Bible Question:
hello brethren I'm a lady aged 16 and a newly born-again.I really find it difficult to relate old testament events 'cause of lacking a bible.I only know the new testament.Can anyone help in this regard?a.s olifant P.o Box 943 Ximhungwe,1281 RSA thanx |
Bible Answer: Hello, I'm glad to here that are born again. That kind of news is always welcomed. Many of the others who have responded have provided information concerning where and how to get a full bible. Therefore, I will turn to your comments concerning the Old Testament in relation to the New Testament. First off, what is a "Testament"? A Testament is a covenant or promise made between two people or groups. In the Bible, God made 8 covenants with men. Each of the covenants build upon the one prior. The New testament is about the "New Covenant". This "New Covenant" is the last one God has made. With this Covenant, God sent Jesus Christ to Die, be buried, and to rise again. Through this new Covenant, Salvation was provided for mankind. Now, what about the other 7? The Covenants begin with the Edenic Covenant in Genesis 1-2. With this covenant, God decreed that Mankind would Marry, and multiply across the earth. Also, he established the Garden of Eden as the beginning spot. The Next covenant is the Adamic covenant in Genesis 3. With this covenant, God cursed mankind, the serpent, and the land. He also established the first prophecy of the Messiah in Genesis 3:15. This covenant establishes Man's sinful nature and the need for redemption. The third covenant is the Noahic Covenant in Genesis 9. With this covenant, God promised to never attempt to destroy sinful man again through waters and floods. The Fourth Covenant is the Abrahamic Covenant Beginning in Genesis 12. This covenant spans across Abrahams life. It begins with a promised land, goes to include an heir, and ends with the promise of a nation through which the Messiah will come. The fifth, and most noted covenant is the Mosaic Covenant. This Covenant is also known as the Law. It includes the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Next to the New Covenant, this one is the most important. Not only does it establish the Law, but it reveals God's ultimate will and plan for mankind for the First time. The four prior covenants share small portions of what God has planned, but they don't deal much in how sin can be removed. This covenant covers what it takes to be sinless, which only the Messiah can be. The Sixth Covenant is the Palestinian Covenant in Deuteronomy 30. This covenant establishes the Land once promised to Abraham to be given to the Israelites as their nation home land. This is also the land where the Messiah will come from and the Kingdom he shall reign from. The Seventh Covenant is known as the Davidic Covenant found in 2 Samuel 7. This covenant establishes the House of David to rule forever. This is another Messianic Covenant in that it establishes that the Messiah will be of David's house. These seven covenants form the basis of the New Covenant, which Jesus established. In the Parable of the Rich man and Lazarus, Abraham says that the brothers of the Rich man have the Law and the Prophets to guide them. Well, we've already discussed the Law and the Covenants. Let's take a look at the Prophets. The Prophets sort of fill in the gaps. They attempt to explain the Covenants and God's will in further detail. They are divided into three groups. 1) Non-writting prophets: Prophets like Nathan, Elijah, and Elisha fall into this group. There are others, but these are the most noted ones. 2) Major Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel. Lamentations, written by Jeremiah, is also included here. They are called "major" because their books span their entire life. 3) Minor Prophets: The rest of the writting prophets fall into this category. They include: Amos, hosea, micah, malachi, zephaniah, zechariah, habakkuk, haggai, Nahum, Jonah, Joel, and Obediah. They are called this because their books contain only portions of their lives. This is a basic breakdown and summary of how the Old Testament applies to the New Testament. Basically, The Old Testament is the background to the New Testament. Without the Old Testament, It would be like watching Star Wars: Return of the Jedi without ever watching the other movies. I hope this helps. Jesus Loves You! Jesusman |