Ask Me Anything: A Not-so-Old Testament

Join us as we address some hot-button topics in the Church through questions submitted by our own members.

Scripture: Matthew 5:17-20

OT vs NT

Have you ever wondered what makes the Old Testament “old” and the New Testament “new”? Maybe you’re wondering how to make sense of certain laws in the Bible such as the purity laws of Leviticus, the Sacrificial Laws of Deuteronomy, or even the holy wars of Joshua? These kinds of questions can be especially uncomfortable when compared to the more graceful tone that we find in the New Testament that preaches a God who is love and calls us to love our enemies. Are these two Testaments contradicting each other? How are we called to live out the stories we find in the OT? These are the questions we hope to tackle in this week’s sermon blog.

“It is finished”

First, let's understand the bigger picture of what God aimed to achieve across both testaments. In a key passage, Jesus clarified that He didn't intend to abolish the religious system but to fulfill it. In other words, Jesus wanted the law to reach its ultimate "goal." What goal you might ask? In the beginning, we see how sin is introduced to the world through the disobedience of Adam and Eve. In the beginning, sin entered the world through Adam and Eve's disobedience, shattering the relationship between a holy God and a now-sinful creation. This event set in motion God's redemptive plan, which included forging a connection with an unlikely group of people to bless the world through them. However things don’t go according to plan. God’s people could not live within the boundaries of their relationship and subsequently suffer for it. This pattern continues for hundreds of years until finally, God decides that a change needs to be made. The old ways of establishing a relationship based on a set of laws was not working. But rather than starting fresh with a new group of people, God doubles down on his commitment and sends his own son to fulfill the purpose of the law himself. This is because the law was never about whether you should eat shellfish or not (see Deuteronomy 14:21); it’s aim was to rebuild the relationship between God and humankind. Jesus's final words on the cross, "It is finished," marked the culmination of the law's purpose. Through His sacrifice, God was reconciled with His creation. Therefore when we encounter puzzling passages in the Old Testament, we should start with the understanding that Jesus fulfilled them so that we don't have to. Instead of dwelling on the letter of the law, we can read it in light of its true goal—the Cross.

God’s Holiness

Secondly, we need to grasp the role of God's holiness in the Old Testament. You may have heard about the dire consequences if God revealed Himself in our midst, as seen in the stories of Abraham and Moses. But have you ever wondered why? Consider a scenario where a parent instructs a child not to touch the "red thing" in the kitchen. Sure enough, when the child screams “ouch” and touches the wrong "red thing” on the stovetop we might attribute the misunderstanding to vague instructions. Now, envision a scenario in which the parent is constantly present, providing explicit instructions on what not to do, leaving no room for misunderstanding. Would you be frustrated with your child if they still disobeyed you despite your very presence with them? This scenario is akin to what we see in the OT. God is with his people in ways that are difficult for our modern minds to fathom (think splitting the red sea, storm clouds at Mt. Sinai, and Moses’ radiant face). The holiness of God came as close to his people as possible. and just as God’s holiness can be deadly to sinful people when it comes too close, so it is with the consequences of Israel’s disobedience. Except instead of a hot element on a stovetop, here we have the direct consequences of sin when it is brought into God’s midst. In this sense, the price of Israel’s disobedience was that much more severe due to their closeness to the holiness of God which was made manifest in the tabernacle, in the pillar of fire, and through Moses. They witnessed the glory of God and for that reason had no excuse for their betrayal. This is also consistent with the consequences we see in Joshua’s battles where God waged war with the idols of the surrounding nations and casted judgement on those who witnessed his miraculous power in Egypt and yet resist.

Now after thousands of years of distance between us and them, Jesus has come again as the new Moses who has fulfilled the law so that we might be indwelt by this very same holy God. But instead of being overwhelmed and threatened by his presence in our lives, because of Jesus’ sacrifice, God’s presence enhances our lives in the way it was intended. This is the relationship that God has always wanted with his people— one set apart and enriched by a mutual love that goes beyond rules and fear. Therefore, when we read the OT in light of the NT, we can rejoice, knowing that the fullness of God is now available to us in ways that Moses and David only dreamed of, and we can hear His voice through His written word, seeing the bigger picture of what the Cross has achieved.

Study Questions:

1. What parts of the OT have you wrestled with most? What parts do you still have questions about?

2. What are some common misconceptions or misunderstandings people may have about the Old Testament and the New Testament?

3. How does recognizing the goal of the law change your perspective on some of the challenging laws or stories in the Old Testament?

4. What is God's holiness, and why is it important to consider when reading the Old Testament?

5. How can a better understanding of how Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament law impact the way we read and interpret the Old Testament in our daily lives?