Unlocking the Riches of the Old Testament
As Christians, we often struggle to connect with the Old Testament (OT). Its perspectives, powers, and practices can seem distant and unrelated to our modern lives. Yet, the psalmist found in it a perfect law that revives the soul, right precepts that rejoice the heart, and true rules that are altogether righteous (Ps. 19:7–9). So, how can we nurture delight in the OT?
Jesus’ Bible
The OT was the only Scripture Jesus had, and the apostles stressed that the prophets wrote God’s word to instruct Christians. Paul says that God’s guidance of Israel through the wilderness was “written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come” (1 Cor. 10:11). This means that the OT is Christian Scripture, written to instruct us.
A Covenantal Framework
The OT addresses how God establishes and enforces his Mosaic covenant. Unlike the New Testament (NT), which addresses a multinational church, the OT was written to Hebrews in Hebrew. To engage the OT as a testament requires recognizing the distinct covenantal elements in the text and considering how Christ’s coming influences our understanding of every passage.
Christ, the Key to Unlocking the OT
The OT bears witness about Christ (John 5:39), and we must consider how he fulfills every OT story, promise, and law. All history (Mark 1:14), every promise (2 Cor. 1:20), and the entire law-covenant (Rom. 10:4) point to him. We need to interpret the OT in light of Jesus’ coming, recognizing that his person and work realize what the OT anticipates.
Approaching the OT through Christ
To approach the OT through Christ, we must recognize significant continuities between the Testaments, such as the many righteous people who saw Christ from a distance (Matt. 13:17; Luke 10:24; John 8:56; 1 Peter 1:10–12). However, there are also significant discontinuities, as the rebel population was not given a heart to understand (Deut. 29:4; Isa. 6:9–10).
Reading the OT as a Whole
By elevating Christ’s person and work, the NT signals the substance of all previous shadows, realizes the hopes of all previous anticipations, and clarifies how the various OT patterns and trajectories find their resolve. Through Jesus, God enables and empowers us to read the OT as he intended.
Delighting in the OT
Start delighting in the OT through Christ and for Christ! Recognize that the OT is Christian Scripture, and we can enjoy it best when we approach it through Christ and for Christ. The OT magnifies Jesus in numerous ways, and his person and work clarify how to rightly discern the continuities and discontinuities of salvation history.
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