Old Testament Survey Intro

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Part 1 – Introduction

As Christians today we are New Testament believers which means that our essential doctrines (truths) are drawn from the New Testament. At the same time, we cannot deny that Christianity has Jewish roots; after all Jesus was a Jew! Therefore, it is important to know where our religious faith originated. Hence we look at the Old Testament as a prophetic series of God inspired writings that point to the Messiah (Christ, Savior) Jesus. To have a better understanding of the New Testament we must have some understanding of the Old Testament.

  1. Who Wrote the Bible?

The Bible is the most significant book ever written and must be the sole source of doctrines (truths).

As students of the Bible, it is critical for us to know the Bible’s origins. One can say that 40 writers who were inspired by the Holy Spirit of God wrote the 66 books of the Bible. These writers came from all walks of life and their writings spanned more than 1,500 years. 

  1. God is the Author of the Bible

While it is true that man wrote down the words on paper, the Author of the Bible was God! The Bible itself reveals this:

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2Tim 3:16)

“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2Pet 1:20,21).

The Bible testifies and clearly states that God authored the Bible.

  1. The Theme of the Bible

As with most books that we read or study, we first try to discern the theme. In finding the theme of the Bible, we will also discover the miraculous nature of the Bible.

The Bible has an incredible design. As we have said, God used 40 different people with different backgrounds, literary styles and educations, spread out over 1,500 years of history. And yet there is still one unifying message of the Bible: mankind’s redemption. It is a theme running clearly from Genesis to Malachi. This theme is sometimes called the “Scarlet Thread Of Redemption,” a thread of Christ’s blood shed for us.

The Old Testament describes the creation, the early history of mankind and the rise and fall of a nation called Israel in particular.

Keep in mind that God’s plan at creation was to establish a people who would willingly follow Him. That this group of people would be the model that would lead to blessings and prosperity for all nations.

A SURVEY OF OUR SURVEY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT:

  1. History of (Abraham) Israel (The Promised People)
    1. The God could have chosen any group of people, but for His purpose He chose a person called Abram, keep in mind that Abram was not a Jew, but a heathen idol worshipper (Semite).
    2. God made a promise to Abraham, and as a result of this promise a nation called Israel (Jacob) would be established.
    3. So the Old Testament is really not about Israel, but a promise God made to Abram that through him a nation would be formed (Israel) and that nation would bless all nations of the world.
  2. Canon and Chronology of the books of the Bible. 
    1. The books of the bible selected for our bibles are called Canon.
    2. The Bible is divided into 2 distinct and important parts the Old Testament Canon and the New Testament Canon.
    3. Our Christian Bibles are ordered by themes they are not in chronological order (by dates).
  3. Key Characters of the Bible
    1. While there are over 2000 names of individuals in the Bible, God always unfolds His purpose and plan through key men and women.
  4. The Covenants of the Bible
    1. The Old Testament is mainly concerned with the Law as it applies to the Jewish People the Old Testament describes 6 Covenants by which He interacted with the Jewish people.
    2. The New Testament is concerned with Jesus Christ and the message of Grace as it applies to all The New Testament is about 1 Covenant called the New Covenant or the New Testament.
  1. God’s plan of redemption.
    1. Throughout the Old Testament is a prophetic thread of a message, often referred to as the “Scarlet Thread of Redemption”. This thread of redemption points to a coming Messiah, Christ or Savior- Jesus Christ.