Promises Kept: A 6 Day Devotional From the Old Testament CovenantsParaugs

Day 1 - Learning the Story

Have you ever started watching a movie halfway through? What happened to your understanding of the plot? You were lost, right? The same is true for the Bible. When we start in the middle, we find ourselves a little lost. The Bible is one big story, but that is easy for us to forget because it is filled with so many different books and genres. There are different characters. Stories within the story. It is hard for us to see how Leviticus has anything to do with 1 Samuel. I mean, does it?

The Bible is one big story about God and His purposes in the world. As one theologian says, the Bible is telling the story of “God’s people, in God’s place, under God’s rule.”[1] We study the story of Scripture because we want to know how God has revealed Himself, deeply connected to this one story. If you’re trusting in Christ, it is your story too.

Maybe you’re asking this question. “What is the story of Scripture”? You might know individual stories in Scripture, like David and Goliath or Moses and the burning bush, but if you have never heard of the big story, that’s okay. That’s what this study is for! The big story of Scripture (also called the “metanarrative”) is broken into four parts:

1.Creation: God created everything.

2.Fall: Humanity disobeyed our Creator and fell into sin.

3.Redemption: God promised a redeemer to save his people from their sin—that redeemer is Jesus Christ.

4.Consummation: God promises Jesus will return one day, making all things right again.

In every part of the Bible, we should be asking “where am I in this narrative”? The Bible is a progressive story, where each book of the Bible functions like a chapter. It moves the story forward. It is progressing towards a planned end. In the Old Testament, it’s moving you toward the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the New Testament, it’s moving you toward Christ’s return.

Let’s start at the beginning.

Read: (Luke 24:25-27)

Pause and Reflect: What do you think Jesus said to the disciples on the road to Emmaus? If you were telling the story of how all the parts of scripture point to Christ, what would you share?

Prayer: Lord, you are a faithful God who keeps your promises. Your work is long, and the waiting is hard. Help me to trust you when I don’t see or understand where I am in the story you are writing. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

[1] Taken from themes in the The Big Picture Story Bible, David Helm, (Wheaton: Crossway Books), 2014.