Every good thing is possible with God.  I learned that principle by reading and learning to appreciate the message of God in Old Testament scriptures.  And I also learned that the New Testament confirms and reaffirms the same truth.

Too many sincere Christian believers avoid reading much from the Old Testament Scriptures.  When they do try to read the OT, especially in some of the prophets, they often find it difficult to make their way through all the “judgment” passages.

For example, the first 10 chapters of the prophet Isaiah are filled with warnings and promises of doom.  Sins and attitudes are listed and reasons are given for the coming wrath of God.

But of course that’s not all that’s given.  We are also promised a Messiah, the birth of Jesus Himself.  In the 14th verse of chapter 7, we read: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.  (NKJV)”  Immanuel (or Emmanuel), Matthew’s Gospel later explains, means, “God with us.”  More wonderful promises are given in chapter 9.

I don’t think it’s possible to rightly or fully understand and appreciate the many promises of God, or the New Testament, for that matter, without understanding and appreciating the OT passages that speak of God’s wrath and judgment.

Until we understand sin and its consequences, we have no appreciation for salvation, and how great a thing it is.

The OT judgments of God on sin enable us to see how seriously God takes our treatment of other people.  Many of the ancient cities condemned by God were judged so harshly because they permitted human beings to be treated worse than dogs.  Buyers and sellers were often cheated.  Servants and laborers were not given fair wages.  Slaves were killed without reason or mercy.  The rights and lives of strangers and aliens were abused.  Widows and fatherless children were not cared for.

The Old Testament period was a time of absolute law.  The Law of Moses was righteous, fair and just.  Under the law, the people of Israel were required to love their neighbors and to treat all people with respect.  And yes, under the Law of Moses, the people of God were also required to worship and serve God with a true heart.

Some folks believe that the Old Testament was all external while the New Testament is mostly internal.  Such is not the case.  The Old Testament Law did judge men by their outward actions.  But the teaching which says, “the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” is an OT passage: 1 Samuel 16:7b, KJV.  And it’s only one of a great many OT passages that talk about the human heart and spirit.

All that Jesus ever said is based firmly and rooted deeply in OT Scripture.  His warnings of judgments to come, and the warnings of the apostles He sent out, are all rooted in the judgments of OT prophets.  Not only did Jesus fulfill the Law by hanging on a cross for our sins, He also made it clear that sin is every bit as prevalent and deadly as the OT Scriptures say it is.

The New Testament Gospel is good news to all who believe it.  But it is also a warning to all who close their hearts to God.

God has not changed.  The righteousness of God has not changed.  Sin has not changed.  If we wish to clearly discern right from wrong in these chaotic days, when everything seems to be painted in shades of gray, then we must know what God is saying about the human condition.  Only God, Jesus says, is truly good (Mark 10:18).

If we desire to rise above our own ignorance and natural weakness in our perceptions of good and evil, we must know what God Himself is saying about good and evil.  When God calls a thing good, then we can be sure it is truly good.  And when God declares a thing wrong, we know for certain that it is evil.

Take the time to read and appreciate all Scripture.  In even the most obscure passages you will discover awesome truth and wisdom, if you will learn the context of the message.

There is help.  Study Bibles of every kind abound today.  Buy and use a good one to match up the prophets and their messages with the historical accounts given in Scripture.  Allow yourself to see the OT times for what they were.  You may be surprised to see that the people of the Old Testament are no different than the people of today.

By reading and understanding the OT, you will be able to better understand what God’s Spirit is saying to the people of the twenty-first century.  God cares about all people.  He has no desire to see our lives ruined.  That’s why He warns us of the consequences of our ways.

Our personal happiness, our homes and relationships with others, our communities and cities and nations, our world can be made happier and more meaningful by embracing the truth of God.  When we reject God’s counsel and run headlong into sinful practices, we always suffer bitter consequences.  And not only in this world, this lifetime.

Eternity also looms before us.  Our hearts and minds are either open to the call of God in the Gospel of Jesus Christ or they are closed to His voice and Spirit.

If we reject God’s Presence in this life, we will not be forced to live with Him in eternity.  But living outside the blessings and life and perfect light of God — for all eternity — is not a light thing.

The Old Testament shows us that God always follows through on whatever He says He will do, whether good or bad.  In the OT Scriptures we have a record of many generations, showing clearly that God keeps His Word.  We can also see in those same Scriptures that God is kind, filled with compassion and mercy, always quick to forgive when the human heart is repentant.

It is true that the Old Testament is not complete without the New Testament.  But the same holds true in reverse.  The fullest meaning of the New is never known without the Old.

Jesus did something very great for us all, and especially for everyone who trusts in Him.  But to fully understand what that is, we need to know the whole Bible.

Jim
www.goodwordusa.org