Cameroon Bible Institute

CHAPTER
4: THE WORLD IN THE WORD-OLD TESTAMENT

This
chapter, whose key verse is Malachi 1:11, is based on the Old Testament’s
revelations about how God views the world. Even though the Bible is full of
many promises, stories and prophecies, it bears one central message that cuts
across it from the Old Testament to the New Testament. It carries God’s plan
and salvation of the sinful man as revealed in Ephesian 1:10. That at the
appointed time, God will bring everything in heaven and on earth under the
authority and control of Jesus Christ.

The
39 books of the Old Testament are subdivided into

Ø  The
books of the Law: Genesis to Deuteronomy

Ø  The
books of History: Joshua to Esther

Ø  The
books of Poetry: Job to Songs of Solomon

Ø  The
books of Prophecy: Isaiah to Malachi

1.   
The
books of the Law: Genesis to Deuteronomy

                      These
books are called the books of the law because they record the first commandments
God gave man and how man responded to the commandments. In the book of Genesis
which is also called the book of “The Beginning”, God reveals His first plan
for the world (Genesis 3:15). Six revelations have been drawn from this Bible
verse:

·  God
is the only source of salvation.

·  The
serpent represents Satan who is the enemy.

·  The
seed is the Son of God. He will take the form of a human and be the savior of
mankind.

·  Bruising
the heal of the seed signifies that the savior will suffer for the sake of man

·  God
shall be provide defeat over the enemy as stated in verse; “Her seed shall
bruise the head of the serpent”.

·  Salvation
will be for all mankind.

            After
the fall of man, sin continued to spread rapidly in the world. God destroyed
the world through a flood but saved Noah and his family using an Ark. Each time
Gods creation goes astray, judgement followed. However there is always a
special plan of salvation that comes after to save mankind. This was the trend
in the whole of the Old Testament. The Ark symbolizes salvation through Jesus.
Although God sees the world as full of sin and wickedness that deserves
judgment and/or punishment, He also looks upon the world with a merciful eye
and provides salvation for them.

             God chose a nation from amongst the nations
that were created after the confusion and separation of languages at the tower
of Babel. This nation, Israel, are the descendants of Abraham (Gen 11:27,
25:34). He was called out of his own family and tribe to be the founder and
leader of this nation. Israel was chosen not because they were better than the
others. It was for a special purpose (Gen 12: 2-3. 22:18) which was;

·      
For God to reveal Himself to the world.

·      
For the savior of the world, Jesus Christ,
to be born through it.

·      
For God to speak His written word through
it.

·      
For the nation to be God’s witness to the
other nations (Isa 43: 9-12).

              God
established His relationship with Israel through a covenant in the Old
Testament, declaring they had become His People and Him their God. This covenant
is extended to all who believe and serve God in the New Testament. We have
become heirs with Abraham. In order to bless nations and families in the world
by bringing them into the new covenant, we must act like Abraham. We need to go
into the world and preach the good news to them just like Abraham did. He was
called from Ur to leave his family and go to an unknown land. Though he spent
some time in Haran, he finally got to the promised land. We need to leave our
Haran (comfort zone) and spread the good news about Jesus Christ and salvation.

              God
continued to reveal Himself to the world by preserving the nations through Joseph
(Genesis 50:20). In Exodus 8:22 God brought Israel out of Egypt to demonstrate
He was God of the earth and His power through plagues in Egypt (Exodus 9:29). Due
to His presence in Israel, he proved His reality to the nations (Exodus 33:16).
He was continually at work in Israel so that all people around them would see
His capabilities (Exodus 34:10). Israel was to be an example (Leviticus 20:2)
and to share the love of God with other nations rather than follow their evil
ways. (Deuteronomy 18:9; 30:19). God’s plan was for the earth be filled with
His glory (Numbers 14:21). Israel was later scattered and suffered in the hands
of their enemies because of their sins (Deuteronomy 4:27; 7:6; 14:2; 26:19)

2.  The Books of History: Joshua to
Esther

         These books recounts stories of how God
continued to manifest Himself to the world through Israel though they were
regarded as an insignificant nation. When they were disobedient to His commands,
He allowed their enemies to triumph over them but when they repented from their
evil ways, He saved them from their adversaries.  

         The demonstration of the sovereignty of
God is recorded in some verses in the Books of History, some of which are

·      Joshua
4: 23-24 where God dried up river Jordan to show His might to the people of the
earth

·      1
Samuel 17: 46 where David killed Goliath through the mighty intervention of
God, thus revealing that Israel’s God is mighty.

·       Ruth 1:16 where God showed that he will also
become the God of the Gentiles

·      2
Chronicles 16:9 where God viewed the world with a special desire in His heart.

·      Nehemiah
6:16 where God, through Nehemiah’s project of building the broken walls of
Israel demonstrated the reality of His power and the certainty of His plan.

3.    The Books of Poetry: Job to Songs of
Solomon

    These
books, which have been written in poetic style also project the plan of God for
the world. The book of Psalms presents God as the owner of the world and
everything in it. God is exalted as the Most High and Judge of the earth. He is
also projected as a merciful God to the sinful world and through Him there is
hope for salvation to all. Some other Key verses that illustrates the plan of
God in the Poetry Books are:

·       Proverbs
3:19, 8: 23-31 exalts God as the creator of heaven and earth.

·       Ecclesiastes
3:14 stresses on the certainty of God’s plan.

4.    The Books of Prophecy: Isaiah to
Malachi

         The books of prophecy explains future
happenings in God’s plan and the Savior’s activities in the world. These
prophecies were revealed through anointed men of God in Israel like Daniel,
Jeremiah, Isaiah, Jonah, Joel etc.

         Prophets like Daniel and Jonah were
cross-cultural ministers. Daniel was a witness to God while in Babylon. His
ministration revealed the plan of God as recorded in Daniel 7:14. God delivered
Daniel from the plots of the Babylonians to prove Himself as God of the earth (Dan
6: 27). Jonah was also called by God to preach redemption in a gentile town
called Nineveh. Through this act, God revealed Himself as the God of all
nations and not for Israel alone.

         Through prophet Isaiah, God’s plan of
the world has been emphasized in an excellent manner. For example, in Isaiah 17:12-13;
24: 5-6, he describes the condition of the world before God. In Isaiah 1: 12,
Satan is revealed as the enemy of the world. Isaiah 65:17; 66:22 talks about
God’s plan for the world etc. There are other verses in the book of prophecy that
have elaborated God’s plan for the world. The book of Malachi ends the Old
Testament.

         In the Old Testament, God’s intention
was to use the Nation Israel to demonstrate His power and Glory so as to draw
other Nations to Himself but Israel failed Him by rejecting Jesus. God then
raised a new group in the New Testament called the Church to reveal Himself to
the World. The Church, made up of born again Christians, has a duty to go to
the world and reveal Jesus Christ to them. Unlike in the Old Testament where
the world was to come to Jerusalem to know God.