BASIC BIBLE STUDIES

# 004

 

The Value of the Old Testament

 

In our last study (# 003 - The Two Testaments: The Old And The New), we learned that the Old Testament has been fulfilled, taken out of the way, and superseded by the New Testament.  The Old Testament was dedicated with the blood of animals (Hebrews 9:19-20), but the New Testament has been dedicated with the blood of Christ Himself (Matthew 26:28).  In His death, Christ took away "the first (the old testament) that he may establish the second (the new testament)" (Hebrews 10:9).  It is "by that will (the new testament) we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Hebrews 10:10).  So, today, it is Christ's new covenant/testament that is to govern "every creature" (Mark 16:15) and "all nations" (Matthew 28:19).

 

In the light of the above, the questions quite naturally arise: If mankind is not under the Old Testament today, why is it still a part of the Bible?  What is the value of the Old Testament today?  These are good, legitimate questions and deserve an answer.

 

The apostle Paul wrote: "For whatever things were written before (the context reveals he was speaking of the Old Testament Scriptures, hf) were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope" (Romans 15:4).  Thus, while the New Testament is that which is to govern mankind today, the Old Testament is still a valuable part of God's Book.

 

We must understand that from before the beginning of time, God had one overall, master plan in mind for humanity, and that was to redeem fallen mankind by Jesus Christ.  (For those interested in exploring this great truth, attention is called to such passages as: Romans 16:15-27; II Timothy 1:8-11; Titus 1:1-3; I Peter 1:10-12; and especially Ephesians 3:1-12).  Since God had but one ultimate plan in mind for His creatures, it is only logical that there should be a connectedness between the Old and the New Testaments.  The entire Bible is the record of the systematic unfolding of God's eternal purpose.

 

In the Old Testament we see the groundwork that was laid and the preparation that was made for the coming of Christ into the world to redeem mankind from sin.  In the New Testament we see the fruition of all that had gone on before throughout the ages of the Old Testament.  As someone has astutely observed: The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed; the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.  The writer of the New Testament book of Hebrews stated it this way: "These (the great men and women of faith out of the Old Testament) all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on earth...

And all of these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having something better for us (those living after the coming of Christ and His death for the sins of the world, hf), that they (the Old Testament faithful) should not be made perfect apart from us" (Hebrews 11:13, 39-40).

 

The reader of the Old Testament will learn much and derive many values from its study.  A few of these are:

 

1. One will learn of the origin of the universe, the earth, and its inhabitants (Genesis 1).

 

2. One will learn of the origin of sin (Genesis 3).

 

3. One will learn of the origin of worship (Genesis 4).

 

4. One will learn of the great promise God made to Abraham that through his Seed (the Christ, Galatians 3:16) all families of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12).

 

5. One will learn of the development of the Hebrew/Israelite people who came into the world through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (whose name was changed to Israel) (Genesis 12-50).

 

6. One will learn of the law that God gave the Israelites through Moses on Mount Sinai (Exodus 20).

 

7. One will learn that God expects man to worship Him according to His instructions, not according to man's ideas about worship (Leviticus 10:1-2).

 

8. One will learn that when the Israelites obeyed God they were blessed, and when they disobeyed God they were punished (Deuteronomy 28).

 

9. One will learn of a Prophet (the Christ, Acts 3:22-23; Acts 7:37) whom God would raise up at a later time whom all people were to hear (Deuteronomy 18:15-19).

 

10. One will learn of many predictions of the coming Savior (Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 53).

 

11. One will learn of a new covenant that God would make with the house of Israel and the house of Judah (Jeremiah 31:31-34).  Note: The writer of the New Testament book of Hebrews quotes this passage and says that it was fulfilled in the new covenant/testament that God made through Christ (Hebrews 8:7-12).

 

12. One will learn of a "house" and a "kingdom" which God would set up "in the last days" (the days in which God speaks to all mankind through His Son, Hebrews 1:1-2) (Isaiah 2:1-4; Daniel 2:44; Daniel 7:13-14).  Note: From a study of the New Testament, we learn that "the Lord's house" and "the kingdom that shall never be destroyed" is the glorious church established by Christ

(I Timothy 3:15; Matthew 16:18-19; Mark 1:14-15; Mark 9:1; John 18:36; Luke 17:20-21; Colossians 1:13-14).

 

All of the above and much more can be learned by reading and studying the Old Testament.  But, again, it was only preparatory for the coming of Christ and the salvation that is possible only through Him (John 1:17; John 14:6).

 

If this essay has blessed you, feel free to forward it to others who may benefit from it.

 

Hugh Fulford