The Old Testament Genesis 1:1; Malachi 4:5

This post concerns the Old Testament and how God dealt with His creation during that time.

The Old Testament begins before anything existed, Genesis 1:1. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

The Old Testament reports Adam and Eve’s sin which resulted in God driving them from the Garden of Eden. The remainder of the Bible then deals with God’s plan to provide heaven—an idyllic eternal life—for His people.

However, Cain and Abel’s descendants waxed worse and worse and disobeyed God’s commands. Finally, God destroyed all life except Noah and his family in a flood and began again to provide a way to heaven for their descendants.

Then, Abraham’s children, the Israelites, became enslaved in Egypt. God’s mighty hand liberated them using Moses as their leader. At Sinai, God gave them a written law to follow. Although God kept His promises and provided them Canaan as a homeland, they refused to keep His commandments and drifted into idolatry. Then, the country split into Israel in the north and Judea in the south.

Thereafter, God sent prophets to restore correct worship. These prophets often spoke of a future Messiah that would provide God’s plan for eternal salvation.

Finally, the foreign nation of Assyria overcame the northern country, Israel, and carried them into captivity, never to return. Later, the Babylonians conquered the southern country, Judea, and subjected them to captivity. After seventy years, a fraction returned to rebuild destroyed Jerusalem and the burned temple. Finally, these returning Jews restored correct worship.

Afterward, the last prophet, Malachi, issued a prophecy about a future momentous day, Malachi 4:5. “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.”

However, 400 years passed without fulfillment of this prophecy or any written or spoken word from the Lord.

Thus, the Old Testament ended with unfulfilled yearnings.

So, what did we learn?

1.After creation, sin created the need for eternal salvation.

2.God’s people refused to obey His law and drifted into idolatry.

3.God’s prophets promised a Messiah that would provide a plan for salvation.

4.The Old Testament closed with a promise that a forerunner would come and precede the Messiah.

For more on the Bible, click

https://tdroberts.org or https://justchristian.com or https://podcastjustchristian.com

#creationSinExpulsion #floodNewPeople #MesssiahForerunner