Lessons

Old Testament Study – Part 18. The Old Testament to a new believer in Christ can be awkward to read and can be cumbersome at first. Derek shares the story of how he felt as a young Christian boy getting inspired to grow by reading scripture… but when he got past Genesis 1:1, it became a burden. The reason we have taken time out to look at the Old Testament is to encourage you as a Christian to understand the issues in the New Testament because most of the Gospels and books written during the Acts period deal with truths from the Old Testament. The call to rightly divide scripture requires the workman to get after it and read to compare the scriptures. The lesson on August 13, 2006 covers the passages in Jeremiah 23:5-8 which explains the mindset of the nation Israel when the birth of the Lord occurred. Another passage covered was in Isaiah 11:11a (KJV) which says “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people…” Further, a passage in Ezekiel 37:21 says “And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:” Verse 22-28 continues the thought of making them one Nation under God and for them to receive a new covenant (v.26) that would enable Israel to keep the statues of God and do them forever more. The New Covenant is promised to the nation of Israel and not to Christians. This is what is stated in Jeremiah 31:31 and Hebrews 8:8. This gives us the hope of Israel in the Gospels as the Bride of Christ. The Church, or members of the Body of Christ in The Mystery have different promises and blessings. This is the eighteenth lesson in the series.