5/14/14- The OT is 4Us

 For he called Abraham from his father's country, instructed him, and multiplied his seed, he marvelously preserved him, and more marvelously delivered his seed from the bondage and tyranny of Pharaoh; to them he gave his laws, constitutions, and ceremonies; to them he gave the land of Canaan; after he had given them judges, and afterwards Saul, he gave David to be king, to whom he gave promise that of the fruit of his loins should one sit forever upon his royal throne. To this same people from time to time he sent prophets, to recall them to the right way of their God, from which sometimes they strayed by idolatry. And although, because of their stubborn contempt for righteousness he was compelled to give them into the hands of their enemies, as had previously been threatened by the mouth of Moses, so that the holy city was destroyed, the temple burned with fire, and the whole land desolate for seventy years, yet in mercy he restored them again to Jerusalem, where the city and the temple were rebuilt, and they endured against all temptations and assaults of Satan till the Messiah came according to the promise.

1For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3They all ate the same spiritual food 4and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

6Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”^a 8We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9We should not test Christ,^b as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.

11These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. 12So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!  (1 Corinthians 10)

Thoughts: Here Knox explains the Heilsgeschicthe- the holy history- the history of God dealing with the people of old.  God chose Abraham to be a patriarch to eventually bring in his son.  He chose Moses to free His people and also to guide them with the Law.  God chose David as a king and promised an ultimate king of kings from his genes.  He notes that the Church of that day was almost destroyed by the Babylonians in the sixth century BC.  Yet God amazingly and graciously restored them after a time of exile.  The Old Testament is not just a history book, but it is also a history of God dealing with His people.  We see their examples and warnings, and hear the time honored imperatives that go beyond nation or Temple sacrifice.  The Old Testament is not just about "them" but it is about "us."  The promises and examples are still alive for us today. 

Prayer: Lord, may I know your promise and your love.