What is the Point of the Old Testament?

Dear Holy Ones of the Most High!

We are so excited to be back at Mosaic this Sunday on Father’s Day! We are nearing the end of our list of “The Top 10 Things Everyone Needs to Know, Especially Christians, about Christianity!” This week is #2 — “The Old Testament isn’t a collection of moralistic stories, but the revelation of Jesus’ Glory!”

Let’s face it, most of us have been taught certain select stories from the Old Testament and we have been taught to do our best to be like the good guy in the story and not be like the bad guy. "Be courageous like David! Fight your giants!” "Be righteous and upright like Noah!“ "Never waiver in your faith like Abraham!” Are we to read these historic accounts and try our best to be like the people in them? Maybe, but think about David’s courage. Didn’t he fearfully murder the husband of his lover, Bathsheba, because he was too scared for everyone to find out she’s carrying his baby? Think about righteous and upright like Noah. Didn’t Noah get slam drunk after the flood and lie around naked which ended up cursing some of his offspring? Never waiver in your faith like Abraham. Didn’t Abraham have sex with his wife’s servant because he didn’t think that God’s promise of a child through his wife would happen?

So maybe the point of the Old Testament isn’t just moralistic stories for us to mold our lives after. If that’s true, then what is the point? What is the whole purpose of the Old Testament? Well, we’re going to try to start answering that question this Sunday. Here’s a hint of what we’ll see. While the name “Jesus” doesn’t appear in the Old Testament, every last bit of it is about HIM! If we want to get to know Jesus, then we have to get to know the Old Testament because it isn’t a collection of moralistic stories but the revelation of Jesus’ Glory!

Hope to see you Sunday!

Walt Davis