Deuteronomy 7:7-8, John 1:17, Genesis 3:15
Grace Did Not Begin at Pentecost
It is tempting to think of grace as a New Testament concept — something that began with Jesus and was absent from the stern, law-centred religion of the Old Testament. This is a serious misreading of Scripture.
Grace is present from the very first pages of the Bible. The entire history of Israel is a story of grace — of God pursuing, rescuing, restoring, and sustaining people who repeatedly failed Him.
Grace in Eden
When Adam and Eve sinned, they deserved immediate death. God had said "in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:17). They ate. They did not immediately die — at least not physically. Instead, God came looking for them, clothed their nakedness, and gave the first promise of a coming Redeemer (Genesis 3:15).
The clothing of Adam and Eve — animals killed, skins provided — is the first picture of substitutionary atonement in Scripture. Grace, from the beginning.
The Hebrew Word for Grace
The primary Old Testament word for grace is hesed — often translated as lovingkindness, steadfast love, or covenant faithfulness. It appears over 200 times in the Old Testament and is one of the most theologically rich words in all of Scripture.
Hesed is the love that does not quit, the faithfulness that persists despite repeated failure, the covenant loyalty that keeps going when the other party has broken their end. It is most perfectly illustrated in Hosea, where God commands the prophet to take back his unfaithful wife as a picture of God's persistent hesed toward unfaithful Israel.
Grace in the Exodus
The entire Exodus narrative is grace. Israel did not deserve to be rescued from Egypt — they had not earned God's favour through obedience. God chose them, redeemed them, and brought them to Himself purely out of love:
It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you. — Deuteronomy 7:7-8
This is grace — sovereign, undeserved love acting on behalf of those who cannot help themselves.
All Pointing to Christ
Every expression of grace in the Old Testament was a partial, anticipatory expression of the grace that would be fully revealed in Jesus Christ. The sacrificial system pointed to His atoning death. The manna in the wilderness pointed to the Bread of Life. The High Priest's intercession pointed to His ongoing intercession. The hesed of God toward Israel pointed to the love that would send His Son.
"For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." (John 1:17). The law was not graceless — but the full, final expression of grace awaited Christ.