Personalities of the Old Testament

The Old Testament serves multiple purposes, depending on religious, historical, and literary perspectives. Here are some key purposes:

1. Religious Purpose

• Foundation of Faith: It establishes the core beliefs of Judaism and Christianity, revealing God's nature, laws, and relationship with humanity.
• Covenantal Relationship: It documents the covenants between God and His people, particularly with figures like Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David.
• Prophecy and Messianic Expectation: Many books contain prophecies about a future Messiah, which Christians believe were fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

2. Historical Purpose

• Record of Israel’s History: The Old Testament chronicles the origins, struggles, exiles, and restorations of the Israelite people.
• Moral and Legal Code: Books like Leviticus and Deuteronomy provide laws that guided the Israelites' daily life and justice system.
• Stories of Human Struggles and Triumphs: It presents narratives of faith, failure, and redemption through figures like Moses, David, and Esther.

4. Theological Purpose

• Revealing God’s Character: The Old Testament presents God as just, merciful, and sovereign.
• Foreshadowing the New Testament: Christians view the Old Testament as setting the stage for Jesus and the salvation story.

In This study, "Personalities of the Old Testament", we will look at specific persons in the Old Testament and see how they speak to us today in the twenty-first century.  This is by no means an exhaustive list.  Others will be examined at length in future studies

Please feel free to join in the discussion in comments after each post.