Escape from Paradise Chapters 21 & 22 Study Questions

Chapter 21 MeaningsI’m No Murderer

The chapter opens with Adam terrified of the Ruler’s justice and striving to justify himself on the basis that he hadn’t acted on his murderous thoughts. Yet his guilt remained.

This illustrates Jesus’ teaching    that sins of the heart are just as sinful as the actions they produce (Matthew 5:22,28).

Adam’s Vision

A shining figure in white robes who calls himself Michael appears to Adam and tells him what he wants to hear. This illustrates Satan appearing as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).

I Have to Do It My Own Way

When Adam decides to become a cottage person (a Christian), he still refuses to go to the high country because he wants to do it his own way. Abigail acquiesces, which leads to their downfall.

This illustrates that no one can come to God in his own way. There is only one narrow road that leads to God (Matthew 7:14). God destroys those who try to approach him in any unauthorized way (for example, Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10).

I’m Hungry

Abigail is apprehensive in the lowlands at first because she senses an oncoming battle with temptation.

“I’ve missed several banquets now, and I’m hungry. And I can feel part of me hoping to stumble across some fruit.”

When we drift from intimacy with God, our souls become dry and empty. This makes us susceptible to sin, which masquerades as real food and drink to satisfy our cravings.

Conversely, the more we feast on the true food that God offers, the less vulnerable we are to temptation.

Chapter 22 MeaningsThe King of the Lowlands

Adam discovers that shining angel in his vision is the king of the lowlands. This illustrates that Satan is the “god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4), “the ruler of the kingdom of the air” (Ephesians 2:2), and “the prince of this world” (John 14:30).

What is Freedom?

“Twice that day he had felt trapped—deprived of freedom. Once when he emerged from the pond and couldn’t find his way home, and again in the city when the gates closed behind him. … too many options had terrified him just as much as too few. The strange thought lodged itself in his mind—What is freedom?”

This illustrates that freedom has nothing to do with the presence or absence of restrictions. Rather, it is the ability to be what one was created to be.

Unbelievers imagine themselves to be free when they throw off all God’s laws and follow the impulses of the flesh. But they soon find that the flesh is the cruelest of all slave drivers (John 8:34). True freedom is to love the good and be unrestrained in pursuit of it.

A train “freed” of its tracks is not free at all, because it cannot function as a train. Though train tracks are very confining, only allowing travel in the direction they lay, they free the machine to fulfill its purpose. In the same way, God’s laws, rather than taking our freedom, set us free (James 1:25, 2:12).

The Belt of Truth

Abigail’s belt, which is to remind her of her experiences in the cottage (God’s Word), was given to protect her from danger. She removes it because of the discomfort it causes in the lowlands, and because she doesn’t sense any danger.

This represents the belt of truth, which is part of the spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:14), without which we cannot stand. Truth chafes against our flesh when we wander from the Lord’s way, and we are prone to set it aside when we don’t sense danger.

After letting down her guard, Abigail is then mesmerized by the birds (the world’s entertainment) and falls asleep.

This illustrates a believer falling into a spiritual stupor rather than remaining alert.

“You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet” (1 Thessalonians 5:5-8).

Go Get Her!

Charles exhortation to Watson, “Go get her!” illustrates the command that we energetically strive to rescue brothers and sisters in Christ when they wander.

“Snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear— hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh” (Jude 1:23).

“Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (James 5:20).

I Will Be with You

As Watson trembles in fear of his mission, the Ruler assures him, “I will be with you.”

This illustrates Jesus’ words after sending us on the most difficult of all missions.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

It is awareness of this promise that enables us to carry out such a mission, especially in times of fear.

It’s More Serious Than That

When Abigail becomes ill, Adam asks if it could be the fact that she has gone without banquet food.

“She shook her head. ‘It’s more serious than that. I need a doct—’ a fit of coughing interrupted her words.”

This illustrates Christians who go without fellowship at church, prayer, or time in God’s Word and develop various spiritual maladies (depression, anger, fear, discouragement, apathy, etc.). Such people often believe that Scripture, prayer, and fellowship would be superficial remedies. They need something “deeper,” such as psychotherapy.

Chapter 20 Study Questions

EXCERPT

But then why did he feel so guilty? He imagined himself in the Ruler’s courtroom and shuddered. Did he deserve what Levi got just for having murderous thoughts he never even acted on? It was a prospect he refused to accept … but couldn’t deny.

QUESTION 1

In Matthew 5:21-22, Jesus equated murderous thoughts with murderous actions. But if angry thoughts don’t hurt anyone, why do we still deserve punishment for them?

 

 

 

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