This essay is a third installment in this series. It has been some time since the last essay, which examined the purpose behind the Pentateuch and why the first five books are so important to the Church today.
Since it has been some time, actually since May 2005, that the second essay came out let me recap some important points. First, this series is developing from an important question from the Sunday school class, which I teach, on why is the Old Testament important to us today? Great question, especially considering the fact that the Sunday school material explores the book of Ezekiel and Daniel within a fifteen week period, whereas the book of Romans receives a thirty week period. What is crucial is that most people today consider the Old Testament as… well… old. It is not important since we have the New Testament.
The first essay within this series consider what would be left out if there was no Old Testament. A considerable amount when you look at the mere size difference between the two Testaments. But theologically (and that is more important than just size) the Old Testament is considered more than just the promise of the Messiah that was fulfilled with the New Testament. God teaches theological truths that apply to His people today.
Yet the Old Testament does promise certain things, such as the Messiah, which is partly fulfilled within the New Testament (remember, the New Testament has not fulfilled everything in the Old), the Old Testament is in itself theological just as the New Testament is theological. The difference comes through the medium, which such theology is expressed. Consider the preaching through first Samuel by our pastor and the portrayal of the character contrast between Saul and David. The author is revealing to us a living example of what the book of Proverbs is all about. You have two men that the author is contrasting by showing the character within the heart. The key phrase for the whole episode is what God says to Samuel when David is anointed king. It is not the outside but the inside that is important to God.
For the church today, first Samuel speaks volumes about how we are to live our lives. We all sin (Rom. 3:23), and even David is guilty of sin as well as Saul. First Samuel comes alive when dealing with what we do when we are in sin: turn to God or other means as Saul did when he sought out for advice from the spiritualists.
Consider other books of the prophets such as Jeremiah and Ezekiel. What is the theological significance in those books? (Note: the Hebrews consider Samuel and Kings as prophetic books along with Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and the Minor Prophets.) When reading the book of Kings you can get delirious and lost from the lists of all those kings. But there is an important theological reason why the author goes through the list of the kings for both Israel and Judah. You will find the same theme in the other prophetic books, which is man is sinful and deserves death.
Throughout the spring and summer the Sunday school classes have been going through the books of Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel and Daniel. One important theme unites all of these books together: Israel failed to keep the covenant.
Israel had so turned their backs to their God and worshipped idols that they did not even realize (as seen in Ezekiel 8–10) that the presence of God had left the temple. The people of God were worshipping in an empty temple for God could no longer stand for the sins among His people. What happened after that? God brought judgement on His people, destroyed His temple and city, and led the people of God into captivity.
So, what is the importance of this in my life and on the life of the church? First of all, God takes sin seriously, which is demonstrated through the judgment upon God’s people and the destruction of the temple. But for the church, God paid the ultimate price through the sacrifice of His Son for our sin. Throughout the history of redemption (that is how God saves His people) the prophets reveal how Israel and Judah continue to fall short of keeping the law of God. Because of this failure, God promises a new covenant that will no longer be an outward act but an inward change in an individual’s life.
This story of redemption is still ongoing for the church today. We do not wait for a lamb that is lead to the slaughter, but rather the conqueror king who will come and reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Another important theme throughout the prophets is that God’s desire is for His people to repent. He waits until He can wait no longer to bring judgement, yet all the while giving His people opportunity to repent and if they repent He promises to relent on sending judgment. What this shows is a beautiful picture of a merciful God who would rather see His people repent, turn to Him and live instead of Him bringing judgment upon them.
God demands that His people, who are called by His name, live a holy life for His name’s sake. How are you living for the Lord? Is there sin that has separated you from the Creator? Besides painting a picture of judgement and calling for repentance, the prophets provide us with some of the greatest words of hope in their depiction of the restoration of Israel.
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea… all of them… wrote on the theme of the restoration for Israel after the time of their judgment. For the church today, this means that God will not forget His people in their time of need. He restores us to a right relationship with Him. When we repent and confess our sin He is faithful to forgive us of our sin (1 John 1:5). This is an Old Testament concept.
From Samuel to Malachi, the prophets were preachers who called the people to repent for they had disobeyed the Word of God, which was the Pentateuch. If there was no repentance, God would bring judgement, which ultimately lead to the destruction of the temple and led to the people being in captivity. God is a holy God who cannot allow His name to be corrupted by sin. Yet through it all, God is always calling for His people to turn back and when they do He will restore.