Old Testament | Between Two Cultures

GENESIS portrays God as creating the world (1:1), which we know Christ was apart of according to John 1:2. “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” Because the first Adam failed in the garden (ch. 3), we need the last Adam for redemption (1Co. 15:22).
EXODUS shows God identifying himself to Moses as “I AM” (Ex. 3:14), which is what Jesus calls himself in the NT (e.g. Jn. 5:58). In Exodus we also find the Passover Lamb, which pictures Jesus (1Co. 5:7) and manna, a picture of the Bread of Life (Jn. 6:31).
LEVITICUS shows the holiness that God demands, which sinners cannot fulfill but Jesus can (Heb. 7:26-28). Jesus is the great high priest (Hb. 4:14).
NUMBERS says that just as touching the mountain or certain utensils would bring death except by a mediator (4:15), so we need Christ as our mediator (1Tm 2:5).
DEUTERONOMY says the greatest commandment is love for God (6:5; Mt. 22:37). Circumcision of the heart (10:16) is through Christ (Col. 2:11).
JOSHUA’s name means “salvation” or “Yahweh saves”, which looks forward to the great warrior Jesus Christ who saves his people from their sins (Mt. 1:21).
JUDGES uses sinful judges like Samson, which is nothing compared to the Great Judge, Jesus Christ (Ac. 10:42).
RUTH shows that the line to Christ goes through Ruth (4:11-13), Boaz and David. Just as Boaz redeemed Ruth, so Christ redeems sinners (Gal 3:13).
1 SAMUEL shows how Israel wanted a king like other nations, but not God as their king, just as the NT people rejected Christ as their king (Ac. 3:13-15).
2 SAMUEL shows how God makes a covenant with David that one of his descendants will always be on the throne (ch. 7), ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Mt. 1:1-16).
1 KINGS tracks the reign of King Solomon, and though he started well, he ended badly, showing we need a greater King found in Christ.
2 KINGS is filled with stories of God’s grace, including 2 Kings 5 and Namaan’s cleansing of leprosy, just as Christ cleanses us from sin (Lk. 5:12-14; 24:27).
1 & 2 CHRONICLES records good kings and bad ones, but none are righteous or perfect, thus pointing to the need for Christ, the great King (Mt. 1).
EZRA finds the restoration and salvation of Israel from exile, just as Christ delivers us from the domain of darkness (Col. 1:13).
NEHEMIAH shows the enemies of Nehemiah trying to destroy the work of building, so do they do this today (Jn. 15:18-20) and it points to Christ’s building his Church (Mt. 16:18).
ESTHER is used by God to deliver her people, just as Christ will ultimately deliver his people.
JOB’s suffering is part of God’s plan and so was the suffering of Christ, for just as Satan was not allowed to take Job’s life without God’s permission, so God gave permission for Jesus to die. Job also asks the question: “How can a man be pure?” The answer is through Christ.
PSALMS pictures of the suffering and abandonment of Christ in Psalm 22. They mock Christ on the cross and divide his clothing.
PROVERBS teaches wisdom that comes from God and specifically Christ, who is called the wisdom of God (1Co. 1:30). We are to “trust in the Lord” with all our hearts (ch. 3), which is Christ.
ECCLESIASTES highlights the vanity and emptiness of life, and makes us long for Christ, who came to give us life and give it abundantly (Jn. 10:10).
SONG OF SOLOMON speaks of marital love, which is just a taste of the love Christ has for his church (Eph. 5:22-23).
ISAIAH speaks of the Holy One of Israel’s deliverance/salvation of faithless Israel and urges everyone that thirsts to come to the waters to drink, anticipating Christ, the Living Water. Isaiah also contains the Old Testament Mt. Everest of salvation through Christ in Isaiah 53.
JEREMIAH is filled with the rejection of God’s servant and judgment upon faithless Israel, anticipating not only the rejection of many of Christ’s servants but also the judgment he will pour upon sinners.
LAMENTATIONS shows that just as Jeremiah wept over the sins of Israel, so did Christ weep over Jerusalem (Lk. 19:41-44) and give salvation to those that repent.
EZEKIEL shows God judging Israel’s rebellion with exile, saying the soul that sins will die, and yet (33:11) he has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, which is proven by sending Christ to die.
DANIEL shows Christ is the fourth man who stands in the fire with the three men. He is called “like the sons of the gods” (3:26). We find the “son of man” (7:13) that comes from the Ancient of days.
HOSEA shows faithful Hosea’s love for faithless Gomer, which pictures God’s faithful love for rebellious Israel and Jesus’ love for a sinful church and bride (Eph. 5:22-33).
JOEL pictures the Day of the Lord and anticipates Jesus’ return one day but also says “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (2:32; Rom. 10:13).
AMOS is filled with judgment upon Israel’s sin and yet God is full of mercy, saying he “relented” (7:3), as Jesus is merciful and speaks of “all nations” that will one day come to Christ (9:12: Ac. 15:16-17).
OBADIAH shows judgment on Edom, as those who attack God’s people will one day be judged by Christ on the Last Day (Rv. 20:11ff).
JONAH shows that just as the Ninevites repented, all those today who repent and trust in Christ will find mercy, for salvation belongs to the Lord (2:9). Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days, so was Christ buried in the tomb (Mt. 12:40).
MICAH shows Israel in the midst of judgment and that God gives mercy through his Messiah, Jesus, who will be born in Bethlehem (5:2; Mt. 2:1-6).
NAHUM shows that just as Israel would receive the good news of deliverance from Nineveh, so sinners receive the good news of deliverance from sin. “Behold, upon the mountains, the feet of him who brings good news” (1:15; Rm. 10:15).
HABAKKUK shows that just as God used the wicked to accomplish his purpose in this book, so he used the wicked to accomplish his purpose in Christ. “The just shall live by faith” (2:4) is the central idea to the gospel through Christ in Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11.
ZEPHENIAH shows God as “the Lord in your midst” (3:15), who is Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us.
HAGGAI speaks of rebuilding the temple. Jesus compares himself to a temple, saying, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up” (Jn. 2:19).
ZECHARIAH speaks of “my servant the Branch”, who is Christ the Messiah. He also speaks of coming on a donkey (9:9; Mt. 21) and being sold for thirty pieces of sliver (11:13).
MALACHI anticipates John the Baptist preparing the way for Christ (3:1) and turning the hearts of fathers to their children.

One of the arguments people use to minimize the sinfulness of modern-day polygamy—especially in Africa—is the apparent blind eye God has towards it in the Old Testament. John Reisinger writes: “There is no instance in the Old Testament Scripture that suggests, in any way, that polygamy was a sin. This does not prove that polygamy was not a sin, but it does prove that God never treated it as a sin.” John Mbiti is even more direct:

Christians who uphold monogamy as the only acceptable form of marriage before God, tell us that this is what the Bible teaches. They go on to tell us that polygamy is a sin. I have searched the Bible carefully and one of the staggering things concerning marriage is that the Bible does not treat marriage in terms of either monogamy or polygamy.

Whether or not Scripture explicitly forbids polygamy is fodder for another day’s war. The issue here is whether God’s relative silence about the patriarch’s polygamy implies tacit approval. I say no. Here are some sins in Genesis by righteous people.

1) Noah gets drunk (Gen. 9:21) – No rebuke from God.

2) Abraham lies (12:10-20) – No rebuke. In fact, God punishes Pharaoh.

3) Lot impregnates his daughters (19:30-38) – No rebuke

4) Abraham lies again (20) – Abraham not rebuked…but Abimelech is!

5) Jacob deceives his brother (25:31-33) – No rebuke

6) Isaac lies (26:6-11) – No rebuke, but more blessings! (12)

7) Jacob deceives father (27) – No rebuke, just more blessing (23)

8) Jacob tricks Laban (31:20) – No rebuke

Assuming no one would use these stories to support drunkenness, incest, or dishonesty, why then polygamy? Surveying the other 38 books in the OT would bring endless more examples. The point is that God’s disapproval of polygamy in the OT is clear. It shouts at us, but not in propositional form. Rather, the narrative paints for us the ugly picture of family squabbles, marital tension, painful neglect, discarded children, broken promises and unquenched jealousy.

After all, we are never explicitly told that the prodigal son was wrong for squandering his wealth. Just look at the consequences.