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Mission in the Old Testament

Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. Mission in the Old Testament: Israel as a Light to the Nations. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2000.

Review by Timothy Raymond–

Mission in the Old Testament is a fascinating little book that argues that God’s purpose in his sovereign selection of the nation of Israel was not arbitrary or simply because he preferred Hebrew culture, but strategically missiological.  Namely, God’s desire from Genesis 12 forward was that Israel would become a missionary force of spreading the glory and blessing of God to the surrounding nations; or, in the language of Isaiah 42:6, that they’d be a “light to the nations.”  That Israel largely failed in this task should not minimize the fact that global missions has always been at the center of God’s plan and a passion in His heart.

Kaiser sets forth a cumulative case by beginning in Genesis 1-11 and demonstrating how the Lord has always had a concern for the salvation of “all the nations” (cf. Matthew 28:19-20).  From there he moves to the Abrahamic covenant and establishes how God’s plan was to make the sons of Abraham a channel through which “all the families of the earth would be blessed.”  Kaiser then examines all those occasions where saving grace reaches the Gentiles in the Old Testament (Naaman, Rahab, Ruth, etc.).  Other pertinent portions of the Old Testament are then exegeted, including Exodus, selected Psalms, the Prophets, and especially the book of Jonah to further support the book’s main thesis.  The book concludes with a captivating examination of Paul’s missionary call and how the Apostle consistently proved his call to take the gospel to the gentiles from Old Testament texts (see, for example, Romans 15:8-12).

Two sections that stood out to me as of special note include Kaiser’s study of the Exodus and his exposition of the “missionary” Psalms.  I have read Exodus numerous times but never realized how frequently the Bible states that God’s purpose behind the Exodus was missiological.  Namely, that, “The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them” (Exodus 7:5 [ESV]; cf. 7:17; 8:22; 14:4, 18).  In addition, the sheer number of Psalms that call for “all the nations” to praise the Lord is simply astounding (2, 33, 66, 67, 72, 96, 98, 100, 117, 145, etc.).  Assuming these Psalms were sung regularly in corporate worship, the conclusion that Israel realized it was to be actively evangelistic is hard to avoid.

Taken individually, the exegesis of one or another passage might not convince the reader of the book’s thesis.  But collectively, I could not deny that global missions has always been God’s passion.  And if missions is that central to the plan of God, I must ask myself, is it a passion in my life?

Timothy Raymond is an editor for Credo Magazine and has been the pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Muncie, Indiana since April 2006. He received his MDiv from the Baptist Bible Seminary of Pennsylvania in 2004 and has pursued further education through the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation. Tim grew up outside Syracuse, NY and previously served at Berean Baptist Church, Nicholson, PA (member and teacher during college and seminary) and Calvary Baptist Church, Sandusky, Ohio (seminary internship location). Tim met his wife Bethany at college, and they were married in May 2001. Tim enjoys reading, weight-lifting, wrestling with his three sons, and attempting to sleep.

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