,
smack in the middle.
LOOK AND SEE Tosee this device at
work, examine Psalm 8. The song
opens with a declaration of the
In a chiastic passage,
majesty of God in verse one and
then describes the scope of His
the beating heart—the
dominion (vv. 2-3). When faced essential message—is found
with such wonders, David has
only questions: Who is man in not at the beginning or end
the face of such awesome power?
Why do we matter? as we expect but, rather,
These questions without
answers (vv. 4-5) are the central
smack in the middle.
axis of the psalm—the area that
should receive greater attention.
Think about it. There is abso-
lutely no reason we should be a
step below the angels. We’re hot
messes, grab bags of greed, lust,
33 INTOUCH.ORG
 M A R G I N N O T E S

CHAPTER & VERSE has made Him both Lord and

Christ—this Jesus whom you
crucified” (v. 36). The gospel
TURN TOWARD GOOD does not start with, “You need
to make Jesus Lord,” but rather,
NOW “God has made Jesus Lord.” God
AVAILABLE IN
isn’t looking for your vote; He’s
NIV
Repentance is so much more than saying “I’m sorry.”
looking for your submission.
BY JOSHUA RYAN BUTLER  ILLUSTRATIONS BY ADAM CRUFT Jesus isn’t running for office,
saying whatever you want to
hear to secure a vote. Rather, He
 WHEN PEOPLE TODAY HEAR THE WORD repent, some think of angry is already elevated, sitting in the
protestors with “Turn or Burn” signs, hurling insults at passersby. But seat of power, installed as King
in the Bible, repentance is less about turning away and more about over all the earth.
turning toward the life-giving and the good. It is motivated less by fear This is the good news, the
and more by joy, and connects intimately with what it means to surren- glorious reality we’re invited to
der our life to Jesus—to bend our knee and bow before Him as King. turn our lives toward. Peter goes
Repentance can literally be read as “coming to your senses.” It on to tell the crowds, “Repent,
derives from the Greek word metanoia, which is created by combining and each of you be baptized”
metá (a “change” or “relocation”) and a form of the word nous (“mind, (v. 38). Repentance is how we
intellect, perception”). It is literally a “relocation of the mind”—a get in on this new reality. We die
change of perception that sparks a change in direction, an epiphany to the old ways we’ve been liv-
about what’s truly valuable, that reorients one’s trajectory in life. Yes, ing and are raised into the living
it involves turning away from the bad, but it’s driven by something reign of Jesus.
much more contagious: falling in love with the good. This highlights a difference
between confession and repen-
ENTER THE KINGDOM Jesuscame preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of tance. While it can be easy to see
heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). He didn’t say “Repent in order to get them as the same thing, there is
the kingdom here”; He said, “Repent because the kingdom’s already a distinction. Confession looks
here.” Repentance allows you to realign your life around what’s truly back; repentance looks for-

GOOD NEWS FOR ALL! real and reorient what you’re living for, in light of God’s radiant glory.
Repentance means reevaluating what you perceive to be truly valu-
ward. Confession involves own-
ing your past while repentance
able in view of God’s in-breaking victory over all the earth, and turning involves changing your course
You can now read the Scripture in your favorite translation while learning the 30 Life Principles from the kingdom of self toward the kingdom of God. for the future. Confession is a
that have guided Dr. Stanley for more than 50 years. Each Life Principles Bible will enhance your personal We don’t build this kingdom; we enter it. We’re less like construc- rear-view mirror to get honest
study time through explanations of key passages, plus helpful resources like Answers to Life’s Questions, tion workers hired to erect God’s new skyscraper, raising its walls with what’s behind you; repen-
a concordance, maps, and much more. from earth to heaven, and more like bedazzled tourists: We enter the tance charts a new GPS course for
wonder, mystery, and joy of life where you’re headed . We need
according to His will and ways. both: to get real with where
But unlike tourists, we don’t we’ve been and let God’s reality
return to where we’ve been— adjust where we’re going.
we stay forever. When we sur-
Make the most of your time reading NKJV Life Principles Bible, from $39 USD render our lives to Jesus, God Our need for
SWITCHING ALLEGIANCE
the Bible NASB Life Principles Bible, from $39 USD begins to build His kingdom in us repentance reveals an import-
Find a quiet place in your home with NIV Life Principles Bible, from $39 USD
minimal disruptions. for product codes call number below. and through us into His world. ant truth: We’re not the good
In Acts 2, Peter stands before guys. As C. S. Lewis put it,
Spend a few minutes in prayer before
you begin reading, asking the Holy Spirit the crowds and gives what could “Fallen man is not simply an
for wisdom. 1-800-980-0020 | INTOUCH.ORG/BIBLES be considered the church’s first imperfect creature who needs
Bring a journal to write down questions, sermon. He declares, “God improvement: he is Continued on pg 36
thoughts, and insights.

35 INTOUCH.ORG
 M A R G I N N O T E S
a rebel who must lay down his
arms.” We have lived in service
of other rulers—believed the
lies of devils, bent our knee to
idols, exchanged the living God
for shiny stuff and shallow alli-
ances, and ultimately exalted
and enthroned ourselves. What
have you made more ultimate in
your life than God?
Repentance is essentially
switching allegiance, but this
can be hard. The prophet Jer-
emiah speaks of rebellious
Jerusalem in league with the
ways of the world, refusing to
do justice or seek truth: “They
have made their faces harder
than rock; they have refused to
repent” (Jer. 5:3). But if we’re
willing to switch sides, God
freely offers amnesty, holding
out a way that leads to flour-
ishing. In Ezekiel, God declares
that He takes no pleasure in the
death of the wicked, and there-
fore calls the people to “repent
and live” (Ezek. 18:32). In Isaiah,
He offers it with outstretched
hand: “In repentance and rest
T H O U G H T F U L FA I T H . D E V O T E D L I V I N G .
you will be saved” (Isa. 30:15).
God is essentially saying, “Come
to your senses! Wake up to My
ways that lead to vitality and
abundance; return to Me and
find rest.”
And God is waiting with open
arms to receive us. At Solomon’s
dedication of the temple, God
makes an extravagant prom-
ise—that if His people “humble
themselves and pray and seek
[His] face and turn from their
wicked ways, then [He] will
hear from heaven, will forgive
their sin and will heal their land”
(2 Chron. 7:14). Our Creator
waits with healing in His wings
for us to turn from darkness
toward His light.
A NEW FOUNDATION No
one is too far
gone for God’s grace. King David
experienced this firsthand. After
committing murder and adul-
tery, he cried out to God in con-
fession, “Wash me thoroughly
from my iniquity and cleanse
me from my sin” (Ps. 51:2). He
owned his junk.
David, however, not only
looked back to acknowledge his
Repentance involves
turning away from the bad,
but it’s driven by something
much more contagious:
falling in love with the good.
36
past, but forward toward a differ-
ent future: “Create in me a clean
heart, O God, and renew a stead-
fast spirit within me” (v. 10).
Like David, we need a “clean
heart.” Turning toward God is
not simply a tune-up to the way
we’ve been running; it is receiv-
ing God’s new motor under our
hood. It is not an addition to our
existing foundation; it’s demoli-
tion to make way for a whole new
building. It is not simply agreeing
to do our duty; it’s discovering
God’s ways are more appealing C
and desirable.
God gladly accepts us as we
are—but will not let us stay
as we are. As John the Baptist
commanded his listeners, “Bear
fruit in keeping with repen-
tance” (Matt. 3:8). If you let God
replant your roots, you can’t A
help but eventually bear fruit.
Jesus wants you to come to your
senses and replant your roots in
Him. He is a King who freely
offers amnesty, a Savior whose
arms are open wide, inviting us
to turn from lesser things and
enter the reality of His glorious,
life-giving kingdom. 
D
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 EDITOR’S NOTE: We hope this brief study—taken from Dr. Stanley’s personal
M A R G I N N O T E S
notes—will help you explore and understand God’s Word more deeply.

A C L O S E R L O O K W I T H D R . S TA N L E Y

Submission to the Lord involves deferring to authorities He has established over us in four areas of life. They are:

CALLED TO ORDER Government. It is God who establishes governing


authorities (Rom. 13:1-7). As Christians, therefore,
Home. In Ephesians 5:22-6:4, the Lord has ordained

His order of authority for families. Even if the one in
we’re to submit to them—even if we didn’t personally authority lack godliness, that does not alter the com-
What does Scripture say about following vote for them. mand to submit (1 Pet. 3:1).
God’s established order of authority? Work. Obedience to our superiors is not to be con-
 Church. We believers are commanded to obey and

tingent upon our employer’s character (Col. 3:22-25; submit to our leaders because they keep watch over
1 Pet. 2:18-21). our souls (Heb. 13:17).

WHERE THERE IS NO AUTHORITY, THERE IS CONFUSION, CHAOS, AND FEAR. Yet in our culture today, we prize inde-
pendence and resist anyone who tells us what to do. Often, if matters don’t go as we
please, we’re quick to stand up for our rights—even when they haven’t been violated.  “Authority is a tremendous thing in
Though many people today think negatively of having a submissive spirit, it’s what God the universe—nothing overshadows
desires to see in His people. THERE ARE LIMITATIONS TO SUBMISSION. it. It is therefore imperative for us
who desire to serve God to know the
Our primary submission is to the Lord. Therefore, obedience to God must
Let’s read James 4:4-10 to see what God has to say on the subject. authority of God.” —Watchman Nee
supersede any directive or request that is against His moral standards or
commands. If we must refuse to comply with a superior’s order, then we’re
 Judson Van DeVenter penned the
given the opportunity to suffer with an attitude of praise and thanksgiving
hymn “I Surrender All” 19 years
that we have been counted worthy to suffer for Christ (1 Pet. 3:13-17). For
after he submitted to God and
instance, when Peter and John were commanded not to teach in Jesus’ name,
entered full-time ministry. One
[D]o you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore who- they obeyed God rather than man (Acts 4:18-20). Like them, believers should
of the many places he served was
never compromise moral standards in order to obey an authority. As God’s
ever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think Florida Bible Institute, where he
beloved children, we’re commanded to be imitators of Him (Eph. 5:1). Lying,
inspired a number of young preach-
stealing, immorality, impurity, or greed should have no place in our lives.
that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has ers—including Billy Graham.

made to dwell in us”? But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to  In Philippians 2:8, Paul tells us that
Jesus “humbled Himself.” The word
the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and for “humbled” is tapeinoó, which
GOD FULFILLS HIS PURPOSE FOR BELIEVERS means “to become low.” This hap-
he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, THROUGH THEIR SUBMISSION. pens when we are “fully dependent
on the Lord” rather than ourselves
you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and The Father’s goal is to conform us to the likeness of His Son (Rom. 8:29), and “prompts the gift of His fullness
and submission is one of the tools He uses. If we reject the authorities He’s in us.”
weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves placed over us, we are resisting His sanctification, removing ourselves
from the umbrella of His protection, and failing to be a godly example to  “God built into the creation a vari-
in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. the unbelieving world. ety of cultural spheres, such as the
family, economics, politics, art,
and intellectual inquiry. Each of
these spheres has its own proper
‘business’ and needs its own unique
The Bible uses two Greek words to convey the idea of “submit” or “subject.” QUESTIONS pattern of authority. When we con-
ILLUSTRATION BY JEFF GREGORY

Hypeikō is composed of two root words, hypo (“under”)

 Hypotassō is a combination of hypo (“under”) and tassō
 Is there any area—government, work, home, or church—in which you are
 fuse spheres, by violating the proper
and eikō (“to yield”), and means “to submit to another.” (“to arrange”) and means “to subject oneself to another.” resisting submission to God? boundaries of church and state, for
instance, or reducing the academic
Implicit in both these words is the idea of obedience. With regard to God, we are to arrange our lives under His guiding How does your perception of submission change when you realize God

life to a business enterprise, we
principles and submit to His authority over us. uses it to make us like Christ?
transgress the patterns that God
has set.” —Abraham Kuyper

T H O U G H T F U L FA I T H . D E V O T E D L I V I N G . 38 39 INTOUCH.ORG
 EXPERIENCE GOD’S MAJESTY. 03
18 Margin Notes
Let God’s Word and these images of His created world encourage and uplift you in the days
and years to come. Landscapes of His Grace: A Visual Devotional showcases Dr. Stanley’s finest
photography from around the world, accompanied by passages of Scripture, short
meditations, and inspiring quotes from Dr. Stanley’s lifetime of ministry.
Landscapes of His Grace: A Visual Devotional, $40 USD

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?

On the cost of generous living

BY CHARITY SINGLETON CRAIG ILLUSTRATIONS BY ADAM CRUFT

 ABOUT TWICE A YEAR I GET ON A PURGING KICK, where I spin cir-

cles around the house and collect all the things we no longer use,
for a donation to Goodwill. Just because we don’t use them doesn’t
mean they’re worthless. In fact, we hope our castoffs will help alle-
viate someone else’s burden. But the giving comes at little cost to us.
That’s not true of all gifts. A few years ago my mom and
I were talking about my parents’ divorce. I asked about her
wedding ring— her  first  wedding ring that my dad had given her. 
“Where is it now?” I asked. “Do you still have it?”
“No, I sold it,” she said, pausing. “I sold it one year so I could buy you
kids Christmas presents.”
True, the ring no longer had the same sentimental value since my
parents were divorced. But it did cost my mom something—both emo-
tionally and financially. And
though the Atari game sys-
tem or the Cabbage Patch Kid
she bought with the money
are long gone, selling the ring
was a sacrifice Mom was will-
ing, even happy, to make.
1-800-980-0020 | INTOUCH.ORG/PHOTO

31 INTOUCH.ORG
 M A R G I N N O T E S
Somewhere between donating
extras and happily letting go of
an heirloom lies the difference
between giving and sacrificing,
two points on the generosity
spectrum that Scripture chal-
lenges us to span. Sometimes
we’re called to give out of abun-
dance, like the Old Testament
precept of not harvesting to the
edge of the fields so those in
need might provide for themselves
(Lev. 19:9-10). Other times,
we’re called to go beyond that,
like the widow who gave all she
had to live on (Mark 12:41-44).
It reminds me of King David,
who made a costly mistake
when he decided to take a cen-
sus against the Lord’s wishes
(2 Sam. 24). That misstep, which
cost the lives of 70,000 people in
a plague, left David anguished.
Seeing his remorse, God sent the
prophet Gad to offer a plan: Build
an altar on the threshing floor of
Araunah the Jebusite and make
a sacrifice to God as a sign of
repentance.
When David approached
Araunah, the man wanted to just
give him the property. But the
Jewish king would hear nothing
of it. He insisted, “I will not offer
burnt offerings to the Lord my
God which cost me nothing”
(v. 24). The Hebrew word trans-
lated as “paying” is qanah, which
means “to get or acquire.” It’s the
same word used to describe God
as Creator in Genesis 14:22. But
it’s also used to describe God’s
redeeming work, which, from
Passover to the cross, always
came at a price. David knew his
prayer to prevent further deaths
from the plague must come at a
cost to himself, too.
In modern times, the kind of
T H O U G H T F U L FA I T H . D E V O T E D L I V I N G .
costless charity Araunah offered
is sometimes called “regifting.”
Somebody gives you some-
thing, and you pass it along to
someone else as a gift from you.
In one sense, you might argue
that all our giving is actually
just regifting back to God since
everything we have comes from
Him. On the other hand, we also
work for the resources we have.
They’re all we’ve got. We can
give them away for the work of
We need only look
to the cross to see this
nexus of great cost and
great joy as the definition
of true sacrifice.
32
the kingdom or to help those in
greater need, but we also rely on
them to provide food, shelter,
and other necessities for us and
our families. Inevitably, we find
ourselves conflicted.
Perhaps this is a reason behind
the tithing requirement in Scrip-
ture. Through both working and
giving a portion of our income to
God, we bear His image as care-
takers of all the people, prop-
erty, and ministries entrusted
to us. Specifically, tithing was
instituted as God’s way to care
for the nation’s spiritual and
physical needs. In Numbers 18,
God said tithes were to be given
to the Levites for their priestly
work (vv. 21-24). I also like how
the apostle Paul explains it in
2 Corinthians 8-9—as similar
to the provision of manna to the
Israelites, where each person
got what he or she needed: By
giving a percent of their income,
the Corinthians who had more
would naturally give more than
those who earned less. The
money could then be redistrib-
uted to those in need so that no
one went without. Our tithe,
then, serves as a benchmark
to help us see how we can both
take care of our responsibilities
and give to kingdom work.
But giving isn’t just a logistical
necessity for Christians. Other-
wise, why would the Lord also
require the Levites themselves
to tithe 10 percent as an act of
worship (Num. 18:26)? Maybe
it’s because when we give, we
also bear the image of God as a
generous benefactor. You might
even say the more we give, the
more we become like Him. When we give, we also
See, while tithing makes us
responsible members of God’s
bear the image of God as a
family, we were never supposed
to stop there. Our heavenly
generous benefactor. The
Father invites us to give extrav-
agantly—sacrificially, even. This
more we give, the more we
is the point Paul was so eager for become like Him.
the Corinthians to understand.
In writing about the way the
Macedonians gave, out of “deep
poverty” and “beyond their abil-
ity,” he acknowledged that this
kind of giving comes with great
cost. The Macedonians went
without. It was a sacrifice. But
it also comes with great reward.
They gave cheerfully because
the Lord: “You will be enriched in
everything for all liberality,
transform a gift into a sacri-
fice? It’s not merely a matter of
“they first gave themselves to which through us is producing degree. We can’t simply “give ’til
the Lord and to us by the will of
God” (2 Cor. 8:5).
thanksgiving to God” (9:11).
We need only look to the
it hurts” to bring a sacrifice to
the Lord. If that were the case,
Seeing this command to give
as mere compulsion would be
cross to see this nexus of great
cost and great joy as the defini-
churches could simply send out
invoices to parishioners and
usury, not sacrifice. Instead, Paul tion of true sacrifice. We need compel them to pay a tithe or
urged his fellow believers to give only look to Jesus, “who for the beyond. Instead, a sacrifice is
willingly, out of the joy of belong- joy set before Him endured the a gift that costs us something,
ing to God and as an expression cross, despising the shame, and but we give it anyway—happily,
of trusting Him. Paul wanted the has sat down at the right hand of even—because we trust God and
Corinthians to see what hap- the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2). find ourselves becoming more
pens when we’re generous like How much is enough to like Him with every offering. 
33 INTOUCH.ORG
 M A R G I N N O T E S

CHAPTER & VERSE phrase “make a covenant,”

chances are it’s a translation
of the Hebrew phrase “cut a
THE GOD WHO WALKS ALONE covenant” (kārat berît).
In Jeremiah 34:8-22, for exam-
ple, Zedekiah and the people of
The new covenant is not about us but the One who established it. Judah enter a covenant together,
agreeing to free their slaves. But
BY JOSHUA RYAN BUTLER ILLUSTRATION BY ADAM CRUFT when they break their word, God
points out how He kept His cov-
enant when He freed them from
 HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED where the phrase “cut a deal” comes slavery. He confronts the people,
from? Its roots appear to be from an ancient Near East covenant- saying they have “transgressed
making ceremony that shows up in Scripture. In Genesis 15, for exam- My covenant” and “have not ful-
ple, there’s a scene that, at first glance to us today, looks really strange. filled the words of the covenant
Abraham slices some animals in two, lays the halves opposite each which they made before Me.” So
other, and creates a pathway between them. He then falls into a “deep God goes on to declare, “I will
sleep,” where a “great darkness” comes over him. God promises to be treat [them] like the calf they cut
with His people in the future and to ultimately bring them back to the in two and then walked between
land. Then God walks down the pathway in between the animals, as “a its pieces[—the] leaders of
smoking oven and a flaming torch.” What is going on here? Judah and Jerusalem, the court
officials, the priests and all the
SEALING THE DEAL In the ancient Near East, one important purpose of sac- people of the land who walked
rifice was “sealing the deal” when two political parties were making between the pieces of the calf”
an agreement. It was kind of like signing a contract. So let’s say Great (vv. 18-19 NIV).

THINKING
King Joe is negotiating with Little King Ben, saying, “I’ll protect your God is referencing how the
people and land from invasion.” Little King Ben responds, “Great! I’ll people walked between the
pay taxes and send men to join your military.” Great King Joe smiles. pieces of the calf in the cove-
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he says, “we have a deal!” nant ceremony, but now they

OF YOU.
To make it official, they’d perform a covenant ceremony. They would
cut the sacrificial animals in half, lay the sides opposite each other, and
then take a stroll down the
pathway together, walk-
ing as two parties united,
between the ingredients
QUIET DAYS, HUMBLE HEARTS: for the covenant meal. It
NOTE CARDS FROM AMERICA was a way of saying, “If I
don’t keep up my end of the
Make someone you know feel special with a thoughtful, bargain, may I get sliced up
handwritten note of encouragement. This new note card set, like these animals.” They
featuring Dr. Stanley’s photography of the United States, provides literally called this cere-
the perfect opportunity to surprise and delight a friend or loved mony “cutting a covenant.”
one. Each set of 18 features six striking scenes from America’s In the Old Testament,
varied landscapes, paired with an inspiring verse and the word kārat (“to cut”)
space for your notes. shows up about 90 times
in reference to making
$12 usd covenants. So when you’re
reading your Bible and
come across the English
have broken their word and will
become like the animal. The
people will fall by the sword,
the passage goes on to say, and
their corpses will become food
for the birds.
God takes their word seri-
ously, and the treaty ceremony
graphically demonstrates the
gravity of breaking the covenant.
I’LL PAY THE DEBT The
Lord regularly
reminds the people of the cov-
enant He made with them. (See
Deut. 29:1; 1 Kings 8:9 NIV.)
Interestingly, however, His
emphasis is not on the cove-
nant we made, but rather on the
covenant He made. This high-
lights an interesting Continued on pg 36

1-800-980-0020 | INTOUCH.ORG/STORE
35 INTOUCH.ORG
 M A R G I N N O T E S
feature of the covenant God
cuts: God walks through the
animals alone.
Normally, the two parties
would go together. But in Gen-
esis 15, God takes a stroll on the
covenant pathway by Himself.
The significance? God takes sole
responsibility for His commit-
ment to Abraham’s family. If
Israel messes things up, makes a
blunder of the relationship, and
fails the covenant, God says, May
I get sliced up like these animals
if I still don’t keep My word.
God will be faithful to His end
of the deal, even if Israel is not
to hers.
Can you imagine going to a car
dealership to purchase a brand-
new Ferrari and watching the
papers drawn up to declare you
the proud new owner of this
fancy car—only when you go to
sign, there’s no dotted line for
you at the bottom? The only
dotted line is already signed—
by the president of Ferrari.
You’re invited to contribute the
payments and participate in the
deal, but even if you don’t, he’ll
incur the debt.
The full weight of responsi-
bility for this hot rod to remain
yours rests solely on the pres-
ident being faithful to stand by
his word.
This is important, because
Genesis 15 is a foundation story.
It sets the stage for Israel’s sac-
rificial system. Years later, when
the people brought their animals
to the temple, they were not
“sealing the deal” with God, but
rather celebrating the God who
had already done so with them.
They were not creating a new
covenant, but commemorating
an ancient one.
T H O U G H T F U L FA I T H . D E V O T E D L I V I N G .
Dive Deeper. Soar Higher.
Imagine spending your personal devotional time growing in faith with a
wise and godly friend. The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible was
written to guide you into a deeper, life-changing relationship with
Jesus Christ. Based on Dr. Stanley’s 30 Life Principles, this study Bible
is filled with special features and helpful resources designed to provide
powerful insight into God’s Word.
In Genesis 15, God takes Starting at $39 usd
a stroll on the covenant
pathway by Himself.
The significance? God
takes sole responsibility
for His commitment
to Abraham’s family.
While the sacrificial system communion table, we come to
did many things, an important the sacrifice of Christ. We don’t
one was this: It reminded Israel come to show Jesus how seri-
that God was for them with an ous we are about Him, but to be
unwavering commitment. How- shocked afresh at how serious
ever unfaithful they might be, Jesus is about us. Jesus declares
God was going to be faithful to the of the wine at the table, “This
vows He had made to His bride. cup which is poured out for you
is the new covenant in My blood”
Ultimately,
JESUS’ SOLITARY JOURNEY (Luke 22:20). Did you catch that
God would bear the weight of word covenant? Jesus is cutting
the covenant Himself. When a new covenant, like Abraham’s
His people betrayed, rejected, covenant so long ago—only this
and rebelled against Him, God time in His own blood. Great King
took on flesh and allowed Him- Jesus is sealing the deal with us,
self to be torn apart in Christ. His little people. And He does
As Jesus fixed His eyes on Gol- so, not with the blood of animals
gotha, He prepared to walk the but with His very own life on the
path alone, to bear the burden of cross. We can know that we will
our betrayal upon His own back, forever be together with Him,
in order to bring us home. because He is the God who was
When we come to the willing to walk alone for us. 
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36
 EDITOR’S NOTE: We hope this brief study—taken from Dr. Stanley’s personal
M A R G I N N O T E S
notes—will help you explore and understand God’s Word more deeply.

A C L O S E R L O O K W I T H D R . S TA N L E Y  There were no chairs in

Let’s read the following passages to better understand what Jesus accom- the temple, because the
priests’ work was never
plished through His death on the cross in His role as Sin Bearer.

BEHOLD, THE LAMB OF GOD  John 10:17-18—His death was vol-  1 Timothy 2:5-6—His death was nec-
done. However, the
writer of Hebrews tells
us that Christ our Sin
untary. From a human perspective, essary. Without His ransom, there Bearer, “having offered
We know Christ died for us, but do we know it may have seemed that Jesus was would be no mediator between holy one sacrifice for sins
exactly what transpired on the cross? a victim of crucifixion, but no one God and sinful man; all humanity for all time, sat down at
could take the life of the omnipotent would come under divine wrath. the right hand of God”
Son of God; He Himself laid it down.
(10:11-12).
 1 John 2:2—His death was sufficient.
IN THE BIBLE,
Jesus Christ is given many titles and names, all of which aid in our understanding of  Romans 3:23-26—His death was His sacrifice wasn’t just partially  In Isaiah 53:6, the
who He is. He’s called Savior, Lord, Word, Light, Son of God, Son of Man, and much more. One a “satisfaction.” How could God effective; it was completely suffi- prophet states that God
description we may not use very often is Sin Bearer, yet this title describes exactly what He did show mercy to sinners if His justice cient for all our sins. Nothing else is allowed our wickedness
on the cross. It’s the reason we regularly observe the Lord’s Supper in our churches. required that sin be punished? The required, because Christ paid sin’s and the penalty for our
sins to “fall” on Christ.
only way was to pour out His wrath penalty in full on the cross.
Consider the prophecy of Christ’s sacrifice in Isaiah 53:4-6: The word comes from
on His Son, whose death would fully
 Hebrews 9:24-26—His death was the Hebrew term hipgîà,
pay mankind’s penalty for sin and a derivation of paga,
final. The Old Testament priests
propitiate (satisfy) God’s justice. which means “to meet,
had to enter the holy place year
Then He could be both just and the encounter, or reach.”
after year to offer the blood of
justifier of those who come to Him
sacrifice, but Jesus’ blood covered
Long before Jesus through Jesus.  “Come and see the
all sins for all time. That’s why He victories of the cross.
Surely our griefs He Himself bore, came to earth,  2 Corinthians 5:21—His death was cried from the cross, “It is finished!” See the Lord Jesus
His role as the a substitution. Jesus was judged (John 19:30). even a conqueror when
And our sorrows He carried; Sin Bearer was for our sins, all of which He bore he seemed a captive;
spoiling principalities
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, symbolized in in His body (1 Pet. 2:24), and His
and powers, when he
the sacrificial record of righteousness was cred-
seemed totally defeated
Smitten of God, and afflicted. system of worship ited to our account.
and routed by them. See
God established Christ upon the cross
But He was pierced through for our for the Jews in breaking the serpent’s
transgressions, Leviticus 16:21-22.
head, disarming Satan,
triumphing over death
Then hundreds
He was crushed for our iniquities; The scope of all that Christ accomplished is staggering, but there is only one way to and the grave, ‘leading
of years later, personally receive the benefits He has provided as the Sin Bearer: Come to Him in captivity captive,’ and
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, John the Baptist faith, calling out for salvation.
going forth in that char-
iot of war, ‘conquering
came on the scene,
And by His scourging we are healed. paving the way
and to conquer.’”
—Matthew Henry
All of us like sheep have gone astray, for the Messiah
and announcing,  In Judaism, a sacrifice
QUESTIONS
Each of us has turned to his own way; “Behold, the
was known as a korban,
ILLUSTRATION BY JEFF GREGORY

and an animal sacri-

Lamb of God who  What does Christ’s role as Sin Bearer reveal about the great chasm between holy
But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all takes away the God and sinful humanity? Have you personally come to Jesus as your Mediator?
fice specifically was
referred to as a zevah.
To fall on Him. sin of the world!”  How does Christ’s willingness to bear sin inspire you to love Him more? What The animals most com-
monly sacrificed were
(John 1:29). does it say about your eternal security in Him?
bulls, sheep, goats, deer,
and doves.

T H O U G H T F U L FA I T H . D E V O T E D L I V I N G . 38 39 INTOUCH.ORG