Wk 21.5 “Old Testament” recap: 

Video -Bible project video on the Old Testament “TaNaK” (run time of 12 minutes)

https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/tanak-old-testament/?utm_source=web_social_share&medium=shared_video

Ice Breaker - What are the key themes that we see throughout the story in part 1 and 2?  

The two movements from the Story which we have covered so far - 

1) The Story of the Garden

In the garden Human beings are made in God image and have a perfect and intimate relationship with God; the test is about ‘whether they will trust God’s interpretation of Good and Evil or seize autonomy and decide for themselves’ , whilst the sin of Adam and Even brings about a break in relationship – and exile from the garden - the picture of perfection from the beginning is - human beings at peace with God and the creation. 

In every sense, the bible is a story about Human beings needing to be restored to their place with God and how God will redeem his people from their exile due to the problem of sin.  

In the creation, God creates human beings as the way in which he ‘wants to bless the world and rule it through humans’, as image bearers of the Himself (the divine). Of all things God has created – stars, planets, animals, mountains and seas, the things which most likely represent God’s likeness – is us. In what sense then, does worshipping a created thing (idolatry in the O.T) show a lack of understanding as to what it means to be ‘made in God’s image’? 

Movement 1 of the story encompasses creation, fall, flood (with a deliverer in Noah who has intimate relationship with God) culminates in Babel (Babylon). Human beings are at enmity with each other engaging in violence and oppression and people trying to exalt themselves to the place of God (Gen 11). The account of Babel (we revisited this with our Pentecost study) where humans try and build a tower up into heaven culminates in another curse; fractured humanity exiled into the world and at enmity with God and each other. 

2) The Story of Israel 

The Story of Israel centred on the figure of Abraham, called out of exile from Babylon, and into a new Garden-like-land, promised by God to his family. In short, restored relationship and blessing. Yet Abraham’s family – Israel and his 12 sons end up exiled in Egypt. At their best, the show signs of trusting God’s promise – faith. 

In Egypt (exile) God raises up a deliver (Moses)– to restore the people to himself and enter into a covenant relationship with himself. 

In the video we see Moses described as a prophet (who speaks God’s word), a priest (who intercedes / makes sacrifice for the people) and a king (leader and deliverer in time of need). Moses said – as recorded in Deuteronomy 18:15 that “God will raise up a prophet like me from among you”. Yet ‘never do we see another one like Moses… how do we see that pointing to a future hope that isn’t fulfilled in the Old Testament?

Joshua starts out like Moses – meditating on God’s law, but fails … beginning Israel’s descent (before they even reach ‘the new garden-like-land’. 

The story of the Israelite Kings: Saul, David and Solomon, all start with highpoints, calling people into right relationship with God, maintaining covenant faithfulness, yet the march towards exile continues with the successive failure of kings, priests and prophets; culminating in the splitting in half of the kingdom and the exile of the Northern tribes (Assyria) and then Jerusalem itself, with the family of Abraham ending up back where it began, as exiles in Babylon. The highpoints of this period are when God’s people – prophets priests and kings, trust God and live according to his covenant. Yet the promise of God to bless humanity with a new human – a king in the line of David (2 Sam7), remains unfulfilled. How are these stories point to a future hope ? (hint like David, Solomon and Moses…) 

The latter prophets who operated during the time of the fall of Israel and Jerusalem called people to repentance operating with accusation and warning, yet they spoke of God’s promise andpurpose, “to purify his people and recreate a new Israel who would be faithful [like Abraham] and live in covenant relationship with God”. How was this fulfilled through the returning of exile and restoration of the temple and Jerusalem? Yet how did it remain unfulfilled, what future anticipation was there ?- 

The chronicles a retelling of the whole Tanak (O.T.) talk about God’s promise to David, “of a future king who will reunite God’s people in a new Jerusalem and bring divine blessing to the nations”. 

How is this a remedy to the situation which we arrive at the end of parts one (the garden-babylon) and two ( Israel) of the Story ? 

The end of the story parts 1 and 2 is looking for a future hope – of a new humanity in which God restores the hearts of people, giving the gift of the spirit and redeeming people from exile, that they might experience relationship with God and enjoy him forever. 

Can you think of one or two key verses which name that ? 

Homework (for Sunday!) In your own words, tell the story parts 1 and 2 so that you can give someone who has no idea what the bible says, a sufficient summary of the entire O.T. in say 30 seconds. Think about what to include from these words – or explaining what they signify.

Creation, relationship with God, sin, evil, exile, Babylon, promise, covenant, moses, king, priest, prophet, David, Spirit, Heart, hope.