EDE_Christ-OT

  Christ in the OT

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           Contents & summaries            "new short" DRAFT ~ 5 Aug 2017                                "old long" DRAFT ~ 7 Jan 2017


ElaineAtHome@gmail.com

Contents & Summaries

     

     Introduction
1. The Kingdom Promised      Genesis
                      After the loss of the perfect home, men continued to make bad choices resulting in a devastating flood and dispersion of people to different nations. But God’s plan for re-creating a perfect kingdom involved calling one man, Abraham, to follow Him. He promisd many descendants, land, kings, and a blessing on all nations. The promised continue to his sons Isaac, Jacob, and the twelve tribes descending from Jacob’s sons.
2. The Kingdom Prepared      Exodus — Deuteronomy
                      After a 430-year gap, the descendants of Jacob, now called Israelites, are an oppressed people. But God liberates them through Moses and calls them to become a kingdom of priests. Structures for community life and worship are created via the law and the people experience the discipline of forty years of wilderness wanderings for not trusting God enough to courageously enter the land he promised to give them.
3. The Kingdom Foreshadowed
           Begun                          Joshua — Ruth
                      Under Joshua’s leadership the people enter their land, conquer, and yet conquer incompletely. Consequently, they continue to be vulnerable to the influence of idolatry from their new neighbors. They fall into oppression and the result is a period of alternating peace and conflict. At the end is a story of a foreign woman. Ruth, who marries into the tribe of Judah. Her child becomes the ancestor of a coming King who will fulfill promises made to Abraham.
           Flourishing                I & II Samuel, I Kings 1-10, I Chronicles, II Chronicles 1-9
                      The last prophet to lead the people, Samuel, was a strong leader in the tradition of Moses. However, the people wanted a king and the first choice, Saul, turned out badly. The second, David, was not only more obedient to God, he became the recipient of the promises of an eternal throne, looking forward to a Kingdom much larger and longer-lasting than his. David’s son Solomon created a beautiful Temple that was the center of worship and expanded the kingdom into even greater glory.
           Failing                          I Kings 10—II Kings, II Chronicles 10-36
                      The glory of Solomon’s kingdom faltered. It could not be the eternal kingdom promised to David, his father. Solomon fell into idolatry, and his son Rehoboam presided over the division of the kingdom into Israel and Judah. Not only did they war with one another, they were caught up in the wars of the surrounding empires. The Assyrians destroyed Israel in 722 BC and it never revived. Judah was taken captive by Bablyon in 586 BC, but because of the history of promises to Abraham and David and Moses, the people did not disappear.
           Promise Regained           Ezra — Esther
                      After seventy years of captivity, a small group of the surviving people of Judah were allowed to return to their land. They rebuilt the Temple and rebuilt their expectation of a coming glorious Kingdom. Meanwhile other survivors who remained at the center of the empire where they also struggled to maintain their identity and their hope.
4. Wisdom of the Kingdom      Job — Song of Solomon
                      Throughout the time of the kingdom, literature grew as well, deepening the understanding of what it means to be a people of God living in hope of a future perfect kingdom. Poems, proverbs, and questioning God and life are all part of the deeper side of a reflective people.
5. The Kingdom Foretold      Isaiah — Malachi
                      Throughout the reign of the kings, the role of prophet continued. Many prophets gave their messages verbally, but others wrote down and preserved their messages. Embedded in the messages was reinforcement that a promised King, Messiah, would come and set all to right. A glorious and just kingdom would come into effect, and the suffering of the people would end. At the same time, they continued to call kings and people to account for sinful behavior, including the idolatry and injustice that had destroyed the kingdom. Nevertheless, their message was that God would love them and restore them.

     New Testament Readings
     Endnotes
     Acknowledgments












/A/EDE/OT/       Elaine D Elliott •• 2016 Jan 16 • 2017 Aug 7