Is the Old Testament really important? Are the major and minor prophets even worth reading? What about all the stories throughout the historical books that constantly point to Israel's failure to live up to the standard God had set forth?
The answer to each of those questions should be a resounding… YES. This semester our students have been studying through the Old Testament and with many of the books included, I tend to think we as followers of Christ don't spend very much time with these words in our reading of the scripture.
The beauty of the Old Testament though, is that it is intended to be far more than just a collection of tough readings and strange stories. It is more than a bunch of impossible rules given so that we can try to be the best versions of ourselves. It is more than God's punishment of man for breaking those same rules and His anger directed at man for their consistent rebellion against Him. While these are all components of the Old Testament, the reality is that each and every book, passage, chapter and verse is included for a very specific purpose; to play a role in the grand story of redemption that goes all the way from Genesis to Malachi in the Old Testament, and Matthew to Revelation in the New. What is the purpose of the law? To point us to Christ. What is the purpose of the historical books? To show us that we need Christ. What is the purpose of the prophets? To communicate that although man is deserving of wrath, there is still hope. The Old Testament pointed God’s people to the future reality that there would be hope in the person of Jesus.
Like Israel, you and I need redemption. That redemption came four hundred years after the close of the Old Testament in the person of Jesus Christ. While the characters in the Old Testament were looking forward to a future redemption, we get to look back to the one who purchased that redemption by his life, death, and resurrection.
Tim Wilson