OT-5 God's Partnership Plan

 

Engaged on  Mount Lemmon, Arizona

The Big Idea: The Old Testament is the background for God's hope to bring us into partnership with Him. 

The Backstory for Salvation History

This is the last in a 5 week series on studying the Old Testament. It is not everything there is to say, but it gets you started on principles to apply it. Check out the previous blogs for more!

I have been married twenty years. Recently my husband heard something about me he never knew. When we got engaged, he told me he wanted knowing me to be a lifelong study. There is always a new layer of history, something new we learn about each other still today. Our past builds into who we are.

 

KNOW GOD. LEARN HOW HE'S PLANNED FOR YOU 

So it is with Salvation History in the Bible. You can know God. In fact He wants to partner with you. He has always intended to be part of our life since He walked with Adam in the garden and had Adam help him name the animals. He wants a relationship with you. He loves you can save you from the worst parts of your stubborn nasty self. It is a bit scary and yet wonderful at the same time. He knows you and still loves you. Do you strive to know Him more and more too? It is spiritually healthy to continually discover more about Him. To know Him allows us to dive deeper in love with Him, deeper into His strength for our life.

The Old Testament is a great place to learn about God and His history to know and love you. Woven into its layers is His love for humans, desiring a personal, deep friendship with each individual who wants that too. When we learn He is holy it ought to fill us with awe and wonder. Get to know the lengths He went through to make a way for that relationship. It is all there in the first Testament of the Bible. The Old Testament.

 

COVENANT HISTORY

The word "Testament" can be a synonym of "Covenant." "Marriage" is also a synonym of "Covenant." A branch of Theology, the study of God, is called "Covenant Theology." It is a very beautiful concept to study through the Bible because it is about God pursuing us, desiring a relationship with us. It is also a little like someone who pursues a love relationship. 

The entire Bible, from the book of Genesis, builds on the idea of the relationship between God and mankind. It usually involves an agreement from both sides to respect the covenant, though usually God promises more and agrees to more than He expects of man.

There are four main covenants in the Old Testament, though the concept of covenant occurs over and over again, explaining more and more of how this partnership with God works.

• The Covenant with Noah
• The Covenant with Abraham
• The Covenant with Israel/Moses
• The  Covenant with King David

The final covenant that encompasses and fulfills them all is the New Covenant with Jesus in the New Testament. In fact if you are in a communion service in a church you will often hear Luke 22:20, part of the Last Supper.

"After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you." Luke 22: 20 NLT

A very helpful five minute video explains the 4 Old Testament Covenants. This is from the Bible Project.

 

Download a timeline of mine that inserts thoughts about the different eras of Old Testament History, with the four Old Testament Covenants made in their place in time along with comments about Salvation History. 

 

SALVATION HISTORY

"Salvation History." This is another beautiful name for another category of theological study. Theology, as I wrote earlier, is the study of God. Salvation History is about following throughout the entire Bible how God has been reaching out to man, explaining and foreshadowing Jesus the Messiah, who would make perfect the necessary work to save us from ourselves and bring us into that amazing relationship with God. 

This is a great reason to study the Old Testament. It points us to Christ!

“The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah." Jeremiah 31:31 NLT

Here is a link to a webpage on how every book of the Old Testament points us to the right relationship with God through Jesus Christ in all of Scripture. It is like a big puzzle putting together what is the epitome of God's merciful and gracious plan. This is included in the introduction to a Study Bible for the English Standard Version of the Bible.

 

EMBRACE THE MYSTERY REVEALED

This week I met a woman for the first time at a conference at my church. We were both wearing masks. As we talked we reflected that someday we will see each other without masks. Will we recognize each other? Wearing masks during this COVID 19 period has made me think a little about mystery. This fits in perfectly when talking about Jesus in the Old Testament. There are a lot of verses in the Bible about the mysteries of God. Here is a sample.

 

“Can you solve the mysteries of God? Can you discover everything about the Almighty?    Job 11:7 NLT

 

Truly, O God of Israel, our Savior, you work in mysterious ways.    Isaiah 45:15 NLT

 

He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light.    Daniel 2:22 NLT

The New Testament talks more about the fulfillment of those mysteries. Again a sample of verses.

 

When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters,  I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began… But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.1 Corinthians 2: 1-2, 7, 10-12 NLT

 

And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. Ephesians 6: 19 NLT

 

Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ  was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory. I Timothy 3:16 NLT

 

The Bible talks about mysteries in the plural sometimes. God is so much bigger than we are and we won't fully understand until we are face to face with Him and can ask Him our questions. We don't know everything (we are not God LOL). But we do know a lot about Him and we know we can trust Him. We know He knows better than we do.

My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, says the Lord. And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. Isaiah 55:8 NLT

 

Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. I Corinthians 13:12 NLT

UNLOCKING THE MYSTERIES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

You may have noticed in the I Corinthians 2 passage that a key feature we have available to unlocking the mysteries is the Holy Spirit. I have just touched the tip of the iceberg about God's communication to us in the Old and New Testament. 

In previous blogs I wrote about Jesus' love for the Old Testament while He lived on earth. Next I explained how God has a purpose in everything in the Old Testament including the boring parts of the Bible. I showed the different styles of writing in the Bible, and said knowing what we are reading helps us understand it better. I gave tips on studying the OldTestament. In that blog I mentioned the importance of knowing Salvation History and Covenants, and that you should ask yourself where the passage you are reading falls in the overall plan. That is why I added this blog to explain what Salvation History is.

I hope this series has been helpful and given you some concrete ways to look at the Old Testament and study it. If you don't already, I hope you fall in love with it like I have, as you walk with Jesus.

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For Reflection:

What do you think a partnership with God looks like? Do you have a relationship with God? Do you feel like it is a partnership?

What do you struggle with as a mystery of the Bible or about God? What do you want to ask Him about when you are face to face with Him?

Have you ever asked the Holy Spirit to help you study the Bible?

Has this series on the Old Testament given you a better understand of the Old Testament and more confidence to study it?

If you don't understand what I am talking about having a relationship with Almighty God or asking the Holy Spirit to guide you. I would also invite you to talk to a pastor or friend who knows Jesus well, or email me at dianewido@scripturespy.com.

Beginning with God

The Big Idea: We’re each unique. God loves each person individually and has a gift for you. Take it.

EVERYONE HAS A STORY

"Everybody grows up in some culture," said the professor.

It was a class on marriage and the family. Marriage is the merging of two people from two different backgrounds, she taught. Each family varies how they celebrate birthdays and holidays, resolve conflict and practice punctuality. Though a couple might grow up in the same small town, marriage is a merging of two separate life experiences, two distinct cultural systems.  

I  love getting to know people of different cultures. Even in elementary school I befriended the lone migrant worker's daughter that no one else talked to. We're all just people trying to make our way in this world. And every person's story is unique. 

GOD WANTS A PERSONAL CONNECTION

God wants a one-on-one personal connection with you, no matter what background you have. Everyone's story, their journey to connect with God, is unique. God wants to connect with you! He who created the world knew you from the time you were in your mother's womb.

 

You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. Psalm 139:15-16 (NLT)

He loves you. It is a mystery that He's crazy about each of us, all at the same time. I have a nativity collection to make an entire Bethlehem village. But when I find a new piece on ebay at a good price, I get all excited when it comes, added to my collection. I find a joy in each piece. It makes sense. I am created in the image of God who loves His collection too, His collection of people on this earth. So when I say He loves YOU, be assured. He does. He knows you by name. (Ex. 33:17, Is. 43:1)

 

YOU KNOW YOU'RE NOT PERFECT

But there is one little problem. God is love (I John 4:10). He is also eternal. He has always been and always will be. He knows everything. He is incredible and He is on our side. But He is absolutely perfect. Being His friend, while mind boggling, would be hindered because we are imperfect creatures. In fact, we have a bent toward badness.


You may say, I'm really a good person with good intentions. I'm not so bad. But here's the thing. You are not perfect. Where that matters is being a friend of God, who is perfect. It is hard for Him to even look at badness, because He is so holy.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Romans 3:23 (NLT)

In fact, this sin problem is pretty serious. Not only do we fall short on perfection, our sin is our death sentence.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our
Lord. Romans 6: 23 (NLT)

Do you know someone who received a ticket for speeding when they did not realize what the speed

limit was? Well, our bent toward badness, whether you are aware of it or not, has a price. It is

against God's law to have us dirtied with sin in His presence. In fact the penalty is death. That's a problem when you have been expecting to spend your eternity in heaven.

You might think - well, if He's God. He's love. He should put up with my ways and accept me for me. You might even say - I know some who say they are Christians who are the most mean spirited folks I ever met. Don't let that derail you. They will need to answer to God for that themselves. Each of us are individuals and we each need our own relationship with Him, accountable to God individually.


Here is the problem put simply. How can we as imperfect, sinful creatures be viewed by God as pure?

GOD DOESN'T WANT ANYONE TO MISS OUT

Because of God's great love He has provided a way for us to be made right with Him. There is a description of what God does for us in the Bible that implies a special covering (the theological word for it is propitiation). It is Jesus. His sacrifice by His blood is what God sees when He looks at us. Our status becomes forgiven.

 

I had a one-on-one Bible study with a Japanese woman, a military spouse. Every week we discussed what it means to know God. She felt so confused. Finally, I took my fork and my napkin and said, "Imagine that you are the fork. Jesus is the napkin. When you ask Jesus for His forgiveness, He covers you just like this. You can't even see the fork now. It is still there, but the napkin is covering it. It is the same with God. You are sinful before a holy God. But when you personally ask Jesus to cover you, that is now what God sees. He sees Jesus over you, because He took that penalty for your sins."

She nodded. She understood. That may have been the day she prayed with me to connect personally with God.

Let's review the verse we just looked at, Romans 6:23.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6: 23 (NLT)

 

Note the alternative to death for our imperfection of sin: the free gift of eternal life. This alternative is through Christ Jesus.

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8 (NLT)\

There had to be a way forgive our badness to make us pure in God's sight. But Jesus, who was God in the flesh, sacrificed himself on our behalf. He took our place, dying for us, as the verse says, while we were still sinners. That is incredible.


He died, but being God, He rose from the grave through His godly power alive forever (I Corinthians 15). It was a unique moment in world history when God Himself, who became human, died for us and then rose from the grave to live forevermore. Because He was God it was the perfect sacrifice, once for all (Hebrews 10:10). He is the only way to provide forgiveness for our sins. He has become our bridge to God. We only need to invite Him to enter this relationship once. It is a secure connection. From then on He is available for friendship, for help, for peace and joy.


God doesn't want anyone to lose opporunity to engage in this personal connection. There is a beautiful Bible verse in the book of 2nd Peter. I really like the way it is put in the God's Word translation.

The Lord isn’t slow to do what he promised, as some people think. Rather, He is patient for your sake. He doesn’t want to destroy anyone but wants all people to have an opportunity to turn to him and change the way they think and act. 2 Peter 3:9 (GW)

God really wants everyone, as many as possible, to turn to Him. But there is a catch.

YOU NEED TO TAKE THE GIFT

Let's look one more time at Romans 6:23.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our

 Lord. Romans 6: 23 (NLT)

The gift is free to us. There is no payment necessary. It is not contingent on monetary gifts to the church, doing good things, or any other way. The only thing is, you need to take the gift. Imagine finding out someone in your town gifted you with a home and an estate worth millions. You can tell all your friends about it, frame the letter and boast about being a millionaire. But if you never follow up on it with the lawyer and accountant and get the keys you will not receive your gift. It will do you no good.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8 (NLT)

You see that God's grace is involved. We do not deserve to be forgiven. We cannot take credit for it saying look what I did. We just need to believe it and receive it.

You need to take the gift.

WHAT TO DO NEXT

This next part is simple. You just talk to God and establish this personal connection. There is an easy way to review what to do based on A-B-C.

A- Admit - that you are a sinner in need of His love and grace. Admit you are sorry for your bad ways.

B- Believe - that Jesus has paid your debt and will forgive you.

C- Commit - to be a true friend in this personal connection with God. That includes reading the Bible, talking to Him regularly and seeking to act in a way that reflects Him well.

You can pray to Him in your own words, or use this prayer.

God, I know I am not perfect. In fact, I find it too easy to sin sometimes. I am sorry, God. I believe you love me and paid for my sins with your death on the cross. Forgive me of my sins. Take them away! Cover me with Jesus' sacrifice. Teach me how to keep this new relationship with You alive, so I can learn more about You and live in a way pleasing to You.

Go ahead. Start your own story with God!


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For reflection: What kind of relationship do you have with God? Do these steps make sense to you? If not, what do you struggle with most? Tell God everything. Even if you feel confused.

Please email me and let me know if you have prayed this prayer or if you have questions. dianewido@scripturespy.com

Video: God's Word: So inspiring! (2 Peter 1: 20-21)

The Very Words of God: In Sync! 

2 Peter 1: 20-21 (NLT)

Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet's own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.

Can we trust God's Word? Is it only a bunch of mish mashed pieces of words from contemplative old men of antiquity that got strung together for good advice? 

The Word of God is not just a bunch of wise sayings. It is the very word of God. The Holy Spirit moved men of God, men who heard the whisper of God in their ears, their heart, and their very soul to write down their story, and what God had for His people to know. He used these people to write down words that are surprizingly in sync with each other through centuries and across cultures.

The Bible was written over a period of 1400 years with over 40 different authors who came from a variety of backgrounds. Some were prophets and priests. But others came from a background like a tax collector, a doctor, shepherds and more! 

See how this process is decribed in 2 Peter 1:20-21.

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Previous Post:The Bible: Where do I start?

The Bible: Where do I start?

The Big Idea: If you are new to studying the Bible, here are some pointers about how to start reading it. 

The Bible is a big heavy book that can weigh a lot. The issues discussed are weighty too. Let's face it. There are things in the Bible that are confusing: those verses that stump you, those verses that, well, you aren't even sure what they are talking about. Or perhaps you are using a version of the Bible that sounds like Shakespeare. It doesn't sound the way people talk anymore. Is that how God talks?

A few pointers

Don't give up. The Bible is a huge library about God. It is made up of 66 different books, split into the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is relevant for every day we live, with advice for our problems and relationships giving us values, attitudes, illustrations of every kind of emotion you can imagine. Most importantly, it shows us how to know God, our creator and the way to live with Him forever after you leave this world. 

 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105 New Living Translation (NLT)

The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing.

And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.  John 6:63 New Living Translation (NLT)

Read a version you understand

 If you are brand new to Bible study this is especially important. There are a lot of different versions of the Bible now. Some are intended for an international audience. Some are designed to be an informal understandable language. Some are focused on accuracy to the original ancient languages of which the Bible was written (mostly Hebrews and Greek). Because of electronic versions online, it is very easy to try out different versions https://www.youversion.com/the-bible-app/. If you want a version that is very easy to read and quite accurate, check out the New Living Translation (NLT). If you wish to have a very accurate translation, try the English Standard Version (ESV) or the New American Standard Bible (NASB).


Here is a good guide from the American Bible Society
http://bibleresources.americanbible.org/resource/choosing-a-bible-translation


Here is a more detailed discussion about how multiple translations developed and what their differences are.
https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/choosing-a-bible-translation-11631126.html

Ask the Holy Spirit for help

One of the Holy Spirit's purposes is to help us understand the Bible and the things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:10 (NLT) tells us It was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. Ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom each time you read the Bible. Ask him to reveal the meaning, the truth of God and his Word, to you.

Start here...

If you are just beginning and don't know much about the Christian walk, a very good place to begin is the Gospel of John. Any of the four Gospels are great because they tell us the story of the life of Jesus on earth. John is a particularly good book because it explains the story and explains well Jesus' mission on earth. On the Christian life, my favorite book is Philippiens. It has a theme of joy, even in the middle of severe hardship.


Many who have been Christians for a long time have a favorite book of the Bible. If you are new, you might want to ask an experienced Christian what is their favorite book of the Bible. What is their favorite verse and why?

Mark up your Bible

If you have a paper bound Bible learn to write in it. Underline favorite verses. Mark a verse that changed your life or really spoke to you. You can put the date there, or the name of the Pastor who preached on that verse.

• It will be easier to find verses you want to remember.
• It will be easier to share a verse or passage with a friend.
• It will help you remember important lessons.
• It will help organize and categorize what you've learned.
• It will be a journal type record of what God has taught you.

Avoid ballpoint pens as they tend to bleed over time. You might find it useful to have a color code and use colored pencils. This is what I did with my first serious Bible I received for Christmas when I was 16 ... I underlined verses about Salvation in green. Black indicated sin. Pink was the Christian life. You could use whatever color you want. This is your Bible, and your tools. I used symbols for topics as well. Here is the page of codes from that Bible from the 70s, and a page from that Bible.

I got a lot of great training for Bible reading on a summer mission trip when I was 16. The organization, called Teen Missions, International https://www.teenmissions.org/ , created this guide for studying the Bible and I made the markings my own. Used with permission.

Your daily bite

Yes, I said bite. That's a good way to start if the task seems overwhelming. The Bible is food for your soul, for your Christian life. The Bible makes the analogy that God's Word is like food. Jesus quoted the Old Testament when he said, " The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ " Matthew 4:4 (NLT) (quoting Deuteronomy 8:3)


Just as you would eat food every day, read something from the Bible every day. You may say:

It's hard to imagine it.
It could be boring.
I don't have the time.
Maybe I won't understand anything. First things first. Pray before you read, asking for God to teach you.

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 2 Timothy 3:16 New Living Translation (NLT)

When I was a teen at a Bible Camp, the speaker challenged us to start reading the Bible every day. At the least, he said, commit to read one verse a day. If you read more, great. If not, at least you are reading God's Word. In one year you will find that this has changed your life. I took that challenge. I started with one verse a day. But the funny thing was, as time went on I developed a hunger for what the Bible said. I started gobbling it up like a kid eating their favorite ice cream every day. It did change my life. My parents saw the hunger and bought me that Christmas Bible. I decided to go on a mission trip for teenagers. That trip too, changed my life.


It's OK to start reading one verse a day. Maybe, just maybe, you'll get hungry for more!






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Video: Be a Scripture Spy! Get into God's Word

Get into God's Word: Be a Scripture Spy!

Hebrews 4: 12 (NLT)
   For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

Get into God's Word and it will really get into you! This verse reveals how powerful God's Word, the Bible, is for our everyday life. It is alive, piercing, and effects us deep into our private thoughts.

This video is a wonderful passage about the Word of God and a great introduction to being a Scripture Spy.  

Up Next: The Bible: Where do I start?

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