We hear a lot about grace in the New Testament. But what about the Old? Listen as pastor Preston Sprinkle unpacks the amazing truth of charis – God giving us what we don’t deserve.
Preston teaches an Old Testament survey class at Eternity Bible College.
“I found myself every year seeing grace becoming more and more central to the story line of the Old Testament. Of course there’s judgment, there’s wrath – but what I see is this steady theme of grace that is woven through and often overpowers many stories.”
Where do we see grace (which Preston defines as the Greek word meaning “gift”)?
In the story of Abraham…
God chooses a man who doesn’t know Him to be the father of many nations.
In the story of Noah…
God gives a mission to a man who would eventually become drunk in a tent after being saved from a flood.
In the story of Ruth…
God chooses a Moabite, a minority, to join the lineage of the Messiah.
“She had an amazing heart. She didn’t have any of the social clout that people in that culture would have been looking for… a widow with no children, in a foreign land, everything going against her. It’s not just a beautiful Cinderella story but a beautiful divine story.”
In the story of David…
Preston points out that we often see David as the hero because of his strength – but that may not be the right way to think.
“David is a hero because he submits to and trusts in God. It’s almost as though we should read David as a parallel to Christ, and we’re the scared Israelites on the sidelines who sit back and watch Jesus defeat the sin.”
Key Scriptures: Romans 5:8; Exodus 35-41; Ephesians 2:8-9
Featured Songs: Jesus Loves Me by Chris Tomlin; Calvary by Hillsong; Your Grace Finds Me by Matt Redman
