 |
|
|
The Old Testament and the People of Israel: God's Chosen People The Fall created division between humanity and God. God, who wants humanity to be in communion with Him, began to set apart a group of people who would reveal Him to the world. These people would grow in knowledge and love of God, and through them would come one who would put an end to the division caused by sin and death. In this way God would save and renew His beloved creation, restoring it to Himself. To begin to restore creation, God called a man named Abraham and established a covenant with him. In return for Abraham’s faithfulness, God promised Abraham that he would become the father of a great nation. It was through Abraham that God called into being the people who would know and love Him. These chosen people became known as the people of Israel or the Israelites. The story of how God chose Abraham and tested him is quite extraordinary. He was called to travel to a land that he had never seen before. He fathered two children in his old age. He dined with the three persons of the Trinity, and he nearly sacrificed his own son in obedience to God. Read the story of how God established a relationship with Abraham for yourself in the Book of Genesis, chapters 11 – 22. A very well known icon is that of the “Hospitality of Abraham”. This icon depicts the three persons of the Holy Trinity as angels sitting at the table that Abraham and Sarah have prepared for them. |
|
The Law and the Prophets Eventually, through a descendant of Abraham named Moses, God gave the Israelites the Law (which includes the Ten Commandments, but also goes beyond them). The Law revealed to these people what was right in the eyes of God. God gave people the choice between life and death – between obedience and disobedience: “I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in His ways and observing His commandments .. you shall live.” 1 Choosing obedience meant life, choosing disobedience meant death, just as it did for Adam and Eve. At that time, just like now, people forgot God and His Law. To help the people grow closer to Him, God sent prophets to remind the people of His love for them. They challenged the people to follow God’s commandments and to choose life in communion with Him. The people, unfortunately, often did not listen to the prophets at the time the prophet spoke, but afterwards, when they looked back on events, realized that what the prophets said was true. Many of the prophets spoke of a Servant of God, a Messiah, an Anointed One who would come and would fix the relationship between the Jewish people (and in fact the entire creation) and God. The result would be a renewal of the entire creation, where everything would be put in the right order. Christians realize this person is Jesus Christ. |
 |
|
| Top | Home | About Us | News | Parishes | Resources | Eparchial Bodies | Contact Us | Search | Links |