Things That Were Written Aforetime...

WHY READ THE
OLD TESTAMENT

Colossians 2:14, Ephesians 2:14-15, Galatians 3:23-25, and other passages, teach the temporary design of the Old Testament system (i.e., the Law of Moses), and the fact that the New Testament of Jesus Christ superseded the Old. So if the Old Testament system is obsolete, why study it?

Preliminarily, note that one does not study the Old Testament to discover how to become a Christian (cf. Acts 4:12; Rom. 1:16). Second, the Old Covenant is not a guide for Christian worship (cf. Col. 3:17; 2 John 9). Third, the Old Testament is not a pattern for the church (cf. 1 Cor. 3:11; Heb. 10:1).

Why, then, study the 39 books of the Old Testament? First, life's basic questions are answered. What is the origin of man and the universe? By inspiration, Moses began the book of Genesis, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis one is completely harmonious with the laws of science.

Second, man's relationship to his Creator is described. Man was created as a moral being with freewill, accountable to his Creator (cf. Gen. 1:27; 2:16-17; Rom. 2:14-15). When he chooses to sin, sin separates man from fellowship with God (Isa. 59:1-2; Eph. 2:1).

Third, the law magnified sin in two ways. (1) It showed sin to be "exceeding sinful" (Rom. 7:13). Sin was defined, described, and denounced. (2) It also proved that man cannot keep a law-system perfectly (Rom. 3:10, 23; Gal. 3:10).

Freedom from law-keeping, as a way of salvation, does not mean liberation from all restraint (cf. Gal. 5:13, 19-21). The law was impotent to save; it condemned the transgressor (cf. Rom. 3:21-28). The gospel of the grace of God is his power to save (Acts 20:24; Rom. 1:16). Grace, rather than fostering impenitence or antinomianism (i.e., a no-law mentality) ought to motivate one to bring his life into conformity to the law of Christ, which is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Gal. 6:2; Rom. 8:2).

Fourth, the magnification of sin should lead people to the irresistible conclusion that only God can provide a way of salvation. The Law of Moses was the schoolmaster, which led men to Christ (Gal. 3:23-25). The sacrifices of the Old Testament economy reminded the Jews of the need for divine pardon (Heb. 10:3). Jesus Christ became the all-sufficient sacrifice once for all; he is the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him (Heb. 5:9).

Fifth, the Old Testament provides an example of how God holds man accountable to a divine standard. The ancient record encourages the righteous and warns the wicked. While today men are accountable to the New Testament as the divine standard (John 12:48), the Old Testament still teaches the principle that God has always demanded conformity to his will, whatever the age (Heb. 11:4-40). Therefore, the Old Testament examples of how God dealt with man are a general model for us today. God's will must be taken seriously (1 Cor. 10:6, 11; Heb. 4:1-11; Jude 7; Rom. 15:4).

Sixth, the nature and attributes of God are seen throughout the Old Testament Scriptures. God is omniscient (Pro. 5:21; 15:3; Isa. 46:10). God is omnipotent (Gen. 1; Job 42:2). God is omnipresent (Psa. 139:7-12; Jer. 23:23-24). God is eternal and immutable (Psa. 90:2; Exo. 34:6; Psa. 103:8; Jon. 4:2; Isa. 55:7).

Seventh, the Old Testament has immeasurable evidential value. The Old Testament contains predictive prophecy. The nature of biblical prophecy is threefold. (1) Prophecy contains specific details. (2) Prophecy involves adequate timing. Predictions were uttered sometimes centuries before their fulfillment. This fact prohibits the prophet from making an "educated guess" by observing events on the current scene. (3) Biblical prophecy is fulfilled exactly (cf. Isa. 44:24 - 45:3). These facts of Scripture demonstrate the divine origin of the Bible.

Eighth, the Old Testament furnishes the background for much of the New. For one example, much of the imagery in the book of Revelation has roots in the apocalyptic literature of the Old Testament.

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