Redemptive History

The first dawn of Humanity
A new world, a new life
A new relationship begun

Man and God inside the Garden
Creature and Creator together
Friends enjoying love and peace

“Walk with Me, talk with Me,
Trust in Me, follow My laws.
All-in-one, I will bless you.”

Purity, peace violated
Trust destroyed, infinite pain
A clean slate shattered forever

Costly knowledge, no relief
Eternal death, fear, separation
Friend turned bitter foe: rejection

How can You call torment blessing?

The first light of recovery
An old wall, a new way
A new relationship revealed

Man and God again united
Child and Father now together
Death, a doorway to His arms

“Come to me, be with Me,
Trust in me, for I love you.
In your Brother I will bless you.”

Purity and peace restored,
Trust renewed, infinite love
A slate is healed, made whole again

Sanctified knowledge, true relief
Eternal life, joy, salvation
Enemy made heir to heaven

This is what You meant by blessing.

Once upon a time we walked together.
Now You hold my hand.

I first wrote this my senior year of high school in Bible class, then tweaked it for my Systematic Theology term paper in college. One of the questions I've struggled with my whole life is why God would let His world suffer, regardless of whose fault it is that things are this way. There's no two ways about it, He chose to let man fall. It wasn't until I actually started understanding a bit more about what it means to be "redeemed" that I started finding an answer that settled me.