{"id":3395,"date":"2017-02-08T15:37:15","date_gmt":"2017-02-08T21:37:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tampaseo.expert\/focus\/?p=3395"},"modified":"2017-02-08T15:37:15","modified_gmt":"2017-02-08T21:37:15","slug":"old-testament-still-matters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tampaseo.expert\/focus\/2017\/02\/08\/old-testament-still-matters\/","title":{"rendered":"Why the Old Testament Still Matters"},"content":{"rendered":"

I can remember sitting in Bible class in middle school, when my dad was teaching at the time, and I remember him telling the class about two laws: the Old Law and the New Law. And he taught the class that we were under the New Law, the law that was set in motion in the New Testament, the New Law that came to be when Jesus gave up His life on the cross so that we may be saved from sin.<\/span><\/p>\n

But the Old Law is not something to be pushed to the wayside by any means. The Old Law was part of the Old Testament; such a strong part, in fact, that it dictated the way of life for not only individuals, but also the entire society of God\u2019s chosen people. God meant it that way for a reason.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Old Testament not only points to the history of His people, but also the praises given Him and the anticipation and prophesies of His Son.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s talk about that, shall we?<\/span><\/p>\n

The Old Testament is a history.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

We can\u2019t discuss the Old Testament as history without first mentioning the Creation account. Genesis 1 tells of the beginning, when God created the Heavens and the Earth in verse 1, recounting every detail through all seven days of His creation process, including His rest and that \u201ceverything was good.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Old Testament also recounts the fall of man, after Eve was tempted and enticed, and Adam followed her, but it shows God\u2019s care for them even in the face of such dire consequences of bringing sin to the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

And let\u2019s not forget the actual books of history in the Old Testament. Not only do we have the book of Exodus, where Moses stepped up and took his place as a leader of God\u2019s People, but we also have all the other books Moses wrote \u2013 Genesis, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy \u2013 plus Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 and 2 Chronicles. These are all books of history in the Old Testament, and they are not only there for us to learn from, but also for us to see how God cared for His people and that He is still unchanging, even from so long ago.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Old Testament is a collection of praise.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

When you think of Bible verses praise, what do you think of? You often think of the Psalms, right? There are 150 chapters of psalms for us to read, some by David, some by other men, but they all have the purpose of glorifying God, no matter the perspective. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Psalms vary from unabashed praise (see Psalm 100; 150) to pleas from a contrite heart (see Psalm 27; 51). Regardless of the content and context, the Psalms are an indicator that God\u2019s people praised Him with all their hearts and an example for us as Christians today to glorify our God no matter where we are. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Old Testament anticipates our Savior and His great sacrifice.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, the Old Testament points to the coming, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We can look to the book of Psalms we visited previously for this: \u201cI will tell of the decree: the\u00a0Lord\u00a0said to me,\u00a0\u2018You are my Son; today I have begotten you\u2019 (Psalm 2:7). And this is just one mention of Jesus in the Psalms (see Psalm 16:8-10; 22:7; 34:20; 89:3-4; 110:1,4\u2026and that\u2019s just scratching the surface).<\/span><\/p>\n

We can also look to the fall of man, of all places. Jesus tells the serpent who tempted and enticed Adam and Eve: \u201cBecause you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and\u00a0dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring<\/span> and\u00a0her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel\u201d (Genesis 3:14-15). Even on one of the darkest days of our history, the Lord brings the hope that the devil will be defeated by His Son\u2019s ultimate act of love and sacrifice. In summary, he tells the serpent that death cannot keep his prey.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, we can look to references within the New Testament. Paul wrote to the Galatians about the Old Law (Galatians 3:10-14), and he says that \u201cin Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might\u00a0come to the Gentiles, so that\u00a0we might receive\u00a0the promised Spirit\u00a0through faith\u201d (Galatians 3:14). Jesus\u2019 coming ties in with God\u2019s promise to the man who was to be the father of many nations.<\/span><\/p>\n

These are just three ways that the Old Testament is valid; the truth is that the entirety of Scripture, both Old and New Law, is valid; \u201cAll\u00a0Scripture\u00a0is\u00a0breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness\u201d (2 Timothy 3:16). As such, we can rest assured that God\u2019s Word \u2013 all of it \u2013 is ours to learn from, to teach others about, and to be our source of strength, comfort, and understanding as children of God.<\/span><\/p>\n

By Savannah Cottrell<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I can remember sitting in Bible class in middle school, when my dad was teaching at the time, and I remember him telling the class about two laws: the Old Law and the New Law. 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