Unlocking the Old Testament Part 1 – Overview of the Old Testament
An introduction to the series “Unlocking the Old Testament”
The Old Testament is actually a library of 39 books written over a period of 1000 years with most of it covering 2000 years of history before Christ. David Pawson shows how they fit together. With teaching on any one topic scattered all over the Bible, every text is in the context of the book, and every book is in the context of history. God speaks into particular situations, so the time and place give the text its meaning. It features the struggle between the two world powers in the ancient Middle East. The first 5 books are on God’s law and are the most important books in the Old Testament as they are the foundation of the Bible and help us to understand the rest of it. Next are the prophets – prophetic history through which God speaks to us today. Prophetic history is different from other history. All history books are based on 2 principles, selection and connection. When writing a history book, writers first select what to put in and what to leave out. They then show the connection between these events, i.e. what led to what. Prophetic history however, selects only what is important to God. Lastly are the writings, which are stories, poetry and songs.