The purpose of this paper is to provide a condensed overview of the Biblical old Testament, as outlined and explored in the book, Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form, and Background of the Old Testament, by William Sanford LaSor, David Allan Hubbard, and Frederic William Bush.
The first point that must be made here is that the point of view of the authors of this meaty volume is tinged heavily by their Christian evangelical attitudes. The authors consider the Old Testament to be not only a historical study of a time and place in history (the Middle East, during the two thousand years before Christ,) but also the precursor to the New Testament, in a purely religious sense (1).
Thus, the authors emphasize the importance of the old Testament as the foundation upon which Christianity is based, as well as being the ultimate authority cited by both Christ and the Apostle Paul when validating their worldly missions. In fact, even though the content of Christ's and Paul's teachings differs somewhat, their erudition with regard to the teachings of the Hebrew prophets, and the message of the other sacred writings, links them together, in proclaiming the fulfillment of the old Testament, and the beginning of the New (1-5).
In order to make their case more strongly, the authors use the word "typology," which denotes a link between events in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Many of the sayings of Christ were echoing sentiments expressed in the Old Testament, as well as "fulfilling" prophecies which the ancient Hebrew Prophets had foretold. Paul also pointed to Old Testament prophecy as having been fulfilled in the person and teachings of Jesus Christ, and used the Scriptures and his interpretation of them as evidence of the validity of Christ's mission on earth (5-6).
To the ancient Hebrews, however, the Old Testament was not, obviously, a prelude for the coming of Christ, but instead was a "progressive revelation,...