OT - Survey 46 - Responding to God

All content is derived from A Survey of the Old Testament by Andrew E. Hill and John H. Walton, with additional insights from R.C. Sproul's Dust to Glory. Further sources referenced are listed in the reference section below.

The Old Testament as the Law of Love

The Covenant Command to Love

— Deuteronomy 6:5 commands Israel to love the Lord, highlighting that covenant obedience involves not just emotional affection but deliberate commitment of the will. — This law of love is grounded in God's self-revealed character—merciful, gracious, patient, and abounding in steadfast love (Exodus 34:6–7).

God’s Love for Israel

— God’s covenant love is reciprocal. Deuteronomy 4:37, 10:15, and 23:5 express that God's love preceded Israel’s response. — His progressive redemptive plan, beginning in Genesis 3:14–19, reveals a commitment to reclaim and restore His creation marred by sin.

The Protoevangelium and God’s Global Plan

The First Gospel in Genesis

— Genesis 3:15, often called the protoevangelium, signals the beginning of God's redemptive plan, where the seed of the woman will defeat the serpent. — The plan is global but executed through a family lineage, culminating in Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:45).

Love and Justice in the Covenant

— Deuteronomy 10:12–13 and Micah 6:8 summarize covenant obligations as loving God and practicing justice, mercy, and humility. — Jesus reinforces this double-love command in Matthew 22:34–41—loving God and neighbor as the essence of the Law.

Worship in the Old Testament

Distinction from Ancient Near Eastern Worship

— Pagan worship aimed to satisfy the gods’ supposed needs; Yahweh, by contrast, revealed Himself and had no needs. — Israel’s worship was to be a response to God’s character and deeds, especially His redemptive work (e.g., the Exodus).

Definition and Foundation of Worship

— Worship is both a lifestyle and an event, an active, covenantal response to God. — Old Testament covenants—from Noah through Moses to David and Jeremiah—demanded loyal, loving obedience (Deuteronomy 30:15–16).

Knowledge of God as Essential to Worship

The Centrality of Knowing God

— Knowledge of God was essential for proper worship. Prophets blamed Israel’s covenant failures on their ignorance of God. — Restoration includes the spread of this knowledge to the nations, fulfilled in Jesus, who revealed the Father.

Worship Rooted in God's Deeds

— The Exodus from Egypt becomes a primary basis for Israel’s worship. Psalms (e.g., Psalm 77:12–13) reflect praise for God's mighty works. — The New Testament views the Exodus as a type foreshadowing Jesus’ redemptive work.

Vocabulary and Spiritual Character of Worship

Language of Worship

— Hebrew worship vocabulary includes verbs meaning “seek,” “fear,” “serve,” “bow,” and “draw near,” reflecting its holistic, relational, and reverent nature.

Spiritual Prerequisites for Worship

— “Fear of the Lord” forms the basis of worship and obedience (Psalm 71:18–19; Micah 7:18–20; Psalm 113:5–8). — Other prerequisites include faith, holiness, repentance, and obedience (Deuteronomy 10:13; John 14:15; John 4:23–24).

Devotional Practices in Worship

Devotion and Praise

— True spirituality is expressed in devotion to God through praise (Deuteronomy 10:21), recognizing His character and works.

Thanksgiving

— Thanksgiving celebrates God as Creator, Redeemer, and King, as seen in Psalm 32:1.

Prayer

— Prayer is communion with God, encompassing praise, thanksgiving, confession, and intercession.

Glorification

— God is glorified through deliverance and salvation. Israel’s worship glorified His name and served as a witness to the nations (Psalm 19; Isaiah 60).

Worship and Ritual in the Old Testament

Purpose of Sacrificial Rituals

— Levitical sacrifices were not salvific but maintained God’s presence among His people. — They taught divine holiness, human sinfulness, substitution, and the need for repentance (Genesis 15:6; Habakkuk 2:4).

Fulfillment in Christ

— The New Testament sees these sacrifices as types pointing to Jesus, the true Lamb of God (John 1:29). — Jesus fulfills both the role of the high priest and the final sacrifice. — Christians now offer spiritual sacrifices—praise, giving, prayer, and service—as worship to God.

Social Justice in Biblical Theology

The Ethical Foundation of God’s Character

— From the earliest pages of Scripture, God reveals Himself not only as holy and transcendent but also as just and compassionate. Genesis 18:19 highlights God's intention that Abraham and his descendants “keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice.” These ethical expectations are not arbitrary but stem from the very nature of God, who is described in Psalm 89:14 as having “righteousness and justice” as the foundation of His throne.

— Righteousness (Hebrew tsedaqah) refers to behavior that conforms to the demands of a relationship, especially covenantal obligations. Justice (Hebrew mishpat) focuses on fair treatment and legal equity, particularly for the vulnerable. The Sinai covenant, articulated through Moses, ties these two attributes to the holiness of God and mandates Israel’s obedience as a reflection of God’s own nature (Exodus 19:6; Leviticus 11:44–45).

Covenant Responsibilities and Social Equity

— Israel was charged not only with private moral conduct but also with public social responsibility. Leviticus 19:16–18 commands just behavior within the community, including avoiding slander, hatred, vengeance, and injustice. These stipulations are framed in relational terms: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18), which Jesus later identified as one of the two greatest commandments (Matthew 22:39).

— The Mosaic law consistently emphasized fair treatment of the marginalized—widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor (Deuteronomy 24:17–22). These groups were especially susceptible to injustice due to their limited social power. The covenant laws thus created both protective regulations and proactive obligations: to defend, provide for, and include them in the community’s resources and legal protections.

Legislation Supporting the Vulnerable

— Specific legal structures were implemented to safeguard the poor: — Gleaning laws (Leviticus 19:9–10; Deuteronomy 24:19–21) required farmers to leave produce behind for the poor, promoting both dignity and provision. — The poor tithe (Deuteronomy 14:28–29; 26:12) mandated a triennial tithe for the Levites, sojourners, widows, and orphans. — The Sabbatical Year (Exodus 23:10–11; Leviticus 25:1–7) allowed the poor to gather food from fallow fields. — The Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:8–55) restored land and freed indentured Hebrews, functioning as a periodic economic reset. — Loan protections (Exodus 22:25–27; Deuteronomy 24:10–13) forbade charging interest to the poor and required the return of collateral needed for daily survival.

— The poor were also afforded legal dignity: Exodus 23:3, 6 and Leviticus 19:15 warn against partiality, either for or against the poor, in legal decisions. This framework upholds impartial justice while also preventing exploitation.

Poverty and Divine Advocacy

— The Old Testament does not idealize poverty; it recognizes it as a source of suffering and social vulnerability. However, it affirms that God identifies closely with the poor. He is their “refuge” (Psalm 14:6), “provider” (Psalm 146:7), and “defender” (Proverbs 22:22–23). Proverbs 14:31 states that “whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker.”

— Poverty is sometimes the result of structural injustice, not merely personal failure. As such, the biblical vision of social justice is not only reactive charity but also systemic fairness and restoration of human dignity.

Prophetic Condemnation and Hope

— The prophets repeatedly condemned Israel for neglecting justice. Isaiah, Amos, Micah, and others rebuked religious hypocrisy: outward ritualism without ethical substance. Amos 5:21–24 is a powerful indictment—God rejects empty worship and demands justice to “roll on like a river.”

— Micah 6:8 summarizes prophetic teaching: God requires His people “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” True spirituality in the Old Testament is not measured by temple attendance or sacrificial quantity but by compassion for others and alignment with God’s ethical character.

— Yet even amid rebuke, the prophets envisioned a future where nations would be drawn to Israel’s justice (Isaiah 42:6; Micah 4:1–2). Justice was to be Israel’s global witness, revealing God’s nature to the world.

Social Justice in the New Testament Continuation

— Jesus’ ministry embodied this Old Testament ethic. His inaugural sermon in Luke 4:18–19 proclaimed good news to the poor and liberation for the oppressed. He blessed the “poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3) and warned against storing up earthly wealth (Matthew 6:19–21).

— Jesus’ emphasis on neighbor-love (Luke 10:25–37) explicitly extended to social outcasts. His parables, miracles, and table fellowship crossed boundaries of class, ethnicity, and morality. His command to love even enemies (Matthew 5:44) stretches the Old Testament vision to radical inclusivity.

— The early church institutionalized care through deacons (Acts 6:1–6), collected funds for struggling believers (Romans 15:25–27), and warned against favoritism toward the rich (James 2:1–7).

— James 1:27 declares that “pure and faultless religion” is to “look after orphans and widows in their distress” and to remain morally distinct from a corrupt world. This continues the dual emphasis on ethical action and personal holiness.

The Practical Model: One Starfish at a Time

— The chapter closes with the parable of the starfish, illustrating the biblical principle of social action through individual compassion. Just as the woman makes a difference to one starfish at a time, so too are believers called to responsive, personalized justice.

— Scripture urges practical steps: — Listening and slowing down to perceive need (James 1:19) — Removing prejudice (James 2:1–11) — Demonstrating tangible acts of mercy (Matthew 25:31–46)

— Isaiah 58:6–8 (NLT) summarizes true fasting and spiritual practice: setting the oppressed free, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and caring for one's own kin. God’s promise of blessing follows such compassion.

Tangible Responses

— Christians are called to: — Pray and intercede for the poor — Educate themselves and others — Raise awareness — Give financially — Volunteer in ministries of mercy — Isaiah 58:6–8 describes true fasting as freeing the oppressed, feeding the hungry, and housing the homeless.

Summary

Chapter 46 of A Survey of the Old Testament portrays the entire Hebrew Scriptures as grounded in the law of love, integrating worship and social justice as essential covenant responses. Worship is not simply ritual but a whole-life response to the revealed character and deeds of God. Social justice—rooted in God’s ethical demands—is not optional but central to Old Testament faith. This dual response of worship and justice is fulfilled and extended through Jesus Christ and forms the foundation for New Testament ethics and the Church’s mission in the world.

References

Hill, A. E., & Walton, J. H. (2009), A survey of the Old Testament (3rd ed.). Zondervan Academic.

MacArthur, J. (Ed.). (2021). The MacArthur study Bible (2nd ed.). Thomas Nelson. (New American Standard Bible).