Discovering Christ in the Story of Israel
Many Christians have a favorite part of the Bible.
For some it is the Gospels, where we read about the life of Jesus. Others are drawn to Paul’s letters because they explain the Christian faith so clearly. Many find comfort in the Psalms or practical wisdom in Proverbs.
The Old Testament, however, is often neglected.
Some Christians find it intimidating. Others assume it is primarily a collection of ancient history with little relevance to modern life. Stories about Joshua, Deborah, Gideon, Samuel, and David seem far removed from twenty-first-century concerns.
Yet Jesus thought differently.
After His resurrection, Jesus met two discouraged disciples on the road to Emmaus. Luke tells us that, “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” The only Scriptures they possessed at that moment were what we now call the Old Testament.
Jesus believed the Old Testament was about Him.
That simple observation changes the way we read these ancient stories.
Joshua reminds us that God keeps His promises. The judges reveal humanity’s desperate need for a righteous King. Samuel points us toward faithful obedience. David foreshadows the coming Messiah, the greater Son of David whose kingdom will never end.
The Old Testament is not a disconnected collection of biographies.
It is one grand story of redemption.
Every page moves the story forward. Every covenant, every sacrifice, every victory, and even every failure points toward God’s plan to rescue His people through Jesus Christ.
That is one reason the books of Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, and 2 Samuel are so fascinating. They tell the story of Israel’s transition from wandering tribes to a united kingdom. They introduce unforgettable personalities whose strengths inspire us and whose failures warn us. More importantly, they reveal the character of God—His holiness, His justice, His patience, His mercy, and His unwavering commitment to keep His promises.
The stories also remind us that the Bible is refreshingly honest.
Its heroes are not presented as flawless examples to imitate. Gideon struggled with fear. Samson wasted extraordinary gifts. Saul allowed pride to destroy his leadership. David committed sins that brought terrible consequences. Yet God continued working through imperfect people to accomplish His perfect purposes.
That should encourage every believer.
If the Bible were merely a collection of moral examples, many of us would leave discouraged because we could never measure up. Instead, Scripture repeatedly points us beyond human heroes to the faithfulness of God. The central character of the Bible is not Joshua or David.
It is the Lord Himself.
One of the reasons these stories have remained so popular in Sunday School classes is that they naturally invite thoughtful discussion. Why did Israel repeatedly drift away from God? What can we learn from Gideon’s doubts or David’s courage? Why does God choose unlikely people for extraordinary tasks? How do these ancient events point us to Christ?
Those kinds of questions have shaped Christian education for generations.
Since the 1870s, the International Sunday School Lessons have encouraged churches from many denominations to study the same passages of Scripture each week. That remarkable movement has united millions of believers around a common plan of Bible study, creating shared conversations that have strengthened churches across North America and around the world. Out of that tradition grew trusted resources such as the Standard Lesson Commentary, which for more than a century has helped Sunday School teachers understand and teach God’s Word faithfully.
The Good Questions Have Groups Talking series stands firmly in that tradition. Like the International Sunday School Lessons, it believes the Bible should be studied carefully, systematically, and in community. But it also recognizes that people learn best when they participate. Carefully crafted questions invite class members not only to understand the biblical text but also to wrestle with its implications, share personal insights, and discover together how God’s truth applies to everyday life.
That is why discussion matters.
People remember conversations. They remember the moment someone asked a question they had never considered before. They remember hearing another believer describe how a passage transformed his life. They remember discovering truths for themselves instead of simply being told what to think.
The Old Testament deserves that kind of careful study. It is not merely the story of ancient Israel. It is the first part of our story as God’s people. It introduces the promises that Christ fulfilled, the problems only He could solve, and the hope that continues to sustain believers today.
The more deeply we understand these ancient stories, the more clearly we understand the gospel itself.
That is why Christians have been studying them together for generations—and why they continue to change lives today.
If your class is looking for a discussion-based Bible study rooted in Scripture and built on the rich heritage of the International Sunday School Lessons, Generations: From Canaan to Jerusalem provides thirteen engaging lessons from Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, and 2 Samuel. Each lesson combines thoughtful discussion questions, practical application, and trusted biblical scholarship to help groups discover not only what these ancient stories meant then, but why they still matter today.
