Making Sense of the Bible #4

The Bible is made up of the Old Testament (OT) and the New Testament (NT). If we think of the Old and New Testaments in terms of a “will” (like one we would make in the event of our death), it would free us from many of the misunderstandings which exist in the religious world today. The OT was God's will and purpose, based on promises and prophesies, to bring Jesus, who would redeem man from his sin, into the world as Savior and Lord. The NT is the revelation and fulfillment of those promises giving us assurance that through Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection we can be forgiven of our sins.

The Law portions of the OT, which include the well-known Ten Commandments, were given to the Israelites whom God delivered from Egypt [Exodus 20:1-17 (read carefully vs. 2 and note who is being spoken to, for they are the ones who received the Ten Commandments); Deuteronomy 5:1-21 (read carefully vs.1-3 and make the same notation)]. The Ten Commandments and the Levitical law codes (contained in the book of Leviticus) regulating priests and the sacrificial system were given not to the world but to the Israelites.

When Jesus came into the world, He gave another will that was to be universal (for all men – not just the Israelites or Jews but for all). Jesus made it clear that he was sacrificing Himself (shedding His blood) to establish the New Testament as the means of forgiveness for sins (Matthew 26:28). Keep in mind that a will cannot be probated or executed until after the death of the one who made it. Thus, while Jesus lived on earth he was subject to the OT and its laws (Luke 2:41-47; 4:16; Matthew 5:17; Galatians 4:3).

In Jeremiah 31:31-33, Jeremiah prophesied of a future time when God would make a New Covenant (Testament) that would supersede the Old Covenant (Testament) and it would not be for just Israel but for all men. In the NT the writer of the book of Hebrews quotes Jeremiah’s prophecy pointing out in fact that the NT is that replacement and the OT is “obsolete and vanishing away” (Hebrews 8:8-13). The Hebrew writer tells us that since Jesus died, “He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. For a will takes affect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive.” (Hebrews 9:15-17 underline mine for emphasis - br).

The OT establishes the faithfulness of God to His word and serves an important purpose in helping us understand how God deals with people. Briefly stated, God deals favorably or unfavorably with people based on their response to His word. Without understanding this distinction between the OT and the NT we are prone to misunderstanding and false concepts. Thus, if our light is to shine we must trust in God and His word, obeying Him from the heart based on the terms which He set forth in the NT and went into effect after Jesus’ death.