Why study the OT?

Why should we as Christians study the OT today? After all the OT was not a covenant with us it was covenant with the children of Israel at mount HOReb according to Deut 5:1-2. In fact verse 3 teaches us that not even men such as Abraham, Isaac or Jacob were under the OT and Paul makes it very clear that Christians today are not under the law of the OT today in Romans 7:6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. The book or Hebrews also talks a great deal about how we as Christians are under a new covenant Heb 8:6 say Jesus is the mediator of a better covenant and Heb 8:13 tells us that this new covenant has made the old one obsolete. So again, why should we study the OT that has been deemed obsolete?

My goal tonight is answer this very question and to show why it very important that a Christian study the OT and how it applies to us today. A lot of people out in the religious world have misconception of what we teach on this very topic. In fact on several occasions when I was asked where attend church and I would tell them the Church of Christ, they would respond with, “Oh you’re the guys who don’t believe in the OT right”. Now I don’t know how that got started but that is far from the truth. It is true that a Christian is not under the law of the OT. That is we do not make animal sacrifices nor do we have follow all those laws mentioned in the book of Leviticus because we are under a new law Christ’s’ law. This however does not take away from the value of the OT.

The main purpose of the OT can be found in Galatians 3:24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. So the purpose of the OT was to prepare the people for the coming of Christ. This brings us to our first point on why we should study the OT today.

1. Romans 15:3-4 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me." (Ps 69:9)⁴ For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

First notice in verse 3 that Paul quotes from The OT Ps 69:9 and then in verse 4 states that those written before were written for our learning. Those things written before are talking about the OT. The OT was preserved for you and I so that we could learn a great deal about God and ourselves. Lets examine 3 things that the OT teaches us about ourselves.

Who am I?

Genesis 1:26 ²⁶ Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

How was I created?

Genesis 2:7 ⁷ And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

Why am I here?

The book of Ecclesiastes is written from the perspective of a man who had everything from earthy standpoint yet had nothing to look forward to if there was no God. The answer to our question is found in the 2 verses of Ecclesiastes.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 ³ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all. ¹⁴ For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.

Now lets take a look a 3 things we learn about God.

God is omniscient (ahm –nish –ent) all knowing.

Psalm 139:1-4 A Psalm of David. O LORD, You have searched me and known me. ² You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. ³ You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. ⁴ For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.

1 Chronicles 28:9 the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts.

This brings a much deeper meaning to 2Cor 10:5 which tells us to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. OT is letting us know that God knows our very thoughts even if we don’t make them know to others. From this we can see that God truly is all knowing as Psalm 147:5 His understanding is infinite.

God is omnipotent (ahm- nip- o –tent) all powerful.

Anyone who has the power to create the heavens and the earth and all the life on it in my book is all powerful and Job came to this same realization in Job 42:2 after God asked Job all kinds of questions about the origin of life and life itself when God had finished asking his question Job said Job 42:2 ² "I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.

God is omnipresent that means he is present in all places at all times.

Psalm 139:7-12 ⁷ Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? ⁸ If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. ⁹ If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, ¹⁰ Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. ¹¹ If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me," Even the night shall be light about me; ¹² Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You. See also Jer 23:23-24

Turn back to Rom. 15:4 and lets learn one more reason why we should study the OT today. Notice it latter part of that verse it says we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. When you study the OT and you learn how God deals with his people. You learn how much he loves his creation and how he always keeps his promises. When we see how he made promises to Abraham, Moses and others in the OT and how every single time he kept his promise it will give us great comfort knowing that God will also keep the promises he has made to us under the new Covenant. Not only does the OT give us hope it also convinces us that the word of God is inspired because of all the prophecies that were made and came true. As you can see the OT is there for us to learn from and we should not neglect to study it.

2. 1Cor. 10:11 written for our admonition or warning

3. It makes us wise to salvation.