John
Wrote on Sun, Jan 15, 2017 at 9:47 AM
Dana
I've been re-reading the forth
coming post on Jeremiah 8 and I got the idea we should do something in the
future on why it is important to also read the Old Testament. Too many church
people don't, for one reason or another. Let's keep this toward the top of our
future posts. For many people in the past, their only exposure to the Old
Testament was through a verse in the Our Daily Bread booklet. (This is
not to disparage this long time ministry, but a sporadic verse a day does not a
meal make, although it is better than nothing.) I have found it very unusual if
a today’s Christian reads his or her Bible daily, let alone the Old Testament.
Studies on Christians and Bible
reading are not encouraging. This is from a Barna study released in May 2016, about
Bible reading in general, let alone reading the Old Testament. “Today, about one-third of all American
adults report reading the Bible once a week or more. The percentage is highest
among Elders (49%) and lowest among Millennials (24%).” Other research
agrees with the Barna Group that Christian reading the Bible is declining. So
far, I haven’t been able to find a study on those reading the Old Testament.
Why do I think reading the Old
Testament is important? Simply put, first, God ordained the Bible to have two
parts. Therefore, we must presume that the two parts make a whole and only
reading one part is like trying to make cookies without adding baking soda. And
second, which is critical for me is that in the Old Testament, I learn not only
who God is, but how He operates. A highlighted quote in the Radio Bible Class
Publication, How Can I know God Through His Book? Bible: Knowing God, “What is important about the story of Joseph
is what it tells us about the strategies and tactics of a God who will stand by
while His servant is wished dead, thrown into a pit, and sold into slavery.”
On the surface these don’t seem like the actions of a loving God, but this is
what the Old Testament tells me. So when my life goes south, I’ll have an idea,
what is happening just might be from God and just might be a part of a bigger
picture.
In Psalm 103:7, He tells us, “He made known His ways to Moses, His acts
to the sons of Israel.” Yes, I want to see His miracles in my own life.
Yes, I am holding Him to His promises about provision and protection, among
other things. Yes, I want the cloud by day and the fire by night and the
parting of the Red Sea and even a burning bush once-in-awhile. (Have I had any
of these things yet? No, but I continue to look to Him.) But as much as I’m
wanting those miracles and expecting them to happen, I w a n t t o k n o w
H i m. And I know Him through
reading the Old Testament and believing by faith that He is the same yesterday,
today and forever (Heb 13:8) or as He tells us in Malachi 3:6, “For I the Lord
do not change...” (ESV)
One final thought. If the Old
Testament were not important in God’s eyes, why would He point us to the Old
Testament with this from Heb 12:16 NIV, See
that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal
sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. To understand the significance
of this verse, and why it is important for us today, requires the reader to go
back to Genesis and not just read a
verse, but spend time in a Biblical account that spans nine chapters, 25
through 33.
On our way to church.
The Lord bless you both today.
John
+++++++++++++++++
Dana
Responded on Wed, Feb 1, 2017 at 3:03 PM
Hi John,
So, the question has been posed as to
whether or not we or anyone else should read the Old Testament? Hmmm, I just sort of assumed that believers
would do so readily, and non-believers most likely wouldn’t. It would be my hope that this wouldn’t even
be a topic for discussion among committed believers, but what do I know? If indeed it is a serious topic for
discussion among Christians, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, as the older I
get, the less many things make any sense to me.
Not wanting to paint the entire
denomination with a prejudicial brush, I did have a conversation with someone
who actively belonged to the Disciples of Christ Church, or as it used to be
popularly known, the Christian Church, which I always thought a bit
presumptuous, as if the rest of us somehow were not Christian. To the point, I have seen “First Christian
Church” on a sign in front of a Disciples of Christ church building. If I’m wrong, I stand to be corrected, and
will receive such correction gladly.
Anyway, this person with whom I spoke, who
should not be construed to be an official spokesperson for the denomination at
large, was quite adamant that they (the Disciples of Christ) only adhered to
the New Testament. To them the Old
Testament was sort of a parenthetical appendage, much like the Apocrypha, which
is sometimes found printed in between the Old and New Testaments in some
versions of the Bible. If this is indeed the belief of the Disciples of Christ,
then, to each his own, but it is a stance with which I whole-heartedly
disagree.
Jesus’, Paul’s, and the other New
Testament writer’s reliance upon and use of the Old Testament certainly give
some pretty heavy weight credence to it being inspired, Holy Scripture. To me, that’s the “smoking gun” evidence that
closes the case for me. But evidently,
it’s not evidentiary to all.
Alistair Begg says it best, “The Bible is
a book, or a library full of books about Jesus.” Begg again, you might ask? Why do you quote him so much? Well, all I can say is that he has an
excellent track record of just absolutely nailing it every time when it comes
to expounding Biblical truth, and if I could say it any better, I most
certainly would. Until then….
With the idea in mind that the Bible (the
entire Bible) is a book about Jesus, I’ll quote another of my favorites, Dr.
Michael Heiser, who describes the New Testament as an “inspired commentary on
the Old Testament.” There is a lot in that statement, and the more I study both
Testaments, the more I agree with it.
A couple of examples illustrating that
idea can be found in John’s Gospel, where he writes of Jesus’ role in the
creation narrative of Genesis (see John 1:1-3).
Paul echoes that in Colossians
1:15-17 and following. Both men knew
their Old Testament, which wasn’t called the Old Testament back then, but it was
their Scripture/Bible.
John was not formally educated that we
know of, but from his writings, and especially in the book of Revelation, he
reveals a deep knowledge and understanding of the Old Testament, as there are
numerous references to it. Paul, on the
other hand, was quite well educated in the Old Testament Scriptures, as he was
a Pharisee, which required what we might term as “graduate level” training in
the Scriptures. Formal education or not,
the Old Testament was monumentally relevant in both illustrating and providing
much of the foundation for New Testament teachings about Jesus, indeed showing
that it really was a book all about Him.
Or, how about Matthew’s writing about
Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament Scriptures? And might you reckon that writer of the book
of Hebrews certainly knew and relied upon the Old Testament, and applied it to
all things concerning Jesus?
Then there’s James’ application of Amos
9:11-12 at the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15. The examples could go on and on
and on. It is undeniably clear that the
Old Testament Scriptures were of supreme importance to those who lived and
wrote the New Testament. If those who
gave us the New Testament put so much stock in the Old Testament, dare we
ignore it or relegate it to antiquity, as having no value today?
We cannot ignore the Old Testament
prophetic writings either, especially those pointing to Jesus as the Messiah,
which were fulfilled in His birth, life, ministry and sacrificial death in
regards to sin. In them we have the
inspired “previews of coming attractions” as it were. Jesus’ very fulfillment of prophecy should be
validation enough for the inspiration of the Old Testament. And since it is
inspired, then it is the Word of God, and therefore, as has been said before in
previous post (s), to quote Paul, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching,
for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that
the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)
Notice that Paul under the inspiration of
the Holy Spirit begins the above verse with “ALL SCRIPTURE?” And at that time,
the Old Testament was the Scripture to which he was referring, as there was no
mention in Paul’s writings of any of the Gospels or Epistles by other writers.
And, from Romans 15:4, Paul writes
concerning the Old Testament Scriptures:
“For whatever was written in former
days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the
encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (ESV)
So, we should just skip the Old
Testament? That would be like saying, “I
love the second half of God’s Word, but I dislike the first half.” Or, “The Old
Testament isn’t as important as the New Testament.” Could those statements not
be taken as treading perilously close to blasphemy? Isn’t that kind of thinking
implying that God somehow messed up in the first half of the Bible; that
perhaps He didn’t get it right? To make or imply such an assertion is to deny
the entire book, as the entire Bible is a book about Jesus. To those who may hold that view, I seriously
recommend your rethinking that position and making it a matter of urgent
prayer.
So far, I’ve tried to make the case for
reading the Old Testament by using the Bible itself to provide the proof of its
validity. From a more personal
standpoint and not discounting any of my previous argument, I enjoy the Old
Testament as an exceptional record of ancient history; a wonderful and generous
glimpse into the times, places and characters that so enhance my faith. There is
a mountain of meticulous record keeping displayed therein. Sure, some of the genealogies, the records of
Kingly rule, the myriad laws covering every aspect of life, minute descriptions
of the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, and prolific details of Temple
architecture aren’t real page turners, designed to keep you up at night in
anticipation of what will come next, but it is that very attention to detail
which, to me, adds its own validity to its veracity and usefulness.
Dr. R.C. Sproul of Ligonier Ministries
once said, and I paraphrase, as I cannot lay my hands on the exact quote, “One
of the great proofs that the Bible is true is…the Jews.” They’ve been a force with which to be
reckoned, both religiously, ethnically, and politically for a very l-o-n-g time,
like going way back in the Old Testament.
The people of Iraq are no longer called
Assyrians or Babylonians. Iranians no
longer refer to themselves officially as the Medes and the Persians, nor does
most of the world citizenry. And whatever became of all those “ite” peoples of
the Old Testament (Hittites, Moabites, Amorites, Ammonites, Jebusites, to name
a few)? Haven’t heard of them in a while, but there’s still an Israel, and its
inhabitants (for the overwhelming most part) are…the Jews. And wherever one might go in this world, one
could probably find a Synagogue. Well
maybe not in the Muslim world, but I believe Dr. Sproul’s point is made.
Literarily speaking, the Old Testament is
full of engaging stories, with enough action, heroism, romance, treachery,
vengeance, and redemption to satisfy the most discriminating of readers. Its
characters are real human beings with real human faults and weaknesses, many of
whom did extraordinary things under God’s empowerment and direction. It never
fails to entertain me and capture my attention.
And while I might be an army of one on
that last point, as entertainment probably wasn’t God’s foremost aim when He
gave the Old Testament, but for those with eyes to see and ears to hear (and a
mind to think) God did lay out His plans and purposes from the beginning, and
for all of history in those books. Sleep
comes easier for me at night because I know from whence I came, and to where
I’ll be going, all spelled out on scrolls written ages ago by inspired
prophets, poets, priests and potentates.
Hey, how about that, four “P’s.”
Feel free, anyone so inclined, to use those as bullet points in an
expository sermon.
Another feature of the Old Testament which
I find fascinating is what is termed “Theophanies” or “Christophanies,” that is
the physical appearances of God or the pre-incarnate Christ in the Old
Testament. A couple of better known ones
would be the accounts found in Genesis 18, and Joshua 5. There’s just so much neat material one
encounters in the Old Testament, and my meager insights merely scratch the
surface of all that is there.
For the fence straddler, on whether or not
to read the Old Testament, let me unreservedly recommend your so doing. If you
haven’t read it, or you don’t read it, you’re missing a wealth of goodness that
God has given. If you get bogged down by
the genealogies, jump ahead a few pages, because soon enough you’ll encounter
giant killers, love stories, apocalyptic visions, and mind blowing miracles
galore. It’s God’s Word, and it’s for
His people.
Come on in; the water is warm.
Dana
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
John Notes
We invited one of our regular readers, and
someone who has commented on the blog over the months, to add his wisdom to
this post. He is retired Professor Malcolm Brubaker, PhD, is an
adjunct professor at the University of Valley Forge after 33 years of full-time
teaching biblical studies there. His masters work was primarily in the
Old Testament and doctoral work in pentecostal and charismatic studies at Regent
University. We are thankful for
his willingness to contribute and what he adds
Professor Brubaker Contributes
Why should New
Testament believers pay any attention to the Old Testament? First and foremost
is that it is God’s Word. 2 Timothy 3:16 in its teaching about divine
inspiration was primarily talking about the Hebrew Scriptures; they are fully
inspired and useful to achieving a healthy, robust Christian life. To neglect
more than two-thirds of God’s special revelation to us is to put our understanding
of the world, human nature, and God Himself in jeopardy. For example: Jesus, when confronted
by Satan’s temptations, quoted three times from the book of
Deuteronomy. Therefore if our Lord knew and used the OT in His spiritual life, how much more must
we?
Second, the Old Testament strengthens
our understanding of our Lord Jesus Christ. After the resurrection Jesus in
Luke 24:P44-47 told the disciples that the OT had spoken about Him. The
Pentateuch, historical books, poetical books, and prophetic books all contain
the story of God’s plan of redemption as He raised a people, the Hebrews, from
whom the Savior of the world would come. For example: who can reach Isaiah 53
and not see a prophetic understanding of Christ’s vicarious atonement for
fallen humanity?
Third, God’s revelation in the Old
Testament comes to us in various literary forms. Each form has an unique
literary “voice” that speaks to us in different ways. The “thou shalt” and
“thou shalt not” commands of the Law shout out clear direction for living a
godly life. The OT history of saints and sinners bring personal and national
narratives of spiritual victories and failures of human interaction with the
Lord. The wisdom teachings and praises of God in the poetic books provide
invaluable resources for understanding human nature lived before that righteous
God. The prophetic books detail a just God giving warning to Israel to follow
His way or suffer consequences. They point the way to Christ as the obedient
Servant and Son of God in contrast to the disobedient and rebellious people of
God.
Why should NT believers pay any
attention to the Old Testament? We need the full armor of God to fight the
spiritual battles within our souls and in the world around us. Yes, we do need
to read our Bibles “backward.” That is, the Christian reads the Old Testament
from the advantage of knowing about Christ found in the New Testament. Or as
Michael Williams put it, we read the OT thorough the “Jesus lens.” ( https://www.amazon.com/Read-Bible-through-Jesus-Lens-ebook/dp/B005ES46TO
) In doing so, we will have a fuller understanding of what God wants us to be
and do.
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