I am always baffled at those who weave stories together in the most beautiful way. One of the most attractive features of a movie or book series is the way a story can come together even in the smallest details. The makers of the Marvel movie series are masters at this process. A tiny movement of a hammer in one film becomes a crucial plot point in another. J.K. Rowling, too, describes seemingly insignificant conversations, objects, or experiences and four books later, you see what she was doing all along. In recent years, Anthony Doerr wrote All The Light We Cannot See and told the story of a boy and girl in a detailed and compelling way.
We crave this kind of storytelling. We love when all the pieces fit together and we finally see the purpose of it all. Why do we love stories like this so much more than the average “boy meets girl, they live happily ever after?”
Might it be because God Himself wrote the ultimate intricate, detailed, shocking story of all time? If we are made in God’s image, we should not be surprised that we love a good story. All we need to do is read the Bible cover to cover and marvel at the flawless story God spoke into existence.
Beginning with the End in Mind
From the very beginning, God knows the ending. Often the stories of the Old Testament are read with morality in mind. Take Abraham for example. We might read his story and think, what can we learn from his example or mistakes? While this might be helpful in some ways, we miss the point God is trying to make.
Abraham’s covenant with God was not just a sweet promise they made together. The point of this story isn’t even that Isaac is eventually born. God makes a covenant with Abraham with Jesus in mind. Abraham is not the kind of man we would expect to be the father of the nations. His wife was barren and his family belonged to a pagan nation. Why would God choose this man?
The Fulfillment of the Promise
Fast forward centuries later and what do we see? A baby is born to a family who comes from the line of Judah, the son of Jacob who is the son of Isaac who is the son of (you guessed it) Abraham. This child would grow up sinless and humble, not at all the kind of savior you would expect. He came from a woman who was not able to have children since she was a virgin. He came from a land without respect or honor. Jesus looked a lot like Abraham.
It was through Jesus’ life, ministry, death, burial, and resurrection that all the nations of earth, both the sons of Abraham and those who could not trace their ancestry to him, would be blessed.
God’s Marvelous Storytelling
This is marvelous storytelling. Centuries passed between Abraham and Jesus, yet God’s promise is kept and His perfect story comes together. When we look through the Old Testament and wonder what God is up to, we must look ahead to Jesus and see that God orchestrated a miraculous plan throughout history so that we might know Him. Jesus is the revelation of all the seemingly insignificant pieces of the Old Testament, and it is in Jesus alone that we find out what God has, is, and will be doing all along.
This post is written by Allyson Todd, and is published as a companion to Unit 3, Session 1 of The Gospel Project for Adults Vol. 1 (Fall 2021): From Creation to Chaos.
