Pat Arensberg: Preview of the Old Testament

“Christians venerate the Old Testament as true Word of God.”  -CCC #123

Jesus Christ is the unique Word of God.  He is revealed in the Old Testament.  This revelation was often veiled from the eyes of the people of the time.  The entire Old Testament is God preparing his people for Christ.  He met them where they were.  It is like a parent teaching a child.  When I hear a parent tell a child not to “talk to strangers” I know the full truth that the parent is not yet ready to reveal to the child.  There are some really sick and bad people in the world that may try to hurt you in very despicable ways.  Well, we don’t tell our 4 year olds that.  As they grow older we might mention “bad guys” or hurting people.  But it is not until the child has grown to full stature that the full truth becomes clear.

Now, this example is a bit negative, but the same dynamic is at work.  God is constantly revealing the Word and indeed his own inner life, but he does so gently and as his people were ready for it.  The Old Testament should be viewed through this lens.

The Old Testament is also a love story, one that finds its “happy ending” in the New Testament.  Time and time again God made covenants with man, and time and time again we rejected these.  The Old Testament tells this sad tale.  In the end, God sends his own son to seal a new and permanent covenant.  This is called the New Testament and we will begin to consider it tomorrow.

The Old Testament is comprised of the Pentateuch (the first 5 books), historical books, wisdom books and prophetic books.  Attached with this blog is an outline of the history of salvation along with which books of the Bible deal with those stories.

About Pat Arensberg Patrick Arensberg is the Director of Religious Education for the Archdiocese of Mobile. Previously, he taught for 17 years at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School, where he served as Chairman of the Theology Department. He attended the Gregorian University in Rome and holds an M.A. in Theology from Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans. He is married to Connie and they live in Mobile with their 5 children.