R C Sproul said “One of the great weaknesses of today’s church is a tendency to denigrate and neglect the Old Testament."
This is a sad but true statement. Just a few weeks ago, a pastor said boldly..
“The reason I do not like Bob Jones University, is that they teach too much from the Old Testament.”
This is not the first time I have heard such remarks. I once attended a church that echoed this same feeling, claiming that the Old Testament need not to be used now that we have the New Testament. The pastor said it himself more than once in a Sunday School setting, while adding he disliked teaching from it. Needless to say, this church showed the results of this mindset in their weakness in the doctrinal truths of its members.
Such beliefs of course are nothing short of hogwash and show poor understanding of theology, and in particular Biblical Theology. If anything these days, we do not see enough preaching from the Old Testament. Thank God for schools that still teach that all the books of the Bible are God’s Holy Word and should be studied. When the Bible tells us “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” this includes the Old Testament, does it not?
The fact is both the Old and New Testament is the Gospel of God. The reformers knew of this truth and held this as their conviction. Martin Luther wrote, “Enfolded in the Old; unfolded in the New.” Today we may say it like this.. "The New is in the Old concealed, The Old is by the New revealed." Or maybe, “The New is in the Old contained, The Old is by the New explained.”
This idea does not limit the Old Testament, it will enhance its meaning to us. The deepest students of the Word of God have always seen the inter-relationship of the two testaments.
I can remember as a young boy, my then pastor Edgar Delaney drawing “word pictures” of the Old Testament Tabernacle and how each article pointed to Christ. Delaney showed us that how the furniture was placed in the tabernacle in such a manner that it displayed the cross. Again, pointing to Christ. The Old Testament is laced through and through with Christ.
In Isaiah Christ is shown to be our Rock of Ages (26-4), the Commander (55-4), the Cornerstone (28-16) and our Gold (13-12). Christ is our Headstone, our Day and our Gate in Psalm118, and as a Pelican and Owl in Psalm102. When you reject the Old Testament, you will be left without these truths.
The Old Testament is filled with passages foretelling the coming of Christ. What a blessing it is to read of the promise of Christ in the Old Testament and know of it’s fulfillment in the New Testament. Passages such as..The "seed of a woman"; Genesis 3:15, stamped as complete in Galatians 4:4. As a descendent of Abraham; Genesis 12:3, 18:18, stamped as complete Acts 3:25, Matthew 1:1. Said to come from the Tribe of Judah; Genesis 49:10, stamped as complete in Luke 3:33. The Hair of the Throne of David; Isaiah 9:7 stamped as complete in Luke 1:32-33. To be born in Bethlehem; Micah 5:2, stamped as complete in Matthew 2:1 and Luke 2:4-7, …of a Virgin; Isaiah 7:14, stamped as complete in Matthew 1:18 and Luke 1:26-35. To have a triumphal entry in Jerusalem on a donkey; Zechariah 9:9 stamped as complete in John 12:13-14, and being betrayed by a friend, for 30 pieces of silver; Zechariah 11:12, and Psalm 41:9 stamped as complete in Matthew 26:15. It was said He would be Spat and struck; Isaiah 50:6, stamped as complete in Matthew 26:67, and would be crucified, "pierced through hands and feet": Zechariah 12:10, Psalm 22:16 and stamped as complete in Matthew 27:35 and John 20:27, …..with malefactors: Isaiah 53:12 stamped as complete in Mark 15:27-28, ….with no bones broken; Psalm 34:20 stamped as complete in John 19:32-36… buried with the rich; Isaiah 53:9, stamped as complete in Matthew 27:57-60,….resurrecting from the dead: Hosea 6:2, Psalms 16:10, 49:15 stamped as complete in Luke 24:6-7, Mark.16:6-7, …then ascension to Heaven; Psalms 68:18, 24:3 stamped as complete in Lk 24:50-51, Acts 1:11, Mk.16:19.
Page after page we see Christ in the Old Testament. Why would one think we should not read and study the Old Testament? In fact, not only is this a good idea, we are told to do so by Christ himself.
In Luke 24 we read that after Jesus Christ arose from the dead, He made himself known unto two disciples. Cleopas and the other disciple ( most likely Cleopas’ wife) were on their way home from Jerusalem on that Sunday morning after the crucifixion. While they were talking together as they went along, “Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him” (vs 15,16) He asked them what they were talking about that made them so sad. They told Him about His own death, and how they had been expecting that He should have turned out to be the Messiah. This means of course they had in mind the verses in the Old Testament that describe the coming of Messiah in terms of power and earthly kingship, not realizing that the other set of prophecies telling of His suffering had to be fulfilled first. Jesus then replies “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?” (vs 25,26).
The rebuke from our Lord was because they had the Old Testament, but did not know the truth found in it. They had failed to study the Old Testament completely and therefore had a one sided view of Christ. Christ could not come as King until He first completed His work of redemption for sin and called out the people for his kingdom, the true church, the living group of all true believers of every denomination who believe on Him and in His atoning death as the Saviour of those who put their trust in Him.
The passage then concludes with Jesus teaching them.. “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” This is the first Bible study led by Jesus after His death. And what is the subject? The subject was, that the truth and glory of Christ in the New Testament is founded in the Old Testament.
All believers should hunger for the gems found in the Old Testament as we are told to do. This desire is shown by Jesus’ disciples in this passage…”And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”
In John 5:18 some leaders wanted to kill Jesus because He said things that placed Him equal with God. Jesus challenged his accusers to ..“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” (vs 39) This challenge should be every believer’s desire. Now, notice verses 45 - 47.
45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.
46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me.
47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
Jesus is asking these leaders, how can they possibly know Christ if they did not believe what Moses wrote of Christ. That truth is paramount. If you do not believe Moses, as in the books of Moses (Genesis to Deuteronomy), Christ says you will never believe Matthew, Mark, Luke and John the gospels.
That is an astounding claim and one that explains many things. The Lord says we cannot pick and choose within the Word of God. You take it all or nothing at all. With such a warning, why would you not teach the whole Bible? Satan levels so many attacks upon the book of Genesis. It’s sad to see these attacks come from within a church.
The Old Testament’s value is indicated by the following:
1. It was the Bible of our Lord and His apostles.
2. It is the foundation of the New Testament:
a. Regarding its basic teachings such as unity and holiness of God, creation, the fall of man and justification.
b. Regarding prophecies about our Lord that were fulfilled.
c. Regarding God’s program for the world, which comes to a climax in Christ’s work.
3. It contains a wealth of material that promotes devotional and spiritual growth, such as found in the Psalms.
4. It gives us many details of Christ’s earthly rule which are not repeated in the New Testament.
5. It presents the many pictures of the love of God in the dealings with His chosen people so that we can peek into and understand better the love for His bride the church.
The Bible is the Holy Scriptures. Holiness is a word that comes from a root meaning “wholeness.” In other words there is nothing lacking in the Scriptures. Keep your study of God full and complete when you vow never to set aside the teachings of the Old Testament.