The Old Testament, written and compiled over the course of many centuries and by a widely differing authors, consists of many literary genres including narrative, history, law, prophecy, poetry and wisdom literature. It contains many accounts of human failure, judgement and redemption, both in terms of individuals and nations, especially Israel. It contains God’s plan to restore the whole creation through the promised Messiah and describes how his line of descent was preserved through succeeding generations. Over and above all of this it is a revelation of who God is, a corrective to the God of our desires and imaginations, the God who is actually there.
The Only God
The central creed of the Jewish people is from Deut. 6:4 – “Hear Israel, the LORD is our God and He is One”. The illustration shows the first two words from the Hebrew text. The departure of Abram from Ur is sometimes interpreted as a protest against the prevailing polytheism of his day…
God revealed in the Old Testament
The Bible is, most importantly, a book about God, His self-revelation – we might even call it His autobiography. The New Testament assumes familiarity with the previous Scriptures and does not repeat the contents…
God of Israel and the Nations
The current prevailing belief was of local and competing deities whose favour and support must be sought within their geographical territories. The God of the Bible is utterly different – He made everything and each person and nation is answerable to Him…
He is Holy and He makes choices
We find these are two truths about God very uncomfortable – utter holiness and complete sovereignty and yet they permeate the whole of the Bible. The process of creation involves separation – at the heart of holiness…
God of Relationships
There is an internal relationship; this One God is revealed in the Old Testament as Three Persons. The Angel of the LORD is the Son, who is ever the visible manifestation of God. The Spirit is the One who brings revelation, the Spirit of prophecy…