David: Grace in the Old Testament

Many critics of tp.e Lord's word make the claim that the OT is all "law" and that the NT is all "grace". Some also say that the God of the OT is harsh and brutal while the God of the NT is tender and forgiving. Some say that those saved in the OT were only saved by the law while those saved since Jesus came were saved by grace through faith.

Of course, these is a much more clearly stated gracious framework in the NT than in the OT. But those who study out the nature of God understand that God never changes. We are assured that He only changes the manner in which He chooses to deal with His creation. Our .. scripture proof of this truth is seen in Hebrews 1:1-2:

"God, who in sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by which also He made the worlds."

In both Testaments, people are saved by grace through faith.

The word "grace" appears 20 times in the OT, usually in the form of the word translated as "favor". The strongest understanding we have of this word is the undeserved kindness or favor of God toward man.

A few examples will bring-light to our path as we consider this matter.

GEN 6:8 "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord"

GEN 15:6 "And he (Abraham) believed in the Lord; and he (the Lord) counted it to him for righteousness" (This verse is so important that it is quoted in the NT three times)

PS 45 :2 "Thou art fairer than the children of men, grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee forever" (The speech of the Messiah is full of grace and kindness)

PS 84:11 "For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withold from them that walk uprightly" (The Lord gives believers grace along the way and the ending reward is glory)

ESTHER 2:17 " ... she obtained grace and favor in his sight. .. " (Here we see both the Hebrew words used, "hen" meaning grace and "hesed" meaning favor)

NUMBERS 6:25 "The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee" (Aaron understood grace was evident in his day)

So many people hold a very strong misunderstanding of the way of the Lord toward His own. They think they must "DO" something to merit the favor of God. They ignore that all that was necessary to be done was completed on that dusty hillside just outside Jerusalem 2000 years ago. There is nothing we can do to make God loves us less, and nothing we can do to make God love us more.

He provides His love toward us to be seen by the grace he allows us after He gifts us the blessing of faith by drawing us to Himself.

THE GRACE OF GOD IS SEEN IN EVERY BOOK OF THE OT

Genesis
Shows God's grace to a wicked world as He enters into a relationship with a sinful family line (Abraham) and promises to bless the world through him.

Exodus

Shows God's grace to His enslaved people in bringing them outof bondage in Egypt.

Leviticus

Shows God's grace by providing His people with a sacrificial system to atone for sins.

Numbers

Shows God's grace by patiently sustaining His grumbling people in the wilderness and bringing them to the border of the promised land, not because of them but in spite of them.

Deuteronomy

Shows God's grace in giving the people the new land and telling them it is "not because of your righteousness. (Deut 9)

Joshua

Shows God's grace in giving Israel victory after victory in the land with neither superior numbers or at times obedience.

Judges

Shows God's grace in taking sinful & weak Israelites as leaders

and using them again & again to purge the land of invaders

and idolatry.

Ruth

Shows God's grace in including a foreign and poor and desolate woman in the direct lineage of Jesus Christ.

1st & 2nd Samuel

Shows God's grace in establishing the throne forever.

1st & 2nd Kings

Shows God's grace by delaying the justice and judgment for kingly sin "for the sake of David".

Ist & 2nd Chronicles

Shows God's grace by continually assuring the returning exiles of God's own promises to David and his sons to be true.

Ezra
Shows God's grace to Israel in working .through the most powerful pagan ruler of the time (Cyrus) to bring His people back home to a rebuilt temple.

Nehemiah
Shows God's grace in providing for the rebuilding of the walls of the city that represents the heart of God's promise to His chosen.

Esther
Shows God's grace in protecting His people from a Persian plot to destroy them.

Job
Shows God's grace by deliverance of those who may suffer and by giving wisdom to those who suffer that their redeemer lives.

Psalms
Shows God's grace by reminding us of His constant covenant love for us, and the refuge He is for us.

Proverbs
Shows God's grace by opening to us a world of wisdom in leading a life of happy godliness.

Ecclesiastes
Shows God's grace by reminding us that the good things of this life can never be the ultimate goal of this life, rather it is God's mercy that satisfies sinners.

Song of Songs
Shows God's grace and love for His bride by giving us a faith echo of it in the ,pleasures of faithful human intimacy.

Isaiah
Shows God's grace by reassuring us of His presence with us and His restoration of contrite sinners.

Jeremiah
Shows God's grace in promising a new and better covenant which will be written inside the heart of believers.

Lamentations
Shows God's grace in his faithfulness in the middle of sadness.

Ezekiel
Shows God's grace with divine heart surgery that replaces hearts of stone with hearts of flesh.

Daniel
Shows God's grace in the repeated preservation of His servants.

Hosea
Shows God's grace in a real life story of His never ending love toward His whoring wife, Israel.

Joel
Shows God's grace in the promise to pour out His spirit on all flesh.

Amos
Shows God's grace in the Lord's promise of restoration despite massive corruption.

Obadiah
Shows God's grace by promising judgment on Edom, the oppressor of Israel, and restoration of Israel to the land.

Jonah
Shows God's grace toward both immoral Nineveh (a gentile city) and His moral but disobedient prophet, both who need and receive the forgiveness and grace of God.

Micah
Shows God's grace in the prophecy of God's repeated pardon of iniquity and transgressions.

Nahum
Shows God's grace in assuring Israel of "good news & peace" promising no more torment from the Assyrians.

Habakkuk
Shows God's grace that requires nothing other than trusting faith to overcome opposition and freedom for the faithful to rejoice in God; even in desolation.

Zephaniah
Shows God's grace in the prophecy of the glorious future to be granted to Israel & Judah if repentance arrives.

Haggai
Shows God's grace in that the future glory promised will be far more glorious than all glory known before.

Zechariah
Shows God's grace in that the future glory promised will be far more glorious than all glory known before.

Malachi
Shows God's grace by declaring the Lord's complete love for His people, unconditionally.