6 Guidelines for Reading the Old Testament

Have you ever been reading the Old Testament and found yourself confused by what it teaches? I desire to follow all of God’s word yet some of the teachings seem arbitrary or are not consistently obeyed by many faithful Christians. How is the discerning Bible student to respond personally or help those who are also confused?

We must be careful to properly use the Old Testament (OT) so that we can accurately follow God’s will for our lives and teach others to do the same. The following issues are taken from the OT Law. This is the central portion to the OT scriptures that includes the material from Exodus 20 to Deuteronomy 33.
– It is illegal/sinful to eat rabbit or pork (Leviticus 11:6-7)
– It is illegal/sinful to eat lobster, shrimp, all shellfish (Leviticus 11:9-12)
– It is wrong to wear clothes made of 2 blended fabrics (Leviticus 19:19)
– Certain times of the month, it is illegal to be intimate with a Woman (Leviticus 15:24)
– Tattoos are illegal/sinful (Leviticus 19:28)
Confusion abounds on other issues such as the different classes of people in the OT, the value of circumcision and Sabbath keeping.

Romans 15:4
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

The Old Testament is God’s Word for us. It reveals the nature and will of God. Much of what we know about God is only revealed to us through the OT. As Jesus said not one letter or stroke of the pen is to be rejected (Matt 5:18). However the OT law is a covenant or contract between the Lord and ancient Israel. We are not expected to obey everything taught in the OT Law because it is not our covenant with God. The covenant of Jesus (Hebrews 8:6) which is in the New Testament (NT) does however repeat some of what is taught in the former OT law.

How then should Christians use and apply the OT? Follow these guidelines.
1. The OT teaches us who God is and what God has done
All of the OT shows us the nature of God as He deals with His covenantal people. His character, mercy, grace, justice, actions and even thoughts are revealed through these stories and through the prophets who wrote them down. Because God does not change, what has been revealed about Him then, still is true for today. The OT also teaches us about Jesus (Luke 24:27, John 5:39)

2. The OT shows how God has worked in the lives of men and women in the past
1 Corinthians 10:11
These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.
We can understand clearly the value our faith has for our relationship with God by looking at past examples. He is not all about following rules or punishing disobedience. God desires a personal relationship that guides our daily conduct and worship towards Him. The stories of the past show how God responds either favorably or unfavorably to people based on their faith. The stories are not always pretty and the lessons must be discerned at times because they are shown versus explcitied stated, but the lessons are there for those willing to study them out.

3. The OT is a shadow of the NT. And the NT can clarify things in the OT
The OT often sets up things that have a satisfying payoff in the NT. This is like watching a good movie and then seeing an even better sequel. The OT predicts the Messiah, the NT tells His story. The OT tells us the creation story, the NT tells us how this current age will come to a dramatic finish. The OT shows us how God dealt with His first covenantal people—the Israelites, the NT shows how He deals with the next group—the Christians. This work is done through prophecy, analogy, theology and salvation history.
Prophecy often connects the testaments by having OT prophetic statements fulfilled in the NT. Analogy is the use of typology, to shows how stories and characters from the OT often mirror or prefigure Jesus and other subjects of the NT. Theology forms a link since the truths we learn from our studies about God only grows from the OT to the NT. We can reexamine old truths in light of the new. Salvation history is the complete story of God from the creation to the summation of time with the cross lying at the center and balancing all the work of God on Jesus sacrifice for humankind. These ties strengthen and add more depth to our understanding of God.

4. The principles found in the OT have eternal value in God’s Kingdom
We need to study the OT to discover the timeless principles it reveals for our lives. It is true that much of the Bible was written to address occasional situations, but the lessons that they teach have eternal value. This again is were theology has a great value for our understanding of God

5. Much of what the OT Law commands is restated again in the NT
Most of the 10 commandments are restated in the NT and the two greatest commands are restated by Jesus (Matthew 22:37-40). These are truly eternal. These laws were the dominant forces in the OT and can aid us in our journey to follow God today.

6. Much of the OT Law is not restated and is explicitly stated as passing away for us
Hebrews 8:6, 13
But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises…13 By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.
We have to assume that none of the OT laws are binding on us unless they have been renewed in the NT. Some OT laws have clearly not been renewed in the NT such as the Israelite civil laws (Holy Days & Sabbath years) and ritual laws (clean vs unclean foods). These are generally the same laws that cause us so much confusion today. This means we cannot just read the OT and do what it says without giving serious thought to its value for us who live under the NT covenant.

These six guidelines can help the discerning Bible student or teacher better enjoy their study of the OT and disarm any misgivings about applying its lesson to our lives. If you have any thoughts that help you to better read the OT or additional thoughts, please comment below.