Most Christians make some effort to read the Bible every day. We do our best to open up God’s Word and take in what the Lord wants to say to us.
We don’t always understand what we’re reading, but we believe it’s worth the effort. Disciples are learners, so the more we avail ourselves of the Scriptures, the better off our spiritual lives will be.
And if we’re going to practice daily Bible reading, we’ll probably follow a plan. A common one is reading through the Bible in a year. There are 1189 chapters in total, and when you divide that by 365, you get 3.275 chapters a day. So by reading 3 or 4 chapters a day, we can cover the entirety of God’s Word in a year.
Not a bad plan!
But bear this in mind–if we adopt this approach, we’re going to spend most of our time reading the Old Testament.
Be prepared to plunge into Genesis, Deuteronomy, 1 and 2 Kings, the Psalms, Isaiah, and all the rest.
Here’s the math. The Old Testament makes up around 75 percent of Scripture. So if we started a year-long plan on January 1, we wouldn’t get to the Gospel of Matthew (the first book of the New Testament) until October!
Now how do you feel about reading the whole Bible in a year?
A little less excited? Somewhat intimidated?
Don’t be!
It’s God’s Word!
Joshua thought so.
“Joshua said to the Israelites, ‘Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God.’” – Joshua 3:9
David did, too. He knew the benefits of immersing himself in Scripture.
The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the LORD are firm, and all of them are righteous. 10They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. 11By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. – Psalm 19:7-11
And Isaiah insisted on the permanence of the Word.
“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” – Isaiah 40:8
It’s not going away!
Now I realize Christians seem to have a preference for the New Testament. I can’t blame them; I put myself in that camp. But we won’t grasp the depth of the Gospels, the Letters, and the book of Revelation without understanding the Jewish Scriptures.
The Old Testament is the foundation of the New Testament. It gets our hearts ready to receive the good news of Jesus.
The Lord said as much when He observed, “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about Me, 40yet you refuse to come to Me to have life” (John 5:39-40).
If we want to know Jesus, we need the Old Testament.
After His resurrection, Christ was walking with two disciples who didn’t recognize Him. They were telling Him all about the ministry of Jesus and the sad fate of the cross. They also recounted the testimonies of the women who claimed Jesus was no longer dead. But they couldn’t make sense of all this.
Jesus could! “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27). Then later on, “they asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?’” (Luke 24:32).
We might not have the chance to meet Jesus traveling on a road, but we can encounter Him in the Word. And for Christ and these disciples, that Word was the Old Testament.
Reading the Old Testament isn’t a waste of time; it leads us to appreciate the depth of who Christ is and what He’s done for us. That’s valuable!
The Old Testament also undergirds our service. We who encounter Jesus in the Scriptures have the privilege and responsibility to share Him with others.
Luke’s gospel informs us of this.
He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 45Then He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things. 49I am going to send you what My Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” – Luke 24:44-49
If we’re going to do the work of God’s kingdom, we’re going to need the truth of His Word (the Old Testament) and the power of His Spirit (the promise of the Father). These complement and reinforce each other. The Spirit anoints the Word by which we declare the good news of Jesus Christ.
So the gospel is grounded in the Old Testament. Through God’s Word, we meet Jesus, grow in Christ, and serve Him.
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:14-17
It sounds to me like the Old Testament deserves our consideration!
If you’re following some type of Bible reading plan, you’re spending a lot of time in the Old Testament. That’s not a bad thing! You’re establishing yourself in the plan of God fulfilled through Jesus Christ. And when you do read the New Testament, you’ll do so with greater awareness of how God brings everything to perfection in His Son.
So keep reading!
