The essay, “Ten Themes of Old Testament Theology” by Lawrence Boadt, provides ten key themes that help us understand God’s message to the people of ancient Israel and the applicability of that message to the people and situations that make up our world today. Viewing the Old Testament from a thematic viewpoint helps us identify the key points that make it a single testament of faith. The ten timeless themes provide an insight into how God acted in history on behalf of Israel and what God’s intent is for the world and its people. Taken together these ten themes provide us with a picture of who God is and how God calls us to be active in our world today.

Reading the Old Testament is not like reading any ordinary book. Yes, we need to read the words and sentences. But more than a literal reading of the text, we need to read it with faith. This means we reflect on the underlying message of the text: the message of truth God is wishing to communicate to us. Here are some main themes found in the Bible. Keep these in mind as you study particular stories or events in the Old Testament.

The Ten Themes

1. The first and most important theological theme found in the Old Testament is that God is one. Israel insisted on a single divine being who ordered and controlled everything out of love for the goodness of creation.
2. Secondly, God is viewed as actively involved in history. God acts in history as a Liberator and Savior.
3. The third theme stresses that God invites, indeed demands, a personal response of friendship, loyalty, obedience and communication.
4. A concrete application of this human response is praise of God. The fourth theme emphasizes that all of the biblical text tells the glory of God.
5. Covenant and community are proclaimed as central in the fifth theme. The special covenant relationship between God and Israel is meant to be lived out in caring and committed community.
6. The sixth theme reveals that Israel is a people of tradition and institutions. Tradition and institutions are important not in themselves, but as vehicles for keeping community and covenant alive in a difficult and often hostile world.
7. God demands that Israel be holy and just. The tension between God’s will and our often sinful and selfish response is a significant seventh theme central to the Old Testament.
8. Israel is called to live with hope and optimism about the future. Comfort and hope are possible in times of loss because of God’s continuing love and faithfulness.
9. The ninth theme emphasizes the goodness of the world and of God’s creation.
10. The tenth and last important theme of the Old Testament is that the Bible is wisdom. God made people rational and free, with powers of searching, choosing and behaving ethically.

Read the essay, Ten Themes of Old Testament Theology for descriptions of each of these themes. You will find the essay by clicking on the above link or in the Downloadable Guide.