Old Testament – Growing Up in the Lord

Journey through Time

Angela — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 22:56:00 +0000

For the past several years, I’ve done some form of “reading the Bible in a year.” This started with my grandfather making a family calendar each year that included all the birthdays and anniversaries, classic family photos, and Bible reading for each day. I loved that I could read the Bible with my grandparents from miles away. The Bible in a year plans vary: some are in straight “canonical” order, some are chronological (when they occur in history), and some have a mix of Old and New Testament readings each day. I enjoy reading, listening to, and studying the Word more each year. Here are some of my observations.

Rebellion, Judgment, and Deliverance

Throughout the Old Testament, a pattern of rebellion, judgment, and deliverance emerges. The people do well for a time, then begin doing what is right in their own eyes. God sends judgment, and they face the consequences of their rebellion. They cry out for God’s mercy and redemption, and He delivers them. This cycle repeats so often that reading it can make you dizzy, until you recognize that people today are not any different. How many times do we make the same mistakes over and over? How often do we allow ourselves to fall away and make excuses? Then, when we see the chaos of consequence, we cry out for help.

Even if we don’t see a miraculous intervention, we can still see God at work through His Word, His church, and the unexpected ways He provides. He has given us His Word to provide guidance and wisdom. He has given us the church to help meet our needs. Oftentimes, we call out as a last option after trying to solve the problem on our own. As one of my favorite quotes reminds us, “Prayer is a first response, not a last resort.” Be a first responder.

As we read the Word of God, two simple words often change the course of circumstances: BUT GOD. Here are just a few examples:

But God remembered Noah… (Genesis 8:1). All the people of the earth were wicked, with thoughts that were altogether evil all the time, except for Noah. God preserved humanity through Noah and his family, giving the world a new beginning.

But God meant it for good… (Genesis 50:20). Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, and he became the second most powerful man in Egypt. In their jealousy, they wanted to hurt and punish Joseph, but God used the circumstance to bring salvation.

But God led the people… (Exodus 13:18). When the Israelites fled Egypt and the armies of Pharaoh, God deliberately led them through the wilderness, even though going through Philistia would have been nearer, using that time to prepare them for what lay ahead.

BUT GOD will ransom my soul (Psalm 49:15) and strike the heads of my enemies (Psalm 68:21) because He is the strength of my heart and my portion forever (Psalm 73:26).

But God raised Him from the dead (Acts 13:30). As Paul recounts the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, he emphasizes the power and providence of God. Not only that, but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Paul also writes, “But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved!” (Ephesians 2:4–5).

A Choice, a Change, and a Challenge

Through the Gospels, Jesus teaches the disciples how to live and share God’s love with all people. Through the book of Acts, we learn how to become a part of the church. Through the letters, we gain instruction and encouragement.

In each of these teachings, we have a choice to make: continue living as “dead in our trespasses” OR “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles” (Hebrews 12:1) to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4). The choice to change your life and follow Christ includes significant challenges, specifically living contrary to the world.

Jesus offers all people a choice. Each chooses whether or not to make the changes necessary to follow Him. Repentance means to turn from sin, agreeing with God that sin is sin, and leaving that lifestyle behind. This change will come with challenges, but He gives us all we need, provides a way out, and works the circumstances for good, according to His purpose. We may not always see the good, certainly not in the moment, but we can walk in Hope and trust that God does not change.

Lessons from Ruth

Angela — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 02:00:00 +0000

The book of Ruth is four short chapters rich in content. The account of Ruth takes place during the time of the Judges. These chapters could be divided into “seasons” of life.

We all go through seasons and stages in life. Some seasons we experience many times. Others we may only observe in those around us. It is important to prepare for all seasons, even the ones we want to avoid.

Winter – Israel faces famine. Naomi’s husband and two sons die. She is left alone with her daughters-in-law. When she hears that the Lord has come to the aid of Israel, she prepares to return home, and they prepare to go with her. Naomi does not wish for them to continue to live in grief and encourages them to go back to their own homes, find new husbands, and live full lives. One complies. Ruth, however, remains devoted to Naomi, declaring allegiance not only to Naomi but also to the God of Israel (Ruth 1:16–18). Even as Naomi declares her friends should call her Mara (meaning “bitterness”), the lives of these two women are about to change drastically for the better.

Spring – Ruth begins gleaning in the fields to provide for Naomi and herself. The field she finds belongs to Boaz, who happens to be a relative of Naomi’s husband. Boaz shows kindness and protection to Ruth, and Ruth returns the same kindness through obedience and respect. Naomi tells Ruth how to go about asking Boaz to fulfill his role as kinsman-redeemer, basically encouraging her daughter-in-law to propose marriage! Ruth continues in steadfast obedience and follows Naomi’s directions.

Summer – Boaz, though surprised, accepts Ruth’s proposal. However, there is the glitch that a closer kinsman-redeemer would have first “dibs.” Boaz approaches the relative in the presence of the elders, and the relative relinquishes his claim. Ruth and Boaz marry, and the people rejoice and pronounce blessings over their union.

Autumn – An aged Naomi holds her grandson, who is the grandfather of a future king. The end of this book is a perfect segue into the coming changes as Israel demands a king.

Other observations: I noted previously that Rahab is included in the genealogy of Christ. What I didn’t mention in that post is that she is listed as the mother of Boaz. I became very curious about this, as Matthew’s Gospel is the only place this is mentioned. Biblical genealogies do not always include every generation, so the genealogy should not necessarily be read as a complete chronology. I think the point of the Word is simply that God can use ANYONE to bring about His will, including a foreigner who used to be a prostitute and a foreigner who was a Moabite. Despite their backgrounds, both of these women are in the direct lineage of Christ.

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed in my current season of life, but I am thankful for the examples of women in the Bible, as well as women in my own life, from whom I can glean wisdom and lean on for support.

Lessons from Judges

Angela — Sun, 12 Apr 2015 00:00:00 +0000

If it isn’t obvious by now, I’m enjoying participating in my family’s Bible reading calendar. One thing that consistently amazes me is that you can learn something new each time you read through the Word. I know I’ve completely read through the Bible at least twice, and I’ve read through the book of Judges at least three or four times, yet this time, I found two big things I didn’t notice before. In Judges 3:1–2, the writer records that the Lord left some nations behind to test the Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan. God wanted the Israelites to know how to engage in battle. The footnote in the NIV Study Bible says, “Because of the incomplete conquest, succeeding generations in Israel needed to become capable warriors.” The second thing I noticed is that the Book of Judges is not chronological. About halfway through the narrative, the non-sequential aspect of the record became confusing. The narrative doesn’t read like a story since it is “out of order.” This characteristic may distract some from the message and overall theme. In my confusion, I looked for tools to sort through the chronological problem. I found a timeline which helped a little. The overall theme of Judges (and even the Bible as a whole) is a message of redemption. This cycle is seen in four stages:

The people of God fall away (apostasy), rejecting God’s commands, each person doing what is right in his/her own eyes.
They face oppression, persecution, and even captivity in later times.
They cry out to God in their distress, confessing their wrongdoing, and longing for forgiveness.
Finally, God sends deliverance, repentance occurs, and peace follows for some time.

A secondary theme in the book of Judges is that God raises leaders and heroes from unlikely sources. Ehud was left-handed, important because the guards didn’t search him thoroughly, thinking he was right-handed and would be armed on the left side. Therefore, he walked into the king’s chambers with a sword on his right thigh and killed the very fat Moabite king (Judges 3). Deborah, obviously a woman, was a prophetess. The leader of the army, Barak, wouldn’t go into battle without her. As a result, God used another woman, Jael, to kill the Canaanite king (Judges 4), and Barak did not receive the honor of winning the battle. Gideon was the youngest in his family, the lowest family in the clan. God used an army of only 300 men to defeat the Midianites with Gideon as their leader (Judges 7). The judge most people are familiar with is Samson because he was the strongest man in the Bible. However, his greatest victory came when he was at his most vulnerable. He had been handed over to the enemy, blinded, and stripped of his former glory. In his humbled state, he realized his need for God’s strength. He asked that God return his strength, seeking vengeance on the Philistines. God granted this request, and Samson sacrificed himself in a victory for Israel over the Philistines (Judges 16). The last few chapters of the book, which happen throughout the judges mentioned, are an overall lesson in keeping God’s commandments. We also see the sins of the past (worship of idols, failure to rely on God, homosexuality, rape, and brutality) are not different from the sins of today. Our “idols” may be different, but we still allow other things to take higher priority than God. Yet despite all of this, the Israelites failed to eradicate their enemies. Remnants of the enemy remained in the land God set aside for His people. God allows us to choose. He allows us to live with the consequences of those choices. He also provides forgiveness, redemption, and grace.

Lessons from Joshua

Angela — Wed, 01 Apr 2015 18:47:00 +0000

This week, in our family’s daily Bible reading, we completed Joshua. Joshua is a book of battles and distribution of lands, of defeated kings and cities, of warning and encouragement. Like Deuteronomy (or any other book of the Bible), there are lessons we can apply in our daily lives. Here are just a few that inspire me.

Be strong and courageous when doing the will of God. When you are following His commands, you have no reason to fear. Joshua admonishes the Israelites over and over throughout the book to be strong and courageous, a message still applicable to the figurative battles we face today.
Stand up and fight for your brothers (and sisters). Part of the Israelites had already been given their inheritance. The fighting men from those tribes were required to help their brothers in battle until each of them found rest in an inheritance of their own (Joshua 1:15). Our fight today may be as simple as speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves, providing for a need when we are able, standing up for what is right, and maybe, on occasion, really fighting for our family in some way.
God is willing to save even the worst of sinners. Rahab was a prostitute, yet she and her family were the only people in all of Jericho saved from destruction because she chose to help the Israelites (Joshua 2; 6:25). Rahab became a convert to the Israelite faith and is in the lineage of Christ (Matthew 1:5).
God’s way is the best way. Even when God’s commands don’t seem to make sense, He wants what is best for us. His timing is always perfect. When we force our will into His, we often get in the way of the big picture. Fortunately, God still works all things out for good (Romans 8:28). These promises remain true even if we do not see the fulfillment until heaven.
Consult God about big decisions. The Israelites made a treaty without consulting God (Joshua 9). This seems to set the course for the rest of their battles. Overall, they failed to drive out 100% of the enemy as God commanded them to do.
Nothing is impossible for God. Joshua asked God to make the sun stand still during a battle, and it happened! The Bible says of the event, “There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a man. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel!” (Joshua 10:12–14).
The choice remains ours. God does not force His will on us. We are not robots made to follow Him without freedom of thought. Joshua’s challenge still matters today: “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15). The choice is ours.

Lessons from Deuteronomy

Angela — Thu, 26 Mar 2015 20:27:00 +0000

The Old Testament. The beginning of time. The fall of man. The flood. The establishment of a promise. Journeys into and out of slavery. The presentation of the Law. Miracles and wonders.

The accounts of the first five books of the Bible are rich with history important to all Christians. (I admit, it is hard to get through parts of Numbers and Leviticus.) In Galatians 3:24, we read, “So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith.” We often want to “skip over” large portions of the Old Testament, yet these Scriptures were the only ones the first Christians knew.

As much as I enjoy the classic, well-known events of Genesis, I often find myself captivated by the summary of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy’s 34 chapters detail over forty years of Israelite history. Moses is talking to the whole company of Israel for the entirety of the book.

Moses’s final words can be summed up in four major lessons.

Love God and teach His ways to your children.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6:4–9

Consequences are not always because of our own actions, but the actions of others.

It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the LORD your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your GOD is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.
Deuteronomy 9:5–6

God’s request is simple and for our benefit.

And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?
Deuteronomy 10:12–13

God gives us a choice. He wants us to choose life.

See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees, and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Deuteronomy 30:15–20