Tips for Reading the Old Testament

If you’re like me, you may struggle through the Old Testament. It seems irrelevant, too distant, too Old.  But the Old Testament is the story. We can’t let go of it. (Unless of course you’re a hardcore dispensationalist…wink)

Here’s what I try to keep in mind as I read the Old Testament (I hope it helps you):

• God inspired the Old Testament, and thus we know it will always be important because His word endures forever.
• The Old Testament points to Jesus.
• The Old Testament sweetens and deepens the meaning of the entire New Testament. Literally hundreds of OT quotes, paraphrases and allusions surface in the NT.
• The Old Testament reveals God’s character, which is never changing, and thus, whatever we learn about God from the Old Testament is completely, eternally applicable for our understanding of God.