:: In.a.Mirror.Dimly ::

Ouch! Really? Doesn’t the Old Testament have a bunch of laws, poems and prophetic oracles that are tough to understand? Why does New Testament study have to start there?

I know that it can be daunting to begin with the Old Testament, but in order to understand the world of the New Testament, the Old Testament is required reading. In fact, we run the risk of misinterpreting the New Testament without a proper grounding in the Jewish beliefs that shaped Jesus and his contemporaries.

When reading the Old Testament you should pay attention to the larger motifs such as exodus and deliverance, exile and restoration. Take note of locations such as the wilderness, rivers and seas, and mountains—what happens at these locations and why they are significant?

Read the first five books of the Old Testament (The Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) looking for how to relate to God, as well as any mentions of covenants and in particular how to keep or break a covenant. As you move on to the historical books of Joshua through Kings these themes of covenant, righteousness, punishment, and deliverance will come up. The prophets, priests, and kings in these books flesh out what it means to keep or to break a covenant with God and what happens as a result.

These themes will also be significant throughout the prophetic books (both minor and major prophets) with a greater emphasis on judgment and restoration. The poetic and wisdom literature delves into both worship and deeper theological reflection in light of the laws of the Torah and the events recorded in the historical books.

You don’t have to read the whole Old Testament straight through or even necessarily all of it to benefit from it. Provided you at least know something about the first five books, the stories in Samuel and Kings, and a few key prophets such as Isaiah and Jeremiah you’ll notice quite a few significant points in the New Testament. For example, it will certainly help to read about the prophets Elijah and Elisha in the books of Kings since Jesus is often compared to them.

Unless you understand the laws concerning things such as the Sabbath and skin diseases or the expectations for the Messiah as explained in Isaiah 40-66, the actions and teachings of Jesus will be difficult to understand. Understanding the Old Testament is essential in order to make sense of the New Testament.

Suggestions for Reading the Old Testament

• Pick several translations based on the books you’re reading.
• For tough books such as Leviticus, Numbers, and Chronicles use the New Living Translation (NLT) or The Message because of their emphasis on easy reading.
• For poetry and possibly for the prophets use the New Revised Standard Version for its attention to literary forms.
• For the historical books use literal or mostly literal translations such as the New International Version (NIV), the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), or the English Standard Version (ESV). The NLT will be adequate as well.
• Read five chapters each day (or five groups of roughly 30 verses). 
• Look up background information for each book in a study Bible, a Bible dictionary, or an online reference site—even Wikipedia is better than nothing. In order to understand what’s actually “in” a biblical book, don’t spend your time on editorial or redactor theories such as JEDP, since they’re highly debated in many circles and will do little to help you with a book’s actual content.
• You can find most translations online at Bible Gateway: www.biblegateway.com or the NET Bible’s translation with excellent footnotes at www.bible.org.