| Old Testament of the Bible | ||||
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The Old Testament
contains accounts from 0 to 400 B.C. The Book of Genesis (a book
of beginnings) opens with the creation of the universe and all living
creatures. The first historical event of mankind took place in the
Garden of Eden. The garden was a place of beauty and tranquility, a place where all man
needed was provided for them. God gave all of this on the
condition that they not eat of a tree that grew in the middle of the
garden. Over time Adam and Eve's desires prevailed over
God's. The eating of that forbidden fruit marks the entering of
sin into the world. At this point God set into motion a plan that
would eventually reunite mankind with their maker.
One of the the focal characters of the Old Testament is Abraham, a man that found favor in the eyes of God because of his pure character. Because Abraham had great faith, God made him three promises. (Genesis 12:1-3) First, that Abraham would posses a great land. Later in the book of Exodus this land is referred to as the land of milk and honey. The land that God spoke of was the land of Canaan, Modern Day Palestine. (Leviticus 14:34) The second promise given to Abraham was that he would make him a great nation. (Genesis 12:2) The nation promise referred to Israel. Abraham was the father of Isaac and Isaac was the father of Jacob whose name was later changed by God to Israel. (Genesis 32:8) The man Israel was the father of twelve sons who then became the tribes of the nation Israel. It is the history of this nation that occupies a majority of the Old Testament. The third promise was that through the lineage of Abraham all the nations of the earth would be blessed. This prophesy is spoken of in Galatians 3:16 where the Apostle Paul explains the blessing to be Jesus Christ. The purpose for what seems to be an endless account of genealogies in the Old Testament is to show how Jesus was in fact a descendant of Abraham's. Understanding these promises helps the reader of the Old Testament conclude that its purpose was to prepare us for the coming of Jesus Christ the Savior of mankind. |
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