Old Testament

Summarizing
The Journey through the Old Testament is a re-telling of the Books of the Old Testament from the standpoint of character. Instead of plot serving as the device that moves the story along, each chapter focuses on a specific character in the Old Testament and uses selections from Scripture to flesh out that character’s arc in one chapter. For instance, chapter one focuses on Lucifer, which is fitting since he is the fallen angel who serves as the ultimate antagonist of God and man. The second chapter focuses on Adam, the third on Cain, and so on, all the way down through the major figures of the Old Testament, the prophets, and the point at which the Old Testament itself comes to a close and the people of Israel await the coming of the Messiah.
The main point of the book is that “certain people make history”[footnoteRef:2] and so it is appropriate that a book about history examine it from the perspective of the people who made it. For a book that tells that story about man’s relationship with God, which is essentially what the Old Testament is, approaching it from a character-oriented position makes sense and allows the author to expound on academic aspects while couching the overall narrative in the framework of character. Thus, the chapter on Lucifer tells how the fallen angel’s position as leader of the opposition to God came about while also providing background information like where the term angel comes from in the first place: “The word ‘angel’ is derived from the Greek word angelos which means ‘messenger’.”[footnoteRef:3] [2: Elmer Towns, Journey through the Old Testament (Digital Commons, 1989), 5.] [3: Elmer Towns, Journey through the Old Testament (Digital Commons, 1989), 7.]
The book tells the story of Lucifer, Adam, Cain, Noah, Abraham, Hagar, Lot, Ishmael, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Moses, Aaron, Joshua, Gideon, Ruth, Jephthah, Samson, Eli, Samuel, Saul, David, Solomon, Joroboam, Rehoboam, King Asa, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, the Five Leaders, Esther, and Nehemiah. Thus the book proceeds chronologically through the Old Testament and describes each important figure. Important themes in the lives of these characters are pointed out and used to frame their stories. For instance, Adam is described as a the first man who had everything and lost it all because he disobeyed God—which sets up the rest of the examination of characters and how they are impacted by Adam’s original transgression. Noah is described as a “man who was scared into action,” and Abraham as a man who was “called to begin a nation.”[footnoteRef:4] Aaron actually receives several chapters as his arc is well-documented in the Old Testament and requires more attention to fully describe how he was selected to be a leader of the Jewish people, how his faith was tested, and how he was ultimately justified. Minor characters like Hagar, whom Abraham selects to bear his child, which ends up being Ishmael, who is juxtaposed with Isaac, who is depicted as a foreshadowing of Christ because God asks that Abraham sacrifice the child—all of these stories intersect and help to provide a compelling context for understanding the story of the Old Testament and its relationship to the whole story of redemption. [4: Elmer Towns, Journey through the Old Testament (Digital Commons, 1989), 4.]
For that reason, the journey through the Old Testament is not just a journey through the Old Testament but also a glimpse into the New as well. The author constantly provides a perspective on the events of the Old Testament by looking at them from the coming of Christ and identifying the underlying meaning of what is going on. Each chapter concludes with a section entitled “Perspective” that helps to specifically focus on this relationship and orient the reader to the overall design of God’s plan as seen through the lives of these characters. For example, the author states in the chapter on Ruth that “the story of Ruth is a demonstration of grace. The problem of a famine turned into abundance on the threshing floor’—and how from that abundance came the Redeemer Jesus Christ.[footnoteRef:5] Or, in the chapter on Solomon, the author states, [5: Elmer Towns, Journey through the Old Testament (Digital Commons, 1989), 158.]
“When God makes a person great, he should not abandon the principles that God used to make him great. The wisdom that made Solomon great was discarded and he lost the blessing of God.”[footnoteRef:6] By providing this type of perspective, the author shows what is most significant about the characters—i.e., what lesson should be remembered by the reader if the reader could only draw one nugget from each chapter. [6: Elmer Towns, Journey through the Old Testament (Digital Commons, 1989), 220.]
But giving the overall perspective is not all that the book does: it also gives the significant details, which help to illuminate the meaning of the characters’ lives. Thus, in telling the story of Solomon the author provides a discussion on the Book of Proverbs, which are described as “the finest wisdom literature of Solomon.”[footnoteRef:7] Likewise, the Book of Ecclesiastes is described as having been written by Solomon and serving as a “spiritual autobiography of a wise man who failed to apply much of his wisdom in life.”[footnoteRef:8] So it can be seen how the author derives a moral teaching from his explanation of the arc of the characters in the Old Testament; he does so, moreover, while continuously maintaining the thread of history as it weaves the tapestry of redemption. [7: Elmer Towns, Journey through the Old Testament (Digital Commons, 1989), 218.] [8: Elmer Towns, Journey through the Old Testament (Digital Commons, 1989), 220.]
The main point of the book, in summation, is to provide the most important details about the most important characters in the Old Testament and how those details help to tell a story about how man should strive to live a moral life in accordance with the laws of God and in corroboration with the grace that God gives. Ruth serves as an example of a character who corroborates with God’s grace and ushers in the house of David, from whom the Redeemer comes. Solomon serves as an example of a character who does not corroborate with God’s grace, in spite of his abundant wisdom, and thus gave into worshipping false gods, which led inevitably to the rot and ultimately the division of his kingdom. Every character in the Old Testament falls into one of these two camps—can be seen as either working with God’s grace or working against it. By starting the book off with Lucifer, the author shows that man is destined either to be of the spirit of God or of the spirit of the anti-Christ, who is Satan.
Interpretation
The book is put together in a way that gets the reader thinking about how all things are connected. This is the point that other scholars have made about approaching the Bible: it is a very interconnected work and should be considered from that point of view.[footnoteRef:9] The author is evidently aware of the need to connect events, themes and ideas—but he also wants to maintain a narrative in which there is some chronology; so events are told in order, but within the description of the events, there are ways in which the author looks ahead to the New Testament to provide even more perspective on what is happening in the lives of the characters. There is a lot of foreshadowing in the Old Testament,[footnoteRef:10] and the author makes use of these devices to frequently refer to the whole story of redemption. As Baker notes, using the foreshadowing of the Old Testament is a common method of Christians for linking the Old to the New to show the relationship between the two.[footnoteRef:11] [9: Klink III, Edward W., and Darian R. Lockett. Understanding biblical theology: A comparison of theory and practice. Zondervan, 2012.] [10: Bellis, Alice Ogden. Helpmates, harlots, and heroes: Women's stories in the Hebrew Bible. Westminster John Knox Press, 2007; Sheen, Fulton J. Life of Christ. Image, 2008.] [11: Baker, David L. "Typology and the Christian use of the Old Testament." Scottish Journal of Theology 29, no. 2 (1976): 137-157.]
An example of how the author connects the various parts of the whole story within a single chapter can be seen right at the beginning of the book. For the chapter on Lucifer, the author does not just describe events linearly but rather relies on various aspects of Scripture, including quotations from the New Testament, to highlight the arc of the character. For example, the author pulls elements from Acts 1:9-11, Revelation 22:1, Isaiah, 2:1-4, Philippians 2:9, and Genesis 14:19, 22 to tell the story of what is going on in Lucifer’s mind. Each of these Scriptural sources tells an aspect of Lucifer’s story—his desire to “ascend above his position,” to “exalt his throne,” to “govern heaven,” and so on.[footnoteRef:12] These are interpreted, however, from the future standpoint of all that is going to happen within the relationship of God and man—the creation of Adam, the fall of man, the coming of the Messiah and so on. Thus, Lucifer’s story is not viewed as isolated or as complete in its own right but rather as integral to the whole story of how God and man are related to one another: man is either battling Lucifer/Satan to be closer to God or rejecting God and falling to the temptations and lies of the devil. [12: Elmer Towns, Journey through the Old Testament (Digital Commons, 1989), 8.]
The same approach is used to describe all of the characters. Elements of Scripture are pulled from Genesis, Revelations, Romans, the Gospel of John, the Gospel of Matthew, and more, to describe in the fullest way possible the story of Adam and how it bears on the overall story of the Old Testament and Christianity. The book never considers the Old Testament as distinct or separate from the whole story of God’s relationship with man, which includes the coming of Christ and the fulfillment of the promise of redemption. So the book includes what the Apostles had to say about the early Old Testament characters in order that the reader can see how these characters relate to the promise of salvation. Thus, the book notes that “every evil influence that Adam passed on to humanity, Christ overcame for the race. Because of Adam’s transgression, everyone is born with a sin nature, but Christ offers a new nature to those who experience His salvation (2 Cor. 5:17).”[footnoteRef:13] This is how the author ultimately gives a Christian reading to the Old Testament. It is the “Messianic expectation” of the Christian view of the Old Testament that fills it with this wondrous interconnectedness and fullness, as Becker, Green and Green note.[footnoteRef:14] [13: Elmer Towns, Journey through the Old Testament (Digital Commons, 1989), 14.] [14: Becker, Joachim, David Green, and David Green. Messianic expectation in the Old Testament. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1980.]
I reacted to this combination of historical fact, theological ideas, interconnectedness of Scriptural verses, and so on, with a great deal of enthusiasm. I found it very easy to read and enjoyed being able to follow the theological plot that was ultimately developed to help teach moral lessons. I liked how events were not depicted narrowly or without reference to other parts of the whole story. By always focusing on the macro perspective, the author kept everything nice and tidy, which is how I feel the Bible should be approached. After all, this is a work inspired by God so to approach it haphazardly or as though it were put together without an overarching idea in mind would be to look at it without the lens of faith. I feel that the lens of faith really helps to clarify all the points of the Bible, and it is clear that the author is writing with the lens of faith—otherwise there would not be such focus, such dimension to the work. As Barton notes, reading the Old Testament can help to deepen our understanding of the faith, but the faith is also important for deepening our understanding of the Old Testament.[footnoteRef:15] [15: Barton, John. Reading the Old Testament: Method in biblical study. Westminster John Knox Press, 1996.]
Therefore, my slant or angle on the book is based on the idea that I see the faith as an essential element in interpreting the Old Testament. The Book is a testament of man’s direct link to God, and the story of Christ is a direct link to the Old Testament by way of faith. As faith rests upon reason,[footnoteRef:16] it is important to see how these links are interconnected and the author does an excellent job in showing exactly how the links fit together and how the overall arc of the relationship between God and man is constructed. Faith is needed to see this arc fully—but the faith also helps to illuminate the reasons, the moral teachings that emanate from the history. [16: Aquinas, Thomas. "Faith, Reason and Theology." (1987).]
The moral fabric of the Old Testament helps to prepare the mat for the Christian ideas that come in the New Testament. The Old Testament’s characters show the tremendous virtues or failings that make up the drama of the story of mankind, and they serve as the perfect backdrop for the role that Christ plays in that drama. The Old Testament characters are building the set for Christ, so to speak. Following the fall of Lucifer, which starts off the story and which sets up the major conflict in the first place, mankind is left with the task of showing love to God—showing faith, trust, fidelity, humility and so on—i.e., all the virtues that Lucifer failed to show.
If there is an antagonist in the book, it is the spirit of Lucifer—the false spirit—the spirit of pride where there should be humility. It is this spirit that causes Solomon to fail to honor God appropriately even though he is gifted with wisdom. It is this spirit that causes Cain to kill his brother when he should be learning from him. The book allows one to make this connection because it frames the story excellently well: The fall of Lucifer starts it off—and the expectation of Christ, the Redeemer concludes it. By framing the characters’ lives and stories between these two ultimate points, the author is able to show why these characters and why their stories matter: they are part of the ultimate plot—the story of God and the Devil fighting it out—fighting it out in the hearts and minds of every human being, as Dostoevsky said.[footnoteRef:17] Or, as Pype notes, “Christians perceive the earth as the battleground for a spiritual competition between God and the Devil.”[footnoteRef:18] [17: O'Brien, Stephen M. God and the devil are fighting: The scandal of evil in Dostoyevsky and Camus. City University of New York, 2008.] [18: Pype, Katrien. "Dancing for God or the Devil: Pentecostal discourse on popular dance in Kinshasa." Journal of Religion in Africa 36, no. 3 (2006): 296-318.]
Conclusion
But what about for readers who may not approach the book with same faith? What is the relevance for them? The relevance is rooted in the idea that faith is based on reason—and that is why the book can be important for many other kinds of readers as well. It is not specifically a book that can only be read through the eyes of faith. Faith allows one to appreciate the story more—but it does not preclude understanding it. Every person has the gift of reason and can look at facts and understand how they hook up together to make a unique picture. That is the magic of this book. It takes one on a journey of the facts. The reader who has faith will be like the traveler who has been up and down the river before and knows what is coming, knows what to expect just around the next bend. The reader who comes to the book without faith but with a good will and an open mind will be amazed and surprised by all the things that are seen. He will be like the person who is taking the river cruise for the first time: he may have heard stories about what to expect, but actually being there and seeing it for the first time is really impressive. The book can help to impress upon a reader’s mind the reasons that it makes sense that Christ is the Redeemer. The journey through the Old Testament lays the foundation for the mind to make that logical step: to say, “Yes, this is what it is all about. From the beginning of human history there has been this tension, this war, between God and the devil, and right in the heart of man no less. This makes sense.” And this sense can then be used to propel one to faith—which is what the book makes possible. For one who is already established in faith, the book can help to reinforce that faith and make it even stronger.
Thus, the book has relevance for all types of readers and not just for those who area already Christian. It can be used as a tool for showing those who do not know much about religion or about the history of the human race from the perspective of the Jewish people to gain clarity and insight into the past. The book focuses on the most important characters, tells the story of their lives in such a way that a moral thread can be discerned and followed all the way to the heart of God. It is the moral thread that helps to illuminate the spiritual nature of man—and by way of this illumination the real purpose of life is exposed. Man is not meant for worldly things or for worldly glory: Solomon’s tale tells as much. He had it all and lost it all because he failed to safeguard his spirit and keep it pure, keep his moral thread united to God’s heart. A reader who is out in the world wondering about the tension that he feels could find this book and see in it the explanation for that tension that he has been missing. It makes sense of the war going on in the heart and shows how real it is, how it has been explored in the past, and how it has to be approached today through faith in Christ.
Bibliography
Aquinas, Thomas. "Faith, Reason and Theology." (1987).
Baker, David L. "Typology and the Christian use of the Old Testament." Scottish Journal
of Theology 29, no. 2 (1976): 137-157.
Barton, John. Reading the Old Testament: Method in biblical study. Westminster John
Knox Press, 1996.
Becker, Joachim, David Green, and David Green. Messianic expectation in the Old
Testament. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1980.
Bellis, Alice Ogden. Helpmates, harlots, and heroes: Women's stories in the Hebrew
Bible. Westminster John Knox Press, 2007.
Klink III, Edward W., and Darian R. Lockett. Understanding biblical theology: A
comparison of theory and practice. Zondervan, 2012.
O'Brien, Stephen M. God and the devil are fighting: The scandal of evil in Dostoyevsky
and Camus. City University of New York, 2008.
Pype, Katrien. "Dancing for God or the Devil: Pentecostal discourse on popular dance in
Kinshasa." Journal of Religion in Africa 36, no. 3 (2006): 296-318.
Sheen, Fulton J. Life of Christ. Image, 2008.
Towns, Elmer L., "A Journey Through the Old Testament" (1989). Books. Paper 8.
http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/towns_books/8