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A:There seems to have been an adversarial relationship between the gentiles and God in much of the Old Testament. Genesis says that Isaac and Jacob were not permitted to marry among the local Canaanites. God promised the land of the Canaanites to the Israelites, regardless of the well-established rights of the Canaanites over their ancestral lands. Then, when Joshua led the Israelites in fulfilment of that promise, God ordered that every living person in the conquered cities must be slaughtered. Throughout the Deuteronomic History, from Joshua to 2 Kings, God sides with the Hebrew people against their neighbours, no matter how much they sinned against him.

Only in the Book of Isaiah and in the post-Exilic period do we see the stance of the Old Testament authors soften against the gentiles. Isaiah 45:1 goes as far as to say that God called Cyrus, king of Persia, his anointed. Cyrus had freed the Jews from their captivity.

As far as the Old Testament authors were concerned, God cared only for the Hebrew people and was prepared to have the gentiles persecuted or slaughtered if they got in the way of his Chosen People.

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4d ago

In the Old Testament, Gentiles were seen as outsiders to God's covenant with the Israelites. However, there are instances where Gentiles showed faith and were included in God's plan, such as with Ruth and Rahab. Overall, the Old Testament emphasizes God's desire for all nations to come to know and worship Him.

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Q: What was the relationship of the gentiles to God in the Old Testament?
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What are the four main themes of the Old Testament?

The four main themes of the Old Testament are the covenant between God and humanity, the relationship between God and Israel, the promise of a Messiah, and the establishment of God's kingdom on earth. These themes are woven throughout the various books and stories of the Old Testament.


What is the central saving action of the Old Testament?

The central saving action of the Old Testament is considered to be the covenant between God and the Israelites, where God promises to be their God and they promise to be His people. This covenant forms the basis of their relationship and sets the stage for salvation history as God works to redeem and deliver his people.


What links the old and New Testament?

The Old Testament laid the foundation for the coming of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. The New Testament fulfills the prophecies and promises made in the Old Testament, showing how they are interconnected and part of the overarching narrative of God's plan for humanity. Jesus himself often referenced the Old Testament scriptures to demonstrate how they foretold his arrival and mission.


What book of the old testament is also called Canticles?

The book of the Old Testament that is also called Canticles is the Song of Solomon. It is a collection of love poems between two lovers that has been interpreted as an allegory of the relationship between God and his people.


Did God stop talking to man in the new testament?

While direct communication from God to individuals may not be as prevalent in the New Testament as in the Old Testament, it is believed that God continues to communicate with people through scripture, prayer, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The New Testament emphasizes a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ as a way for believers to access God's guidance and wisdom.

Related questions

What was the relationship of the gentiles to God in Old Testament times?

A:The Abrahamic God, Yahweh, was the national God of Judah and, perhaps later, of Israel. Foreign people, the gentiles, had their own national gods and would not have been expected to worship him.


In the Old Testament were the Jews not to mingle with gentiles?

In the old testament the Jews were not allowed to mingle with the gentiles especially the samaratins.


Why only in the New Testament the salvation was extended to the gentiles?

God has His times and seasons. Actually there were a few Gentiles that received salvation in the Old Testament. Rahab in the Book of Joshua was one and Ruth in the Book of Ruth was another. There were more, but this was the exception to the rule. During Jesus' time on earth more Gentiles are mentioned and then finally when the Jewish people rejected Jesus as the Messiah it was time for the Gentile to be accepted by God on a different basis, although Salvation has always come by faith in God, God created a time when mostly Gentiles could come to Him freely and in great numbers. Salvation to the Gentiles was mentioned in the Old Testament a number of times, but the timing was God's.


The old testament tells us about the relationship between God and who?

The Hebrew people


What is the division of old testament to New Testament?

The division of the old testament and the new Testament is because the new testament comes a new covenant that allows the gentiles to become God's people and children of Abraham. The new covenant is about delivering God's word to people other than the Israelites and to reestablish His kingdom on Earth because we had parted so far from his word and had become traditionalist instead of truly following what God wanted.


What does covenant mean in the old testament?

An agreement that brings about a relationship of commitment between God and his people.


Is the Old Testament longer than the New Testament?

Yes. The Old Testament is the Jewish bible and deals with the history of the Jews and God's relationship with them. The New Testament is the story of the life and ministry of Christ and the early Christian Church.


What was the Old Testament all about?

The overriding topic is the relationship between God and the Israelites. See also:More information


How do you explain what the New Testament to children?

You can tell them that the New Testament contains historical records about the life of Jesus and the establishment of the Christian Church. However you should also teach how the Old Testament is a record of man's history and God's dealing with mankind throughout history. In the Old Testament the nature and character of God is revealed and we learn about the relationship of God and man. You should also teach how the New Testament is a fulfillment of things foretold in the Old Testament and how the coming of Christ is another way in which God has spoken to all of mankind. The New Testament cannot be explained without reference to the Old Testament. Even themeaning of the words 'old' and 'new' 'testament' are important in explaining the New Testament


Why do the Gnostics considers the god of the Bible as evil?

Many Gnostics saw the God of the Old Testament as an angry and capricious god, who demanded sacrifices, encouraged genocide and was vain, in that he demanded constant worship. They could not imagine that the God of the Old Testament could be the same god as the loving god of the New Testament. Because they could not see the Old Testament God and the New Testament God to be the same, they decided that the Old Testament God was a lesser god, who was not even aware of the New Testament God in the higher heavens. Thus, he believed himself to be the only God and the Lord of creation, but there was (in Gnostic view) a higher God. To many, it was not so much that the Old Testament God was evil, it was that he was wholly ignorant.


What is the difference between the sound of God in the old testament and the sons of God in the New Testament?

The difference of the sons of god , in the two testaments are that in the old testament Jesus is the son of god. But in the New Testament we to can be the sons of god . If only we do believe that Jesus died for our sins.


What is the New Testament and why is it important to Christian's?

The Bible is about relationship with God. Moses established the first testament - the Old Testament - when the Israelites first came out of Egypt. (Exodus 19 - 24, especially 24:8). The body of writing in the Old Testament concerns Man's relationship to God through the keeping of the Law, or Torah. Jesus established the New Testament (John 6:53 - 58, Luke 22:19,20) at the Last Supper. The body of writing in the New Testament concerns Man's relationship to God through belief in Jesus and His sacrifice for the sin all of mankind in all time. The New Testament is important to the Christians because its focus is Jesus.