An Old Testament Theology Essay Sample

The reading takes us through a crucial moment in history of the Israelites. All through the bible, God used the promise of the land to assure His people that his promises are real and permanent. Land remains to be a crucial investment in people’s life, which God used to make the Israelites fix their eyes on them. Looking back in history, God told Abraham to move from where he was to a land that he would show him. Moving out was a step of faith that Abraham had to make because of his trust in God. For a long time, the Israelites remained homeless yet they were considered the people that God had chosen to reveal his power. The wilderness experience also taught them a lot, the most significant being discipline and total trust in God. They lived each day at a time as they saw God provide for them in mysterious ways.
The most defining moment for the Israelites was to take control of what God had already promised them. It is amazing to note that God did not just freely give them land but required them to maintain a particular discipline and lifestyle which they learned in the wilderness. In actual sense, the land they were to disposes belonged to seemingly more powerful nations than they were. God did this intentionally just to prove to the Israelites that he was able to fight for them and ensure that they get the land. The channels that God also used were aimed at not only giving the Israelites victory but also to win other people God’s way. For instance, when Joshua and his men were plotting an attack against Jericho, God used the most unexpected vessel to hide the spies. Rehab was a prostitute, and in any culture, she was considered the most sinful and despised in the society.
God granted Joshua’s men favour with the prostitute who hid them and even advised them on how to escape after spying the land. It is from this that another covenant was made with her family. They obtained deliverance and became part of God’s chosen people. The literature reveal o us a very critical nature of God that most believers tend to ignore or fail to understand. It should always be noted that the main reason why God chose Israel was to manifest His power and to reveal to the nations of the world that He is the only God. He knew in his magnificent wisdom that to fulfil this, he had to ensure that the Israelites worshiped him alone. This had to take some crises, which would ultimately be followed by repentance and devotion and ultimately deliverance. This is a similar case with Christian believers, who have to go through storms of life just to strengthen their faith in God.
I found the reading mind opening and informative. Christianity is a walk of faith, completely trusting in God to deliver his promises no matter the storms that make come our way. I just realised that the best way to enjoy the blessings of God is to worship him as that is the sole purpose of man on earth. God has teaches us obedience and trust and the faster we learn, the better we are in position to receive from him. Of all the things we do and accomplish on this earth, it is all vanity unless God takes charge.