Then the psalmist goes on to describe the joy and blessings of the sons and daughters of Jerusalem: "As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there [and they shall say]: all my springs [of joy] are in thee [Jerusalem]" (Ps. ABWE is also at work in countries that restrict evangelism. If God has saved you, He has done so for the praise of His glorious grace (Eph. Now the Lord said to Abram, Go from your country and your kindred and your fathers house to the land that I will show you. This means that Zion, or Jerusalem, is the spiritual fatherland of many Gentile peoples. By examining the various ways and principles that characterize both the Old Testament (OT) and Eldoret, this article discusses the subject for the purpose of placing mission in its appropriate context within Eldoret. New Testament Holy Verses about Orders 5. God's Missionary Heart in the Old Testament ABWE 2:14); (2) the vision of tamed wild beasts living together in peace - the wolf with the lamb, the leopard with the kid, the calf with the lion (Is. ", Habakkuk 2:14 "The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the, Zephaniah 2:11 "Nations on every shore will worship him", Zephaniah 3:9 "Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call The gathering of over 14,000 students here is an indication to the world of Christian students' concern about evangelism and missions as an expression of their obedience to the Lord's Great Commission. But the grace of God did not fail. Behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. His dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. There is only one moral order in the world and that is the order established by God. Old Testament and the Mission of God - Missiologically Thinking And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? The prophet Isaiah sings of Jerusalem as the center of Messianic blessings: The Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising" (Is. All this has been brought about by God through missions. ", Isaiah 43:6 "I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' 40 Bible verses about Missionary Work We should not read Gods call of Israel as if it stopped there. The text-form of the Old Testament quotations -- Typological use of the Old Testament -- The use of Old Testament prediction -- The . ", Psalm 99:1-3 "He is exalted over all the nations. And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. I think I am justified in saying that this convention is a major force in the movings of God along the line of carrying out his worldwide mission. And how are they to hear without someone preaching? . The Messiah is King-Servant-Prophet. First, Jehovah is the only God. This God must be proclaimed, acknowledged and worshiped in all the world. The Messiah will be ruler of all nations. . Again, the scope of this kingdom far transcends the boundaries of Israel. 0000002133 00000 n God's purpose in raising up the nation of Israel was to show the world through its history his way of salvation and thereby to bring all the nations of the world to enjoy his blessings. 4:22). Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest now, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God. The Messianic King had a mission the fulfillment of which involves suffering and sacrifice on his part. The rest of the harvest meant that other nations would experience the salvific and redemptive benefits from God when Israel was obedient to her call. PDF GODS MISSIONARY MESSAGE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT A Paper Southwestern The stories of the New Testament also reveal God's heart for the nations. Truth taken out of its living context is no longer truth. Kaiser writes persuasively and well. Even before humanitys fall into sin, Gods goal was to spread his glory into all creation. The change of his name from Abram to Abraham is a beautiful symbol of the transformation that took place in his life. Download your FREE copy today at ReformedResources.org! She confesses: I know that the LORD has given you the landfor we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea Her confession is of the divine name and includes the LORDs exclusivity: for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above on the earth beneath. She then requests for mercy from the LORDs judgment through the spies. They were a kingdom of priests. today, missions slogans, classic scripture passages and I divide this theme into four subtitles: first, the basis of missions in the Old Testament; second, the basis of missions in the Gospels (that is, Christ and missions); third, the basis of missions in Acts (that is, the Holy Spirit and missions); and fourth, the basis of missions in the Epistles (that is, the church and missions). Bible Verses in the Old Testament about Missions 1. Every Sermon from the Old Testament Should Include Missions Sixth, people of the ends of the earth will be taught of God's truth: "And the isles shall wait for his law" (Is. earth may know your name" (Solomon's prayer at dedication of Temple), 2 Kings 19:15, 19 "Hezekiah prayed . In the prophetic books of the Old Testament, we find eschatological images of the final fulfillment of God's plan of salvation. We cannot be true Christians without being missionaries. The lordship of this King should be proclaimed throughout the width and breadth of the globe through evangelism and missions. 2023 InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA. Gen. 12:1-3). He previously served for sixteen years in pastoral ministry and has experience as an MK. awesome name", Psalm 102:15 "The nations will fear the name of the, Psalm 102:22 "when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship the, Psalm 105:1 "make known among the nations what He has done" , Psalm 106:8 reason for dividing the Red Sea, Psalm 108:3 "I will sing of you among the peoples", Psalm 108:5 "Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all 38:7-13). The second great crisis in the history of Israel rose when the Israelites began their wandering in the wilderness. The entire Bible is about missionGod's and ours. 0000005301 00000 n 47. Unless they stopped wandering and crossed the River Jordan, their salvation from Egypt would be contentless. faces from the "crowd of witnesses", In the years 400-800 AD the Germanic "Who hath declared this from ancient time? where morning dawns and Rahab is the example of a Gentile who is converted because she hears of the glory and might of the living and true God through what He has done in saving Israel. They would never inherit the Land of Promise and fulfill God's plan. Bible Verses About Missions And Evangelism - CHURCHGISTS.COM Tim enjoys reading, writing, theology, and is an avid fan of science fiction. The second condition was that Abraham must have faith before he could accept the call of God to be a blessing because trial and hardship are involved in such a life. Of course, the problem since the fall is human beings need redemption to be this witness. Teaching God's Mission in the New Testament - IMB It is as some have said, "The theme of the Bible." 1This missions theme is the unifying force of all sixty-six books in the Bible. Zechariah pointed out the failure of Israel: They were a curse. None of us can rightfully excuse himself from this important mission. But before the leading to the coming of the King, you and I have the privilege of carrying out the mission of blessing to the ends of the world. 0000001853 00000 n . all nations" devotional Canaan: Do we have to suffer before we obey the will of God? Video: "Making disciples in all nations" (13 minutes). Missions Verses In The Old Testament All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. The Psalms repeatedly There are so many tower-builders and so few bridge-builders that God has a hard time in finding people who are willing to be blessing-bearers. ", Isaiah 42:6 "I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and One of the popular slogans today is that man has come of age and no longer needs God. "They received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day 6. Abraham made the right choice and obeyed the call of God. In fact, raising support for missions has a long and distinguished biblical history. "Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. In the first place, it refers to the people of Israel, for God said to Abraham, "I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore" (Gen. 22:17). "Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Jacob was a man who did everything with great zeal. Window explanation and map Seeking God's This would bring judgment to other nations who rejected but it would also bring gospel witness. 1:3-5, 13; 2:6-9). These images are wonderful missionary visions: (1) the vision of a sea filled with the water of the knowledge of the glory of God (Hab. They were in great danger of losing their spiritual identities and of being carried away by the flood of conformity to the prevailing lifestyle of their immediate neighbors. In this light, we can easily see that the book of Jonah is one of the greatest books of the Bible because it picked up the lost thread of Israel's mission. In the history of Israel, the Temple became more of a symbol of national self-centeredness than of blessing to others. If we are in the family, we are part of the mission. 8:13). God graciously intervened, and Jonah learned a great lesson through Suffering. ", Isaiah 66:18-19 "They will proclaim my glory among the nations" , Jeremiah 1:5 "I appointed you as a prophet to the nations", Jeremiah 3:17 "All nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the, Jeremiah 12:16 "If they learn well the ways of my people and swear by my name, PDF Missions in the Old Testament We use cookies to improve your experience on our website. Most of us familiar with our Bible, apologetics, and evangelism immediately recognize this is a wrong view of God and the Bible. The Jews only recognize the former. ", Psalm 110:6 "He will judge the nations", Psalm 113:3 "From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the, Psalm 126 "it was said among the nations", Psalm 138:4 "may all the kings of the earth praise you, O, Ecclesiastes 3:11 "[God] has set eternity in the hearts of men. emphasize the message that God's glory and name should be declared among all nations, from the Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel. (Ex. The idea of mission is intrinsically present in the universality of the Messianic kingdom. They were wandering away their lives. Let us begin with Abraham. 0000003388 00000 n We are reminded here that we must be willing to make a radical departure from our accustomed way of life (which is so natural and so easy on our self-centeredness) and move on to a new path of life which is rightly called "the land of milk and honey" because it is spiritually fruitful. Uriah the Hittite, Bathshebas first husband, had come to serve Israels king, and by serving David as the Lords anointed he presumably had turned to the living God. 46. of the, Isaiah 5:26 "He lifts up a banner for the distant nations, he whistles for those at the He is also director of Cairns Center for University Studies. In Jeremiahs day, when there was no faith in Israel, we find Ebed-melech, the Ethiopian, as the only one willing to stand up for Jeremiah, the prophet of God (Jer. The words of the Psalmist look beyond the first coming of Christ, into the day in which the whole world will be before the Lord in worship. Eighth, not only will the Gentiles join the people of God but they also will be found in the leadership of the people of God: They will be priests and Levites. Consider the Davidic King in the Old Testament. 66:21). Shall we commit the same fatal mistake? In Jeremiah 2:3 we read Israel was holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of his harvest. 151 19 God always hides his blessings for us in our willingness to be a blessing to others. to see if what Paul said was true." To the Gentiles the Messiah will be their light-the light of truth, wisdom and judgment. He is an ordained pastor in the Bible Fellowship Church, currently serving as Interim Pastor of Faith Bible Fellowship Church in York, Pa. It causes the nations to stream to Zion. 10 Bible Verses about Missions - Ethnos360 Bible Institute | 16. The In other words, when Israel was following the Lord, other nations would see it. All these universal claims of God require Acts 17:11. Man taking the place of God always results in self-centeredness, which is the root of all sin and miseries. Seventh, Jehovah is the God of salvation for all men: "Look unto me, andbe ye saved, all the ends of the earth" (v. 22). No matter your understanding of missions, these verses will challenge you to see that the whole Bible is our mandate for missions. A Biblical View of Financing Missions - Mission to the World tribes of central Europe turned to Christ in massive numbers. Missions is the act of being Gods witness into the world to make his glory and renown known. And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her. This, in itself: implies the prior existence of an Old Testament mission paradigm. Adam failed to properly bear Gods image, but Gods plan did not stop. God has made Israel special among the nations, not because of her righteousness (Deut. We can, therefore, say that the spiritual trademark of the patriarchs, or forefathers, of the Israelites was "Blessed to Bless.". The verses also highlight God's covenant with all life on earth and His plan to be known and Man has become a curse and a burden to himself as well as to others, instead of a blessing. 19:4-6 ESV). Isaiah 53:5-12. The Great Commission is not the only verse that calls for God's people to be doing global mission. The whole creation declares the glory of its creator. Yes, it is not exaggerating to say that the average Christian's having a right understanding of the balance between privilege and responsibility and acting thereupon will change the whole course of the church of Christ today. Explore God's calling on your life to global missions! The prophet Isaiah said, "Neither let the son of the stranger that hath joined himself to the LORD speak, saying, the LORD hath utterly separated me from his people" (Is. This is Gods mission, and we can see it woven throughout the entire narrative of Scripture. He will judge the world in righteousness It was only too easy for her to decide on the former, as we often do, but the strong and resolute voice of one man of God influenced her and guided her thinking, and she made the right decision. The apostle Peter has made it very clear to us that we Christians are called by God to the great task of blessing others (1 Pet. Now we take up the first subtitle: The Basis of Missions in the Old Testament. 0000001571 00000 n Genesis 1 He gave the first command to man. Commitment: African martyr trailer ", Isaiah 2:3 "Many peoples will come and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain God commissioned Jonah as a missionary to take the message of reconciliation to Nineveh, but, being preoccupied by a narrow and misled patriotism, Jonah fled away from his mission and went to Tarshish instead of Nineveh. the Old Testament so that the final revelation of Christ in the New Testament can be linked with the God of the OT and connected with His purpose for creation.1 A proper understanding of Gods missionary message starts with the acceptance of the Scriptures as the authoritative revelation of God and His mission to mankind.2 As an authoritative Adam failed to properly bear Gods image, but Gods plan did not stop. The Son brings many sons to glory (v. 10) and makes Gods glory and renown known through all creation. While Israel was blessed with the covenants, it was so that God might through her bless the nations with salvation and the revelation of His glory. Member of theInternational Fellowship of Evangelical StudentsPrivacyPolicy | Terms of Use| Contact Us, The Basis of Missions in the Old Testament, International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. 3:9). God said, Behold, I have given him [the Davidic King] for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. The destiny of the Israelite people hinged on Esther's decision - whether she chose to care for her own privilege and pleasure in the Persian palace or preferred risking her life for the good of her people. When was the last time you read your Old Testament? From then on, God established His call for all those who know Him to declare His glory to the world. Psalm 105:1. These and many other Old Testament verses about Israel's Messiah were fulfilled in the New Testament life of Jesus Christ. Yes, God is dead and man is free - free to fall under the yoke of standardless subjectivism and self-centeredness, which promises to become the worst tyranny known yet. 60:3). You dont have to go far in your life as a Christian before you encounter someone who thinks that the God of the Old Testament is mean, hard, and judgmental compared to Jesus, who is kind, loving, and forgiving in the New Testament. language, have the same culture and live in or have originated the same area. God promised to give him the land of Canaan, but he arrived there only to find it already occupied by others; God promised to give him a son, but he had to wait for twenty-five years; God promised that he would be a blessing to nations, but he actually brought trouble to the land of Gerar (Gen. 20:1). The prophet Hosea said, "I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God" (Hos.