I’m on a kick about the Old Testament. I suppose in some circles that might be considered gauche. But I don’t care. I’ll happily embrace the Bible Nerd ethos.
I’m working on a secret project right now that will double down on the Old Testament angle to studying the Bible. I’ll tell you about it when it’s done. But it’s got a story I think you’ll love.
Why am I so big on the Old Testament? Isn’t all the “good stuff” in the Bible in the New Testament (i.e. Christmas, Easter, Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, the creation of the church, the rapture…)?
Yep, those are all really awesome things. And they are in the New Testament.
But here’s some of what I see in the Old Testament…
- The creation story. Yep the very first chapter of the Bible tells about how big and powerful God is. He created…. everything out of… nothing. You should try that some time. It’s really hard! And if you really want to blow your mind, check out Job 38 and 39 – you get creation through God’s eyes. Not only that, but I learn about how God has a plan and He’s executing that and nothing can knock Him off of it.
- The promise that God will make everything right. Living in this world, all the wrong is just pressing in on my eyeballs all day long. It’s comforting to turn back to Genesis and see that God promises that there will be a way out. Yes, that’s Jesus in one view. But even beyond that is the promise of a world without sin – just like the Garden of Eden. Now that sounds like a breath of fresh air.
- A reminder of how much God hates, detests, loathes, abhors sin. Yea so much that He was almost ready to hit the reset button on everything because sin had corrupted everything so much, He couldn’t find anything worth saving… Until He saw Noah. And that created the path forward to a new future.
- The great realization that what God values in us is our FAITH. Abraham was the father of faith. He showed us the way, and God responded to his faith. Credited it to him as righteousness. For a man who had no righteousness on his own, this was a revolutionary announcement that faith was a way to relate to God.
- Multiple pictures of salvation. Whether it’s Joseph saving his family from famine or Moses leading the nation out of bondage in Egypt or Esther saving her people from genocide in Persia, the Old Testament is chock full of picturesque reminders of how God is in the business of saving people.
- An explanation of how God could possibly save a sinful and fallen people. I love how C.S. Lewis puts it in the Chronicles of Narnia. “The Deeper Magic”. The book of Ruth shows us how God could redeem His people from the possession of an antagonistic Satan. Hint, hint… it wasn’t by saying “pretty please.”
- Example after example after example of how much grace and mercy God showers down on sinful humanity. How many times did the nation of Israel screw up royally, intentionally, repeatedly? Yet despite their screwuppery, God did not give them what they deserved – His full wrath and judgement. No matter how badly they stabbed Him in the back, cheated on Him and denied Him. There is such hope in this!
The Old Testament is all about God. It’s hard to get to know Him without seeing what He has shown us about Himself in the pages of the Old Testament. It’s hard to have a complete picture of who He is and how He operates without filling in all those stories.
He told us for a reason. Hebrews 11 says the Old Testament stories serve a purpose in our sanctification. We are working at a deficit if we don’t engage them.
So, Yes. I’m on an Old Testament kick. And I’d love for you to join me. Not because it’s good for me. Because it’s essential for your spiritual development. You can’t realize your top spiritual potential if you neglect this part of your training (that sounds like it should be an Olympic metaphor somehow).
So come on this journey with me.
Step One is to engage with the pages of the Old Testament in your Bible. If you don’t know how to do that, I’ll show you. It’s not that hard, and its so so so rewarding.
Study the Bible – Old Testament. If you know the Six Easy Steps study method, this will give you the “expansion pack” that makes the Old Testament speak to you.
https://www.dennis-stevenson.com/product/study-the-bible-old-testament-bundle-paperback/
I recommend the bundle because the Study of Ruth is so powerful and makes all the pieces come together.
If you prefer getting it at your “normal” online store, it’s there too. Just search for it.
Excitedly,
Dennis
