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Many people consider reading the Old Testament on the same level as playing a child's video game. The stories about Noah and the flood have even been made into movies that paint a negative image of the leading biblical characters in the story. The list of Old Testament biblical characters written off by the media, the filmmakers, and even some preachers is very long. Are Old Testament characters like Sampson, Noah, Jonah, Abraham, Sarah, David, and Goliath real, or are they fictional like Spider-Man, Batman, or Wonder Woman? We suggest they are real, and here are six reasons why we need the Old Testament.
1. You cannot understand the claims by and about Jesus Christ without the Old Testament.
The references to the coming of Christ begin in Genesis 1:1 with the use of the plural Hebrew word elohim for God. Hebrews 1:1-2 and Colossians 1:15-16 in the New Testament tell us that Jesus was part of the elohim in Genesis 1:1. We also see that Christ's mission was predicted in Genesis 3:15 when God said to the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head and you will strike his heel.”
In the Old Testament book of Isaiah, chapter 53, we see a prophecy of Christ’s nature and his sacrifice for all humanity. This passage was written some 700 years before the birth of Christ and strongly supports the New Testament picture of his life. The very nature of Christ as a priest “after the order of Melchizedek” in Hebrews 5:5-10 and Hebrews 7:1-28 clarifies the Old Testament references to Melchizedek and the priesthood.
2. You cannot understand current conflicts in the Middle East without the Old Testament.
The last 200 years have seen conflict which goes back to the times and events of the Old Testament. Even the claims of Islam have Old Testament roots.
3. We see the Bible's credibility through evidence in the Old Testament.
Through the years, skeptics have attempted to denigrate the biblical record of history, but archaeological support for the Old Testament narrative is massive. This ministry offers a 13-lesson correspondence course and a video series that shows that while the Bible does not detail all of history, much of it has archaeological support (see our catalog).
4. The Old Testament allows us to see various literary styles and messaging methods.
Those who study languages and cultures tell us that the Old Testament displays various literary styles and messaging types. The main ones are narrative, poetry, and prose discourse. Also present are apocalyptic literature, wisdom literature, law, letter, parable, and gospel literature.
5. In the Old Testament, we can see human struggles with pain and suffering and how to deal with them.
Many people cite the book of Job as the most complete discussion of pain and suffering that has ever been written. It is a part of the Old Testament that people have adapted into books, plays, and counseling techniques. Job is uniquely dedicated to comprehending life, pain, suffering, and death. The Old Testament vividly displays the struggle between good and evil and gives us the only rational explanation for why we should continue to live and endure life's problems. Atheism offers no reason for our existence and even denies the existence of evil. Survival of the fittest is not a solution for human suffering. The growth of suicide in the world today reflects the human inability to make sense of pain and suffering.
6. In the Old Testament, we see the importance of following God's plan for human morality.
The Old Testament gives a vivid picture of the consequences of immorality. From Cain, David, Ahab, Jezebel, and God's people, to the pagan kings of Babylon, Syria, Persia, and Moab, we see how immoral conduct brought eventual catastrophe. We need to understand the Ten Commandments to see how Christianity is superior to the Old Law when we read Christ's “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew chapters 5-7.
A lack of knowledge of the Old Testament causes many misunderstandings of Christianity. In 2 Timothy 2:15 (The New Testament from 26 Translations), we read, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman with no reason to be ashamed, accurate in delivering the Message of Truth.” As we understand the difference between the Old and New Testaments, we can comprehend the New Testament as it reflects the Old Testament message.
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Cover: © Rudall30/Bigstock.com
All pictures in this article are: © Rudall30/Bigstock.com
Scripture links/references are from BibleGateway.com. Unhighlighted scriptures can be looked up at their website.