The Old Testament will trip you up if you mistake God’s people for God himself. They were a product of their own culture, and nationalism and warfare was a big thing for ancient civilizations. God didn’t condone everything thing they did, but He met them where they were at, He taught them true principles, and He corrected them as He saw fit.
As I’ve read the stories of the Old Testament this year, I’ve definitely had times of confusion. But the narrative is valuable when we take a bird’s eye view and nail down the principles that are taught. So this week I was inspired to write down a list of everything I learned about God in the Old Testament:
-There is only one God, YHWH. He has always been God and there is none other like Him.
-He is all powerful
-He shows up in creative ways – fire, cloud, voice, dreams and visions
-He created us, but we rebelled against Him. Instead of abandoning us, he has made every effort to reach out to us and reconcile. But we keep messing up! He is eternally patient and kind.
-He is deeply connected to us and involved in our lives
-He does great things to defend His people
-He sometimes works through outsiders to warn or rebuke His people
-Sometimes he allows/brings plague or destruction to humble us and turn us to Him
-He welcomes outsiders in to be a part of His people
-Don’t worship idols! This is the most offensive thing to Him
-He sends many warnings before allowing destructions to come
-God forgives sin but there are still consequences
-There are punishments for the disobedient
-Eventually all our enemies will be destroyed
-Righteous are ultimately rewarded
-We do dumb things when we take matters into our own hands, but He can turn that for good!
-Be careful allowing other religions to mix with your people. Intermarriage can result in posterity leaving God.
**
Whether literal or allegory, the Old Testament provides us with essential and timeless truths about God. Thankfully, the New Testament clarifies and rounds it all out with a beautiful simplicity of love and redemption! But now I’ve seen for myself how the Old Testament sets that up!
The Bible is a stunning work of literature.
All I Possess 