Gary L. Grizzell
The importance of the Old Testament cannot be underestimated in that it is written for our learning according to Romans 15:4. Paul, an inspired apostle of Jesus Christ, reminded his brethren at Rome of this fact.
Lessons from The Pentateuch
Note that God’s attributes are seen in:
1) Love: Genesis shows the love of God in both creating man and in providing a promise of a Savior to man (Gen. 3:15) after man sinned.
2) Power: Exodus reveals the great power (omnipotence—unlimited power) of God in delivering Israel from Egyptian bondage and from Pharaoh. (Ten Plagues on Pharaoh and destroys the Egyptian soldiers in the Red Sea, Exo. 1-14).
3) Holiness: Leviticus reveals the holiness of God and how that He therefore desires (and demands) men worship Him according to His instructions (see Lev. 10:1-2).
4) Integrity: Numbers reveals God’s integrity. Our God is a God who says what He means and means what He says. When the people in the wilderness journey obey Him, He blesses them. However, He punishes them when they disobey Him (Num. 25:1-9—whoredom and idolatry punished by God; 24,000 put to death) Surely that is a principle we learn from the Old Testament (Rom. 15:4).
5) Faithfulness: From Deuteronomy the faithfulness of God is seen. This book covers a time period of about one to two months. Moses delivers speeches encouraging obedience to God to the Israelites just prior to their following Joshua into the land of promise. God had been faithful to keep His promises to Abraham and to the obedient descendants of Abraham by giving them the land of Canaan. Likewise, God has been and will be faithful to we who live in the Christian Age as He cannot deny Himself. If we are disobedient, however, we shall not receive the promise of heaven, which is our “Canaan” (“Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief ”—Heb. 4:11).
The Christian Today
The true child of God today exhibits God-likeness: “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Pet. 1:4).
So within the bounds and limitations described in Scripture in all these areas exhibited by our God in the first five books of the Old Testament, the true Christian shows these distinct five characteristics. The obedient child of God today (within the bounds described in Scripture) exhibits God-likeness in all these areas listed above:
Love: “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35).
Power: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Tim 1:7).
Holiness: “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14).
Integrity: “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us” (Heb. 6:18).
Faithfulness: “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself ” (2 Tim. 2:13).
Conclusion
How wonderful to know that God will bless us with Heaven, our eternal home, as we are faithful to keep His Word. May we all strive to that end!
If you are not a New Testament Christian then you need to:
1) Hear the word of God concerning Jesus being The Son of God. (Rom. 10:17).
2) Believe In Jesus Christ as The Son of The Living God. (John 8:24).
3) Repent of your sins (Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38)
4) Confess Jesus as The Son of God. (Mat. 10:32-33; Rom. 10:9-10).
5) Be baptized in water for the remission of sins. (Acts 2:38—baptism is a burial in water—Rom. 6:3-4). You are then a Christian. Upon coming out of the water, the Lord adds you to His spiritual body, the church (Acts 2:47; Rom. 16:16).
Then, determine to live faithfully as a Christian for the rest of your earthly days. We must continue in the faith with whatever that entails (Col. 1:23).
