I have a friend who thinks the Old Testament in the Bible is nice and good, but when it comes to studying it, thinks time is better spent on the New Testament.
Do you know anyone like that?
Perhaps that’s your personal view right now?
On one level, it’s easy to see how that position makes a ton of sense. Old vs. New. Which would you rather focus on? Probably the new.
We live in a time where we relentlessly pursue the new. Old comes with connotations of “less than” or “inferior”. New has to also mean better. In almost every aspect of our lives, we’re encouraged to do away with the old and embrace the new.
Granted, a bunch of this messaging comes from marketers who have a financial interest in us replacing the old with their new. But any pervasive message eventually begins to shape its audience.
So, should we apply the same logic to the Old Testament?
Spoiler Alert: I think not.
Let me give you a few reasons why it is profitable to include a healthy dose of Old Testament in our Bible study mix…
- All of the Bible is the inspired word of God (2 Timothy 3:15-16). Why would you shut out some of the words of God?
- The Old Testament reveals to us the origin of sin and our human condition. By the time we get to the New Testament, this is an assumed fact. The New Testament summarizes it (Romans 5:12), but considering Genesis 3 and 6 we get a whole new perspective on sin.
- The Old Testament reveals the character of God. Whether it is His holiness, righteousness, justice, patience – all of these are on display in the Old Testament. We need these perspectives to accurately know fully who He is.
- The Old Testament creates foreshadowing of what happens later. I specifically think of the book of Ruth here and the way it portrays the workings of the Kinsman Redeemer. This significantly enhances our understanding of Jesus and His role in salvation.
- The Old Testament provides many personal examples of why the gospel is so important. Throughout the Old Testament people put their hope in so many different things…. military might, political alliances, kings, prophets, judges, sacrifices, priests, heritage… yet all of them failed. It is this backdrop of failure which makes the story of the gospel so appealing in the New Testament.
- The Old Testament shows us the importance of faith and what it looks like in daily situation. Hebrews 12 begins “Seeing as we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…” It’s referring back to all these Old Testament stories of faith. It is meant for instruction and encouragement to us. We do well to make use of it.
- In the Old Testament we have the books of poetry and wisdom. If anything is needed today, we need worship and wisdom. And the Old Testament lays a blueprint for what that is to be like in the lives of those who love God.
The Old Testament might not be as direct or pointed as the New Testament. That’s not its purpose. It rounds out the picture in a way that we don’t get in the New Testament.
Why am I writing about this? Why put this in front of you?
One of the things that is important to me as a believer and as an author is biblical literacy. Knowing God’s Word (all of it) and what it tells us about God, ourselves and our relationship. It’s important for Christians today to be deeply connected to the Bible. And I want to provide tools around how to do that.
Because when people know who God is and how to please Him, they live better lives.
When people understand who they were and who they are becoming through the power of the Holy Spirit, they lean into it.
When people understand how bad their sin is and how glorious the gospel is, they are less likely to trade it away for a counterfeit.
Either way, I hope I’ve encouraged you to give the Old Testament a fresh look. God is on every page, and it’s good for us to see Him in all the stories.
Until next time…
Dennis
