The Christian View of the Old Testament

-John Dunfee

            Genesis is the account of creation in the Old Testament that deals with God’s creation and his purpose. God created humans in his image and were almost perfect. They had to past the moral test which was not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They failed and were kicked out of the garden. Man had chosen to go their own way instead of God’s way. Their lineage goes up to Abraham’s, who is considered to be one of the most faithful people in the Bible. Abraham makes his covenant with God in which his people will inherit the land of Israel. His son Isaac, is the father of Jacob and Esau. Jacob is chosen to be the one who will start the nation of Israel. Jacob starts the twelve families which represent the twelve tribes of Israel. They move to Egypt from their affair of selling Joseph into slavery. Joseph forgives his brothers and states that God meant it for the saving of many. For the next four hundred years, the Israelites lived in peace in Egypt. Pharaoh starts his massacre of the first born of every Hebrew family. Moses is put in the Nile river in hope of escaping death from pharaohs men, who are commanded to kill all the first born Israelite Children. Moses is saved and lives in Egypt for the next 40 years of his life. He is cast out for killing the Egyptian that was beating the Hebrew slave. He is called by God at the burning bush, to free his people by warning pharaoh of his evil ways towards God’s people. The ten plagues come and Israel escapes through the Red Sea. The tabernacle is set up for worship and the laws are given throughout the rest of the Pentateuch. Moses’ generation failed the covenant, so they don’t get into the promise land. Joshua is the next leader who leads Israel into the promise land, but they must take it over from the Canaanites. They inherit the promise land until Joshua passes away. The era of Judges takes place with the cycle of Israel sinning, conflict with enemy nations, Israel repenting, Judge frees them, and the judge dies.
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            After the period of the judges, Israel wants a king and elects Saul over God as their king. This leads to a downfall of Israel because of Saul having no heart for God. Saul meets his demise at the fight of Gilboa. David is elected by Samuel to lead Israel. David is the second character in the Bible who his considered to be one of the most faithful, just like Abraham. David expanded Israel’s borders by his faithfulness towards God and allowed a theocracy for the nation of Israel. Solomon, who was one of David’s son, he is the third king of Israel. Solomon had half a heart for God for he was committed towards God, but maintained in his sin of polygamy and inter marriage with enemy nations. He is considered to be one of the wisest men in the Old Testament for his writings in the book of Proverbs. Eventually, Israel falls to their enemy nations for their sins and failing to see what the prophets were trying to warn Israel about. Babylon and Assyria destroy both Samaria and Jerusalem. Israel is cast out into exile, but eventually come back through Cyrus of Persia. They end up rebuilding the wall and temple because of Ezra. This is where the Old Testament leaves off. Four the next four hundred years, Israel waits for the messiah. The Old Testament is about God and his people of Israel.

            The Old Testament is related to Christians because it describes what happen before Christ and why Christ is so important. The Old Testament is not prescriptive of what should have happened, but describes what happened. The old covenant law was not God’s intended covenant, but rather to deal with our horrible human nature. God dwelt with certain things that were not part of his original intention such as polygamy, indentured servants(slaves), and the killing of other nations. Christ came to fulfill this past covenant to make the new covenant. The new covenant is even closer to God’s full intention. The book of revelations reveals his final intention of the New Heavens and New Earth. This relates to me personally because I realize how God feels about his people. As a Christian, the Old Testament is just as important as the New Testament to demonstrate the failures of man’s works and the success of God’s works. God’s ways are higher and man’s are not. 

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