|
|
|
How
did people in the Tanakh (Old Testament) 'get saved'? |
|
Q Hi Sam. I am a gentile Christian. I have a question that I need a Jewish perspective on because, to be honest, I have not heard a sermon on this issue and it bothers me. Here is the question: It appears to me that the people who lived in the Old Testament prior to Jesus’ resurrection were counted righteous by believing in what God said, and doing what God said, and not by faith in a future resurrected Messiah. Do you agree? Could it be that the knowledge of the “promise” was enough to reckon righteousness? The disciples did not seem to know the full story, so I have a hard time believing anyone prior to them knew as much. What was it that saved people in the Old Testament? *Jackie A
Hi
Jackie. Let me answer all your questions with this one idea: there has
always been only one way of salvation, which is by faith, and not by
works. The Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, and the disciples knew it:
Peter speaking concerning faith in Messiah, “Now therefore, why do you
test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our
fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of
the Lord Yeshua Ha Mashiach we shall be saved in the same manner as
they.” (Acts 15:10-11). Whether it was Abraham, Moses, David, or Isaiah,
people have been redeemed the same way at all times: by faith: “…he
(Abraham) believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for
righteousness.” (Gen.15:6; also Romans 4, Gal. 3, etc).
Prior to Messiah's coming people had faith that anticipated what
God would provide, communicated through the types (Passover Lamb, serpent
on a pole, Num. 21:8,9 etc…), prophecies and promises (Gen. 3:15, Ps.
51, Isa. 53, Ps. 22, etc.). That's why “Abraham… was glad to see”
Messiah's day (Jn. 8:56). In His conversation with Rabbi Nicodemus,
“Yeshua answered and said to him, ‘Are you the teacher of Israel, and
do not know these things?’” Nicodemus should have understood God's way
of Redemption. After
Messiah's coming and today, people have faith that appropriates what God
has provided: all with the same faith in Yeshua, the centerpiece of
history. I hope this helps. Sam.
|
|
|
