Why does the old testament matter

Because of this difference in perspective, not all of the Old Testament commands still apply to us today.

Those who are in Christ are no longer bound by the regulations of the Law of Moses Rom. Through the laws and teachings in the Old Testament, we see our sin and need for the grace that comes through Jesus Christ. Through its examples of obedience and disobedience it shows us a life of faith.

John Koessler, who retired as professor emeritus from Moody Bible Institute, formerly served in the division of applied theology and church ministry. John and his wife Jane enjoy living in a lakeside town in Michigan.

John is a contributing editor and columnist for Today in the Word. BY Dr. John Koessler Dr. Job, Psalms, and Ecclesiastes are quite different from each other, but they serve the same purpose: To acknowledge God as savior not in spite of hardship and suffering, but because of it. We would only be able to praise God when we were happy. Because the Old Testament has something else going for it: Prophecies about Jesus.

Isaiah tells us Jesus will be called Immanuel, or god with us. These prophecies and dozens of others gave Old-Testament Israelites something to hope for: An end to the covenant of law and the beginning of the covenant of grace. Modern-day Christians get something out of it, too: The realization that God spent millennia — yes, millennia — taking care of His family.

If you forget everything else about this article, remember this: The New Testament tells us about the reason for our hope, but the Old Testament tells us what God did to give that hope to us. Share this. It tells how the world began, how sin entered, and how God set into motion a great rescue plan to restore the relationship between Creator and creation.

Hebrews 11 provides a hearty list of Old Testament heroes of faith we learned about in Sunday school. Ancestry is getting more and more popular, as people dig deeper into their family history to see where they come from and who they descend from.

We would do well to pursue an understanding of our spiritual heritage with the same measure of passion and zeal. True, there are commands and laws that no longer apply to us because we live under the new covenant ushered in by Jesus. If you are interested in studying the Old Testament for yourself, there are several free Bible studies available through this ministry to help you get started, including:. Her words are concise, but we must tune our ears to hear her message.

Pray Like David : In the same way that children absorb and acquire language from their parents, we will learn the language of prayer by studying the Psalms of David over the next six weeks. Jazmin N. Frank is a writer and teacher of all things Bible. Jazmin writes regularly on her blog about the topics of freedom, Bible study, and the faith journey.

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