Cornerstone Curriculum, Official Certification Edition

130 / CORNERSTONE CURRICULUM STUDENT WORKBOOK

• Identify the central texts in Scripture which affirm how the OT’s work is to provide a compelling and definitive witness to the person of Messiah fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ (cf. Luke 22.25-27, 44-48; Matt. 5.17-18; John 1.45; 5.39-40; Heb. 10.5-10 with Ps. 40.6-8). • Describe the implications of the promise-fulfillment motif for OT study, especially the way in which it suggests that a clear picture of Messiah can be seen in the history of the patriarchs, the nation of Israel, the Messianic prophecies, and the moral standards of the Law. • List the ways in which the promise and fulfillment motif affirms the unity of the Old and New Testaments, in terms of God’s intention to reveal himself, to redeem his people, and to do this through the promise made to Abraham and his descendants fulfilled in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. The Original Promise Keeper Gen. 3.15 – I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel. Do you keep your promises, or do you renege on what you say you will do? A popular men’s group has given itself the name of “Promise Keepers,” laying out seven areas in which the members pledge to the Lord and to each other their fidelity to him and the Kingdom. The idea of promise is a significant concept in our society, from our common romance notions of engagement, “I’m promised to Sherri,” to the promissory notes associated with business and law. Truly, the idea of the promise is a significant and important notion in all of our modern day relationships: promises are made between nations, world leaders, militaries, business partners, family members, and contractors. Without the notion of making and keeping promises, our entire societal machinery would grind to a halt. One of the simplest and most direct ways of comprehending the biblical story is the motif of promise and fulfillment. In one sense the entirety of the Bible can be seen as a movement of the sovereign God, the God of Israel, Yahweh, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who makes a promise to the rebellious first human pair and the serpent who deceived Eve. In this text God makes a promise, a promise that will affect the serpent and the seed of the woman. In theological circles this promise is called the “ protoevangelium ,” the very first mention or telling of the Gospel message of salvation of humankind that occurs in Bible.

Devotion page 84 & 3

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