Historical I

 

66 books means I can’t deep dive into each one individually – this series would be over a year long! And I can’t really look at the Historical books in one post, because there are 17 of them!! Therefore my plan is 6 posts, and I will strive to be as concise as possible.

The Torah

The Torah is the five books of Moses, the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy; the Word of God given to Moses on Mount Sinai.

Genesis

This book explains the beginning of everything: Creation, man, sin, death, salvation, the nations, with the emphasis on Israel - the origin of the world, people, sin, death, and the nations is covered in chapters 1-11; the rest of the book, chapters 12-50, is about Israel!

In 1-11 we read about creation, the garden of Eden, Adam & Eve, the Fall, the promise of a redeemer, Noah and the flood, the tower of Babel, the nations.

In 12-50 we read of Abraham Sarah, the promise to Abraham (the theme of the rest of the Bible), Isaac & Rebekah, Jacob & his wives, Jacob’s 12 sons and daughter Dinah. We also learn how this small family, 70 souls at the time, wound up in Egypt.

Exodus

Exodus means departure. This book explains how Israel became enslaved in Egypt, and how God raised up Moses to rescue them. We read of Moses and Pharaoh, the ten plagues, the Passover, the exodus (the greatest event in the Old Testament), the crossing of the Red Sea, the 10 Commandments, God entering into covenant with Israel so they would be his people and he would be their God, water from the rock, and the tabernacle (built under the guidance of Bezaleel, then filled with the Shekinah glory of God). The tabernacle must be important – 37½ % of the book is devoted to it!

Leviticus

This is their worship book. It is called Leviticus because it is for the Levites, the priestly tribe. It describes in detail their worship, the sacrifices, and the concept of clean and unclean. Israel was a sanctified people, and the statues show them how they are to be a separate people: through the worship of one only God, their priests and sacrificial system, the sabbath, their diet, their dress, how they built their houses and more. In ch 23 we see their feasts, which guided their year and was God’s prophetic calendar.

Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

Numbers

This is their travelogue. It covers their 40 year wandering in the wilderness. First, why did they wander in the wilderness for 40 years? Did God deliver them from Egypt only to abandon them in the wilderness? Nope. He saved them from Egypt, brought them to Sinai, entered into covenant with them, then brought them straight to Kadesh-barnea, from whence they sent out the 12 spies. When the people believed the report of the 10 instead of Joshua and Caleb, God said, You will not see the promised land, but your children will. So it was 40 years in the wilderness, where he protected and provided for them (manna). We also read the amazing prophecies of Balaam and water from the rock, part 2.

Deuteronomy

After 40 years of wilderness, Israel is on the other side of the Jordan River, poised to cross over and enter the land. These are Moses’ final words to Israel. He reminds them of the covenant, renews the 10 commandments, and encourages them in their faith and confidence in God. At the end of the book Moses dies, being 120 years old. Wait, Moses, the one used of God to rescue Israel from Egypt, the one God spoke to face to face, the one God gave the Law to, the first books of the Bible, the one who guided these obstinate, hard-headed, stubborn people, who were prone to unbelief, this Moses didn’t enter the promised land? Why? This is explained in Numbers 20:1-13, Deut 1:37-38 and 31:2. But in his mercy, God allowed Moses to see the promised land from the top of Mount Pisgah.

And God said to Moses, I Am The One Who Is, and this is what you will say to the sons of Israel, The One Who Is has sent me to you. (Exodus 3:14 LXX)

NEXT: Historical II

A Bird’s-Eye View of the Old Testament - Introduction

 

In November of 2024, I did a four-part series I called A Bird’s-Eye View of the Old Testament (you can read it here. I call this series A Bird’s-Eye View of the Old Testament.

I love the Old Testament! I know many people see only tedious lists of rules and judgment and innumerable sacrifices, but I see something entirely different. I see redemption. I see God. I see Jesus!

New Testament. Old Testament. What is a testament? Covenant is probably a better word. “A covenant is a relationship between two partners who make binding promises to each other and work together to reach a common goal. They’re often accompanied by oaths, signs, and ceremonies. Covenants define obligations and commitments, but they are different from a contract because they are relational and personal.

Covenant relationships are found all throughout the Bible. There are personal covenants between two individuals (David and Jonathan), political covenants between two kings or nations (King Solomon and King Hiram), legal covenants with a nation (such as the laws about freeing Hebrew slaves), and so forth. Entering into covenants was a major part of what it meant to live in the ancient Near East.” ¹

There are six major covenants mentioned in the Bible:

Noahic (Gen 8:20-9:17)
Abrahamic (Gen 12, 15, 17)
Mosaic (Exo 19)
Davidic (2 Sam 7)
New (Jer 31:31-34)
Peace (Eze 37, esp v 26-28)

What we call the Old Covenant (Old Testament) is really the Mosaic Covenant, the giving of the Law and the forming of the children of Israel as God’s covenant people.

Did you notice that all the covenants were revealed in the Old Testament? The Old Testament is the revelation and unfolding of God’s promise of redemption, first revealed to Eve in Genesis 3. I’m telling you, the Old Testament is exciting!!

This series will be fun because the Old Testament is longer than the New. The Bible is made up of 66 books – the Old Testament has 39 of them! (27 in the New.) There are 929 chapters in the Old, compared to 260 in the New; which means on average each Old Testament book has 23.8 chapters, while New Testament books have 9.6. All this means it will take a little longer to cover the Old Testament!

We divide the Old Testament into three sections: Historical (Genesis-Esther), Poetic (Job-Song of Solomon), Prophetic (Isaiah-Malachi). The traditional Jewish division is similar but called Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim, also known as the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. The arrangement of books in the Hebrew Bible is a little different than ours, and their Bible contains 24 books because they combine books that we divide (1 & 2 Kings for example). This dividing happened when the Jews translated the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek (Septuagint or LXX). ²

What is the Old Testament about? Simply put, It is the story of Israel. But, with 66 books, surely there is more to it than that. Yes, indeed. The river that runs through the Old Testament is the promise and hope of The Coming One, the Messiah, the Promised Savior. Another current is King David, because Messiah will be of the house of David.

The logical end of the Old Testament is the New, but the New is not the end of the Old as much as the fulfillment of it. It is the flower of the Old; the fruit. If the Bible were compared to a skyscraper, the New would be the Penthouse, built upon the foundation of the Old. We can never understand the New apart from the Old, nor the Old apart from the New, and none of it makes sense without the Son of God, Jesus Christ

NEXT: A Bird’s-eye View of the Old Testament – Historical I

¹ The Five Key Covenants God Makes With Humans in the Bible by Whitney Woollard 

https://bibleproject.com/articles/covenants-the-backbone-bible/#

He says 5 covenants, I say 6. What gives? He combined the New Covenant and the Covenant of Peace. I don’t know why.

² https://torah.org/learning/basics-primer-torah-bible/

Old Testament: saved by grace through faith: What Paul says in Galatians

 

Tuesday I began a three part series asking the question, “How did a person get right with God in the Old Testament?” I offered a very brief survey and came up with the answer, “People in Old Testament days were made right with God by faith.” Wednesday I looked at what Paul said about this in his epistle to the Romans. Today, in my final post I will look at what Paul said in his epistle to the Galatians.

Why is this even important? I believe a fairly common misconception is that Jews in the Old Testament were saved by keeping the Law. But, if folks could ever get right with God by their obedience to the law, under any covenant, then Christ died in vain, it was all for nothing - we don’t need the cross. or Christ. But we do need Christ, and the blood of the cross, because getting right with God has always and only been by grace through faith.

Galatians 3:10-12 

10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

v 11 No man is justified by the law in the sight of God. What he means is, No one ever has, ever will, or ever can be made right with God by the law.

And why not? Because the principle has been laid down, The just shall live by faith. This is Habakkuk 2:4. In the Old Testament! The one who is righteous by faith is the one who shall live. Anybody, anywhere, anytime who needed to get right with God, did so by faith. There’s no other way.

Galatians 3:16-27 

16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.  17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.  18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

God made a covenant with Abraham in which he promised Christ, a covenant of promise, grace, and faith. 3:7 know ye, then, that those of faith -- these are sons of Abraham (YLT) and 3:9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham (NKJ)

Verse 17 reveals another eternal principle: the law, which came 430 years after the promise, cannot strip the promise of it’s power, make it of none effect. Paul’s point is, the blessing of Abraham was given by promise and received by faith; this is all grace.  This is the original and only way God deals with us. The giving of the law does not change this. In other words, they were not saved by keeping the law.

19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 

Is the law against or contrary to the promises? That is, God dealt with Abraham by promise, grace, and faith, does the law change that? God forbid or no way!

if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law - Here’s why no one ever could or ever can be made right with God by the law – it can’t give life.

the promise by faith of Jesus Christ - that is the promise of Christ and the blessing of righteousness and life in him, this can and does give life to them that believe.

23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 

This, before faith came, does indeed look like there was no faith until Christ came. But this can’t be true - Hebrews 11. What Paul literally wrote was, before the faith came and the faith revealed. The faith, the faith of Jesus Christ, the gospel. This in no way indicates that people were not saved by grace through faith, that was always God’s way of dealing with us - it’s just official now!

24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 

25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 

26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 

27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 

Once again, v 26 after the faith is come; the faith of Jesus Christ, the gospel.

In Old Testament days, people looked forward to the Christ who was to come, and God forgave sins because Jesus was coming to die for them. Now we look back to the Christ who has come, and God forgives sins through faith in his shed blood. Old Testament, New Testament, our hope is Christ. We are both, we are all, saved by grace through faith in Christ. (see Romans 3:25-26) Thank God!

YLT - Young's Literal Translation

NKJ - New King James

Old Testament: saved by grace through faith What Paul says in Romans

 

 Yesterday I asked this question, How did a person get right with God in the Old Testament? I presented a very brief survey and came up with the answer, People in Old Testament days were made right with God by faith.

The epistles of Paul to the Romans and the Galatians deal specifically and pointedly with the question of being made right with God, which is called justification. Today, I will take a look at what Paul says about this in Romans chapters 3 and 4.

Old Testament: saved by grace through faith: Part 1 What Paul says in Romans

Romans 3:20-22 

20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 

21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 

22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 

Verse 20 could not be clearer, by works of law shall no flesh be declared righteous before Him (Young’s Literal Translation). This is not a new thing. This is a principle that spans both the Old and the New Covenants.

But what about v 21, But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested. Isn’t this a new thing? No. Manifested means to be plainly recognized, thoroughly understood; the smoke has been cleared away, what the law and the prophets spoke of is now manifest to all: the righteousness of God is through the faith of Jesus Christ (the gospel), and is offered to and given to all who believe.

Surely this idea of justified by faith is New Testament truth, unknown in the Old Testament. Paul says, not so.

Romans 4:1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. 3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. From the very beginning people were made right with God by faith. But one might say, “Ah, but Abraham was before the law; once the law was given people were made right with God by their works.” OK, let’s take someone who lived under the law.

Romans 4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. 6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
David lived under the law. David had also sinned grievously. When he confessed his sin God forgave him. Yesterday I asked, Didn’t they [folks in the OT] have to get all their ducks in a row before God would forgive them? Listen, David’s ducks were all over the pond; he had nothing to offer, nothing to commend himself to God, but God forgave him when he confessed his sin.

Psalm 32:5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. 
Forgiveness is a grace word. He was made right with God by grace through faith. He didn’t earn it or deserve it, he didn’t get righteous first; no, God blessed him with it. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

People in the Old Testament were saved, made right with God, and forgiven by grace through faith. I’m so glad that God has not changed, that I can be saved, forgiven, justified, restored when I confess my sins, and in faith call upon the name of the Lord!

NEXT: Part 2 What Paul says in Galatians

How did a person get right with God in the Old Testament?

 

This is a somewhat tricky question because of terminology. People in the Old Testament didn’t ask, “What must I do to go to heaven?” (Actually, the New Testament doesn’t talk this way either.) While the word “saved” is used in the Old Testament 104 times, the context is usually a physical enemy, as in Psalm 18:3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

Nevertheless, we can see how people were saved in the OT: I will call upon the LORD. But it is used in a way closer to the New Testament idea of being saved:

Isaiah 30:15 For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength 

Isaiah 45:17 But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation 

21 …there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour 

22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth 

In the Old Testament they didn’t speak of dying and going to heaven (even though they did believe in the resurrection and eternal life), instead they spoke in terms of being saved, salvation, and God their Savior. I believe the words saved, salvation, and Savior give us a major clue – these are not works and merit words, they are all grace words. And keep in mind that in the Old Testament, the Jews thought of ultimate, eternal salvation in terms of the coming Messiah – he would be their Savior.

I believe the real question, the one that allows us to compare the Old and the New, is, How were people made right with God in the Old Testament? 

+ Repentance   

Isaiah 55:6-7 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

+ Confession 

Psalm 32:1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.  

2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. 

5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. 

+ Calling upon the name of the LORD 

Isaiah 55:6-7 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

+ Faith 

Jonah 3:5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. 

10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

I know, v 10 says God saw their works, but what were their works? They believed God, repented (sackcloth), fasted, and cried mightily unto God (see v 5-9). The only promise they had was judgment, they believed that and turned to God for mercy. And God had mercy. They believed and were saved!

This all looks very much like New Testament talk. The answer to my earlier question, How were people made right with God in the Old Testament? is, People in Old Testament days were made right with God by faith.

It is obvious that the Old Covenant was a little different than the New Covenant. I mean, they had the sabbath, circumcision, sacrifices, the temple, the priesthood, and all that. Didn’t they have to get all their ducks in a row before God would save them? No! They were saved by grace through faith, just like we are. After all, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Isaiah, is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and he hasn’t changed.

Numbers 21:8-9 

And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

 

NEXT: Old Testament folks were saved by grace through faith: Part 1 What Paul says in Romans

A few thoughts on all things common, deacons, and giving

Our pastor is preaching through the book of Acts. We are currently in chapter 5. I wanted to share a few thoughts on all things common, deacons, and giving from chapters 2-6.

 Acts 2:44-46  

⁴⁴ And all that believed were together, and had all things common; ⁴⁵ And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. ⁴⁶ And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

Acts 4:32, 34-35

³² And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

³⁴ Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, ³⁵ And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

The church in ch. 2 had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. They could say the same thing by the end of ch 4, neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. They were a self-supporting community. Nothing they possessed was "his own", and if they had lands or houses they sold them. This sounds like they were essentially a commune. The most amazing thing was, Neither was there any among them that lacked.

This continued through ch 6, where the apostles needed help regarding the daily ministration, so they appointed 7 men to help.

Acts 6:1-6

1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.

² Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

³ Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

⁴ But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

Ministration and ministry are the word diakonia. I find it interesting that the word deacon is diakonos. I believe there is a word play here – diakonia (ministration) and diakonos (deacon) – and that it is intended to lead us to believe these are the first deacons. Tradition confirms this. I believe the Bible teaches us that every church ought to have deacons.

We don’t read any more about this all things common in the book of Acts or the epistles. I used to say that this continued for a brief time in the Jerusalem church and nowhere else, however Tertullian, writing in the latter part of the 2^nd century (155–220), adds a new twist to this:

“our brotherly love continues even to the division of our estates, which is a test few brotherhoods will bear, and which commonly divides the dearest unions among you.
But we Christians look upon ourselves as one body, informed as it were by one soul; and being thus incorporated by love, we can never dispute what we are to bestow upon our own members. Accordingly among us all things are in common, excepting wives
But is it any great wonder that such charitable brethren as enjoy all things in common should have such frequent love-feasts?”
The Apology Of Tertullian, Chapter XXXIX (translated by Wm. Reeve)

I don’t know exactly what Tertullian meant by all things are in common,  but I’m don’t think they were all living in communes, which may mean that the Jerusalem church wasn’t a commune either.

I am persuaded there are three questions we need to ask from these chapters:

1) Is there any further apostolic instruction regarding or concerning this?
No. Absolutely no mention of it after Jerusalem in Acts or in the epistles.

Many movements in church history began as or featured communal living: the Jesus Movement, Shiloh Youth Revivals (John Higgins), Mansion Messiah (Calvary Chapel), His Place (Arthur Blessit), Waldensians, Moravians, Monasteries, Hutterites, the Jesus Army (England) to name a few. They all faded after just a few years. The only ones that lasted were monasteries and Nunneries. I conclude this is clearly not an essential.

2) Is there anything here that is expected or required of following generations?
Ah, this is a different matter. Neither was there any among them that lacked. I believe this is an essential, something that should mark all our churches.

3) Is there any apostolic teaching concerning money?
Jesus talked about money and giving, but that was almsgiving, an individual practice.

Paul talked about money in 2 Corinthians 8-9 (an offering for the churches in Judea and Jerusalem) and 1 Corinthians 16:1; otherwise, the apostles didn’t talk about money, giving, or offerings. But Paul did say something in 2 Corinthians 8:13-15 that reflects a principle from Acts 2-6:

“For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality: As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.”

That something seems pretty powerful to me!