The entire Old Testament points to the coming of the Messiah in the New Testament. The story of the Creation sets the foundation of the much larger story that will be revealed in Scripture, which focuses on relationship, redemption, and restoration.

The call and mission of the patriarchs reflect God’s original intention for humankind: to experience God’s blessing and be a conduit of that blessing to the world. God handpicked Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to play a foundational role in reversing the curse and bringing about the new Eden.

The stories of Joseph and Judah reveal the first and second comings of Christ. He came into the world as a suffering servant, but will one day return as a conquering king.

Moses is the greatest prophet of the Hebrew Bible, a central figure in Judaism, and was used by God not only to free the Israelites from slavery to Egypt—the greatest superpower of its day—but also to give the Ten Commandments and the Torah to the Hebrew people.

In the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel, we find the names of four women: Tamar, Rahab, Bathsheba, and Ruth. All of these women are Gentiles. The story Ruth and Boaz reveals that we cannot be perfected in unity unless—like Ruth and Boaz—we are one relationally.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the same location where David was born and learned to become a shepherd. Jesus is the royal king from the family of David, born in Bethlehem to be a shepherd. Everything in David’s life as a shepherd points to Jesus and finds its fulfillment in him.