Missions in the Old Testament

This month we are going to dive into the Biblical basis for the Mission, specifically within the Old Testament. The Mission did not begin in Matthew but is articulated throughout the entire Bible. Remember the Mission is to make disciples of all nations so that God is praised over all the earth.

The Bible is a unified book from Genesis to Revelation. God’s design to bring the earth back to Him began in the Garden of Eden. After humanity sinned, the first gospel proclamation was given in Genesis 3:15. It says, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” This is a symbolic prophecy of Jesus’ death and resurrection. The offspring represents Jesus, and the snake represents Satan. Jesus died, but he crushed the head of the enemy when he defeated death itself and rose from the grave. This proclamation of the coming restoration was given to all of humanity. Showing us the heart of God for all of mankind to be saved.

Going to Genesis 22:18, God says to Abraham that “…through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed.” The descendants of Abraham (the Israelites) were to show God’s greatness to the nations. They were to represent who God was to the world. Once again, God’s heart for the nations is seen.

Throughout the book of Psalms, we find an abundance of references stating that all of the Earth is God’s, and that all who live on the earth are to praise the Lord (Psalms 24, Psalms 65:1). From every nation, the goodness of God should be proclaimed. We see a foundation for God’s Mission, our Mission, being carried out in the Old Testament by each of these scriptures. God’s heart for the nations to know Him, and to worship Him is apparent from the beginning of creation.

The Bible Project: TaNaK and Old Testament

Verses in the Old Testament

We believe everything we say and do should be backed by the Word of God. We believe it is a mandate to spread the Gospel and live a missions-minded life based not only on verses from the New Testament but many from the Old Testament as well. We encourage you to discover more about these passages and seek to discover new passages related to the Mission.