As Christians, we hold the Hebrew Scriptures to be canonical and part of our sacred scriptures as well. The Hebrew Scriptures are key in that the ground work is laid for the ministry and work of Jesus. There are key themes throughout these books that are foundational to Christianity. I have listed a few for consideration. When reading scripture, look for these themes elaborated and expanded in the text.
God initiates a covenant with God's people
It is primarily through these covenants that God relates to and works in the community of faith. There are a number of covenants established, a covenant with Noah, a covenant with the ancestors Sarah and Abraham, a covenant with David and the promise of a New Covenant.
God is love but God is also a God of justice
God is revealed as a God of love, grace, and mercy. Yet God also cares deeply that humans interact in ways that are fair and just with each other and their world. Throughout the covenant, God or prophets of God call out injustices and unfairness in society. The Ten Words or the Ten Commandments, are in essence regulations for fair and honest dealings between humanity and God and within humanity itself. The first words dealing with our relationship to God and the second half with our relationship to each other.
God is sovereign but people have free agency
This is one of the mysteries of our existence. Whether we ask this in theological terms, if God is sovereign how do people have free will, or whether we ask this in terms of secular philosophy, if everything is predetermined, do we really have free will? The issue is still the same. Whether through random experiences, or predetermined programming, we are often faced with these dilemmas. The scriptures show a God that is sovereign, not only the creator of all things, but that governs and directs all events for God's divine purposes. Yet, God did not cause or create evil, we remain responsible for our actions, and people will be held accountable to injustice in society. The scriptures are concerned with issues of justice including care for the poor, our obligation to the foreigner and stranger, hospitality and welcome to all, and the humanity or human rights of all people.
God moves to bring salvation and liberation into the world
God always seek to lead people into truth, and to provide a way for forgiveness, restitution, restoration and healing. Through both the Torah, the prophets, and ultimately in the Promise of a coming savior, God seeks to reveal to the world a way of salvation and liberation that is for this life, not just for the promised resurrection in the world to come. Sin and oppression often results in the exploitation and oppression of other humans we live with. Yet God's message is for people to live full into the humanity God has created us for, and this includes living in freedom, love, and community. God's liberation always comes in order to free and allow people to live into God's purposes that we are created for.
As you study and read through stories of the Hebrew Scriptures, make it a point to see if you can identify these themes. Can you identify examples? Christians believe that God created humanity and the world to live in relationship with God's self, if this is true, how do these theme illustrate or deepen this relationship?
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