I. Christology

1. To fail to see Christ is to fail to understand the Scriptures. He is the theme of the entire Scriptures (Law, writings, prophets, Gospels, Acts, epistles, Revelation—Luke 24:25–27).
   
   
2. Major Figures in the OT frequently prefigure some aspect of Christ or His work.
   
   
3. One of Israel's main purposes for existence was to bring about the birth and death of the Messiah so that he could bless (and judge) the world.
   

2. The Sovereignty of God

1. Who God is. Basic to understanding the History of Israel and the Old Testament as well, is an awareness of the utter sovereignty of God. God is the Creator and Active Sustainer of heaven and earth—He is the Potter and we are the clay. He can do anything within the sphere of His attributes. Man, because he is a sinner deserves nothing. God can choose to show extra grace to some for reasons known only to Him. Not to understand the sovereignty of God is to stumble over many things in the Old Testament and to set oneself up for a breakdown in theology.
   
   
2. The awful effects of sin: The sorrow and suffering dramatized in numerous episodes of Israel's history testify to the awfulness of sin.