The Old Testament starts with two contrasting creation accounts and the origin of sin. Not to be taken literally, yet rich myths containing universal spiritual truths, the accounts tell us that God is the Creator, humans were made in the divine image, but the relationship between God and humanity had become damaged.
The first human couple, originally created as good and the highest of God’s creation, fall prey to pride and disobedience. As a result, they forfeit the potential of becoming like God through transformation of their soul/heart by God-given Divine Love. In that sense they “die” – by forfeiting immortality, which the transformation of soul – the new heart referred to later by the prophets – would have given them. Despite their “Fall”, God doesn’t abandon them, and they and their descendants are not doomed to a helpless and hopeless state of depravation, as taught by the doctrine of the “original sin”.1
They give birth to children, the first of whom are Cain and Abel. In the course of time, Cain murders Abel out of jealousy, and from then on, evil starts multiplying in the human race. Natural disasters can be consequences of human sin – civilizations have been destroyed in ages long ago through cataclysmic events like floods, earthquakes or volcanic activities, which have remained in the records and mythology of their contemporary descendants throughout the world. While the Bible account of God destroying all humanity save Noah and his family through a flood is not completely accurate, heavy rains and widespread flooding with great loss of life had occurred and are therefore recorded in the legends of many cultures.2
Fast forward, and God appears to a man by the name of Abram, later renamed to Abraham. He is called out of idol worship and told to leave his land (Haran) to go by faith to where God shows him – the land of Canaan. Abraham is advanced in years, married to a beautiful woman, Sarai (later renamed Sarah), who however has been unable to bear him children and is now long past child-bearing age. Yet, incredibly, God gives Abraham promises of innumerable descendants and a land flowing with milk and honey that his descendants will also be given. In addition, there is to be a special descendant down the line, through whom all nations are to be blessed. Even more unbelievably, Abraham believes God’s promises and this amazing faith is counted to him for righteousness.3
All in all, Abraham does as he is told – though there are times when he and Sarah take matters into their own hands and reap the consequences. Abraham ends up begetting two sons – Ishmael, borne by his young Egyptian servant Hagar, and Isaac, miraculously borne over a decade later by his wife Sarah, now 90, fulfilling the divine promise.4 God also makes a covenant with Abraham, reconfirming that all the amazing promises will be fulfilled. Male circumcision becomes a sign of the covenant. This physical sign too will later take on spiritual significance as circumcision of the heart by the Holy Spirit imparting Divine Love into the soul.5
Isaac marries his cousin, Rebecca, and they have twins, Esau and Jacob. Favoritism and deception bring about all manner of problems. The outcome is that Jacob swindles Esau out of his birthright as the firstborn and his father’s special blessing. As a result, he has to flee for his life to avoid Esau’s wrath. He ends up with his uncle Laban, who breaks one promise after another – deception runs in the family. Two decades later, Jacob has four wives, twelve sons, and at least one daughter. After reconfirming the promises given to his grandfather Abraham and father Isaac, God changes Jacob’s name to Israel. His twelve sons become the foundation of the future nation of Israel.6
In the course of time, Joseph, the second youngest son, is sold into slavery by his own brothers, who are jealous of his father’s favoritism and his dreams. Through a long chain of up-and-down circumstances, he eventually becomes the head of Egypt under the pharaoh. He then invites his whole family to join him and settle in the area of Goshen to escape the famine in their land.
Life goes well until a new dynasty comes to power. The people of Israel multiply and begin to be seen as a threat. Hence the Egyptians decide to oppress and enslave them. Male babies are not to live and the people are subjected to hard labor.7
One male child, Moses, miraculously escapes the infanticide and is brought up by an Egyptian princess. Later, with divine help, he becomes the instrument to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt – in what has become known as the Exodus. This is preceded by an awesome series of natural and supernatural events and plagues – ten in all – demonstrating God’s power to both the Egyptians and Israel.8
The people pass through the sea, being protected from the pursuing Egyptian army. They are then led through the desert to Mount Sinai. There God gives them his law – the Ten Commandments, and later other laws – and offers them a covenant relationship, whereby they are to be obedient and in turn, God will protect and bless them. Their proposed role is to become a kingdom of priests, a holy nation, and an example to other nations who would then also seek to serve the creator God. The people agree to be obedient, but history shows that time after time they failed and reaped the consequences.9
One of the major tasks during Israel’s thirteen-month stay at Mt Sinai is the building of a tabernacle, which will serve as a visible presence of God and a source of divine guidance. Detailed specifications are provided, and only certain people – the descendants of Israel’s son Levi – are permitted to do the set-up and take-down, as well as other ministering tasks. The portable tabernacle will accompany the people through their wilderness journey into the Promised Land and beyond – all the way to the time of the yet future monarchy, until King Solomon builds a temple to the Lord. Both the tabernacle and temple are again symbols of spiritual realities as shown later.10
The covenant made with Israel, now known as the Old Covenant, is based on obedience to law and commandments which include the Ten Commandments, as well as feast days, tithing (giving 10% of their gains to God), dietary laws, purification rites, and ritual sacrifices and offerings. The Sabbath is to be a special sign of the covenant between God and the people.11 The law and the various rituals can again be seen as symbols or types of deeper spiritual realities fulfilled and/or superseded in Jesus Christ and the church as will be shown later.
Israel is to not just stay camped at Sinai, but journey to the land promised to their ancestor Abraham. So after thirteen months of being given instruction, building a tabernacle, and ordaining priests to carry out sacrifices and receive offerings, the people are given a go-ahead to start moving. As a result of rebellion, however, the short journey to the land of Canaan becomes a forty-year odyssey of trial and testing, as well as witnessing God’s hand at work. Except for Joshua and Caleb, who remained faithful to God, all those who left Egypt die in the wilderness. Only their descendants will inherit the Promised Land.12
Finally the land is reached and the people become settled as twelve tribes under their new leader, Joshua. After Joshua, there is no strong leader and the people are governed by judges. This period is characterized by several cycles of disobedience, oppression, crying out to God, deliverance through a judge, and short-term gratitude and obedience.13
Samuel is the last judge. His sons are corrupt and the people ask for a king in order to be like other nations. God grants them their wish, but not without warning that the king will end up oppressing them.
Saul, David, and David’s son Solomon become the first three kings. Then, again because of sin, David’s dynasty is to continue with only two of the tribes – Judah and Benjamin, with a few representatives of the other tribes. The single kingdom splits into two – Judah in the south and Israel in the north.14
King David is best known for his devotion to God, but also for his scheming and warring nature. He desires to build a temple for God, but is not allowed to because of the blood on his hands. Instead, the task falls to his son Solomon.
After seven years, a magnificent temple is completed and dedicated in Jerusalem, in the southern Kingdom of Judah. Like the tabernacle, the temple becomes the place for people to look to for connecting with God and for receiving guidance. However, if the people rebel and disobey God, He will reject both the nation and the temple, and let natural consequences take place in the form of various curses including being overrun by stronger neighbors. This is what eventually happens.15
Both kingdoms follow their own policies under a succession of kings. With a few exceptions, most of the kings do what is evil in God’s sight and lead their people into idolatry. As a result, they are invaded, with many of the people taken captive and exiled out of their land. History records tell us that Israel was overrun by Assyria in the year 721 B.C. Almost two centuries later, Judah, who had a few more righteous kings, was also overrun – by Babylon, in 539 B.C.16
The people of the northern kingdom, Israel, are scattered, disappear from the radar, and come to be known in history as the lost tribes of Israel. In contrast, Judah’s exile is prophesied to last only 70 years. And indeed this happens when Babylon is succeeded by Persia and the Persian king, Cyrus, allows the Jews to return and rebuild Jerusalem and the temple.
Encouraged by the prophets, Zechariah and Haggai, the people eventually build a new temple – though one that is much inferior to the original one built by King Solomon.17 This is the same temple, later embellished by King Herod, which will come to play a part in the life of Jesus and Paul.18 This period is also believed to be the time when much of what was passed on as oral tradition and isolated writings becomes compiled into a coherent whole and eventually results in what we know as the Hebrew Scriptures or the Old Testament.
While many of the descendants of the exiled Jews choose not to return to the land of Palestine – the nation never becomes united again – some do. This is necessary for the remaining promises to Abraham to be fulfilled – one of his descendants, Jesus of Nazareth, is the promised seed to become a blessing to all nations – the anointed, Messiah, or Christ. The rest of the Jewish people remain in small communities, as the diaspora, scattered in various areas, but retain their identity and culture by remembering their history and God’s law preserved in their sacred writings.
In Palestine, over time, several religious groups form as tends to happen within any religion. They include the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots. Some centuries later, this is the situation into which Jesus is born, and which forms the backdrop to the New Testament.
While the Old Testament history as presented in the scriptures is a mixture of myths (stories that have not actually happened but contain universal truths at a metaphorical level) and historical fact, the existence of ancient Israel as a united and divided monarchy, as well as the exile of both kingdoms are historically and archeologically substantiated.
The Jewish people, as a remnant of the original twelve tribes of Israel, are still here as a small nation – formed in 1948, having taken the name Israel, and surviving against all odds. They also exist as small communities and as individuals. They are still writing post-exilic history, still living by at least some aspects of the Hebrew Scriptures – though today only few are really committed to their God – and still waiting for their Messiah and a restoration of their kingdom.
In the meantime, the Messiah’s kingdom is being prepared at another level – Celestial – through the church – those who are being worked with by the Holy Spirit and praying for and receiving the soul-transforming Divine Love and Nature.19