Reading: Preface

Preface

Hebrews 12:1 commends the faith and perseverance of the ancient heroes of the faith as examples for us to follow in the race of our own lives. All of these: Abel, Abraham, Moses, and many more, according to Hebrews, “were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance…They were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.” (Heb. 11:13, 16).

The human race had once lived in a very good country—the Garden of Eden—in which Adam and Eve served their Creator perfectly. But sin destroyed that paradise, and afterwards their descendants sought to regain what they had lost. That attempt was with God’s full approval; he even took the initiative to reestablish what sin had wrecked. Genesis 3:15 records the first hint of what God would do for Adam and Eve’s descendants.

In the stories that follow, especially those having to do with Abraham and his offspring, we see progress toward that goal. God called Abraham to be in a special relationship with himself and gave him a three-fold promise: many descendants, a homeland for them, and an assurance that they would be a blessing to the world. It was essentially the promise of a better country—a place where God’s rule would be clearly seen in the hearts and lives of the people he planted there. That kingdom would be a testimony and blessing to the rest of the world.

The movement toward the fulfillment of that promise, as detailed in the narratives of the Old Testament, is not a smooth one. Although God gave Abraham’s descendants a homeland, time and again they violated their pledge to love and serve God alone. Instead, they repeatedly gave themselves to the service of false gods. After punishment and correction by God, the people would repent and again live as God wanted them to, but their obedience never lasted.

Still, the faithful among God’s people, some of whom are identified in Hebrews 11, kept looking forward to the complete fulfillment of his promises, even throughout the worst time in their history: their time of exile from their God-given homeland.

Increasingly, their hope became tied to a future Messiah who would lead them back to the life for which God had destined them. Hebrews and the other books of the New Testament identify Jesus as this Messiah and as the one who fulfilled all of the desires of the Old Testament saints for a better country.

The stories and teachings of the Old Testament are part of the spiritual history of all Christians and are essential for helping us understand what God wanted from the beginning. They illuminate the rebellious tendencies that still compromise our love and obedience to God, and they are a testament to God’s unfailing faithfulness, love, and grace. In these Scriptures we already see what the New Testament makes much clearer: the hand and purposes of God that would culminate in the gift of his son to the world—Jesus—whom Christians confess as their only hope for this life and the next.

Time and space prohibits an examination of every Bible story about life before Jesus. But my hope is that the readings and reflections presented here will both edify the readers and stimulate further interest in God’s revelation in the Old Testament. What God says here is worth the effort it takes for us to come to a better understanding of what he has revealed about himself and his plan for us. By the power of the Holy Spirit who inspired the Scriptures and who continues to speak through them, God cannot fail to convey his continuing promises and desires for each person who, by his grace, has a heart for serving him. 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith (Heb. 12:1-2a).

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The following reading assignments are named according to the days of the month as if you began on January 1. They will be required reading no matter what day of the month you are taking this course. My suggestion is that you begin each day’s study with a prayer that God will open your heart to what he wants to teach or reinforce in your life. Then, before you look at the meditation, read the Scripture passage that it’s based on. Each day’s reading also includes a relevant verse or two from the Old or New Testament. May God Bless You!