0 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. It may, however, be argued that sending is an Old Testament concept. Bible Verses in the Old Testament about Missions 1. He left behind his old way of life and started the pilgrimage of a heavenly errand. 0000001571 00000 n PDF GODS MISSIONARY MESSAGE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT A Paper Southwestern the earth. He has produced a valuable volume on mission as a . Abraham is called the father of faith, but his faith was a means to an end and that end was a mission. They took the privilege of election and laid aside its purpose. They had crossed the Red Sea and had been delivered from the land of slavery. synonymous with the plural word "peoples." 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. God hides his rich rewards in our obedience. 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. 151 19 ", Psalm 99:1-3 "He is exalted over all the nations. In fact, raising support for missions has a long and distinguished biblical history. What is mission, and what is the principal foundation for the mission of the church? The redeemed people of all nations will commune with God with clean lips. 1:3-5, 13; 2:6-9). be filled with his glory", Psalm 77:14 "you display your power among the peoples", Psalm 82 "all the nations are your inheritance", Psalm 83:18 "You alone are the Most High over all the (v. 21). In His perfect love, God had made plans to draw His creation to Him far before we can imagine, and in His divine graciousness He has beckoned us into those plans. No matter your understanding of missions, these verses will challenge you to see that the whole Bible is our mandate for missions. 0000002337 00000 n PDF Mission Paradigms in the Old Testament 40 Bible verses about Missionary Work [1]God has always been intent on spreading His name through all of creation and redeeming people from every tongue, tribe, and nation. Missions in the Old Testament | Place for Truth - Alliance of The purpose of God calling Israel was not an end in itself for Israel but a means by which God would reveal His name and glory to the nations. Jerusalem as the capital of the Messianic kingdom will be the center of blessing for the whole world. Here is a partial listing of Old Testament missionary scriptures scriptures concerning missions from the Hebrew Bible. First, they demonstrate Gods missionary heart for the nations; the lost are coming to the living and true God. 60:3). where morning dawns and 87:7). Gods plan and purpose is to spread His glory through all creation so that people of every tongue, tribe, and nation experience the glory of God through salvation that is found in Jesus Christ. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!. Jonathan Master (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is professor of theology and dean of the School of Divinity at Cairn University. After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!. Old Testament beggars The concept of the church financially supporting missionaries and pastors is not confined to the New Testament. The text-form of the Old Testament quotations -- Typological use of the Old Testament -- The use of Old Testament prediction -- The . 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. But Ruth said, Your people shall be my people, and your God my God (Ruth 1:16). Daniel 7:13-14. ears to the call or whether we will tackle with new decisiveness, mixed with humility and Israel was the advance guard coming in as part of Gods redemptive plan to redeem people from every tongue, tribe, and nation. . From the account of Creation to the final Revelation, every word of Scripture is evidence of the longing of God for every individual to turn to Him and know unity between God and man. God's plan and purpose is to spread His glory through all creation so that people of every tongue, tribe, and nation experience the glory of God through salvation that is found in Jesus Christ. Even in Israels darkest days when she is filled with unbelievers, we see that God is still working among the Gentiles from the nations. 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. In a world cursed by sin after humanity's fall, we make God's glory known by announcing that our God reigns and that the Lord Jesus has offered salvation to all who would trust in him. The Queen of Sheba: During the height of Solomons kingdom, the glory and renown of Israel spreads through the known world. God has always desired his fame and renown to be spread abroad so that all can come to him and enjoy a covenant relationship with him. The nation of Israel was called to bear the name of the Lord before a watching world. ", Isaiah 6:3 "They were calling to one another: Holy, holy, holy is the, Isaiah 11:9 "fill the earth with the knowledge of the, Isaiah 11:10 "a Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples, the nations will Even as God has done it in the past, he is doing it at the present time. Abraham, as great as he was in faith, had his failure. The Messianic King had a mission the fulfillment of which involves suffering and sacrifice on his part. Genesis 1 He gave the first command to man. World missions biblical foundations lecture Story line of the Bible. Listen as we explore missions, theology, and practice to help senders and goers alike. 11:10). Okay, maybe not every sermon has to make an appeal to global missions, but every passage sits somewhere in the greater context of God's global redemptive plan. O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.. Acts 17:11. They can never be separated; he could not take the one and leave the other. 1:5-6). The former refers to the people of Israel and the latter refers to the Messianic King. . , Isaiah 34:1 "Come near, you nations, and listen; pay attention, you peoples! We should not read Gods call of Israel as if it stopped there. Missions in the Old Testament - Place For Truth 0000003388 00000 n 3:29). 2:6-9). . Into whatever groups we divide humanity races, nations, languages, cultures One of the popular slogans today is that man has come of age and no longer needs God. The two form one organic whole. Genesis 12:1-3 ESV / 127 helpful votesHelpfulNot Helpful. Jesus commissioned the disciples to testify at all this they had witnessed in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. . emphasize the message that God's glory and name should be declared among all nations, from the "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. What a beautiful metaphor for a vessel of blessing! This was a fatal dissociation which hindered the plan of God. The whole human race belongs to God by virtue of creation. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you. His universal lordship and ownership should be announced everywhere. 1: 11). It was a most serious crisis. Both are inseparably bound up with the concept of missions. And he is therefore the only judge. The idea of mission is intrinsically present in the universality of the Messianic kingdom. But the grace of God did not fail. The prophet Isaiah declared that "there shall be a root of Jesse [Messiah], which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek" (Is. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? Urbana is InterVarsitys Student Missions Conference, hosted by . 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). The Queen of Sheba has just acknowledged Gods love and covenant faithfulness. 47. 66:21). 9:5-6), but because of his grace. The prophet Zephaniah prophesied that all nations will call upon the name of God: "I will give to the people purified lips that all of them may call on the name of the LORD" (Zeph. for me", Isaiah 56:3 "Let not the man from a strange land who has joined the Lord say, 'For He is a husband and father of four daughters. <>stream Today we, too, must have faith before we can have victory over all the forces that assemble to drive us away from the path of blessing. that my name might Bible Verses About Missions And Evangelism - CHURCHGISTS.COM But that was only the beginning of their salvation. I will bless thee and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. The nation following Gods law would be image-bearers of God, a nation of little kingly Adams, mediating God to the entire world. . There are two different ideas of the Servant of God in Isaiah: the corporate idea and the individual idea. God called him again and he rose and pressed on. Right from the beginning, God was not just invested in the Hebrew people. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. December 4, 2014 It is very clear from the New Testament that God commands the church to be concerned with missions. "We must choose this day whether we will hide our eyes from the need and close our for all nations." As Jesus became the way for salvation, He made disciples, raising them up to be His body of believers on earth for the coming generations. The general tone of this period naturally and necessarily became one of separation from other nations in order to keep their heads above the water of the influence of heathen corruption and degeneration. All who ate of it incurred guilt; disaster came upon them, declares the LORD. The second half of this verse reminds us that those nations that attacked and cursed Israel would themselves be judged (cf. They were saved, but saved for what? Then time came for God to remind his people again of their mission. , Psalm 18:49 "I will praise you among the nations" 28:18-20). 42:4). . <]/Prev 295523>> Revelation 19. He has entrusted believers to spread the Gospel message throughout the world. Let them praise your great and Gods Word calls them to worship the Lord, to see His glory, to praise His name. If we pay attention to the whole of Scripture, justice and righteousness are attributes of God and his kingship, and so to see them in Solomon is to see an image-bearer. Window explanation and map Seeking God's Gods heart longs to bring every individual into relationship with Him through repentance and faith. on the name of the, Zechariah 2:11 "Many nations will be joined with the, Zechariah 8:20-23 "Many peoples and inhabitants of many cities will come", Zechariah 9:10 "He will proclaim peace to the nations", Malachi 1:10-11 "My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the You can follow him on Twitter @tim_bertolet. Old Testament continuity? '", Isaiah 45:6 "from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know I the LORD have created it" (v. 8). The apostle Paul has made it clear to us in Romans 11 that the people of Israel lost their privilege exactly because of this failure and that God, in his infinite wisdom, made use of their failure to bless the whole world by putting the church in their place. 3:9), which is our mission. ", Isaiah 42:6 "I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and 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. 0000005301 00000 n calling them to be witnesses to the work of the Lord proclaiming the Gospel to the world. 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. fear you", Psalm 2:7-10 "You are my Son . As those who are freely and graciously reconciled to Him, we cannot ignore His longing for the Kingdom of Heaven to be revealed, not solely by His own life and ministry, but also through the multitude of those here on earth who confess their salvation in Him. Man taking the place of God always results in self-centeredness, which is the root of all sin and miseries. among all peoples", 1 Chronicles 16:28 "O families of nations, ascribe to the, 1 Chronicles 16:31 "Let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, The, 2 Chronicles 6:32-33 "so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and Please read our privacy policy to find out more. Jacob. 10 Bible Verses about Missions - Ethnos360 Bible Institute | 15 Best Bob Brady gives a quick video update on the Alliance and the ExtraOrdinary Give is here! The Jews only recognize the former. ", Psalm 86:8-13 all nations will come and worship, Psalm 98:3 "All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. There are lots of other global missions verses in God's Word. : O, 1 Chronicles 16:23-24 "Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds 0000003001 00000 n Don Stewart :: What Was Jesus' View of the Old Testament? faces from the "crowd of witnesses", "Throughout scripture, God made His passion known for the people of all nations. endobj At the very least, the narrative punctuates the Ethiopian eunuch as being on the right side of history. God's ways are higher than our ways. . Of course, the problem since the fall is human beings need redemption to be this witness. When the Son of God took on flesh to walk among humanity, He became the conduit of Gods mission, seeking to bring salvation to all who hungered and to make hungry all who did not realize their need for what He was bringing. Fifth, the Gentiles will turn away from their ways of iniquity and glorify God (Is. 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. God's Missionary Heart in the Old Testament ABWE When the nations were created, God had already formed a plan to draw them to Him. Now we take up the first subtitle: The Basis of Missions in the Old Testament. Immediately following this selfless act, God reiterated his great promise to him: "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 22:16-18). 10 Bible Verses about Missions - Ethnos360 Bible Institute | 16. The She hears of Gods renown, and she believes: for the Lord your God, he is the God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath (Josh. By way of conclusion, Kaiser shows from Romans 15:8-12 that the OT was Paul's authoritative source for mission. 3:9). As we see, God calls Israel so that the nation might be the vehicle through whom he blesses the nations. In it, Dr. Boice reminds Christians that they are not their own, but are a part of Jesus' Church, having been purchased by His precious blood. In the second place, the word seed refers to Jesus Christ. ", Ezekiel 36:22-23 "The nations will know I am the, Ezekiel 38:20 "All the people on earth will tremble at my presence", Daniel 2:47; 4:1-2; 6:25 "Surely your God is the God of gods", Daniel 7:13, 14 "all peoples, nations and languages should serve Him", Micah 1:2 "Hear, O peoples, all of you, listen, O earth and all who are in it. About the AlliancePrivacy PolicyFAQCalendar, 2023 Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, Inc.All rights reserved, Canadian Donors:Canadian Committee of The Bible Study HourPO Box 24087, RPO JosephineNorth Bay, ON, P1B 0C7, Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology, Blue Ridge Institute for Theological Education, Prince George's Conference on Reformed Theology, Quakertown Conference on Reformed Theology, International Council on Biblical Inerrancy. 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. His kingdom will cover the whole earth. And so, according to Hebrews 2, Jesus fulfills Psalm 8. This light was to be sent to the ends of the earth by the people of God. Missions is the act of being Gods witness into the world to make his glory and renown known. What a tragedy! 10 Reasons the Old Testament Is Important for Christians There is much more we could say about Gods missionary heart in the Old Testament. , Genesis 9:17 God's covenant with "all life on the earth", Exodus 9:14-16 "I have raised you up for this very purpose . Matthew 9:37-38 and the peoples with equity. Second, the fact that they are infrequent reminds us that Israel never truly fulfilled her role; only the true and coming King could take upon himself this mantle of being a light to the nations. There is the king of sex, the king of drugs, the king of violence, the king of meaninglessness of life. 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). The entire nation of Israel was to be kingly and priestly in her representation. The Alliance is a coalition of believers who hold to the historic creeds and confessions of the Reformed faith and proclaim biblical doctrine in order to foster a Reformed awakening in today's Church. And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? The prophet Isaiah said, "And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all the people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. He states that an aspect of God's purpose in exiling Israel was to counter Israel's neglect of her mission to be a light to the nations. The narrative of the Old Testament is punctuated with stories of Gentiles who come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 18 Bible Verses about Missions Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, "Take there one of the priests whom you carried away into exile and let him go and live there; and let him teach them the custom of the god of the land." 2:12). 0000014790 00000 n Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. How miserably they failed in their mission! Ruth: She forsakes her land, her biological family, and her gods when she pledges herself not only to Naomi but also to Naomis God as she makes a vow of covenant allegiance and saving faith. Lesson 116: Our Mission and How to Fulfill It (Luke 24:44-49) So Abraham's mission passed on to his descendants. and to the south, 'Do not hold 0000002780 00000 n 51:4). Because the LORD loved Israel forever, he has made you king, that you may execute justice and righteousness (1 Kings 10:9). All rights reserved.InterVarsity, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, and the InterVarsity logo are trademarks ofInterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA and its affiliated companies. Biblical foundation Classic When was the last time you, your pastor, or a missionary speaker opened the Bible and found the adventure of missions written in the pages of the Old Testament? In other words, when Israel was following the Lord, other nations would see it. When the spies come to her house to hide, she has already heard of the name of the Lord. God's promises to him had to do with three things: his seed, the promised land and the nations. tribes of central Europe turned to Christ in massive numbers. Jonah was a man of contradictions: His name Jonah means a dove, which is symbolic of peace, yet he refused to be a messenger of peace; he was a prophet who should understand the will of God, obey it and help others obey it, yet he acted contrary to the explicit commandment of God; he told the people on board the boat that he knew Jehovah, who was the Lord of heaven and earth, yet he would not allow Jehovah to be the Lord of his own life; he said that he knew the love of God, yet he acted as if the love of God were nonexistent. They emphasize the former at the expense of the latter. 50 Bible Verses to Encourage Missionaries: Scriptures for - ABWE Rather, it means people groups or societies in which people speak the same 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. Old Testament and missions. Yet he still called them to be witnesses. We often think Gods heart for the nations begins in the New Testamentbut it starts from the earliest pages of Genesis. Too often we wrongly read this as though God was only concerned with saving Israelites in the Old Testament. 4:22). God called Abraham and he responded in faith. Are you interested in learning more about Gods commission for missions and how it is woven throughout the entirety of the Bible? We can see this truth in four respects. Mission to people of other faiths in the Old Testament and Eldoret All heavenly blessings have come to us through Jesus Christ, as Paul tells us in the opening verses of his Epistle to the Ephesians. Video: "Making disciples in all nations" (13 minutes). 0000001936 00000 n The development of the concept of the universality of God's plan of salvation in the prophecies of the Old Testament can be arranged in the following order of degree: First, the title of the people of God will be widened in its application to include all nations who were at one time "strangers." Gods promise to Abraham and his seed was that in you all the nations will be blessed (Gen. 12:3). Isaiah 53:5-12. Properly conceived, missions is as much a theme in the Old Testament as it is in the New Testament. His role as prophet is by no means the slightest of his offices: He shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high Kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. ends of the earth. 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. Sixth, people of the ends of the earth will be taught of God's truth: "And the isles shall wait for his law" (Is. I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. God established the nation of Israel because of his covenant with Abram (Gen. 12:1-3). There are countless verses in the Bible that speak to the missionary experience. . Today, under the cloak of freedom, man is suffering slavery. She is Gods chosen possession, a treasured people who would be the heir. Every Sermon from the Old Testament Should Include Missions startxref "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. However, Gods plan for missions in the New Testament is not a plan B as if an Old Testament plan A has failed. Take a look at how that verses or verses have been used on the page of this website. In Psalm 8, we find that Gods name is majestic in all the earth, and his glory is above the heavens (8:1, 8). evening fades you call forth, Psalm 66 "All the earth bows down to you . The prophet Malachi made it clear that the right of worshiping God was going to be bestowed upon the Gentiles: "From the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering saith the LORD of hosts" (Mal.