Every person who truly wants to know God must read the Old Testament. Its 39 books introduce the reader to a world of fascinating people, amazing history, lofty poetry, and profound prophecy. The center of it all is not a system of laws and ideals but an infinite, personal God - a God we can know.
These materials have been written to help you know this God as He has made Himself known through the Old Testament. Our prayer is that your knowledge of God will grow and flourish like a young tree planted beside a sparkling brook.
Martin R. De Haan II
Discovering the Old Testament
The Riches of the Old Testament
Knowing God Through the Old Testament
1. Beginnings
2. Settlement
3. Kings
4. Exile
The Names of God in the Old Testament
Jesus Christ and the Old Testament
The Message of the Old Testament
The Old Testament and You
DISCOVERING GOD THROUGH THE OLD TESTAMENT
The Old Testament story begins before time began. It begins:
* before there was man.
* before there were animals, trees, or flowers.
* before there were planets and stars.
* before there was water and air.
* before there was sound.
* before there was light.
It begins with God.
The Old Testament story emerges like a tiny shaft of light way off in the distance, races toward us through the darkness, and bursts over us in a crescendo of light, color, and sound. It fills our minds, our emotions and our spirits with the majesty and presence of Almighty God Himself.
It's a marvelous story as it unfolds. It's Adam's story. It's Noah's story. It's Israel's story. It's our story. But most of all, it's God's story. It's the opening of His book, the explanation of His character, and the record of His mighty deeds among men from the beginning of time.
The Old Testament is a book of great spiritual and personal value. This is because:
* it tells us about God.
* it answers questions about how life began.
* it tells how evil came into our world.
* it prophesies of the Messiah-Redeemer.
* it inspires us to holy living.
* it fills our hearts with gratitude and praise.
Even so, the Old Testament has been undiscovered by many people. To them its wealth lies hidden, like a vast vein of gold under someone's backyard.
Except for a few familiar passages cherished by millions - Genesis 1, Psalm 23, Isaiah 53 - it remains a closed book even to many Christians. Comments like these may be heard:
The Old Testament is not relevant to today's world. Its ideas are old-fashioned and its language is obscure. Who needs to know about old Jewish kings and outdated laws? We need a book for today.
The Old Testament is filled with things that sound more like myths and legends than realities - serpents that talk and fish that swallow people whole. I'd rather read about things that can be proven scientifically.
I've tried to read the Old Testament but I find it boring. My mind wanders and I just can't get interested It's pretty dull reading.
Frankly, the Old Testament scares me. It's too big. Besides, there's so much killing and war. And God seems so mean. The New Testament is more full of love.
Admittedly, to a new reader the Old Testament does seem overwhelming. It does have sections that are hard to read. And it does contain violence. But once a person grasps some basic facts about it, the Old Testament is not nearly as imposing or old-fashioned as it may seem. It's exciting. It's dramatic. It's realistic. It tells us things we need to know about ourselves and our world. And most of all, the Old Testament tells us about God!
THE RICHES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
Once you discover the Old Testament and begin to read and study it, you will find that it is filled with great riches. Here are some of the reasons it is a treasurehouse of wealth to its reader.
1. The Old Testament provides the foundation for the whole Bible. The Bible is made up of two Testaments - Old and New. Both are equally part of the Bible. Both tell us about God. Both inform us about basic truths we need to know. But without a grasp of the Old Testament, the New Testament cannot be fully understood or appreciated; without the New, the Old is left incomplete. The Old Testament establishes the foundation of truth, the New Testament then builds the superstructure.
2. The Old Testament tells us about Jesus Christ. We cannot fully know about Christ and His purpose for coming into our world without studying the Old Testament. It tells us about Him in word pictures and types. It predicts His coming. It puts His ministry into focus. It gives graphic previews of His sacrifice for sin. It goes beyond today to tell us of His judgment of the world and His coming kingdom of peace. In fact, the Old Testament tells us so much about Jesus that some Bible teachers have said Christ can be seen on every page.
3. The Old Testament provides the foundation for faith in Christ. The Christian faith is built on the Old Testament. Erich Sauer, in his book The Dawn of World Redemption, said this:
The Old Testament is promise and expectation, the New is fulfillment and completion. The Old is the marshaling of the hosts to the battle of God, the New is the triumph of the crucified One The Old is the dawn of morning, the New is the rising sun and the light of eternal day.
If Christianity, the "religion of Christ," may be likened to a magnificent cathedral, the Old Testament is its unshakable foundation.
4. The Old Testament helps us to know God. More than anything, the Old Testament tells us about God. It makes Him known in these ways:
* Factual knowledge. To know God, we must first know about Him. The Old Testament reveals His character In Its record of HIS mighty deeds.
* Personal knowledge. The Old Testament brings us past the information stage and brings us to the place where we can know God personally through the experiences and relationships of others who walked with Him.
* Practical knowledge. Building on a personal knowledge of God, the Old Testament also tells us how to live. It reveals His will and spells out the kind of person He wants us to be. By obeying its commands, thinking as it tells us to think, and accepting the Savior it presents, we can know how to live in our complex world.
KNOWING GOD THROUGH THE OLD TESTAMENT
The story of the Old Testament begins at creation and ends about 400 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. Its primary setting is Palestine, but its events take place in a variety of locations - the palaces of Egypt and Babylon, the deserts of Sinai and Arabia the mountains of Ararat, Nebo, and Carmel. Although its primary emphasis is on the Jews, its story involves many peoples of the world: Egyptians, Hittites, Babylonians, Canaanites, Syrians, and a host of smaller groups. It tells of migration, military campaigns, political intrigue, and romance. It has heroes and villains; servant girls and queens; prophets and poets; judges, priests, and kings.
The Old Testament was written over a period of 1000 years (1400-400 BC) by about 30 different authors. Its historical record extends from creation to the return of the Jews from exile in Babylon. It is made up of 39 books, which may be divided into three major sections: history, poetry, and prophecy.
In this booklet we would like to open the door of the Old Testament to you. We will do so by simply walking through the pages of its history. We will use the four major stages indicated in the diagram below. As we do, we will stop along the way to see how the 39 books of the Old Testament fit into this historical pattern. We will also pause to consider two vital factors that relate to us today. First, we will see how God is made known through the four phases of Old Testament history by looking at representative incidents from each phase. As we see how God worked directly in the lives of the people in a supernatural and life changing way, we will learn more about His nature and character.
Second, we will show you how you can see yourself in the Old Testament. God has not changed, and neither has man. Therefore, what happened in Old Testament days is representative of what happens with us today as well. In that sense, the Old Testament is neither old-fashioned nor outmoded. Rather, it is a book with a great deal to say about God to contemporary man.
In today's world of stunning scientific advances and tense world conditions, we need to know all we can about God as He is made known in the Old Testament. We need to know a God who is bigger than our world and more powerful than any ruler in it, a God who keeps His Word, a God who rescues the lost, a God who meets the deepest needs of the mankind He brought into existence.
1. BEGINNINGS (? -1440 BC)
The Bible opens with the words, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."1 The first two chapters of Genesis tell how God made the world in six days and rested on the seventh.
The crown of creation is man. Adam, the first man, was placed in a garden paradise called Eden, where he was to care for the garden.2 The animals were created in pairs, but Adam was alone.3 So God made him a woman4 and told them to have children and to populate the earth.5
The Garden of Eden was theirs to enjoy - with one exception. They were told not to eat of one tree called "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil."6 But Eve gave in to the temptation of Satan, God's adversary, and ate of the forbidden fruit.7 So did Adam, and they fell. They were driven from the garden:8 Eve to have sorrow and pain in childbirth,9 Adam to a life of hard toil to produce food from the earth.10
Sin had entered the race and would be part of all mankind.11 Yet God promised salvation through the seed of woman12 and pictured that salvation through the provision of coats of skins.13
So man began to live outside the garden. The tragedy of the fall was demonstrated early when one of Adam and Eve's sons, Cain, killed his brother Abel.14 As the race increased in number, it became more and more wicked.15 Finally, God destroyed it in a great flood.16 Only Noah found grace in God's eyes,17 and through the building of an ark he and his family were spared.18
From those eight people, the race again multiplied.19 At Babel, man sought to defy God by building a tower to heaven, but God scattered them and gave them different languages.20
Genesis 12 marks a change in God's dealings with mankind. The Lord singled out one man, Abram, who lived in the city of Ur in Chaldea, and designated him and his offspring as His special people.21 God would make Himself known through them.22 Abram's name was changed to Abraham,23 and he was instructed to journey to a land God would later reveal to him. That land was Palestine, and God gave it to Abraham and his children forever.24
Abraham and his descendants - Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph - lived as nomads, much as the bedouins of today. Their homes were tents. They raised cattle and sheep. The sense of family was strong, with the oldest living male member serving as patriarchal leader and family priest.
For a long time it seemed that Abraham would die without a son - in spite of God's promise. But in their old age, Abraham and Sarah miraculously had a son - Isaac.25 Isaac's son Jacob continued the family with 12 sons, men who became the heads of the tribes of Israel. The family stayed in Palestine until a famine drove them to Egypt. One of the 12 sons, Joseph, had risen to prominence in Egypt, and he became their protector and benefactor.26
The family stayed in Egypt 430 years and multiplied rapidly. Gradually, however, they became enslaved. The future of the family, now a sizable nation, was threatened by a royal order for all male children to be killed.27 God called a man named Moses, who had been raised in Pharaoh's court, to lead Israel to freedom.28 After a bitter contest with Pharaoh, they marched across the Red Sea (which God parted miraculously) and into the wilderness, heading for Canaan, the Land of Promise.29
On the journey, Moses received the Law of God on Mount Sinai,30 as well as instructions for building a tent of worship.31 They arrived at the edge of Canaan and sent in spies.32 But the courage they had when they confronted Pharaoh left them, and the people refused to undertake the conquest of the Promised Land.33 Because of their unbelief, God sentenced them to wander 40 years in the desert wilderness until the entire generation had died.34
As the first five books of the Old Testament (the Pentateuch) conclude, Israel is assembled on the banks of the Jordan River. Moses, their great leader, is dead; but a new leader, Joshua, is ready to lead the march into Canaan.35
Seeing God. Now that we have reviewed the history recorded in the Pentateuch, let's go back for another look. Remember, our goal is not merely to know the story of the Bible but to know the God behind the story - and to see ourselves in relationship with Him. The first five books are packed with information that helps us know God, so let's look at one representative incident: the story of Noah in Genesis 6-8. As you read the account of Noah's rescue from the flood, you will see these truths about God:
* He is a God to be feared.
* He is able to create and to destroy.
* He is patient with sinners, but His patience has limits.
* He is not just loving and kind; He is also a God of righteousness, justice, and anger.
* He is concerned about what is happening in His world.
* He has complete control over His creation.
* He has the power to interrupt history.
* He is the God of new beginnings.
* He rescues those who trust in Him.
* He makes and keeps promises.
For further study. Look up the following passages from the Old Testament. Using the example we just gave as a pattern, ask yourself what the following incidents reveal about God.
* The coats of skin for Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:21)
* The tower of Babel (Gen. 11)
* The call of Abraham (Gen. 12:1-7)
* The offering of Isaac (Gen. 22)
* The parting of the Red Sea (Ex. 14)
* The provision of manna (Ex. 16)
* The giving of the Law (Ex. 20)
* The serpent of bronze (Num. 21)
* The abundance of Job's restoration (Job 42)
Seeing Ourselves. In the early chapters of Genesis we are told of Adam and Eve's decision to disobey God. In that act we see our own willfulness and our readiness to break His commandments. Here are several other ways we may see ourselves in the first five books of the Old Testament and Job:
* In Cain's jealousy, we see our own sense of competition (Gen. 4:5).
* In Noah's need for an ark of salvation, we see our own need of rescue from God's judgment (Gen. 6-8).
* In Abraham's faith in following God, we see our own potential for belief (Gen. 12).
* In Jacob's scheming, we see our own inclination to trust in ourselves (Gen. 25,27).
* In Joseph's kindness to his brothers, we see our own responsibility to forgive (Gen. 42-45).
* In Israel's unwillingness to enter Canaan, we see our own weakness of faith (Ex. 14).
* In Job's response to suffering, we see our own feelings when things turn against us (Job 3).
2. SETTLEMENT (1440-1050 BC)
When the section of "Beginnings" ended, Israel was positioned on the bank of the Jordan River, ready to invade Palestine. Israel's leader, Moses, was dead; but God had raised up Joshua, a new leader, to take the people Into Canaan.1 Their first obstacle was the Jordan River.2 Walking behind the Ark of the Covenant, the entire nation moved forward. When the feet of the priests carrying the Ark touched the river, the waters "piled up" and the people crossed into the land promised to Abraham.3
Directly in their path was Jericho, a walled and fortified city. By a miracle, the walls fell flat and the city was conquered.4 After a brief delay at Ai because of Achan's sin, the armies marched into Canaan.5 In a brilliant military campaign, they conquered most of the Promised Land.6 The tribes settled in the regions allotted them by God, and tribal leaders ruled the people. Conquered cities became tribal strongholds and the people became craftsmen, farmers, and shepherds. After Joshua died, the tribes became more and more independent. There was little central government. Judges arose to give regional leadership - men like Othniel, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson7 - but conditions generally deteriorated until Israel was in a state of anarchy. We are told that "everyone did what was right in his own eyes."8
A beautiful little love story is told about Ruth, a Moabitess widow of an Israelite, who was rescued from poverty by Boaz.9 Because he was a relative through her mother-in-law Naomi, he could marry her and thus buy back her husband's land for her inheritance.
As the 10th century opened, the tribes of Israel were threatened by the Philistines. Samson held them back for a while, but after his death the danger increased. The need for the tribes to combine their strength became evident.
Seeing God. As we look back on the period of Israel's settlement, we can see God in a way that will help us know Him better. For an example, read the account of Israel's crossing of the Jordan River (Josh. 3,4) and observe these truths about God:
* He keeps His promises.
* He gives His people directions (3:8).
* He promises to be with those who move forward with Him (3:7).
* He supports His appointed leaders (3:7).
* He has the power to turn formidable obstacles into safe pathways (3:15).
* He makes His presence known (3:15.16).
* He has the power to control nature (3:15,16).
* He wants His mighty works remembered and recounted to our children (4:1-7).
* He wants nations to know of His might (4:21-24).
For further thought. Using the approach we used above, read these incidents from Joshua, Judges, and Ruth, and ask yourself what those passages tell us about God:
* The fall of Jericho (Josh. 6)
* The sin and punishment of Achan (Josh. 7)
* The sun standing still (Josh. 10)
* The victory of Gideon's 300 (Judg. 7)
* The last days of Samson (Judg. 16:21-31)
* Boaz' redemption of Ruth (Ruth 4)
Seeing Ourselves. The people of ancient days were very much like us. Consider, for example, the following:
* In the confirmation of Joshua's call, we see our own need for assurance (Josh. 1,2).
* In Achan's sin of coveting wealth, we see our own greed (Josh. 7).
* In Gideon's fleece, we see our own desire for a visible communication from God (Judg. 6).
* In Jephthah's vow. we see our own rash bargaining with God (Judg. 11).
* In Ruth's plight, we see our own need for a kinsman-redeemer (Ruth 4).
* In Israel's constant relapses into sin, we trace our own spiritual experience.
