What Old Testament teachings align with the ruler's question in Luke 18:18? Setting the scene “‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’” (Luke 18:18). That single line carries centuries of Old Testament expectation. Long before the ruler voiced his concern, Scripture had been answering it. Life promised through obedience • Leviticus 18:5 — “Keep My statutes and judgments, for the one who does so will live by them. I am the LORD.” • Deuteronomy 6:1-3 — Moses links hearing, doing, and “prolonging your days.” • Deuteronomy 30:15-20 — Life and death are set before Israel; choosing obedience is choosing life. These passages make obedience the God-given path to life, the very idea behind the ruler’s question. Inheritance language already in Torah • Numbers 26:53; Joshua 1:6 — “inherit the land” foreshadows a greater inheritance. • Psalm 37:9, 29 — “Those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land… the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.” Inherit-the-land talk laid the groundwork for thinking about inheriting something eternal. Righteousness that enters God’s presence • Psalm 15:1-2 — “LORD, who may dwell in Your tent? … He who walks blamelessly and does what is right.” • Psalm 24:3-5 — “Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? … He who has clean hands and a pure heart… He will receive blessing from the LORD.” These psalms echo the ruler’s concern: Who qualifies to live with God? Wisdom’s road to life • Proverbs 12:28 — “In the way of righteousness there is life, and in its path there is no death.” • Proverbs 19:16 — “He who keeps the commandment preserves his soul.” Wisdom literature keeps tying “doing” to “living.” Prophets press the heart issue • Micah 6:6-8 — External offerings cannot replace “to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” • Isaiah 55:1-3 — The invitation to “listen, that your soul may live” widens the focus from deeds to responsive faith. • Ezekiel 18:5-9, 21-23 — Each person who turns from sin “will surely live; he will not die.” Hints of eternal life beyond the grave • Job 19:25-27 — Job expects to “see God” after his skin is destroyed. • Psalm 16:10-11 — “You will not abandon my soul to Sheol… You will fill me with joy in Your presence.” • Daniel 12:2 — “Many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake—some to everlasting life.” These texts show that “life” ultimately bursts the bounds of earthly existence. Putting it all together The ruler’s question echoes: 1. The Torah’s promise: obey and live. 2. The covenant’s inheritance language. 3. The psalmists’ quest for access to God. 4. Wisdom’s link between righteousness and life. 5. The prophets’ call to heart-level obedience. 6. The growing hope of resurrection and everlasting life. When Jesus later answers by pointing to the commandments (Luke 18:20) and then inviting the ruler to follow Him (v. 22), He is standing squarely on these Old Testament foundations while revealing Himself as their fulfillment—the One in whom eternal life is finally, fully inherited. |
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