神永远的经纶
我们研读旧约的历史和豫言时，需要对整本圣经中神为着基督与教会，那终极完成于新耶路撒冷的永远经纶，有全面的视野，完全的看见。这会使我们对神向我们陈明旧约历史，并给我们旧约豫言的目的，不仅有更广阔的看见，也得着其更深入的内在意义。旧约一切历史和豫言的范围、中心、及内在的意义，必须是基督和祂的身体，这身体要终极完成于新耶路撒冷，为着神永远的经纶。
为着完成神的经纶，必须创造诸天为着地，并创造地为着人
神要完成祂这样一个永远的经纶，祂必须创造诸天为着地，并创造地为着人（亚十二1）。神照着祂的形像，按着祂的样式创造人，使人有灵，得以接触祂、接受祂、保有祂、并以祂为人的生命和内容。可悲的是，这人从神并从神为着祂经纶的定旨堕落了。
然而，神从堕落的人类中，拣选了一个名叫亚伯拉罕的人，以及他的后裔，使他们成为独特的子民，在列国（外邦人）中作祂珍贵的选民。神用了四百多年，来产生、构成、形成这样一班选民，顶替亚当的族类，以完成祂永远的经纶。神带祂这样一班选民经过在埃及和旷野的试验和苦难，使他们受训练、受管教，而合格与祂配合，在这地上为基督取得神所应许之地，并豫备适当的人，将基督生到人类中。
为基督得着神所应许之地为业，并豫备适当的人，将基督生到人类中，乃是旧约中约书亚记、士师记、路得记这三卷书里这段历史两个主要的点。这两个主要的点，就是为基督得着地，并为基督豫备真实的先祖，乃是约书亚记至路得记之历史的精意。
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God’s Eternal Economy — Jos. 1:1-3
In studying the histories and prophecies of the Old Testament, we need the full scope, the full view, of the entire Scriptures concerning God’s eternal economy for Christ and the church, which consummates in the New Jerusalem. This will render us not only a broader view but also the deeper, intrinsic significance of God’s purpose in presenting to us the histories and giving us the prophecies of the Old Testament. The scope, the center and the intrinsic significance of all the histories and the prophecies of the Old Testament must be Christ and His Body, which will ultimately consummate in the New Jerusalem for God’s eternal economy.
For God to accomplish such an eternal economy of His, He needed to create the heavens for the earth, and the earth for man (Zech. 12:1). God created man in His own image and after His likeness with a spirit for man to contact Him, receive Him, keep Him and take Him as man’s life and content. It was very sad that this man fell from God and from God’s purpose for His economy.
However, out of fallen humankind God chose a man by the name of Abraham and his descendants and made them a particular people as His dear elect among all the nations (the Gentiles). It took God over four hundred years to produce, constitute, and form such an elect to replace the Adamic race for the fulfilling of His eternal economy. God brought such an elect of His through trials, sufferings, both in Egypt and in the wilderness that they might be trained, disciplined and qualified to coordinate with Him in taking His promised land for Christ on this earth and in providing the proper persons to bring forth Christ into the human race.
To take possession of God’s promised land for Christ and to provide the proper persons to bring forth Christ into the human race are the two major points of the section of the history in the Old Testament in the three books of Joshua, Judges and Ruth. These two main points, to take the land for Christ and to provide the bona fide ancestors for Christ, are the spirit of the history from Joshua to Ruth.