Conclusion
Conclusion
Why then should Christians read the Old Testament? This question is tragic. Unfortunately some people read the Old Testament only because they feel obligated to; their creedal statements tell them that all the Scriptures are inspired. Consequently they never give themselves a chance to be inspired and nurtured by it. I have spent the last the majority of my adult life trying to open people’s eyes to the glorious message of the whole Bible. I have tried to give back to the church the only Bible Jesus had.
I wish that by now I could have been unemployed, but for every person who seems to catch the true Spirit of the Old Testament, I run into four or five killjoys, whose cynicism robs us of three–fourths of the Bible. They ask me, “If there is so much grace in the Old Testament, then what is new in the New Testament?” My answer is, “Probably less than you think!”
To be sure, in terms of intensity and clarity, the revelation of God in the person of Jesus Christ surpasses anything that Old Testament saints experienced. But the revelation is not actually different in kind. The whole Bible is a story of God’s grace. If there are dark chapters in this story, it is because the people to whom his special grace was offered rejected the Giver of all grace and insisted on going their own way. But neither the judgment of the world nor the judgment of Israel could be the ending to the human and the cosmic story. God was so covenantally committed to Israel that he kept taking her back. And even when the nation as a whole rejected him, he graciously called individuals to himself.
My question is not “Why should Christians read the Old Testament?” but “Why do Christians not find as much delight in reading the Old Testament as they do in reading the New Testament?” When the psalmist wrote, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105 ESV), he had in mind the Pentateuch—the first five books of the Bible—but especially the book of Deuteronomy. By the grace of God—and it is indeed an act of his grace—my eyes have become accustomed to discovering the light of the gospel of divine grace everywhere. How I pray that this would be true of all who read this small booklet.
7 The instructions of the LORD are perfect, reviving the soul.
The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
8 The commandments of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are clear, giving insight for living.
9 Reverence for the LORD is pure, lasting forever.
The laws of the LORD are true; each one is fair.
10 They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14 May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you, O LORD,
my rock and my redeemer.
(Psalm 19:7–10, 14, NLT)
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