Old Testament Missions

Introduction

Main Idea: God’s missionary purpose did not begin in the New Testament. From creation to Christ, God kept the whole world in view and used individuals, families, nations, prophets, exiles, and faithful remnants to reveal His glory among the nations. 

1. From Adam to the Flood

Bible References: Psalm 24:1; Genesis 1:28; Genesis 9:1.

The Old Testament reveals that God has always had a “whole world” concern. Psalm 24:1 says that the earth and all who live in it belong to the Lord.

From the beginning, God commanded Adam and Eve to fill the earth. After the flood, He repeated the same command to Noah and his family. This shows that God’s plan was never limited to one small location or one private group. His desire was for all humanity to know Him and live under His blessing.

Even when judgment came through the flood, God’s purpose remained global. Noah found grace, and through him God preserved the human race.

God deals with humanity in both judgment and grace, but always with the whole world in view. God may choose one person, like Noah, but His purpose through that person reaches many.

Multiple-Choice Questions

What does Genesis 1:28 reveal about God’s original missionary disposition?

God intended humanity to remain in Eden only

God’s concern included the whole earth from the beginning (yes)

God limited His blessing to Adam’s immediate family

God postponed world concern until Abraham

Why is Noah important for Old Testament missions?

He founded Israel as a missionary nation

Through him God preserved humanity and continued His world purpose (yes)

He preached to Babylon

He replaced Abraham in the covenant promise

Which statement best summarizes Psalm 24:1 in relation to missions?

God owns Israel only

Mission belongs only to kings

God’s authority extends over the earth and all people (yes)

The nations are outside God’s concern

2. The Flood to the Exodus

Bible References: Genesis 11:8; Genesis 22:18.

After the flood, sin again spread among humanity. At Babel, people resisted God’s purpose by trying to remain centralized and powerful. God confused their language and scattered them over the earth. This judgment actually served God’s world purpose, because He wanted humanity to fill the earth.

God then called Abraham. Abraham became a kind of missionary because he lived as a pilgrim witness in Canaan. God promised that through Abraham’s offspring all nations would be blessed. This promise points ultimately to Christ. Abraham was not the only witness; Job and Melchizedek also show that God kept testimony alive outside Israel.

Joseph is another key figure. Though he was taken to Egypt through painful circumstances, God used him to preserve Israel and reveal His power to Egypt. Joseph became a witness of God’s wisdom, grace, and providence in a foreign land.

Multiple-Choice Questions

Why did Babel oppose God’s missionary purpose?

The people wanted to scatter too quickly

The people wanted to centralize themselves instead of filling the earth (yes)

The people rejected all language

The people tried to move to Canaan

In what sense was Abraham missionary?

He established a temple in Jerusalem

He led Israel out of Egypt

He preached in Nineveh

He remained a pilgrim witness through whom God promised blessing to all nations (yes)

What missionary lesson can be drawn from Joseph’s life in Egypt?

God may place His servants in strategic places to reveal His glory (yes)

God uses only easy circumstances for mission

Captivity always means spiritual failure

Mission is impossible outside Israel

3. The Exodus to the Kingdom of Israel

Bible References: Exodus 3:10; Judges 2:11; 1 Kings 10:6–7.

God called Moses and sent him to Pharaoh. This sending is an Old Testament form of apostolic mission: God sends His servant to challenge bondage and bring His people out. The Exodus made God’s power known among the nations.

Israel was called to be a missionary nation, but often failed. Instead of witnessing to the nations, Israel became self-serving and idolatrous. Yet God still preserved witness through judges, kings, and psalms.

Solomon’s early reign also brought international attention to Israel, especially through the Queen of Sheba. Sadly, Solomon later turned to idolatry, and Israel again failed its missionary calling.

Multiple-Choice Questions

How is Exodus 3:10 similar to the Great Commission?

God sends Moses with a task of deliverance (yes)

God tells Moses to remain silent

God commands Moses to build a temple

God limits His concern to Moses’ family

What was Israel’s recurring failure in mission?

Israel had no revelation from God

Israel became self-serving and lost its sense of divine commission (yes)

Israel lacked political strength

Israel refused to worship in Jerusalem

4. The Divided Kingdom

Bible References: Isaiah 49:6; 2 Kings 5:3; Jonah 4:11.

During the divided kingdom, God continued to speak through prophets. Isaiah clearly declared God’s concern for the whole earth.

The young Israelite girl in 2 Kings 5 also became a missionary witness. Though she was a captive servant, she pointed Naaman to the prophet of God.

Jonah gives the clearest contrast between Israel’s narrow attitude and God’s compassion. Jonah did not want Nineveh spared, but God cared for that great city. This reveals that God’s missionary heart is often larger than the hearts of His own people.

Multiple-Choice Questions

What does the young Israelite girl in 2 Kings 5 demonstrate?

Only prophets can witness effectively

Even a captive servant can become a missionary witness (yes)

Mission requires political freedom

Naaman was saved by military power

What does Jonah’s attitude reveal?

Israel always shared God’s missionary compassion

God cared only for Israel’s enemies

Nineveh did not repent

Religious prejudice can resist God’s concern for the nations (yes)

5. The Babylonian Captivity to Christ

Bible References: Daniel 1:8; Esther 4:14; Luke 2:25.

Even after Judah’s failure and captivity, God’s mission continued. Daniel and his friends were “planted” in Babylon. They refused compromise and became witnesses before kings. Through them, Nebuchadnezzar encountered the true God.

Esther and Mordecai also exercised missionary influence in Persia. Their faith and courage preserved God’s people and made God’s power known in a vast empire.

The faithful remnant, including figures like Mary, Joseph, Zechariah, Elizabeth, Anna, and Simeon, waited for Christ. Even the visit of the wise men from the East at Jesus’ birth suggests that witness to the true God had reached far beyond Israel.

Multiple-Choice Questions

Why can Daniel and his friends be considered missionary witnesses?

They travelled voluntarily as evangelists

They revealed God’s truth in captivity before pagan rulers (yes)

They rebuilt the temple

They wrote the Psalms

What missionary principle is seen in Esther 4:14?

Influence should be used only for personal safety

Mission avoids risk

God may place His servants strategically for His redemptive purposes (yes)

Royal position prevents witness

Conclusion

Old Testament missions shows that God always cared for the whole world. He used creation commands, judgment, covenants, patriarchs, Israel, prophets, exiles, and faithful remnants to keep His witness before the nations.

Though Israel often failed, God’s purpose never failed. Everything moved toward Christ, the promised Redeemer through whom all nations would be blessed.

Global Mission Focus: Israel

Israel and the Holy Land are places of deep biblical importance, but today they are also marked by conflict, fear, and suffering. Christians remain a small minority in the land where Jesus was born, ministered, died, and rose again. In Israel, there are about 184,000 Christians, making up around 1.9% of the population. Most are Arab Christians, and many live in the northern part of the country.

Nazareth is one of the most important Christian centers in Israel. It has about 19,000 Christian residents, making it the city with the largest Arab Christian population in the country. Jerusalem also remains central to Christian faith and history, with about 13,400 Arab Christians living there, alongside many churches, monasteries, and holy sites. Capernaum, on the Sea of Galilee, no longer functions as a modern Christian town, but it remains an important biblical site connected to the ministry of Jesus, the apostle Peter, ancient synagogue ruins, and Christian pilgrimage.

The situation is especially difficult for Christians in Gaza and the Palestinian territories. Before the war, Gaza had about 1,070 Christians; recent reports suggest that only about 500–600 Christians remain. All three churches in Gaza have reportedly suffered damage during the war, and more than 30 Christians have died because of the conflict. Many believers have lost homes, taken shelter in churches, and continue to live with fear, uncertainty, and deep exhaustion.

As the Church of Jesus Christ, we are called to remember our brothers and sisters in prayer. Let us pray for protection over Christian families, comfort for those grieving, strength for displaced believers, freedom for hostages, peace for Israel and Gaza, and wisdom for leaders. Above all, may believers in the Holy Land remain salt and light, reflecting the love and hope of Christ in the middle of darkness.