Why Study The Old Testament?

In the Old Testament, we learn that from the creation of the very first woman God had a plan to save the woman’s descendants from SATAN, from the effects of sin and evil; God would in due time raise up the offspring—the seed—of the woman and that offspring would crush [Satan’s] head (Genesis 3:15). Then from Noah’s sons God repopulated the earth after the Flood, and from one of them, Shem, He raised up the Semitic peoples (Genesis 10:1,21–31). From these God then called forth ABRAHAM to found a new nation (Genesis 12:1–3); God chose Abraham’s grandson JACOB to become the father of that nation, ISRAEL. From Jacob’s twelve sons came the twelve tribes of Israel; God chose one of the tribes, Judah, to provide the nation’s kings—a royal line that would lead directly to the King of kings, the MESSIAH Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:1–17). At every step Satan tried to block God’s plan to send the Savior Jesus, but in the end Satan was defeated by Jesus—through Jesus’ death on the cross (Colossians 2:13–15). All of this preparation for the coming of Jesus has been revealed to us in the Old Testament; Jesus is the culmination, the climax, of Old Testament history. God chose the HEBREWS, the nation of Israel, to be the channel of blessing and SALVATION for the whole world.

The Old Testament Gives Us Lessons in Holy Living

The Old Testament teaches us about ourselves. The Old Testament is realistic; it reveals God’s nature and it reveals our nature. In the Old Testament characters, we see ourselves, our sins and weaknesses. And we also see the GRACE and mercy of God, His patience and forbearance with sinful humans. It is sometimes thought that the Old Testament reveals a God of law and punishment and anger, in contrast with the God of grace and forgiveness and love found in the New Testament. But such a contrast does not exist; God has not changed. The Old Testament is filled with examples of God’s grace and love. The LAW of Moses was itself a gift of grace; God raised up priests and prophets to help the people follow the law so that they might thereby receive God’s blessings (Leviticus 26:3–13). Throughout history, God has desired to bring good to His people.

From the examples of the Old Testament characters we learn how to live godly lives. From the Old Testament we receive warnings (1 Corinthians 10:11) and we receive hope (Romans 15:4). We see that we matter to God—each one of us. The Creator of the universe cares about you and me. He cared about the Israelites; He chose them not because they were worthy but because He loved them (Deuteronomy 7:7–9; 10:14–15,21–22). He chose them to be His agents for good in the world. He was grieved when they failed Him and turned away from Him.

We too, like the Israelites, have been called to be God’s agents in the world, to be a means of blessing for all peoples (Genesis 12:3; Matthew 28:18–20; John 20:21; Acts 1:8). May we not let Him down, as most of the Israelites did. Let us learn to avoid their sins and failings, lest we forfeit the blessings God wants to give us.

The Old Testament Is the First Half of a Single Story

The Bible is one work, a unity, from beginning to end. Skipping over the Old Testament is like skipping the first half of a movie or the first act of a play. The entire Bible is a continuous story, the story of God’s redemption of fallen man-kind through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. The Old Testament explains why that redemption was necessary and why God was intent on carrying it out.

Broadly speaking, God’s plan of redemption involved two covenants, the old and the new (Exodus 19:3–8; Jeremiah 31:31–34; Hebrews 8:7–13). The old COVENANT (or “old testament”) was a foreshadowing of the new; it represented a first stage in God’s redemptive plan. Under the old covenant, the Israelites learned what God required, but they lacked the faith to carry it out. Therefore, God in His mercy added something new: a new spirit, a new power that would enable mankind to fulfill His requirements and thereby be restored to fellowship with Him. He did this by establishing a new covenant, a second stage in His plan of redemption. This new covenant was established through the death of Jesus Christ, and the New Testament tells the story of how it came about.

But the story of redemption does not end with the new covenant; the story continues to unfold even now as we await the second coming of Christ. On that day the final stage of God’s plan of redemption will be ushered in. The entire Bible points forward to that day. It will be a day of everlasting joy and victory for all those who have placed their faith in the Redeemer Jesus Christ (Revelation 21:1–5; 22:1–5).

Who would want to miss the first half of such a story!

¹ Though the Holy Spirit inspired the Old Testament writers, He didn’t dictate each word they wrote; what they wrote reflected their own personality and experience. But their speaking and writing was guided by the Spirit, so that it contained no error and perfectly expressed what God desired to communicate to His people—and to us.