How Were People Saved in the Old Testament?
Bob Yandian
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8,9)
By grace through faith is how people are saved today. But how were they saved in the Old Testament? This is one of my favorite questions to ask a new group of Bible School students. The answer is, in most cases, one of two. Those in the Old Testament were saved by keeping the law or by animal sacrifices. Nether Jews nor Gentiles were ever saved by the law or sacrifices, though God gave both.
Peter told the leaders of the Jerusalem church, who were trying to go back under the keeping of the law:
“Why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?” (Acts 15:10). Works never saved anyone before, during or after the law. Works have never or will ever save anyone. Here’s what Paul said about trying to be saved by keeping the law, “by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight” (Romans 3:20). No flesh means exactly that. No person before, during or after the law.
As far as animal sacrifices, they too could never save. Paul confirmed this to the saints in Jerusalem who were confused as to the role of animal sacrifices in forgiving sin. “For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4).
Neither Jews nor Gentiles were ever saved by animal sacrifices. They never could be, can today or ever will be saved by any blood except the blood of Jesus.
Men Have Always Approached God the Same Way
“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.” (Hebrews 1:1, 2)
In each time period, or dispensation, how God approached man was always different. But how man approached God was always the same. God spoke to Adam and Eve in the Garden by meeting them in the cool of the day and walking and talking with them. In the dispensations following Innocence, God spoke to people through angels, personal appearances as the Angel of The Lord, a burning bush, dreams, visions or a direct voice from Heaven. But how man approached God has been and always will be the same, by faith through grace. The heroes of faith show this. Each hero received the Lord and His salvation by faith and then approached each day living for the Lord by faith. “Without faith it is (and always has been) impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).
The Eternal Gospel
If the means of salvation and spirituality has always been by faith, then the same gospel must have been preached then that is preached today.
“For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them (the wilderness generation)”(Hebrews 4:2). The same gospel was preached to those in the Old Testament, including those under the law, as it is to us. The Old Testament saints were saved, matured as disciples and were healed on what Jesus was yet to do. And in the New Testament we are saved, matured and healed on what Jesus has already done.
When Jesus hung on the cross, with His hands pointing in two directions, He settled the sin and curse issue back to Adam on one side and toward the last person who will ever be saved on the other. Salvation has and always will be by one method, faith in Jesus Christ. No mention is ever given that salvation has come by keeping the law or through the shed blood of animals. There is no other name under heaven, given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). The same gospel deserves the same response, “to whoever believes").
The Eternal Great Commission
If the gospel has always been the same, then the command to take this message to the world must be the same, the Great Commission. The responsibility, or commission given to Israel in the Old Testament was the same commission given to the Church today, to again, take the gospel to the world. Paul declared the Great Commission was given to Israel. And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written in Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things.” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. And also Isaiah says in Isaiah 53:1, “Lord who has believed our report.” This verse in Isaiah begins one of the greatest of redemption chapters on salvation, healing and prosperity in our lives. Verse 1 says, “Who has believed the report?” The report to be believed is the gospel. “And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” The arm of the Lord (redemption) is revealed to those who believe the report (the gospel). Romans 10:15,16 Paul called the message of the Old Testament to be taken to the world by the feet of Israel, the gospel.
Israel’s responsibility, in the Old Testament, was to be the custodians of the gospel and the word of God. They were never to take the law or animal sacrifices to the world. Their feet were to take “glad tidings”, good news, the gospel. Jonah did not take the law to Nineveh, but the simple message of “repent.”
But by the time Jesus came, the message was no longer faith, but of keeping of the law. The religious leaders were more interested in making Gentiles into Jews instead of converts by faith through grace. Jesus told the Jewish leaders they had failed in their mission and angrily denounced their taking of the law to the world, not the simple gospel. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much of son of hell as yourselves” (Matthew 23:15). God wants converts, believers, not proselytes, Methodists or Lutherans. Because of Israel’s failure, God took the Great Commission from Israel and gave it to the Church for a period of time.
Just before His arrest, Jesus told the Pharisees, “the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it” (Matthew 21:43). Of course, Jesus spoke of the coming of the Church. The Great Commission was taken from Israel and given to the Church. It was the same message demanding the same response, accepting the redemption report by grace through faith. The Church today is the custodians of the gospel and the word of God. We will have the message until we are raptured out of the earth. Then the gospel, the Commission, will be given back to Israel again for the seven years of the Tribulation. Israel will again become the custodians of the gospel and the word of God.
What Was Moses’ Message of Salvation?
Honestly, it was the same as our message today, faith in Jesus Christ to receive God’s grace of redemption.
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9,10).
How often have you used this verse when leading someone to Jesus? This verse is part of what we call the Roman Road to salvation. This is probably the most popular verse to use for personal salvation as well as an altar call in a church or crusade invitation to the lost.
But who wrote this verse? Here’s the surprise. Paul did not write it, he quoted the author, Moses. Let’s go back to the beginning of this thought in verse 5, “For Moses wrote about the righteousness which is of the law, “the one who does these things shall live by them.” But the righteousness of faith speaks this way, “Do not say in your heart, who will ascend into heaven? That’s is to bring Christ down from above,” or “who will descend into the abyss?” That is, to bring Christ up from the dead. But what does it say? “The word (of salvation) is near to you, in your mouth and in your heart” that is, the word of faith which we preach” (vs.5-8).
Paul quoted these verses from Deuteronomy 30:11-14. Moses quoted it after giving all the blessings and curses of the law. He told them then, that the law would never save them. If they tried to keep the law, they were bound by it from that time on. Once they began to obey the law they were obligated to live in the law from that time on. James even adds to this by telling us if we disobey one point of the law, we have broken the entire law (James 2:10). Moses said the means of salvation was not in heaven, or under the earth, or in some foreign land across the sea. It is so close to you; it is in your heart (to believe) and in your mouth (to confess). Paul simply added the name of Jesus which was unknown to Moses. Moses knew Him as Jehovah.
What Was the Purpose of the Law?
If salvation has always been by grace through faith, then why add the law? What purpose did it serve? Paul tells us in Galatians 3:24,25, “the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come we are no longer under a tutor.” The law was never given to save, but to point to the One who could save, Jesus Christ.
There are two parts to the law given by Moses, the Law and the Sacrifices. The purpose of both as a tutor was to teach the only means of salvation, faith in Christ
The Law taught that man cannot save himself. The law was impossible to obey without a supernatural means of keeping it. So, the purpose of the Law was to teach us we are sinners. The Sacrifices taught of the One who could save, Jesus.
In other words, the Law and Sacrifices teach of the two parts of the gospel message, man is a sinner (Law) and needs a savior (Sacrifices). The completeness of the law was given because the people told Moses they could keep God’s commandments (Exodus 19:8). They did not need faith or God’s grace. They were capable of pleasing God through their own goodness. God gave the law and immediately displayed His wrath and anger. The place the Law was given was Mount Sinai. God spoke to Moses only and the mountain was covered with darkness, smoke and wrath. The people did not want God to speak to them directly, so they sent Moses to face Him bring back the law.
In other words, if you want to see God’s anger, approach Him in your own works. Try to prove to God your own efforts are as good as the blood of Jesus. Your tithing, water baptism, and church attendance will open heaven just as well as the work of Jesus on the cross. But if you want to see God’s mercy, compassion and love, approach Him through His plan, not yours. You will stand on Mount Zion and see God’s pleasure as you receive your salvation by simple faith in His grace. Under law, man chooses to handle his own sin. Under grace, man lets God handle his sin as a sinner and as a believer.
Old Testament Examples of Salvation by Faith
In Romans chapter four, Paul gave us two examples of salvation by simple faith. Both men lived in the Old Testament.
The first was Abraham (vs.4:1-3). He was saved by faith by believing God’s message. His faith was accounted to him for righteousness. The second was David (vs. 4:6-8). David rejoiced in the finish work of salvation by faith, righteousness without works, happiness knowing his sins had been removed and his sins not being imputed to him.
Here’s the point of choosing these two. Abraham was saved by faith before the law. David was saved by faith during the law. We are saved by faith after the law. The heroes of faith are mentioned in Hebrews eleven and include such believers as Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Rahab, Samson, David, and the major and minor prophets who wrote the Old Testament. The same introduction is given to all of them, “by faith.” These heroes encompassed the Old Testament and lived before and after the giving of the law. Then chapter twelve begins with, “we also”, bringing faith into the New Testament. The plan of salvation and discipleship has always been by grace through faith. Neither God nor His plan have ever changed. The work of Jesus on the cross only saves us. God’s grace plus our faith saves everyone from the fall of Adam to the last person who will be saved.
