Sometimes I get the question… Why should we study the Old Testament now that we are in the church age? And I used to voice the same question as the OT just seemed to be a “history book” containing the records of Israel’s story… the people that set the stage for Jesus. In other words, I didn’t spend any time reading through it, especially avoiding Leviticus and Chronicles! Well, if you have been following my journey the past couple of years you know that God put an end to that thinking. What He has been teaching me from the OT has resulted in some wonderful shoring up of my foundation through discovering His message throughout history. And once again that happened last week as I read through David’s advice to Solomon in 1 Chronicles 22. God’s message does not change, He truly is the same yesterday, today and forever.
1 Chron 22:13(b) Be strong and of good courage; do not fear nor be dismayed.
When you think about it, these words are the true heart of David’s commissioning speech to Solomon to build the Temple (1 Kings 2:2-3). It got me to thinking about how this is a repetition of exactly what Moses said to Joshua. God prohibited David from building the Temple just as He prohibited Moses from crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land. Just as David commissioned Solomon, Moses commissioned Joshua (Deut 31:7-8; Josh 1:6, 9)… Be strong and of good courage; do not fear nor be dismayed. In each case, God was choosing a new leader for a new for a new era in the history of Israel and mankind. He has done the same for the church in the New Testament era as the message has been applied to Jesus and the church.
1 Cor 3:16 Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
God’s plan is continually evolving but it “never changes.” It continues to be revealed and will do so until it is fulfilled at Jesus’ second coming. The NT is concerned with establishing God’s “new way” by referring back to the OT, which reveals a previous revelation. Take for instance Paul’s message in Hebrews:
Heb 3:1-6 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession; 2 He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. 3 For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. 4 For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. 5 Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; 6 but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.
Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, Jesus and His bride. This is but one example of the revelation the OT holds for us. How much more solid our foundation becomes when we shore it up with solid truth’s from God’s Word from the past! But, if we don’t allow the Holy Spirit to reveal those truths to us, it is our loss. It is our responsibility as His bride to know and understand His Word as revealed to us. Consider how C.S. Lewis put it…
Christ want’s a child’s heart, but a grown-up’s head… He has room for people with very little sense, but He wants everyone to use what sense they have.
I guess the bottom line I am trying to get to is that we need to understand that there is continuity and evolution in God’s purposes down through time. There are elements of the OT that are revealed in the NT, but their significance for us can’t be understood until we take the OT seriously and spend time with the Holy Spirit to allow Him to enlighten us.
Solomon was to be a latter day Joshua and, if you will, Jesus was to become a latter day Solomon. The tabernacle for the Temple; the old Temple for the New Temple.
So what does that make the bride?
Living in the Spirit on a daily basis (Matt 6:33-34) means that we too are fulfilling the law. As put by Leslie Allen in his thoughts on this subject… Life’s train runs along the railtrack of Mosaic morality, fueled by the dynamics of Christian love.
Rom 13:8, Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
The Old Testament… Really? Yes!