This is a paper that tries to identify the unity between the Old Testament and the New Testament regarding God's desire to reveal Himself to ALL people, i.e. evangelism. We recognize the Great Commission in the New Testament to reveal God to all people. Often, however, we think that this call was not part of Israel's purpose in the Old Testament. This is not true. Israel was specifically used by God to reveal His presence, power and salvation to the people of the ancient world. Many times Israel did not recognize that this was God's goal. This paper seeks to explore this subject in Israel's history and show the unity between the Old Testament and the New Testament.
1 The 12 Plagues of Egypt declared that the God of the Israelites was more powerful ( and consequently more able to save) than all the various gods of the Egyptians.
a. Moses told Pharaoh and his court that the Lord would turn the water of the Nile into Blood (Exodus 7). This happens as Aaron strikes the Nile with his staff. The water turns to blood, the fish die and the river stinks. This is a message to all the Egyptians that worship the Nile as a god, "The Lord is the real God, worship Him only."
b. Moses tells Pharaoh and his court that the Lord will multiply frogs over the whole land. This occurs and is a message to the Egyptians who worship the Frog god, "Worship the Lord, He is the true God." (Exodus 8)
c. Moses tells Pharaoh and his court that the Lord will send an incredible Hailstorm - worse than has ever fallen on Egypt. (Exodus 9:18) This will give another message to all the Egyptians, "There is no one like the Lord (9:14). No god is equal to the Lord." Why does He do this? The people have put their trust in gods that cannot truly save them. Their immortal souls are at stake. The lying gods will bring about their torture and destruction when they die. By contrast, the Lord would protect, heal and give them life forever when they died. The Lord says to Pharaoh, "I could have already destroyed your whole nation, but I have not done that because I wanted to make know my name in the nations.... I AM the place of true safety for anyone who will come to Me." (Paraphrase 9:15,16) Moses tells everyone to bring in their slaves and cattle. You can see that some begin to hear the message from the Lord because they start respecting the word of the Lord through Moses and bring in their slaves and cattle to protect them. Remember these are Egyptians, not Israelites. The Lord is drawing (or wooing) these people to Himself for their own good. "Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring in their slaves and their livestock inside. But those who ignored the word of the Lord left their slaves and livestock in the field." (9:20)
e. The Magicians cannot copy the miracles of God.
The magicians or sorcerers copy the first two or three miracles that God does through Moses. Then they are not able to do so anymore. They failed to copy the 3rd plague of the gnats (Exodus 8:18) This was another message that the God of the Israelites was completely different and more powerful that the gods (or demons) of the magicians. In the end the Magicians could not even stand before Moses (and try to copy the miracles of the Lord) because painful boils break out on them. (Exodus 9:11) "The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians."
f. During the plagues, the Lord protects the land of Goshen where the Israelites are living. He does this to draw attention to Himself again. "The people who choose me as their God are safe. Why don't you commit yourself to me too?" (Exodus 8:22 - Flies, 9:4-7 - Livestock , 9:26 - Hail, 10:23 - Darkness)
g. Moses tells Pharaoh and his court that the Lord will demonstrate His power over the very sun by creating a darkness in Egypt that is so dark "that it can be felt." (Exodus 10:21) God is upping His message to the Egyptian people one more notch. Up from plagues, up from controlling the weather to the place where He is controlling the very sun and stars. Again God is proclaiming that He is the ONLY true God. Reject any other 'god' and give your loyalty to Him. Think of the ancient people who worshiped the 'god' called Chemosh. They burned some of their children in the fire as an act of 'worship' to this so called god. Think of their horror when they died and realized that it was a false god and that the Lord was the true and caring God?
h. The Lord turns Pharaoh's death threat back on his own family. Another witness.
Finally Pharaoh threatens Moses with death if Moses approaches him again. (Exodus 10:28) Combine this with the fact that Pharaoh already killed all the Hebrew baby boys during the time that Moses was born. (Exodus 1:16, 22) And remember that the Egyptians made slaves of the Israelites and "used them ruthlessly." (Exodus 1:14) The Lord pulls back His protection over all of Egypt and the death angel comes and kills all the Egyptian first born male children. Only the blood of a Passover Lamb protects the Israelites from the death angel. This is a prophetic picture of how Jesus' blood and death protect us as we live and when we die.
i. The end result is that many other people went with the Israelites when they escaped from Egypt.
"The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. Many other people went up with them ..." (Exodus 12:37,38) Many were hearing and responding to the message. The God of Israel, the God of Goodness and Justice, was powerful and worthy to be followed.
j. The Lord indicates that He wants non-Hebrew people to come into the community and be saved by making an ordinance that allows them to participate in the Passover feast! God is always including others in the people He is saving. "An alien living among you who wants to celebrate the LORD's Passover must have all the males in his household circumcised; then he may take part like one born in the land." (Exodus 12:48)
k. You can see the evangelizing effect of the message on Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses:
"Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods..." (Exodus 18:11)
2 The LAW of Moses witnessed that the God of the Israelites was greater in Justice, Righteousness and Morality than the gods of the other nations: "And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?" (Deuteronomy 4:8) The LAW itself, when non-Hebrews heard it was a witness of the greatness, goodness and fairness of the Lord compared to the other 'gods' of the time. Many of the other 'gods' required temple prostitutes (male and female) as a part of worship and even the sacrificing of their children in the fire! How different was the Hebrew God. To worship the Lord you were called to love your neighbor, help the poor, or honor your mother or father. How different this was to the 'worship' demanded by the other 'gods.'
3 The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon because of the fame of his wisdom, but it really serves to witness to the God of Israel: " When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relation to the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions." I Kings 10:1
Here is her conclusion (talk about effective Evangelism) : " She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard. How happy your men must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD's eternal love for Israel, he has made you king, to maintain justice and righteousness." I Kings 10:6 I wonder how many people the Queen and her attendants witnessed to regarding the God of the Hebrews?
4 During King Saul's time the Ark of the Covenant is captured by the Philistines but the Lord smashes the idol of their 'god' Dagon as a witness to them:
The Ark, captured by the Philistine army, is placed in Ashdod in the temple of their god, Dagon. They put the Ark next to their god. During the night the Lord makes the idol of Dagon fall in front of the Ark. The next night the same thing happens but this time its head and arms are broken off. Here was the final impression: "The ark of the god of Israel must not stay here with us, because HIS hand is heavy upon us and upon Dagon our god." (I Sam 5:7) These people learned to revere and respect the God of Israel. Perhaps they would listen to the Law and commandments and follow the God of Israel? Regardless, a witness went out through the Philistine people regarding the Lord.
5 Jesus comments on the Divine provision to the widow at Zarephath and the healing of Naaman the Syrian. These were witnesses in the ancient world to the power and presence of the Lord:
"I tell you the truth," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed--only Naaman the Syrian." (Luke 4:24)
a. The widow of Zarepath (of Sidon) is protected from starvation. (I Kings 17)
This widow is not an Israelite but the Lord sends the prophet Elijah to her. The Lord provides for Elijah, the widow and her son by continually refilling the jar of flour and the jar of oil until the famine was over. This woman and her son would have told this to many people and the name of the God of Israel would have been honored.
Some time later her son dies and Elijah prays to God and the boy is brought back from the dead! This just results in a greater witness spreading in the area about the God of the Israelites who has the power over death and life.
b. Naaman the Syrian is healed of Leprosy (2 Kings 5).
This is one of the most notable Healings in all of the Old Testament and it was given to a Gentile... a non-Israelite! This in and of itself says that the Gentiles are not 'unclean' and salvation and relationship with God is for them also. Naaman was a Syrian army commander who had leprosy. The Lord heals Naaman instantly. Here is Naaman's final request as he is leaving to go back to his own country:
"...said Naaman, 'please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the LORD. But may the LORD forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I bow there also--when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD forgive your servant for this.' " Complete conversion and loyalty to the Lord!
6 Before the time of the 12 plague of Egypt, Abraham passes through this country. Twice the Egyptians take Abraham's wife but the Lord afflicts them until Abraham prays for them:
Abraham passes through Egypt and God strikes Pharaoh and the Egyptians with serious diseases because they take Abraham's wife (although Abraham lied about her). This must impress the Egyptians (even though it is painful) that the God of Abraham is real and powerful. (Gen 12:17)
This same thing occurs later with Abimelech (Gen 20:1-17). They forcibly take Abraham's wife. Abimelech and his slaves are prevented by the Lord from conceiving and bearing children. In the end Abraham pray for them and the wombs are open. This must have witnessed to Abimelech and his people about the power of the God of Abraham to soverignly open or close the womb. The power of life and death is in His hands.
7 Hezekiah, in Isaiah 39, was visited by the Babylonians because they heard that the God of Israel has miraclously healed him of a life-threatening boil. However, Hezekiah does not understand that God is trying to make His Name known to the Babylonians of Himself. All Hezekiah does is show them his wealth and treasuries (the pride of a King):
"At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of his illness and recovery. Hezekiah received the envoys gladly and showed them what was in his storehouses--the silver, the gold, the spices, the fine oil, his entire armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them." (Isaiah 38:1-7,21-22 Isaiah 39:1-2) The Lord did a miracle and a neighboring King wants to know how he got healed. It was a Divine set up for them to know the Lord.
9 There are many verses that make provision for the Aliens among the Israelites..... for the EXPRESS purpose that they would be included into the Jewish nation and have relationship with God: (Leviticus 16:29, Leviticus 17:8,10,12,13,15, Leviticus chp 19, 20,22,224,25, Numbers 9:14, Numbers 15, Deuteronomy 1:16, Deuteronomy 24 etc...)
"The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God." (Leviticus 19:34)
Conclusion:
As you examine the Old Testament you find that God was orchestrating many many events to declare WHO He was in those times. He was drawing ALL men and women to Himself even in the days before Jesus. There was a constant witness in the nations from Abraham until Jesus arrived that the Lord was the only real God. All the other 'gods' were liars and harmed the people. The Jews were called to help the gentiles come to worship God and be saved. However most of their history they did not understand they were called to do this. They merely insulated their culture from the rest of the dying world. As Christian's let us understand that God loves all people and desires all to know His goodness. Therefore let us care for the outsiders and do all that we can to help them know the God of Goodness. There is complete consistency from the Old Testament to the New Testament regarding the redemptive plan of God in human history to protect and save everyone. He desires ALL to be saved. (2 Peter 3:9)
