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).
The old testament shows us that even when we disappoint God, his word reminds us that he’ll never leave or forsake us.
The Old Testament shows us just how faithful God is. He gives us multiple chances to do good even after we have fallen.
The Old Testament is the foundation of the New Testament. Ever since Adam failed at Eden and fell into the world together with Eve, the entire Old Testament is a testimony on how humans failed again and again out of their sinful nature. Fortunately, our God is a loving Heavenly Father Who is always ready to forgive and Who is also faithful to His covenants with humans. The Old Testament is the prerequisite for the New Testament, the true salvation for everyone in the world, not only the people of Isreal but also me the Gentile.
Time and time again we mess up. I repeat the same mistakes; I get mad when people do things I don’t like, then I turn around and do it myself. We are not perfect because we are human. The people in the Old Testament show us that as well – they were humans who continuously messed up. Though this was true, God shows his faithfulness by keeping his promises and showing his love for everyone, no matter how much we sin.
The Old Testament is the history of Gods faithfulness to his people. It shows that God keeps his promises. It also is how we know Jesus is the true Messiah. He fulfilled every prophecy from the Old Testament revealing his true self.
It is a part of our (even as Gentiles) history. It shows how the Israelites had to live before Christ. Knowing this helps us to see and understand more fully why Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross was necessary for us to have an intimate relationship with our Father. It allows us to truly become His children.
He has a chosen people to minister to the world. Our sin effects everything limiting our reach to the world.
Without the trials and tribulations of the people of the Old Testament we wouldn’t or couldn’t really appreciate the sacrifice that was and is Jesus. Without remembering history we are doomed to repeat it.
I’m amazed at how HIS children of today cannot see the generational punishment’s passed down.
Blessings have seemed to lead to sense of entitlement which then lead to sin..
Vicious circle of lack of understanding HIS intent of Love from above ???
This coming from me, a child of God who struggled to find myself in HIM after being molested by my biological mom, adopted uncle, and houseparent when I was a ward of the state for 3 1/2 years.
Being shown how unwanted and unloved I was early on made my battle for inner peace so hard. Yet I’m 51 now and know exactly who I am in Christ. I am so grateful HE shan’t forsake me. While all those who should have protected me didn’t and allowed me to be abused just make excuses to this day, HE hath shown me the beauty within myself which HE created and molded.
HE gave me the strength to drive to my adopted uncle’s house several years ago and have a conversation with the man who had molested me for years. I was able to hug him and forgive him. All the animosity, pain, dreams of throat punching this man we’re gone. Replaced by a sense of peace only HIS children know..
Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo grateful for Jesus and our Father
AMEN ???
If we don’t look at the old testament then we don’t know what to do when the same thing happens to us!
“Therefore the Lord was angry with his people and abhorred his inheritance. He GAVE THEM INTO THE HANDS of the NATIONS and their FOES RULED OVER THEM! Their ENEMIES OPPRESSED them and SUBJECTED them to THEIR POWER. Many times he delivered them, but they were bent on rebellion and they wasted away in their sin. Yet he took note of their distress when he heard their cry; for their sake he remembered his covenant and out of his great love he relented. He caused all who held them captive to show them mercy. Save us, Lord our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, “Amen!” Praise the Lord.”
Psalms 106:40-48 NIV
I look at this passage and I don’t see the Christians United saying this. Christians now are still SELF sufficient they don’t need anything. They don’t cry out to GOD united for anything. I guess their foes aren’t ruling over them, except in Canada, but the Christians just slither away and hide in their homes on the Beast on Zoom ! they don’t stand up and say we WILL MEET no matter what! Except one church in Edmonton. But as a whole in the country they are not United. They just give in to the authorities and give up what GOD has commanded, " for us to be united together and gather together".
The church now doesn’t cry out HE doesn’t have to take note of their distress they don’t cry out THEY JUST SURRENDER ?? to the government!
SO HOW COULD HE cause all who held them captive to show them mercy. THE CHURCH NOW DOESN’T CRY OUT "Save us, Lord our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise."
WHAT A SAD THING! WE ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT MORE THAN THE ISRAELITES DID IN THE PAST ! BUT WE JUST COWER AND SAY OHH WE MUST OBEY THE GOVERNMENT INSTEAD OF GOD!! ? ??
HOW LONG WILL GOD PUT UP WITH US?
We are living in a fallen world, one that is very corrupt, with man made sickness and man made fake cures!!!!! We have people wanting to dominate everyone, this is a repeat of all that’s already happened!!!!! This is everywhere with everyone, I see it all over!! I’ve even seen it in my own life even recently!!!!!