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WHAT IS GOD TRYING TO TELL US IN THE OLD TESTAMENT? WHAT CAN WE CONCLUDE FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT? HOW IS THE OLD TESTAMENT HELPFUL TO THE NEW TESTAMENT? Below is a rough description of the points put to gether by Aldrin B, Golda D., Tinku A., Eliza A., John P, Benitta J., Ravi G., Michael B. & Sonia M. This is in process, verses and references will be added in a few days...Please revisit for a better version... 1) ALL, ANYTHING, EVERTHING, MANYTHING The Old testament talks about many things. Every type of man, prophet, war, nation, sin, solution, tribe, reward, punishment etc is mentioned here. So I guess instead of asking what it is about, I guess we can ask what is it NOT talking about. God is preparing us for the new testament with the old testament. For anyone to be truly saved, we need to experience the read world and real problems in every manner. So before we can know salvation, God wants us to experience many things in the real world. Once we know the world, we know whats out there, we have seen it all, and we dont want it and we just need salvation. So the old testament covers so many years of many events to prepare us for the salvation and Jesus of the new testament. 2) God gave us everything good but we chose bad, we lost grace, but have a way to get it back God gave man all good things but told him to avoid just one thing and that is what he chose and fell from grace. We lost access to the tree of life in the old testament and need to look for a way to access it. Access to everlasting life is made thru Jesus in the new testament. 3) Sin and curse just kept going, it couldnt be stopped God tried to remove sin many times but we just brought it back due to the undying curse of sin from Adam. God cleared sin during Noahs time but he cursed his son. God destroyed sodom and gomorrah but people never learnt from it. God saved the people of Israel from Egypt but their mind went back there. In Joshua we see many times that the people fell back to idolatory and each time God forgave and saved them they were back to idols. God wanted to bless Abraham with Issac but he gave birth to Ishmael which gave birth to opposition to the children of Issac till this day. 4) Promise was given but sounded to be for the Jews, how do we take of it God give a promise to Abraham, Issac. Jacob & David. It appears to be only for the Jews. We realize the need of this promise which is not for the gentiles. In the new testament we can partake of the promise thru Jesus. 5) Law was good, but didnt help, Law was tuff, we needed something more, we needed mercy and grace instead Old testament provides the Law. Law was good but could only define sin but couldnt take it away. Law only made us a sinner more and more. We realized it was tough and not helpfull. We realize the need of mercy and grace instead. 6) God had been fighting for us, but we wanted a king, we got king, but kings fell, we needed an ultimate king God always fought for his people. In the first war against Amalekites at Raphidm, the Israelites lost only when Moses prayers went low. The Egyptian army was killed in the water, Jericho wall came down not thru fighting of men. King Asa won only when God fought for him. Gideons 300 men fought a bigger army because God did the fighting. Samuels sacrifice and prayer brought defeat to the Palestinians. God tries to tell us he will fight for us, he only gives us prophets for guidance. However we ask for a King instead and what to do our own fight. 7) Prophets came but some of them did not really care (Jonah), others were of diff type, it didnt help Many prophets came but some of them didnt really care for the salvation of the Gentiles (Jonah). Others were good but couldnt save people from the bondage of sin. We needed something more than a mere prophet. 8) Jesus was always there for us, he never gives up on us, spirit was also there The Spirit of God was there but not available to all of us gentiles. A price had to paid to make him available. Jesus was also there in different times as the Lord, Angel of the Lord, Angel of God, a Man, a Commander of the army of God etc. He was always there to help and care and he came in different ways and forms to help us. 9) Exodus-salvation, rewards to faithfull, punishment to wrong, We realize the whole story of Exodus represents stages in salvation. We also see rewarding of the good and punishment of the wrong. But every time the good were blessed, the back slided. We conclude that wordly blessings only draws us to the world. Suffering and hurdles get us closer to God. 10) Sacrifice & Passover The old testament lays down rules, laws and regulations of sacrifice to nullify our sins. We see that it is expensive, difficult yet not a permanent solution. Yet it prepares us for the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus. The passover too leads us to the true passover. 11) Miracles & Wonders The old testament shows miracles of great magnitute to prove Gods power, yet it doesnt help heal or deliver the people. We needed the true presense of God in our midst to heal us and deliver us. These miracles not only pertain to nature and elements not to humans. The deliverance and healing of humans was needed. 12) Relationship God shows he wants to have a relationship with good men of God. It shows how he has a close relationship with good prophets and how we can also be close to him. We can hear him, talk to him and sense him. A need was there for all to be able to have a relation with him which was not in the old testament. |
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