Intro to OT Series

Dear Church,

I am writing to make sure everyone is on the same track as we move into these next few months of study the Old Testament.

Reading the Story
First, Chad has sent out a reading schedule to take us through the historical section of the Old Testament. The reading may not always correspond with the teaching, but it will be within a week or two.

It is One Story!
Second, I want to reinforce the major purpose of this study through this portion of the Bible: Genesis through Esther covers the written history of Israel (Daniel is somewhat historical). When you read this history it is important to realize that it is one complete story. The later books are an absolute continuation of the former books. They only make sense when you read them together.

Comparing Genesis with Revelation
One way to emphasize this fact is to see how many thoughts that begin in Genesis are continued in Revelation. In Genesis, man is kicked out of the Garden; in Revelation, man is restored to a Garden. The first Garden had a tree of life and a river. That tree and river are restored in Revelation. Satan first shows up in Genesis; he is banned forever in Revelation. For a full comparison see this attachment. What He began in Genesis and fulfilled in Christ is moving toward a glorious final act described in this last book (which, by the way, is the beginning of a whole new saga).

God’s Purposes in Eternity
Another way to understand the Bible as story is to realize that God existed long before the world was created. He had clear thoughts about creation and its purpose before He began. We discussed the facts that: 1) God had a great love for the Son before the creation of the earth, 2) God determined that man would be part of a kingdom, 3) God was willing for Christ to die before he created the earth. This third fact is extremely significant in pointing out that God knew what it would cost before creating.

Three major themes: Covenant, Christ and Community
We are also concentrating on three overarching themes through the Old Testament:

1. Covenant—Covenant is a Biblical concept foreign to modern society. Words like contract and promise hint toward its meaning. However, these words fall short of the Biblical idea. To be brief, covenant was an agreement between two entities (often a greater and lesser) in which both sides had obligations. What is significant is that much of the society was held together through these covenants. Since covenantal relationships were so important to the integrity of society, people who broke covenant were not just dishonest but harmful to the other party and society in general. In the Old Testament, God relates to man covenantally. That is, He enters into covenant with man and has never broken His covenant. In addition, all the promises of God are kept as well. This theme of covenant demonstrates God’s faithfulness and, therefore, man’s call to absolute faith in God. God’s relationship to man is based on a number of major covenants. Two significant covenants are the Adamic and Abrahamic. In Genesis 3, God promises Adam that Satan will one day be defeated by his descendant. In Genesis 12 and 15, God promises Abraham that he will make his family a great nation and then use that nation to bless the whole world. This then becomes the theme of the whole Bible: God defeating the enemy and restoring man to Himself and then using those who are restored to bless the whole earth.
2. Christ—Not surprisingly, all of the promises are pointing to the man, Jesus Christ, who is God in the flesh. This is our second theme. 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, “For all the promises of God in him [Christ] are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.” So, every promise (as well as covenant) expressed in the Old Testament is fulfilled in Christ. Not only is Satan defeated and man redeemed through Christ, man is restored to a co-laborer with God in bringing His kingdom into the earth. Once you realize that God intended to send Christ in due time, you see many signs of the pre-incarnate Christ in the Old Testament Story and prophecies. Those signs appear as types, epiphanies, prophecies and anointing on certain individuals. One example is the sacrifice of lambs in the Old Testament. While the sacrifice accomplished a purpose at that time, the act pointed toward the day when the True Lamb would be slain for the sins of the world. There are hundreds of indications of the coming Christ in the Old Testament, and we will try to call attention to at least one each week.
3. Community—Another way to communicate this idea could be “God’s dwelling place.” The short truth is that God has always wanted to dwell with man. The first place God dwells with man is the Garden of Eden. After man got himself banned from the garden, God instructed him to build a structure where they could meet with one another. That structure took on several forms throughout the Old Testament, but God always had his people build a place where they could meet. This teaching finds its fulfillment in Christ as well. First, Christ Himself was the temple of the Holy Spirit. Colossians tells us that the fullness of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily. But the great miracle is that once Christ had restored us to God, we became the dwelling place of God. The scripture says, “you, like living stones, are built together as a habitation for God.” So, indeed, God has always wanted to dwell with man and has now made a way through His Son.

Our hope is that each member of the body will read the corresponding scripture during this time. In addition, our goal is that you would see that God has had a clear purpose from before the beginning, and nothing has taken Him by surprise. Furthermore, our hope is that you would receive revelation from God on who you are in this great story and the part He has prepared for you to play. Through Christ we can be partakers of His divine nature and participate in bringing the Glory of His Kingdom to the whole earth.

Blessings,

Billy