Then Jesus quoted passages from the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining what all the Scriptures said about himself. - Luke 24:27
The Old Testament is like a big, dark house. I’m afraid to go inside,” a teenager once told me. What a joy to take her hand, step inside the Scriptures, and see the Holy Spirit switch the light on, banishing her grim forebodings! In the Old Testament there are so many wonderful stories about real people with whom we can identify. There is adventure, history, poetry, and lots of good advice as well.
But perhaps you feel like my friend did about the Old Testament. The Bible says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true” (2 Timothy 3:16). All means the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. God breathed into the spirits of holy men of the past, inspiring and moving them to write down the rich record that became the Bible. We need to read the entire Bible. The Old Testament prepares for the New, and the New helps to explain the Old. A good reference Bible will help to link the Old and New Testaments together and explain some of the basics you may need to know.
Don’t be afraid of the Old Testament. It may seem like a big, dark house, but the Holy Spirit can turn on the lights. The Old Testament wasn’t done away with when the New Testament was written. The Old Testament is also Christ’s home, for he lives in all Scripture, walking its grand corridors, hoping to meet us there.
For Further Study: Luke 24:13-34
Excerpted from The One Year Devotions for Women, Copyright ©2000 by Jill Briscoe. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
For more from Jill Briscoe, please visit TellingtheTruth.org.
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