I inherited a precious gift from my daddy—his well-worn Bible. I treasure the underlined passages and notes in the New Testament, especially in Romans. But I searched the Old Testament and found no notes or underlined passages. I surmise he was not interested in the Old Testament. I understand. The Old Testament can be difficult to read and often seems unrelated to our everyday life.
So, how is the Old Testament still relevant to us today?
The entire Bible is the inspired Word of God
The Old Testament sounds like something old, dusty and outdated. However, it is still relevant to believers today because the entire Bible is the inspired work of God.
The Bible says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17 NIV).
We identify Moses as the patriarch who led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and wrote the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible.
However, Moses’s words are God’s. Through the Holy Spirit, God inspired and commissioned men like Moses, David, Solomon, Jeremiah, Ezra, Paul, and so many others to write both the Old and New Testaments.
We learn valuable lessons from the Old Testament
The Old Testament is still relevant today because the stories give us encouragement, endurance, and hope.
The Bible says, “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” (Romans 15:4 NIV).
For example, the story of King Jehoshaphat of Judah shows us how to trust God amid our troubles.
The kingdom of Judah was in desperate trouble. Surrounded by enemy armies, King Jehoshaphat prayed for God’s help (2 Chronicles 20:5-12). He called the people to come for a time of prayer and fasting to seek the Lord.
God answered through a prophet, “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s’” (2 Chronicles 20:15 NIV).
Then God confused all their enemies so that they turned on one another and killed each other (2 Chronicles 20:22-26).
Just like in biblical times, God fights our battles when we turn to Him and trust in His power.
The entire Bible is the story of Jesus
I used to think Jesus suddenly appeared in the New Testament. Nope! The entire Bible is the story of Jesus.
The Old Testament is still relevant today because Jesus fulfilled at least 300 prophesies in the Old Testament. We cannot review them all here, but this inclusive article details many of the prophesies of Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection.
Next, read Part 2 about Jesus in the Old Testament, including how the lives of Elijah and Elisha parallel those of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ.
Final words
Do you struggle to read the Old Testament? I wish I could tell my daddy how much he missed by not reading it. But he is in heaven with Jesus, so maybe we can discuss it when I see him again!
Are you looking for a way to study the entire Bible? Check out the videos on The Bible Project. Their mission is to help people experience the Bible as a unified story that leads to Jesus.
Remember, the Old Testament is still relevant today, so let’s always study the entire Bible as the inspired Word of God.
