Mission in the Old Testament: Israel as a Light to the Nations

by Walter C. Kaiser Jr.

This capable treatment contends that the missionary mandate does not begin with the Great Commission, but runs through the entire Old Testament.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Old Testament, Biblical Studies, Nonfiction, History, Religion

101 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2000

About the author

Walter C. Kaiser Jr. (PhD, Brandeis University) is president emeritus of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. He previously taught at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and at Wheaton College. Kaiser is active as a preacher, speaker, researcher, and writer and is the author of more than forty books, including Preaching and Teaching from the Old Testament and The Majesty of God in the Old Testament.

Reviews

[Alan Rennê · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muito bom! Excelentes insights a respeito da natureza centrífuga da missão no Antigo Testamento.

[Shane Williamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Introduction
“You shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exod 19:6) These words delineate, for the most part, ancient Israel’s unique calling as revealed in the Old Testament. What has been of critical debate in recent times is the question as to whether or not this calling was a passive or active one; put differently, was Israel’s calling to be a kingdom of priests centripetal, meaning in-ward moving, or centrifugal, that is, out-ward moving? Walter C. Kaiser Jr. is no stranger to this ongoing debate, having already contributed to this subject elsewhere. Kaiser serves as president emeritus of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary; over and above these duties he is an active preacher, speaker, researcher, and writer and is the author of more than forty books. In this second edition of Mission in the Old Testament: Israel as a Light to the Nations, Kaiser seeks to cement his position that Israel’s calling to be a “kingdom of priests” entails their serving, not just Israel alone, but the entire world. They were to be active witnesses, centrifugal in their sharing of the Man of Promise who was to come (xiii–xiv).

Summary
In this second edition of Mission in the Old Testament, Kaiser’s argument that Israel’s calling was centrifugal in nature is argued for from eight case studies. Each case study seeks to show that the goal of the Old Testament was to see both Jews and Gentiles come to a saving knowledge of the Messiah who was to come (xiv). The argument begins with the reality that Genesis 1–11 is universal in scope, including all people, cultures and languages (1). In particular, God’s “Man of Promise” to Eve, and consequently all who followed, highlighted God’s deliverance for all peoples. The promise that God would again dwell with humanity begins to be delineated through the Semitic line (6), finally becoming clearer in God’s promises to Abraham (Gen 12:1–3) that God’s gift of blessing was to be experienced by nations, clans, tribes, people groups and individuals through the instrumentality of Abraham (11). Vital to this argument in its seed form is the matter of instrumentality: God’s blessing of one people was so that they might be a “channel through which all the nations of the earth might receive a blessing.” (12) The election of Israel conferred on them a two-fold purpose: that of being kings of God as well as serving a priestly function on behalf of the nations (15). Kaiser uses examples from Moses and Pharaoh (13), Mosaic legislation (16), the Davidic covenant (19–26), and evidence from the Psalms to iterate this priestly function of Israel; that they were in fact elect for the very purpose of spreading the name of LORD (Exod 7:5; 1 Kings 8:43; Josh 2:11; 2 Sam 7:19; Ps 9:11; 105:1). Additionally, Kaiser presents examples from the Old Testament of Gentile individuals and nations who heeded—in varying degrees—this call from Israel to “know the LORD.” Among these are Melchizedek, Jethro, Balaam, Rahab, Ruth, Nineveh (through Jonah) and Naaman; as Kaiser states, “Yahweh was truly calling all the families of the earth.” (48)

Of great importance in Kaiser’s argument is the subject of the “servant of the Lord” from Isaiah 40:66. It is from this Messianic figure’s mediation that “salvation was to come to the Gentiles.” (62) This figure serves to embody God’s election and purpose of the nation Israel.

Finally, Kaiser’s argument closes with a cursory reading of Paul’s mission in the New Testament which Kaiser deems to further substantiate Israel’s centrifugal witness to the nations; indeed “there could be no mistaking where Paul got his marching orders: they came from the Old Testament.” (81)

Critical Evaluation

Whilst brief, Kaiser certainly provides a thorough and faithful overview of the subject in question. The overall argument is a compelling one. In particular, I personally was edified by the width of his study, as questions surrounding figures such as Melchizedek, Balaam, and Naaman had perturbed me in the past. From these outside characters it is clear that not only was Yahweh’s name known, but that that was always God’s intention.

One aspect of the argument that I thought Kaiser appropriately—and necessarily so—established was that of properly defining Israel’s vocation, that is, their election. As Kaiser asserts, “The election of Israel, therefore, far from meaning the rejection of the other nations of the world, was the very means of salvation in those nations. Election was not a call to privilege but a choosing for service to God.” (14) In my reading and conversations with others on this very subject, the typical response is one of separating ontology from functionality, that Israel can be ‘called’ without that however implicating them. Of course, this is at the heart of the question surrounding this book, but I believe Kaiser appropriately brought the discussion to consider the very central issue at stake.

Furthermore, integral to Kaiser’s argument, is the role of the “servant of the Lord” as found in Isaiah’s servant songs (42:1–7; 49:1–6; 50:4–9; 52:13–53:12). Since Jesus—as far as the New Testament authors are concerned—comes as true Israel (One representing the many) in order to establish the remnant of Israel so that they might “bring salvation to the ends of the earth,” firmly solidifies the initial intention of Israel’s calling. Israel was to be a centrifugal entity simply because Jesus, true Israel, did just that in himself offering up his life as the covenant for the people and securing a people indwelt by the Spirit, sent out to the ends of the earth (64). For this, I commend Kaiser’s analysis of the “servant of the Lord” and how this figure fits into the biblical narrative.

That being said, I would have loved to have seen one other thing from Kaiser: a more comprehensive interaction with the role of Adam in the discussion of Israel’s vocation. There is little to no talk of Adam in the conversation. Kaiser surveys the fall of humanity in Adam (2–3), but the question must be asked, a fall from what? There is much in the text of Gen 12:1–3 to suggest strong parallels between Abram and Adam. Could it be that the promise to Abraham was not just an extension of Gen 3:15 but also a redeeming of the initial Adamic role assigned to humanity: that of ruling as co-gents and functioning as priests to humanity? Let us also not forget the obvious connection between Jesus and Adam (Rom 5:14); the former proving to be the archetype of the latter’s ectype.

Conclusion

Mission in the Old Testament offers an accessible and sufficient survey of Israel’s mission in the Old Testament. From the Man of Promise, to the seed of Abraham, all the way to the “servant of the Lord,” Kaiser shows how the calling of Israel to be a “kingdom of priests” entails a centrifugal witness to the majesty and grace of God in the provision of his Son, Jesus Christ. “Mission,” Kaiser asserts, “cannot be an afterthought for the Old Testament: it is the true heart and core of the plan of God.” (36) This read certainly spurred my own love for missions and evangelism, as I was reminded of God’s steadfast love from of old to all peoples. It also has challenged me personally knowing that as united to Christ, true Israel, I am part of God’s redemptive purposes for this world, called for the very purpose of taking his name to the ends of the earth. Mission in the Old Testament is a great introduction to the subject of God’s worldwide concern for the nations.

[Christian Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short, but thorough book that argues that the nation of Israel in the Old Testament was to be a nation that blessed the whole world. Kaiser walks through several Old Testament passages that show how Israel was to accomplish the missions that God gave them, and he even includes opposing views to his own in this book. At the end he concludes by showing how Paul’s missionary call had its roots in the Old Testament. This book highlights that it is those who hold to more liberal theology that deny the missionary aspects in the Old Testament. This book truly shows that God has always been about pursuing the nations with His people.

[Alex Strohschein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christians are called to boldly fulfill the Great Commission - "to make disciples of all nations" and to baptize them in the Name of the Triune God. We read in Acts of the missionary exploits of the early Church and we read letters the apostles wrote to far-flung churches throughout the Roman Empire. But the missional impulse of the Bible did not begin at the end of Jesus Christ's earthly ministry; as Walter C. Kaiser Jr. effectively shows, the missional impulse of the Bible has been present from mankind's genesis. Kaiser runs through the Old Testament, explicating on passages that allude to Yahweh's desire that Israel be His witness to the world. Old Testament figures such as Melchizedek, Jethro and Rahab testify to Gentiles in this era who knew of Yahweh. The Book of Jonah is largely about God sending a prophet to the pagan city of Nineveh to proclaim His name so that the city might be saved.

Kaiser provides a persuasive case that the Old Testament is full of missional impulse to the Gentile nations. The lingering question I have that Kaiser does not offer solid answers for is how intentional WERE the Israelites in serving as witnesses to the Gentiles? Christopher Wright points out in "The Mission of God" that despite the Israelites being commanded in the Old Testament to observe the Jubilee, there is a lack of concrete evidence that they ever practiced the Jubilee (p. 295); beyond the Book of Jonah (which some do not consider historical), is there any evidence that Israelites went out to Gentile nations to proclaim the Name of Yahweh? I wish Kaiser had addressed extrabiblical sources more in regards to this question but in this book, he leans exclusively on biblical passages.

[Kessia Reyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice, short book in which Kaiser defends his thesis that, contrary to popular opinion, the mission of Israel in the Old Testament was not centripetal and passive, but rather central to the covenant with Yahweh and an active, centrifugal mission. I think that he did a great job bursting the common notion that the election of the Jewish nation was to salvation or was somehow exclusive; he argues well that it was rather an election to mission. (That says something about the election of a remnant, perhaps?) His argument about the nature of that mission, however, was less persuasive. Exactly in which way did God intend for Israel to reach the world with the truth? That is a central question that was never addressed. However, it was well worth the few hours that it took to read and I found it a helpful resource on the topic.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating. Deep in a way that I needed to read it slowly and digest. Academic while still being understandable. It pointed me to scripture over and over again and made me fall more deeply in love with God and His massive plan for us.
The book gives a solid glimpse into the broad story arc between the Old and New Testaments and how the mission paradigm in both rely on one another. I learned a lot and will continue to ruminate.

[Evan Gartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite being short, this book is packed with information. Kaiser has truly opened my eyes to just how much God's plan has been for the salvation of ALL PEOPLES since the very beginning. Chapter four was by far my favorite and the most eye opening. Kaiser expounds on Psalms 67 and 96 in such great detail that I could not help but give praise to God. This book is absolutely a must read.

[Chris Armer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rate this book only 3 stars based upon the author's argumentation to support his thesis. His evidence, exegesis, and logic are greatly lacking. There are far better books that address this subject for those interested.

[Troy Neujahr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walter Kaiser's passion for missions is evident throughout this book, as is his dedicated pursuit of the fact that God's people--in both Old and New Testament--have always had the task of proclaiming His wonders to the world. I agree with his conclusions.

But there are several stones left unturned. Kaiser rightly grasps that is is and always has been faith--and faith alone--that saves. More specifically, it is faith in Jesus Christ, who in the Old Testament lay in shadow as the promised Messiah, that is the proper focus of saving faith. But Kaiser does not engage with the concrete form that faith takes, nor the concrete form of God's promises. In the Old Testament, faith is made concrete in the temple, and it is there that God's promises of forgiveness, of redemption, of unity with His people are revealed in their concrete form.

Kaiser also speaks of only half of what is truly "mission." He grasps well the "sending" aspect where God's people go forth and tell of His promises to the nations. We today would call that evangelism. But mission, deeply understood, involves more than proclamation: mission is incomplete until those who have been proclaimed to are gathered in with God's people to join them as believers. There is a missionary arc in which God's people go out and tell, but do so for the purpose of gathering back in. In his sincere and well-motivated efforts to declare mission to be centrifugal, Kaiser neglects the genuine centripetal aspect of God's will that all should be gathered in to Him and His presence.

Not having read enough of Kaiser, perhaps it is true that he engages those aspects in other writings. And perhaps it is true that this slim volume simply does not have the space to explore those aspects. Whatever may be the case, Mission in the Old Testament is nevertheless a valuable missiological read as it stands. You will benefit from coming to understand that God's mission is not a New Testament development, but is something that has always been a part of His mission for His people.

[Doug Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this short work, Kaiser covers the scriptural roots of the Great Commission that Jesus gave his disciples in Mt 28:18-20. He explains that God's plan to reach the whole world goes back to his promise to bring blessing to all nations through Abraham and his descendants (Ge 12:1-3). The miracles of the Exodus sent a message to the world, and the Israelites were commissioned as a "kingdom of priests" (Ex 19:5-6) to be a witness to the nations.

Kaiser goes on to discuss
(1) psalms (67, 96, 117, e.g.) that call upon the congregation to declare God's great works to all nations;
(2) examples of people from the nations who are drawn to the God of Israel, concentrating on the example of Naaman the Syrian in 2 Kings 5;
(3) the emphasis in Isaiah 40-55 on Israel, and Israel's Messiah, as God's servant who would bring light to the nations (Isa 49:6).
(4) the outreach to Assyria through the prophet Jonah, and other passages from the prophets that point to the salvation of the nations;
(5) the way that Paul the apostle was guided by the scriptures in carrying out his mission to the nations.

This book gives a concise and helpful summary of the theme of missions that runs through the entire Bible. There is a nice 6-page bibliography at the end.

[S H A R O N · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to read this for a book review for my OT class. Still mulling over this -- probably fall more closely to a "2 star" read than a "3 star" read to be honest. Didn't care for how he picked and chose translations that fit his argument and (when none fit a particular argument) he used his own translation of the Hebrew. Also didn't care for how he'd pick the most egregious translation of a passage he wished to disprove and then provide the defense for a different translation -- except in the instances I found those issues had already been resolved in different, widely used translations anyway...

Other than that, the general premise is good and necessary -- especially for those who think the OT isn't relevant in today's culture. It has value and multi-faceted value at that.

I also liked that it was short - 82 pages of text for the win. ;)

[Porter Sprigg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think we can fall into the trap of seeing the Old Testament being focused solely on God as the Jewish God rather than God as the universal creator, sustainer, and redeemer. This book helps us see how God has had compassion on all people since the beginning of time and intended for Israel to be a witness and a light to the Gentiles.

I really appreciate the arguments Kaiser makes here but I wish he had a chapter dedicated to rereading the more nationalistic texts in the Old Testament. He is great at interpreting and explaining the more universal texts that defend his argument but I wish he was more direct in confronting the Old Testament texts that do seem more hostile and less mission-oriented towards nations other than Israel.

[Shaun Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the read and found this book very insightful. Kaiser packs in deep theological material and somehow managed to make the material a joy to leaf through. I appreciate the footnotes and references that he provided for further reading. Intermediate and advanced readers would probably find the content engaging, and because of the extremely small number of pages, maybe even novice readers would be able to read a chapter or two that catches their interest.

Of the tens of books I utilised for a research paper on the biblical theological perspective on missions, this title is a close second on my list of favourites that I found most insightful/helpful (the standout title was Michael Goheen's excellent "A light to the nations."

[Elizabeth Aucoin · Rating 4 out of 5]

so good and under 80 pages! definitely recommend since it's such a quick read. it doesn't have enough time to really break down scripture exegetically, but does a great job tracing the theme of missions throughout the Old Testament. not something I had thought much about beforehand, but definitely worth thinking about how God's plan since creation has involved salvation to ALL people. missions didn't start in Matthew with the great commission, and we can learn a lot about how it looked in the OT. Kaiser doesn't go into detail about how missions looked in the OT though -- his main point is proving his argument that missions have been part of the major redemptive story and plan pre New Testament times.

[J. Amill Santiago · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably one of the most important books I have read as far as it goes to Old Testament matters. It is, indeed, a deeply foundational book. It was in this book that I was introduced for the first time to the Abrahamic Covenant, the Davidic Covenant and to many global redemptive themes in the Old Testament. Perhaps the best thing about this book is that—although Dr. Walter Kaiser Jr. may be a little bit verbose—in this book he is brief, succinct and goes directly to his point. Short book, but valuable information.

[Eric Fults · Rating 4 out of 5]

A helpful little book on the topic. Kaiser argues that there is an active mission mandate in the OT as well as the NT. While I do think as a whole his argument stands, his evidence is pretty nuanced and subtle and not nearly as strong as he makes it out to be. Mission is certainly evident in the OT, but it often seems to be of a passive sort and not an active sort, though Kaiser argues for an active variety. In the end I think his argument stands, though I don't know if it is as obvious as he seems to let on at times.

A helpful and short intro to the topic nonetheless.

[Noah McMillen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kaiser argues that God’s plan has always been salvation of the whole world, including the Gentiles, and that Israel always had an active call for missions to the Gentiles. He highlights many enlightening missionary passages in the Old Testament, including the global nature of Genesis 1-11, the promise of the blessing to Abraham, Moses to the Egyptians (that the Egyptians would know the true God), many Psalms (2, 33, 66, 67, 72, 96, 98, 100, 117, 145), believing Gentiles (Melchizedek, Jethro, Balaam, Naaman, etc), Isaiah, and Jonah.

[C.J. Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great, introductory survey. I especially appreciated his last chapter on Paul’s use of the OT as a defense for his mission to the Gentiles.

I think this work proved that something much more substantial could be written on OT and missions, which of course Christopher Wright accomplished in *The Mission of God*, even if one doesn’t agree with all of his conclusions.

[Nicholas Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mission in the Old Testament is a book that expands on your knowledge of the OT and presents some interesting angles of interpretation to see God’s Mission all heart all through Scripture. It is a must read for sure.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could almost hear Dr.Kaiser's deep laugh as I read this. This concise book outlines God's heart for the nations, from Genesis & throughout the Old Testament.

[Dustin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great thoughts on how God's Mission runs through the OT as so as the new.

[Caleb Hegg · Rating 2 out of 5]

This should have been a 400 page book. Due to the lack of space Kaiser's argument is weak and often perplexing. His thesis is correct but this book fails.

[Logan Webster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent, but not the strongest argument.

[Mariela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and Sweet

Great review of how the OT is full of the missio Dei. I especially enjoyed the the early chapters of this book relating to the Pentateuch.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book for a very short quick overview of missions in the Old Testament. Very thoughtful as Walter Kaiser is one of the leading Old Testament scholars. He is also a very good writer and lays out a good case for God's heart encapsulating more than just Israel in the Old Testament.

[Louis Fritz v · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walter Kaiser does an excellent job on a much needed text for pastors: the need to recognize the importance of the Old Testament as evangelistic as much as the New Testament. He proves this taking the entire narrative from Genesis to the Ages of the Prophets to prove the role of Abraham and Israel as drawing all nations back to God. The difficulty of his text comes through its heavy focus on verb parsing and other grammatical syntax, basic knowledge for many seminary graduates but not necessarily are readily understood by those of the laity. Yet, this is a true tragedy as not only are our pastors suffering in their underuse of the Old Testament, but the congregations are struggling in their appreciation of how significant Israel was as a foreshadow of God's desire for His church. Perhaps then the final challenge Kaiser is making to his audience is to share this information more readily with others, so they too can appreciate the entire picture of God's plan for redemption of all tribes and nations.

[Robert Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kessia Reyne already wrote the perfect review:


A nice, short book in which Kaiser defends his thesis that, contrary to popular opinion, the mission of Israel in the Old Testament was not centripetal and passive, but rather central to the covenant with Yahweh and an active, centrifugal mission. I think that he did a great job bursting the common notion that the election of the Jewish nation was to salvation or was somehow exclusive; he argues well that it was rather an election to mission. (That says something about the election of a remnant, perhaps?) His argument about the nature of that mission, however, was less persuasive. Exactly in which way did God intend for Israel to reach the world with the truth? That is a central question that was never addressed. However, it was well worth the few hours that it took to read and I found it a helpful resource on the topic.

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent short book! A must-read, particularly for anyone wondering about the connection between Old and New Testaments or the significance of non-Jews as part of God's redemptive plan.

"The case for evangelizing the Gentiles had not been a recently devised switch in the plan of God, but has always been the long-term commitment of the Living God who is a missionary God." - page 82

All the way back to Genesis, God has intentioned that all ethic groups come to know and glorify Him.

This is such basic stuff, but it's generally not understood by Christians. Yet, it is necessary to a broader understanding of God's character.

[Mark A Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many believe God only reached out to the non-Jewish world after the time of Christ, but as Kaiser deftly demonstrates, God’s eternal plan has involved “all nations” (a concept bookended in Gen 12 and Rev 7). In this brief book, Kaiser hones his focus on showing that part of Israel’s function was to propagate God’s truth to their neighbors, and he also develops how God was at work among the Gentiles during the Old Testament period.

[Kristi-Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. What a fantastic book! This is essentially a Biblical Theology of Mission in the Old Testament. It has completely revolutionized my understanding of the importance and purpose of Israel, God's character in relation to pre-messianic history, and Paul's use of the OT in his epistles - usage that always confused me. It is *extremely* detailed in some parts as he makes his hermeneutical case, but the point of the book is well worth the few thick sections. I highly recommend this.