The very name "Old Testament" suggests that this group of 39 books of Scripture is outdated or not as important as the rest of the Bible. Some of the commands seem strange and antiquated, such as "Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of materials" (Leviticus 19:19). Many people who even claim to be Christians say that we can simply ignore teaching in the Old Testament that does not comply with "modern" ways of thinking.
However, Jesus could not have made it more clear that those who follow him must follow the Old Testament. This includes the "least of these commands" (Matthew 5:19). The authority of the Old Testament continues "until heaven and earth disappear," (Matthew 5:18). Following Jesus means to follow all Scripture, including the Old Testament. Jesus' teachings are not only recorded in the "red letters" of the New Testament. Jesus taught his followers that He is God and that all of the Bible is God's Word. In other words, since Jesus is God and the Bible is God's Word, all of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is the teaching of Jesus. Besides, the Old Testament makes up 77% of the whole Bible. The Bible is "a lamp to my feet and a light for my path" (Psalm 119:105). If you do not use and apply Old Testament, you are missing a large part of the helpful Bible teaching God has given us.
So, do we all need to go through our closets and get rid of all clothing made out of 50% cotton and 50% polyester, as Leviticus 19:19 says? I'll come back to that, but first let me address some common misunderstandings.
1. "The Old Testament God is angry and the New Testament God is loving."
Many claim this is why they follow the New Testament. For instance, some say they support same-sex marriage because Jesus was about love and tolerance, whereas God in the Old Testament was angry and judgmental. However, if you actually read the whole Bible, you will find this statement is completely false. If it was scored by a fact checker, it would probably get the worst possible rating, "Liar, Liar Pants on Fire." The Old and New Testaments are full of descriptions of both God's love and righteous judgment. The New Testament gives some of the most graphic depictions of God's wrath in Revelation and in the many references to the agony of hell. Jesus himself speaks of how he will judge many and sentence them to hell. The Old Testament describes God as a shepherd who takes care of us (Psalm 23), and as one who is a "compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness" (Exodus 34:6).
2. "The Old Testament was written to people living under the old covenant, the New Testament was written to Christians."
This is technically true, but implies something that is false. It implies that the Old Testament is not as relevant or important as the New Testament to believers today. Again, Jesus completely rejected that concept.
3. "The Old Testament is just too difficult to understand."
The background and culture of the people in the Old Testament is far removed from 21st Century America. How are we to make sense of the lists of numbers, the different types of sacrifices, the genealogies, and the strange sounding laws? Admittedly, it is difficult. Yet, the same is true of the New Testament. Doing good Bible interpretation is difficult in both testaments. You must first understand what the text is saying, then understand what it is saying to you. This involves understanding the context of the teachings in the text and in the times. Then, you must translate that teaching to your context. I'll give an example of this below. The point here, however, is that you must do this for both the Old Testament and the New Testament. True, there is less distance between us and the New Testament, yet Jesus never said we should only pay attention to the passages that are easiest to understand.
So, what about our closets? Context is the key. Remember when the Israelites left Egypt and were caught between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army? God commanded Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground" (Exodus 14:16). When we read this, we do not assume that we should get the next flight to Egypt, get a tour guide to take us to the Red Sea, and stand at the shore with our hand stretched out over the water! The command was given to Moses at a particular moment in history, it is not a command we follow. However, this does not mean that we should not study the verse and apply it to us. The text says that Moses was told to stretch out his hand over the sea. The text does not say that to me. What it says to me is that I must trust God and obey him, even if I don't understand why God would lead me someplace. In the most desperate of circumstances, Moses obeyed God's instructions and God delivered him.
Many commands in both the Old and New Testaments are like that. We have to differentiate between what the text says and what it says to me. A careful study of the book of Leviticus reveals that Leviticus 19 contains laws that are given to the nation of Israel. What Leviticus 19:19 says is that Israel was to obey God even in the clothing that they wore. The fabric could not be made of two types of material. Everything about their daily routines and annual calendar was to remind them about their devotion to God. The clothing kept at the forefront of their mind that they were to be completely devoted to the God of Israel. They could not mix their religious practices with the pagan worship around them, as illustrated by the singular type of fabric in their clothing, as well as many other customs that the Israelites practiced. But this is not a command to all Christians today. What the text says to me is that I should incorporate customs into my daily life that remind me of my devotion to God. I might choose to wear a cross or adapt another tradition. I am not obligated to follow this principle the same way that Israel did.
Leviticus 19:18 says, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus calls this the "second commandment." What this text says is, "Love your neighbor as yourself." What it says to me is, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Yes, there is no difference. Even in the Old Testament, determining the application of a command is sometimes easy. Notice also that the commands in Leviticus 18 on sexuality are explicitly said to apply to all nations, not just the nation of Israel (Leviticus 18:24-27). This is why Christians take seriously the commands in Leviticus against homosexuality, but do not follow all Old Testament commands literally.
There is so much more to say about interpretation and the Old Testament, but I hope this points you in the direction of studying and learning from the whole Bible. God speaks to us as we study His Word, including the Old Testament. Paul shows thoughtful interpretation and application of Deuteronomy 25:4 in his first letter to the Corinthians. Notice how he states what the command says and then explains what it says to us:
"For it is written in the Law of Moses: "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." Is it about oxen that God is concerned? Surely he says this for us, doesn't he? Yes, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?" -1 Corinthians 9:9-11
May you hear God's voice more clearly as you study the Old Testament. Please let me know if you have any questions that I can help you with on this topic.
Trust the Bible is a weekday radio program that begins at about 8:10 each morning on WDOG 93.5 in Allendale, SC. You can listen to previous programs online here: http://www.fairfaxfbc.org/trust-the-bible.html
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