Reading the Old Testament - 1. Know your history

Before you begin reading the Old Testament it’s helpful to have an overview of Old Testament history.Then you’ll have some idea of where the text that you are reading fits into the overall story.

The books of the Old Testament are not arranged chronologically, although the narratives in the books from Genesis to Nehemiah do follow Jewish history fairly closely. Having a basic outline of the events of the Old Testament in mind when reading the Psalms, say, or the prophetic books, will help you to understand their context and purpose.

For instance, the book of Jeremiah opens by saying that Jeremiah was active in the time of Josiah, King of Judah, until the time when the people of Jerusalem were taken into exile. (Jer 1:1-3). You’ll understand a lot more of what Jeremiah had to say if you know something about this period.

This short video, written and narrated by Andrew Wilson, provides a useful and easy-to-remember summary of the whole Old Testament.



As the video makes clear, the narratives of the Old Testament are not just Jewish history but also theological history. That is, they are interested in what God was doing through the events as they happened, and what his purposes were.

The video also brings out the important connections between Old Testament history and the life of Jesus in the New Testament. Jesus is not only the ultimate end or goal of history, but all history points to him.

This post is part 1 of a series on reading the Old Testament:

Reading the Old Testament part 7 - Is the Old Testament misogynistic?
Reading the Old Testament part 6 - Not-so-simple questions about the Old Testament
Reading the Old Testament part 5 - A simple set of questions to use when reading the Old Testament 
Reading the Old Testament part 4 - The Old Testament wasn't written in a day
Reading the Old Testament part 3 - Remember the Old Testament is old
Reading the Old Testament part 2 - Getting an overview
Reading the Old Testament part 1 - Know your history

The illusions of the disillusioned

(Monday musings)

Something I learned rather late in life is that healing and wholeness never take place until we accept the truth, no matter how painful or sad the truth may be. I've seen it in my own life, as I've struggled with accepting my own failings and limitations and the limitations of people who are important to me. And I've seen it proved true many times in the lives of those I've counselled. Whether the healing required is emotional, physical or spiritual, the first bitter medicine that has to be applied is always the truth.

Most of us prefer to live with our illusions. We want to believe that our emotions are always appropriate, our motives are always pure, our bodies are strong and are going to last forever, no matter how we treat them.
We want to believe that athletes never use drugs, that politician from 'our' side of politics never lie, that religious leaders never feel or gratify lust, that businesses never sell us faulty or dangerous products.
When our illusions about ourselves are shattered, we feel sadness, shame and anxiety. It may take us a while to accept the truth, deal with reality, and start to change. When our illusions about others are destroyed, we feel betrayed and angry. We are 'dis-illusioned.'

At the moment we live in a very dis-illusioned society. Every day seems to bring more news of fallen heroes, guilty gods and godesses. The question is whether we will accept the truth, and recognise that our illusions were doing us more harm than good. Will we accept that we had put people on pedestals that couldn't support them. Or will we simply lash out at whoever comes within reach, until our anger subsides and we find some new illusions, some new idols.

It's not that we shouldn't have high expectations of those who are in positions of influence or power. Those who betray the trust society places in them should be called to account. But that needs to be done in a calm, legally-sanctioned manner, by the appropriate people. As a society we need to be careful that we are punishing the crimes or misdemeanors of which the offenders are guilty, not raging against their failure to be the perfect people we wanted them to be.

The rest of us need to ask what it was about ourselves that made us put such faith in mere human beings. Why did we cling to our illusions for so long? And how are we feeding the illusions of others who put us on pedestals and ask us to be their role models, their heroes, their ideals? We all need a regular dose of truth, but will we take it?

Working in the family business

Generally if someone says they are working for another person, we can assume one of two things. Either they are working with the expectation of some reward for their efforts, or they are working to pay off a debt owed to the other person.

If that's the case, what are we to make of phrases such as "he's working for God" or "she's doing God's work"? If we're working for God in the hope of some reward, we've missed the whole idea of grace. Everything we need has already been freely provided  in Christ. We don't need to earn it. And God owes us nothing. What can we possibly do that would make God indebted to us?

On the other hand, if we're working for God with the idea of "repaying our debts" to him, we've again misunderstood grace. We don't owe God anything except to love him and delight in what he has done for us. Good parents don't give gifts expecting their children to repay them in some way. Neither does God.

Christians who speak of 'working for God' tend to fall into the second error more often than the first. How many times have you heard "Since God has done so much for you, you should show your gratitude by working for his glory" or some similar sentiment? Sometimes it's a subtle call to dishonour the giver by offering payment for the gift.

I'm not suggesting that we should just take what God offers and go on our selfish way. Over and over we are called to labour and work with our best effort. But I think the New Testament emphasis is on 'working with God' rather than 'working for God.'

Having absorbed the amazing truth that through Christ we are now God's children, filled and empowered by his Spirit, and free of all debts except the debt to love, we are ready to co-operate with him in the work he is doing. We are sons and daughters working alongside our Father, learning from him to follow the family business. Where he succeeds, we share his success, but not vice versa.