THE PRESENCE OF GOD (3 OF 10)
Scripture: 2 Samuel 6:1-23
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The Presence of God (3 of 10)
Series: Book of 2 Samuel
P.C. Edwards
2 Samuel 6:1-23
Introduction
I often joke with people that I’m probably the only Baptist pastor in America who prefers preaching out of the Old Testament more than the New. Of course, I mean that tongue-in-cheek because that whole Jesus part in the New Testament is pretty cool, but I really do love the Old Testament. Some of it is because having grown up in Baptist churches it’s the part of the Bible I’m least familiar with. Right, if you grew up in the church you know the story of the Garden, Noah’s Ark, Joseph, the Exodus, Samson, David and Goliath ... oh yeah, Daniel and the Lion’s Den, but that’s about it. Somehow the Song of Songs never came up in Sunday School; the story of Judah and Tamar got left out of R.A.s. Most of the Old Testament just never got touched, and so as an adult I’ve enjoyed going back and see the depth of the theology of the Old Testament which I was always kind of ignorant of.
I also love the Old Testament because I find it really makes the New Testament come alive. There’s a lot I’ve come to understand much more deeply thanks to my studies of the Old. Jesus Himself becomes far more beautiful when you understand how He is the fulfillment and culmination of the story of Israel. Moreover, I think the Old Testament leaves us with a simply breath-taking feeling of amazement and humility as we behold the character and the works of God.
That last part may surprise many people, though, because I’ve found for many people the God of the Old Testament is quite the opposite of lovely and wonderful. The typical stereotype is that the God of the Old Testament is mean and spiteful; He’s petty and unpleasant. He’s wrathful and without love and grace. Most folks, of course, who feel this way have not spent much time, if at all, actually reading the Old Testament, but some of whom have. Many genuine Christians who read the Bible read portions of the Hebrew Bible and have ...
Series: Book of 2 Samuel
P.C. Edwards
2 Samuel 6:1-23
Introduction
I often joke with people that I’m probably the only Baptist pastor in America who prefers preaching out of the Old Testament more than the New. Of course, I mean that tongue-in-cheek because that whole Jesus part in the New Testament is pretty cool, but I really do love the Old Testament. Some of it is because having grown up in Baptist churches it’s the part of the Bible I’m least familiar with. Right, if you grew up in the church you know the story of the Garden, Noah’s Ark, Joseph, the Exodus, Samson, David and Goliath ... oh yeah, Daniel and the Lion’s Den, but that’s about it. Somehow the Song of Songs never came up in Sunday School; the story of Judah and Tamar got left out of R.A.s. Most of the Old Testament just never got touched, and so as an adult I’ve enjoyed going back and see the depth of the theology of the Old Testament which I was always kind of ignorant of.
I also love the Old Testament because I find it really makes the New Testament come alive. There’s a lot I’ve come to understand much more deeply thanks to my studies of the Old. Jesus Himself becomes far more beautiful when you understand how He is the fulfillment and culmination of the story of Israel. Moreover, I think the Old Testament leaves us with a simply breath-taking feeling of amazement and humility as we behold the character and the works of God.
That last part may surprise many people, though, because I’ve found for many people the God of the Old Testament is quite the opposite of lovely and wonderful. The typical stereotype is that the God of the Old Testament is mean and spiteful; He’s petty and unpleasant. He’s wrathful and without love and grace. Most folks, of course, who feel this way have not spent much time, if at all, actually reading the Old Testament, but some of whom have. Many genuine Christians who read the Bible read portions of the Hebrew Bible and have ...
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