Common objections or ideas about the Old Testament:

God seems so violent in the Old Testament… The people in the Old Testament fail a lot…

There are too many laws in the Old Testament…

 

We have the New Covenant so why do we need to read about the old one?

 

A common experience for brand new Christians to sit down and want to read this mysterious book called the Bible.  Many start from the beginning like you would in any other book.  Genesis is decently interesting.  Exodus has some good stories and familiar characters.  But then they open the book of Leviticus and find the Laws.  Requirements, expectations, specific details on measurements and sacrifices.  Maybe breezing through some slow spots and ending up in Numbers.  Decent stories that feel familiar to the start.  Through Deuteronomy and once again into Laws, rules and the punishments for those who break those laws.  Stopping to realize you have no idea how to apply the majority of the chapters you just read over the past days.  Most would burn out and stop here.  Frustrated because you felt like the book held the secrets to a relationship with God but it’s dry… Asking the question…

 

“Why should we read the Old Testament?”

 

Raising questions like:  Can we get rid of it?  What would we lose?  For many I would always recommend reading the Gospels first.  Much like reading the reveal of a great mystery novel, Jesus is the key to the entire mystery.  Why did God ask Abraham to sacrifice his son?  Well, it’s to give a hint at the fact God would send His own son.  Why know all of the laws of the Old Testament?  Well, Jesus would follow all of those laws and be perfect on your account.  Why learn about all of those people's mistakes and all?  Because God is the same.  Now as He was then.  How we approach Him however is drastically different because we are New Testament followers.

 

We cannot have a full understanding of Jesus without the foundation of the Old Testament.

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Jesus was born as a Jew under the Old Testament.  Without the Old Testament salvation wouldn’t make sense.  Can you answer clearly what Jesus is saving us from without knowing Adam and Eve sinned against God and were cursed with death?  The Old Testament shows us what a relationship with God looks like without Jesus.  His expectations are high and the details He requires are beyond our ability.  Yet even in the Old Testament we see God proving to be faithful again and again to an unfaithful people.  We can see the faithful God pursuing people again and again in the Old Testament.

 

Supplement your New Testament reading with the Old Testament.

 

Many Bible reading plans supplement your daily reading with the Old Testament.  This is a great way to learn the Old with the New.  If they do it well, you can actually start to see how they are still connected even to this day.  “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” - Lamentations 3:22-23      

 

 - News Article by Scott Carpenter