Grace in the Old Testament

I've been labouring on the 1st five books of the Old Testament for my own quiet time for some time now. Though it feels like I've been wandering at times in the desert, I've been so amazed to find themes that define the New Testament such as grace, election, judgement etc in the pages of the Old. Deuteronomy also provides a really good summary of the the 1st five books as well as the law. Today was no exception. So I'm on my way to the promised land and I made to Chapter 7 of the book Deuteronomy. A couple of verses (6,7,8):

"For you are a people holy to the Lord your God has chosen you out of all the people on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possesion. The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all people. But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and that he redeemed you from the land of slavery..."

Take a look at verse 7, "The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all people," we find that the book of Deutronomy makes it clear that God chose Israel out of pure grace. He did not select them for their impressiveness.

Reading further on in Chapter 9:5 " It is not because of your rightousness or your integrety that you are going in to take possesion of their land. " Here's another reminder Moses issues Israel. That its not because of goodness that they deserve the promised land and reminded later on that it is only because of God who will bring them there on oath he swore to their forefathers. I love verse 9:7 "Understand then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff necked people."(Are we as Christians any different)?

Lastly, the Isrealites are not given the land because of their faithfulness. Read 9: 24, "You have been rebellious against the Lord ever since I have known you."

Tying everything up, God chose Israel because he loved them and had made promises to their forefathers. How much different is message of God's grace here in Deuteronomy different to any other New Testament book? Not much, if any. Yet again I've been bowled over with amazement between the links of the Old Testament and the New. After writting this post, it has encouraged me greatly to look deeper in the Old Testament. Why don't you find out about Grace during your quiet time in the New Testament and put the two together? Have fun!
-Lloyd