BEMA Episode Link: 92: How to Bring Order Out of Chaos
Episode Length: 27:25
Published Date: Thu, 08 Nov 2018 01:00:00 -0800
Session 3
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the stories of Jesus’s baptism and temptation.

How to Bring Order Out of Chaos Presentation (PDF)

Discussion Video for BEMA 92

BEMA 1: Trust the Story

BEMA 2: Knowing When to Say “Enough”

BEMA 4: His Bow in the Clouds

BEMA 5: A Misplaced Curse

BEMA 20: With All Your Heart

BEMA 21: With All Your Soul & “Very”

Transcript for BEMA 92

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

BEMA Episode 92: How to Bring Order Out of Chaos

Title & Source Summary

This episode examines Matthew 3:13-4:11, focusing on Jesus’s baptism and temptation in the wilderness. The discussion reveals a profound biblical pattern that runs throughout Scripture - a six-step template for bringing order out of chaos that appears in creation, the flood, the Exodus, crossing the Jordan, and ultimately in Jesus’s ministry. The episode demonstrates how Jesus succeeds where all previous attempts failed, providing a model for trusting God’s story and walking the path correctly.

Key Takeaways

  • A consistent six-step pattern appears throughout Scripture’s major water narratives: chaos, water, spirit over water, God speaks, order as expectation, and testing
  • Essene baptism was not about sin removal but a public declaration of commitment to “walk the path correctly”
  • Jesus’s baptism inaugurates a new creation, echoing the language and imagery of Genesis 1
  • Jesus’s temptation parallels Israel’s three tests in the wilderness after the Exodus
  • Success in bringing order out of chaos requires both knowing the text and trusting/walking it
  • Jesus models the formula for victory: having Scripture internalized and actively trusting God’s story when tested
  • Matthew structures Jesus’s temptations to match the order of Israel’s wilderness tests, showing Jesus as the faithful Israel
  • Every previous instance of this pattern ended in tragedy until Jesus breaks the cycle

Main Concepts & Theories

The Six-Step Template for Order from Chaos

Throughout Scripture, major water narratives follow a consistent pattern:

  1. Chaos - A situation of disorder or crisis
  2. Water - Large bodies of water symbolizing chaos (and eventually evil in Jewish thought)
  3. Spirit over Water - The ruach (Hebrew for spirit/breath/wind) hovers over the water
  4. God Speaks - Divine communication provides direction
  5. Order as Expectation - Partnership with God to steward and manage
  6. Testing - The new order is immediately tested

This pattern appears in:

Creation (Genesis 1): The earth was tohu va-vohu (formless and void/wild and waste). The Spirit of God (ruach) hovered (merahefet) like a dove over the waters. God spoke (“Let there be light”). Order came from chaos. Man was placed in Eden to steward creation. The partnership was tested with the forbidden fruit, ending in tragedy.

The Flood (Genesis 6-9): The world descended into chaos and was covered with water. The ruach of God blew over the waters. God spoke to Noah, commanding him to leave the ark. Noah was expected to partner with God in bringing order. The order was tested when Noah planted a vineyard, ending in the tragedy of Ham and the curse of Canaan.

The Exodus (Exodus 14): Israel was trapped in chaos between Pharaoh’s army and the Red Sea. The water stood as a barrier. The ruach blew over the water, dividing it. God spoke to Moses (at the Red Sea or at Sinai). Israel was expected to partner with God by crossing or taking on the Sinai covenant. The order was tested in the wilderness or when they refused to enter the Promised Land, ending in tragedy.

Crossing the Jordan (Joshua 3-7): Canaan had descended into chaos. The Jordan River stood as water barrier. The ruach blew over the water, stopping it. God spoke to Joshua with instructions. Israel was to partner with God in bringing order to Canaan. The order was immediately tested with Achan’s sin at Jericho, ending in tragedy.

Jesus’s Baptism and Temptation (Matthew 3-4): The world (particularly Jewish world under Rome) was in chaos. Jesus came to the Jordan River. The Spirit (ruach) descended like a dove (merahefet) and hovered over Jesus in the water. God spoke: “This is my Son, whom I love. With him I am well pleased.” Jesus partnered with God to bring order to chaos through His ministry. The order was tested in the wilderness - but this time ended in victory, not tragedy.

The Meaning of Essene Baptism

Essene baptism was fundamentally different from Christian baptism. It was not about:

  • Washing away sin
  • A one-time salvation event
  • Joining a new religion

Rather, it was:

  • A public declaration that “if you watch me, I’m going to walk the path correctly”
  • A commitment to both knowing the path and walking the path
  • An acknowledgment that mistakes will happen, but the overall trajectory is toward faithfulness

When Jesus says, “We must do this to fulfill all righteousness,” He means: “I need to tell the world that I’m going to show them how to walk the path correctly.”

The Creation Echoes at Jesus’s Baptism

The language of Jesus’s baptism deliberately echoes Genesis 1:

  • “The Spirit descended like a dove” - Uses merahefet imagery, the same hovering motion from Genesis 1:2, not seen since creation
  • Spirit over water - Parallels “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters”
  • God speaks - Just as God spoke in creation (“Let there be light”), God speaks at Jesus’s baptism
  • New creation - Matthew may be signaling that Jesus inaugurates a new creation, a fresh start for humanity

The specific mention of the dove hovering is significant because this precise image hasn’t appeared since the opening verses of Genesis, creating a literary connection that would resonate deeply with Jewish readers.

Jesus’s Temptations Mirror Israel’s Wilderness Tests

Matthew intentionally structures Jesus’s three temptations to parallel Israel’s three tests in the wilderness (which themselves correspond to the three parts of the Shema):

First Test - Heart/Will:

  • Israel: Will you trust God for daily manna? (Exodus 16)
  • Response: Failed - grumbled and doubted
  • Jesus: Turn stones to bread
  • Response: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Deuteronomy 8:3)

Second Test - Soul/Life:

  • Israel: Will you trust God for water at Massah and Meribah? (Exodus 17)
  • Response: Failed - “You are putting the Lord your God to the test”
  • Jesus: Throw yourself from the temple
  • Response: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test” (Deuteronomy 6:16)

Third Test - Might/Strength:

  • Israel: Will you worship God alone?
  • Response: Failed - golden calf and repeated idolatry
  • Jesus: Worship Satan for the kingdoms
  • Response: “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only” (Deuteronomy 6:13)

This parallel is not about “Jews failed, Jesus succeeded” replacement theology. Rather, it demonstrates that:

  • The Israelites represent all who struggle to walk with God
  • Jesus shows what faithful Israel looks like
  • Jesus provides the model for all people (Jew and Gentile) on how to trust God’s story
The Formula for Bringing Order Out of Chaos

Jesus models a “formula” for success (acknowledged as tongue-in-cheek because true faithfulness isn’t formulaic):

  1. Know the Text - Have Scripture internalized, memorized, ready
  2. Walk the Text - Actually trust and live by what Scripture says
  3. Trust God’s Story - Not just intellectual knowledge but active faith

Key observations:

  • Knowing alone is insufficient: Satan also knew and quoted Scripture (though he misquoted it)
  • The Spirit doesn’t replace preparation: The Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness to be tested, but didn’t provide the answers - Jesus’s preparation did
  • Walking requires trust: Jesus didn’t just know “man does not live on bread alone” - He actually trusted God enough to go hungry rather than use His power inappropriately

The episode challenges listeners: If the Spirit drove you into the desert today to be tested, would you have the text in you? Would you be ready? Would you know Scripture well enough to recognize when someone misquotes it?

Hebrew/Greek Linguistic Connections

The episode highlights significant linguistic continuity:

Ruach (Hebrew) = Pneuma (Greek)

  • Spirit
  • Breath
  • Wind

This triple meaning is rare - usually Hebrew words don’t maintain the same semantic range in Greek translation. The consistency reinforces the connections between the creation story, the flood, the Exodus, and Jesus’s baptism.

Merahefet (Hebrew) = hovering/fluttering like a dove

  • Used in Genesis 1:2 for the Spirit hovering over the waters
  • Echoed in Matthew 3:16 with the Spirit descending “like a dove”
  • Creates direct literary connection spanning the entire biblical narrative

Tohu va-vohu (Hebrew) = formless and void, wild and waste, chaos

  • Describes the pre-creation state
  • Represents the chaos that God brings order from
  • Appears at the beginning of each cycle in the pattern

Examples & Applications

Recognizing the Pattern in Your Own Life

The six-step template can help identify when God is working to bring order from chaos in personal circumstances:

  1. Chaos - Life feels out of control, overwhelming, disordered
  2. Water - There’s a barrier or obstacle that seems insurmountable
  3. Spirit - God’s presence becomes evident in or over the situation
  4. God Speaks - Through Scripture, community, or clarity, direction comes
  5. Order Expected - Invitation to partner with God in stewarding the new situation
  6. Testing - The new order will be immediately tested

Understanding this pattern helps believers:

  • Recognize that testing after breakthrough is normal, not a sign of failure
  • Prepare for tests by internalizing Scripture beforehand
  • Trust that God is working even in chaos
  • Expect to partner with God rather than being passive
Modern Essene Baptism Concept

While Christian baptism has different theological meaning, the Essene concept of “walking the path correctly” offers wisdom:

In Community: When someone makes a public commitment (baptism, membership, leadership role), they’re essentially saying to the watching world: “If you watch me, I’m going to walk the path correctly.”

This means:

  • Accountability is built into public commitments
  • Perfection isn’t expected, but trajectory matters
  • The community has permission to help correct course
  • It’s about faithful direction, not flawless execution

In Personal Discipleship: The distinction between “knowing the path” and “walking the path” challenges modern Christianity’s tendency toward:

  • Intellectual faith without embodied practice
  • Bible knowledge without life transformation
  • Correct theology without trust in action
Satan’s Misquotation Technique

When Satan quotes Psalm 91 in the second temptation, he actually misquotes it. This reveals a tactic still used today:

Scripture Twisting: Taking Bible verses out of context or slightly altering them to support wrong actions Defense Required: Deep knowledge of Scripture to recognize when it’s being misused Modern Examples:

  • Health/wealth gospel proof-texting
  • Justifying harmful behavior with cherry-picked verses
  • Using Scripture to manipulate rather than liberate

The only defense is having Scripture so internalized that misquotations are immediately recognizable - just as Jesus demonstrated.

Breaking Cycles of Failure

Every time the six-step pattern appeared before Jesus, it ended in tragedy:

  • Adam and Eve failed
  • Noah’s family failed
  • Israel in the wilderness failed
  • Israel entering Canaan failed

This represents the human condition - the struggle all face when trying to walk faithfully with God. Jesus breaking this cycle offers hope:

Not Replacement: Jesus doesn’t condemn previous attempts; He shows what success looks like Example for All: Both Jews and Gentiles have the same struggle; Jesus provides the model Realistic Hope: Success is possible not through perfection but through knowing and trusting God’s story

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

Deep Dive Topics

  1. Septuagint Study: Examining how the Genesis 1 language appears in the Greek translation and how Matthew uses those same terms would strengthen understanding of the literary connections

  2. The Shema and the Three Tests: Further exploration of how Israel’s wilderness tests specifically correspond to “heart, soul, and might” from Deuteronomy 6:4-5

  3. Other Biblical Water Narratives: Identifying additional stories that follow the six-step template (Jonah, Jesus calming the storm, Peter walking on water, etc.)

  4. Psalm 91 Misquotation Analysis: Detailed examination of exactly what Satan changed or omitted when quoting to Jesus in the second temptation

  5. New Creation Theme in Matthew: Tracing how the new creation theme established at Jesus’s baptism continues throughout Matthew’s Gospel

  6. Order from Chaos in Ancient Near Eastern Literature: Comparing the biblical pattern with creation myths from surrounding cultures (Enuma Elish, etc.)

  7. Testing vs. Temptation: Exploring the nuanced Greek word that means both “test” and “temptation” and what that reveals about God’s purposes

  8. The Role of Fasting: Why 40 days and 40 nights? Connections to Moses, Elijah, and Israel’s 40 years

  9. Johannine Perspective: How does John’s Gospel present Jesus’s baptism differently, and what does that reveal about different audiences?

  10. Wilderness Geography: The physical location of Jesus’s temptation and its symbolic significance in Jewish thought

Connecting to Broader Themes

  1. Session 1 Callback: How does this episode circle back to the fundamental BEMA theme of “trusting the story of God”?

  2. Text to Context Method: What other Old Testament contexts illuminate these New Testament passages?

  3. Jewish vs. Christian Readings: How do Jewish interpreters understand these wilderness test passages differently?

  4. Replacement Theology Dangers: What are the harmful ways Christians have misread Jesus’s success as condemning Judaism?

  5. Walking the Path in Community: How do Essene community practices inform modern small group discipleship?

Practical Application Questions

  1. Personal Inventory: Do you know Scripture well enough to recognize when it’s being misquoted or misused?

  2. Trust vs. Knowledge: Where in your life do you know what God says but struggle to trust/walk it?

  3. Testing After Breakthrough: Have you experienced testing immediately after a spiritual victory? How did you respond?

  4. Public Commitment: What does it mean for you to tell your community, “If you watch me, I’m going to walk the path correctly”?

  5. Order from Chaos: Where is God inviting you to partner in bringing order from chaos right now?

Comprehension Questions

  1. Pattern Recognition: Describe the six-step template for bringing order from chaos. Choose one Old Testament example and explain how each step appears in that narrative.

  2. Essene Baptism: How was Essene baptism different from Christian baptism, and what did Jesus mean when He said baptism would “fulfill all righteousness”?

  3. Creation Echoes: What specific linguistic and thematic elements at Jesus’s baptism echo the creation account in Genesis 1? Why would Matthew include these connections?

  4. Wilderness Parallels: Explain how each of Jesus’s three temptations corresponds to one of Israel’s three wilderness tests. What was Israel’s response versus Jesus’s response?

  5. Formula for Success: According to this episode, what is required to bring order out of chaos? Why is knowing Scripture necessary but not sufficient? Use Jesus’s example to support your answer.

Personal Summary

This episode reveals a masterful pattern woven throughout Scripture that culminates in Jesus’s baptism and temptation. From creation to flood to Exodus to Jordan crossing, the same six-step template appears: chaos, water, spirit over water, God speaks, order as expectation, and testing. Every time, the testing phase ended in tragedy - until Jesus.

Matthew carefully structures his account to echo Genesis 1, suggesting Jesus inaugurates a new creation. The Spirit hovering like a dove over the water at Jesus’s baptism uses language not seen since “the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters” in the very beginning. When God speaks (“This is my Son”), He authorizes Jesus to partner in bringing order to a chaotic world.

But first, the pattern demands testing. Jesus faces the same three tests Israel faced in the wilderness, and Matthew presents them in the exact order corresponding to Israel’s experience. Where Israel failed by not trusting God for provision, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy: “Man shall not live on bread alone.” Where Israel put God to the test, Jesus refuses Satan’s challenge to throw Himself from the temple. Where Israel worshiped idols, Jesus affirms exclusive worship of God alone.

The formula Jesus models is deceptively simple but profoundly challenging: know the text AND walk the text. It’s not enough to have Scripture memorized - even Satan could quote it (though he misquoted it). The difference is trust. Jesus didn’t just know that man doesn’t live on bread alone; He actually trusted God enough to go hungry. He had prepared for testing by internalizing Scripture, so when the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness, He was ready.

This isn’t about Jesus succeeding where Jews failed - that’s harmful replacement theology. Rather, the Israelites represent all of us who struggle to walk faithfully with God. Jesus shows what success looks like for everyone. He breaks the cycle of tragedy that plagued every previous iteration of this pattern, modeling for both Jewish and Gentile followers how to trust God’s story.

The challenge is deeply personal: If I were driven into the wilderness today to be tested, would I have the text in me? Would I know Scripture well enough to recognize when it’s being misquoted? More importantly, do I trust God’s story enough to actually walk it, or do I merely know it intellectually? Jesus demonstrates that bringing order out of chaos requires both preparation and trust - knowing the path and walking the path together.

Original Notes

  • Why does Jesus get baptized? “To tell the world, ‘I am choosing to walk the path correctly.’”
  • Back to the beginning.
  • Six steps to bring order out of chaos
    • Chaos Tohu vavohu.
    • Water
    • Spirit over water
    • God speaks
    • Order is expected
    • Order is tested
    • Tragedy
  • Times we see this happen
    • Creation
    • The Flood
    • Exodus
    • Crossing the Jordan
    • Jesus’ baptism
  • Trust the Story
    • Know the Text
    • Walk the Text
    • What would have happened if Jesus didn’t know the text? Is it enough to just know the text? It’s important to walk the Text as well.
    • Satan knows the Text as well. He also misquotes it. How many know the text well enough to notice that?
  • The temptations are from the Text.
    • Matthew orders the temptations differently than the other Synoptics.
    • These temptations correspond to those texts in the desert with the Israelites after the Exodus when God leads them through shema. Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, and very/might.
    • God wanted to experience his people through these tests.
    • Stones to bread: Deut 8:3 and manna… man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
    • Thrown from the Temple: Deut 6:16 and Water from the Rock in Exo 17… Do not put the Lord your God to the test.
  • We must see the experience of the Israelites as an extension of our own experience.
    • Not Jews were a failure and Jesus was a success.
    • However, Jesus shows all of us who seem to follow God how to follow God correctly.

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