In fact, word and act often follow a general order in Scripture: first comes a preparatory word, then the divine act, and finally the interpretive word. For example, in the giving of the old covenant, we first see a preparatory word (Exodus 19), then the divine act of giving the law (Exodus 20), and finally an interpretative explanation of the law (Exodus 21–23; 25–31). This same order may be observed of the Bible as a whole. The Old Testament is the predictive word that anticipates greater realities