Beginning with Genesis, the Old Testament is comprised of thirty-nine books written in Aramaic and Hebrew over the span of approximately 1,000 years. While God declares in his Word that he is sovereign over all of humanity (Isaiah 45:22–24), Genesis through Malachi is the story of his relationship with the people of Israel.
The Old Testament is a cautionary tale. But it is a cautionary tale filled with hope. It is a record of God’s covenant relationship with a particular people through whom he would reveal himself to all of humankind. It is story of humanity’s struggle to choose faithfulness to God. Our desperate need for a redeemer is woven through every covenant, every sacrifice, every generation. It is an epic story, and in weeks two, three, and four, we’re going to do a deeper dive into the books of the Old Testament. Before we get there, let’s look at a big picture overview of the first thirty-nine books of the Bible:
Creation
(Genesis 1 and 2) “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth . . . Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness . . . .’ And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good (Genesis 1:1, 26, 31).
Catastrophe
(Genesis 3) Humanity rejected God. Adam and Eve questioned God’s love for them; they questioned his goodness. God gave them everything they would need for a full life in fellowship with him, but they believed the lie of the enemy when he suggested God was a cosmic killjoy. Stained by sin, humanity could no longer have fellowship with God.
Covenant
God made a covenant, or an unbreakable promise, with Abraham to bless him, give him land, and make him into a great nation (Genesis 12:1-3). Abraham’s line continued through Isaac and Jacob, and God declared he would be their God and they would be his people” (Genesis 17:7). Through Jacob’s son, Joseph, God’s people were saved from famine by moving to Egypt.
Captivity
Eventually, a Pharaoh came to power that did not know Joseph (Exodus 1:8), and the Israelites endured four hundred years of slavery in Egypt. But “the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew” (Exodus 2:23–25).
Country
God never forgot his promises. Israel arrived in Egypt as the twelve sons of Jacob, but they set out for God’s promised land, led by Moses, with more than a million strong. After they wandered the desert due to their own disobedience, God led them into the promised land through Joshua. God delivered the people of the land over to them, and they ruled there for many generations. Again, God promised he would be their God, and they would be his people. He told them if they kept his ways, he would bless them with peace and abundance. But if they abandoned his ways, he would give them over to their enemies (Leviticus 26).
Conquered
Because Israel turned away from the one true God and turned to false gods and foreign kings for provision and protection, he gave them over to their enemies and they lived in exile for seventy years. Then, just as they endured four hundred years of slavery in Egypt before entering the land promised to Abraham, God’s people now waited through four hundred years of silence before Isaiah 11:1–5 would be fulfilled.
Conclusion
We live in an age when the concept and consequences of sin are dismissed as an outdated guilt trip. And according to today’s culture-makers, God—if he exists at all—is distant and unaware of the daily details and decisions of our lives.
But the siren call of the Old Testament is Remember! Remember who God reveals himself to be. Remember his faithfulness even in the face of our sin, rebellion, stubbornness, and doubt. Remember that God is mighty to save. He is “. . . a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and [who] did not forsake them” (Nehemiah 9:17). If we are to have a real appreciation for how far we have fallen in our sin and how powerless we are to rescue ourselves, we must remember the lessons of Old Testament Israel. You will be surprised at how much of yourself you see in their journey!
But the siren call of the Old Testament is Remember! Remember who God reveals himself to be. Remember his faithfulness even in the face of our sin, rebellion, stubbornness, and doubt. Remember that God is mighty to save. He is “. . . a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and [who] did not forsake them” (Nehemiah 9:17).
In order to know where we’re going, we have to know where we’ve been. Our history builds the foundation for who we are today and who we will be in the future. By studying the Old Testament, we gain a better understanding of Christ’s sacrifice and our faith in God becomes greater.
I think the last words in this devotion declaring Nehemiah 9:13 says it best as to why we need the history of the Old Testament! We see God and His character through it all❤️
“But the siren call of the Old Testament is Remember! Remember who God reveals himself to be. Remember his faithfulness even in the face of our sin, rebellion, stubbornness, and doubt. Remember that God is mighty to save. He is “. . . a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and [who] did not forsake them” (Nehemiah 9:17)”
Knowing the past helps with the future!
To know the history of God and to know his character!
The Old Testament reminds us how mighty He is!!
God reveals Himself through the Old Testament, as Creator, as a holy and righteous God, yet loving, compassionate and merciful. Without the Old Testament we would not understand how our sin grieves Him. We would not have known to look for a Messiah. We would not have the knowledge of the way He guides history and uses even the actions of kings who don’t know Him to work His will in the world. Without the Old Covenant we would not be able to understand the New Covenant, or appreciate the love and mercy which designed it and sacrificed His son "for us men and for our salvation"
It’s a reminder of the consequence of sin and a look at the childishness of human nature.
Understanding the level of his faithfulness in times we don’t see the potential. God always took care of his people, no matter how many times they walked the other way.
Great reminder, Sister! I know we’re talking about the OT, but I love that the Heart of God you mention here is stated clearly in 2 Timothy 13–when we are faithless, He remains Faithful. ?
The Old Testament expresses why the New Testament is essential: it explains WHY Jesus, why this walk is necessary, why this race and this fight. It is ripe with opportunities to reap knowledge, wisdom, & understanding, to KNOW Who God is and thereby who you are. To comprehend God’s plan for salvation, we must grasp first Who He is, who we are, what good is, what Truth is, what evil is, what life is, what sin does, what freedom/love/grace looks like, etc. Such a beautiful way to re-member Him as He re-members us into His Bride. It is rich with the history (His Story) of God & humanity & the Promise of His Relentless Pursuit for His Beloved…His sons & daughters.
Understanding how it started gives greater understanding into why Jesus had to be sent to earth.