God’s Grace in the Old Testament

Study 5 in a series of 7The Promise key as

Prophetic Prediction

The key to unlocking the grace of God in the Old Testament comes when we understand what the concept of promise is about. It is because of God’s covenant love for us that he promises to save, guide and direct us. This demonstrates his grace.

Over recent weeks we have looked at ‘promise’, ‘blessing’, ‘covenant’ & ‘love’. These are some of many aspects of the central key of promise in the Old Testament.

Last time we looked at the concept of God’s covenant love, as a symbol of grace in the Old Testament.

We pondered how God’s love for us may differ from the love we might show towards him and one another.

We discovered that ‘love’ in the Bible has many and various dimensions, just like our modern society.These include: compassion, delight, graciousness, desire, sexual love, family love, friendship, & loyalty.

In the OT, Israel experienced God’s love that surpassed human capabilities. This divine love sought a loving response that included love for one’s neighbour (fellow Jews).

The words in the Old Testament used to describe God’s love are the same words used to describe human love. The most common OT verb for love is ’āhab (and its related noun forms) = love between a man and a woman.

The noun form ’āhabah is used to describe God’s love for Israel. It is not limited by the conditions of a covenant, but only by the will or actions of the one who shows love. It is this ’āhabah which is the cause and the very reason for God to make a covenant with his people.

There is the term raḥamim = mercy, compassion.

There is another term, ḥašaq = to be lovingly attached to.

Other terms, yādîd and dôd = beloved, lover.

The term ḥāpheṣ = to delight in.

Another term is ḥānan = to favour, to take pity.

But, the most important OT word for love occurs 245 times. It embraces several qualities all at once: ḥesed = loving kindness, graciousness, steadfastness & loyalty. But, there can be no ḥesed without a covenant, hence, ‘covenant love’.

The term ḥesed indicates a deep, long lasting relationship, which is beyond just admiration. For example, the promise of the Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7: 11b-16; see v15) promises God’s covenant love to David and Solomon will be eternal.

God chose Israel to be his people. Israel’s election was unearned and undeserved. It came only because of God’s generous and gracious love(ḥesed).

In Micah 6:8, the simplified threefold requirement of the law for the people of God was: to do justice, to love (’āhabat) mercy (ḥesed), and to walk humbly with your God.

This portrait of love is deepened in Hosea 11. ḥesed is demonstrated in his fatherly care (v1), his unrelenting patience (v2), his nurture & healing (v3), his freedom and provision (v4), his abundant mercy (v8-9), & his undeserved kindness (11b).

We shared more words or phrases we might use today to talk about ‘love’.

So, the love that God has revealed to his people in the OT period is both a demonstration of God’s own nature, and a promise of how he wants to treat every one who calls on his name.

We shared how we might experience more of God’s love.

Tonight we look at another concept that expresses God’s promise in the Bible: Prophetic Prediction. The Old Testament prophets spoke God’s Word with boldness. Their prophetic word was likened to a lion’s roar (Amos 3:6-8).

It is surprising, that given the importance of the prophet’s role in Ancient Israel to provide the king with hope and guidance, that there is no future tense in biblical Hebrew (the language the prophets used).

However, people of the ANE were well aware of the future (or eschatology). Biblical authors referred to future events by using key phrases such as: “on that day” (89 times in the OT prophets) [Zephaniah 3:11, 16; Zechariah 9:16; 12:3, 8].

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The phrase “at that time” is found 20 times in the OT prophets. [Isaiah 18:7; Jeremiah 3:17; Ezekiel 24:27; Daniel 12:1]

The phrase: “the day of the LORD” is found 19 times in the OT prophets [Isaiah 13:6,9; Joel 2: 1, 11, 31; Zephaniah 1:7, 14].

The phrase: “in those days” is found 13 times in the OT prophets [Jeremiah 3:16-18; Joel 2:29, 3:1-2]

The phrase: “the days are surely coming, says the LORD” is found 11 times in the OT prophets [Jeremiah 23:5-8; 31:27-38].

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The people of Israel were given instructions concerning the raising up of prophets in their midst. Any prophecy that contradicted God’s Word or proved to be wrong was the sign of a false prophet Deuteronomy 18:18-22.

How might we How might we experience experience more of God’s more of God’s prophetic word?prophetic word?

The Old Testament prophets were very much concerned about their hearers being obedient to the Lord’s covenant. This shaped their message.

Predictive prophetic material is about the promise of what will happen in the future.

Can you think of an experience when you had a sense of something that would happen in the future?A word of knowledge? A word of wisdom?

The prophetic message is about forth-telling (or proclamation) rather than fore-telling (or prediction). More than ninety percent of canonical prophetic material addresses the current needs of God’s people. That leaves only a small amount of prophetic material that focuses on the future.

What do you think will be the future of our church?

Who are the prophets in our church?

Next time we hope to look at the concept of ‘Messianic prophecies’, as a symbol of grace in the Old Testament.

© 24th October 2011, K. Sarlow