Dust Off That Old Treasure
The Old Testament is dry, boring, violent, and irrelevant for us today, as some would have you believe. Besides, life is busy; we don’t have the time. The New Testament, especially the gospels, tells me everything I need to know about the love of God, and it helps me to be happy and successful. So why should I spend time reading ancient history? Is there any value in those old stories? Maybe we should reconsider their importance in light of a couple of ideas:
- The Old Testament was the only Bible Jesus, Paul, Peter, John, and the other apostles had. It was the scriptures with which they were familiar and the framework in which they understood Jesus the Messiah.
- The New Testament can only be properly understood when viewed through the lens of the Old Testament, as it is the foundation from which the new came into being. Without the old, we have a house without a foundation or infrastructure.
- Every major doctrine and teaching in the New Testament has its origins in the pages of the Old, and to truly understand these teachings, it’s critical to comprehend their historical context.
- Each of the above points could easily be expanded in innumerable ways.
Consider two passages:
“Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old.”
Mathew 13:52
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So, it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven.
I Corinthians 15:45-47
“Natural Or Spiritual” or “Natural And Spiritual”
The verse above describes how the natural comes before the spiritual. In an oversimplified sense, the Old Testament may be considered “the natural” – things were very earthy, raw, straightforward, and unambiguous. The New Testament is idealistic, spiritual, hopeful, and expectant. Stated differently, the Old Testament illustrates the need for the New Testament.
God has treasures hidden in both old and new, but to fully appreciate these truths, we should understand how the natural and the spiritual fit together and complement each other. I am continually amazed at how God has woven together both old and new, using one to give insight to the other while revealing his character, purposes, and future events. I can even discover how I fit into his grand scheme.
Famine Of His Words
We seem to live in a time in church history when many believers neglect the Holy Scriptures, especially the Old Testament. We once attended a church-based small group where the leaders had been told they didn’t need to read the Old Testament because it wasn’t relevant to Christians.
How can we hope to grow in faith, receive daily encouragement and correction, while neglecting His word? Amos described a time like this – a famine of the “words of the Lord.”
“The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine through the land — not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord”.
Amos 8:11
Occasionally, I wonder if this word might be for today? Am I content with church or small group attendance, sharing times of fellowship and testimony with little emphasis placed on the study of the scriptures, and especially the Old Testament? Do I embrace the Lord’s own perspective on interpreting Old Testament scriptures? For it is those holy words which anticipated his coming ministry, suffering, and glorification. Should I not study it even as those early believers were expected to do?
Notice his words on the Emmaus road:
He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
Luke 24:25-27
He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.”
Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Luke 24: 44-49
Even Timothy admonishes us to know the whole counsel of God;
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16
Many other scriptures speak to the value of spending time in the scriptures and embracing an understanding of the whole counsel of God. We live in a day when many voices vie for our attention; let the scriptures be the most important voice you listen to each day.
Those Who Struggle With Reading
Many have difficulty reading. If you fall into this camp, please don’t let this post condemn you, but consider alternatives that might help you get into the scriptures. Perhaps an audio Bible, a large-print Bible, or maybe read only a few verses at a time. Another option is to listen to Bible teachers who teach verse by verse through the text; this is called expository teaching. Most certainly, God understands your struggle. Look for what you can do and pray for the Spirit’s help. He will meet you at your point of need.
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