Some of you may be wondering what our topic is going to be for Ignite. Well, I came across this section in a Systematic Theology book written by Norman Geisler that will point you in the direction we are heading. Enjoy!
"The Preparation for the Savior
Immediately following the Fall, God announced His eternal plan to provides salvation for all humankind. He said to the serpent, whom He had allowed to tempt Adam and Eve, "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" (Gen 3:15). The Savior would be the Seed of the woman, and He would ultimately–fatally–crush the serpent's head. This Christ did officially on the Cross (Col. 2:14) and will do actually when He returns (Rom 16:20; Rev 20:10).
The rest of the Old Testament is the preparation for the coming Savior. To begin, God called into existence the holy nation through which He would bring the Promised Seed. In the books of the law (Genesis through Deuteronomy), God laid the foundation for Christ. In the historical books (Joshua through Nehemiah), He made the provision for the holy nation to enter and obtain the Holy Land so that they could produce the Holy One (Christ).
We see, then, that in Genesis God chose the nation; in Exodus He redeemed them; in Leviticus He sanctified them; in Numbers He guided them, and in Deuteronomy He instructed them so that in Joshua they could be victorious. In Judges they were unsettled without a king, but in 1 Samuel the nation was established and in 2 Samuel it was expanded. After the reign of Solomon, the nation declined (in 1 Kings) and was departed (in 2 Kings–a prophetic history repeated from a priestly viewpoint in 1 and 2 Chronicles). In Esther the nation was protected, and in Ezra and Nehemiah they were returned and rebuilt.
Meanwhile, the poetic books express an aspiration for Christ. Job aspired for mediation, Psalms for communion with God, Proverbs for wisdom, Ecclesiastes for the greatest good, and Song of Solomon for intimate union–all of which was found ultimately in jesus the Messiah.
Finally, the prophetic books (Isaiah through Malachi) earnestly proclaim an expectation for Christ. Each book in its own way anticipated the coming Savior, concluding the Old Testament preparation for the One who was to bring salvation."
AND THAT IS JUST HALF OF WHAT WE ARE GOING TO BE HEARING ABOUT AT IGNITE! The Presentation of Christ in the NT will be the second half of Abner's content. I hope you are praying about this time together that it will do the most amount of good for Christ and His kingdom.
