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By: Pastor Peter Schlicht

#1. Remember the Basic Purpose of the Old Testament: The Apostle Paul’s final days were spent teaching Jewish leaders. His content is summed up in two related topics:“testifying to the kingdom of God” and “trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets” (Acts 28:23), which is a short way of describing the purpose of the Old Testament. The Old Testament is about Jesus and about God’s Kingdom. If you understand this purpose of the Old Testament, the disparate parts will begin to cohere. If you lose sight of this purpose, you will likely get bogged down. When we read the Old Testament correctly, without allegory or manipulation but in accordance with Jesus’s own teaching (Luke 24:13-35), we can appreciate every word as God’s message of salvation. That does not mean that every verse taken by itself contains a hidden allusion to Christ, but that every passage reveals something about Jesus or God’s Kingdom—human sinful nature, God’s love, God’s holiness, blessings of his Word, wisdom, etc. Ask yourself basic questions when reading like, “How do I see sin and its effects in this section? Where do I see God’s patient love? What does this section reveal about God, the way he works and rules? How does this section inform how I should live as a member of his kingdom?”

#2. Take Time to Understand the Context: If you don’t understand the context of a certain portion of Scripture, you are taking a shortcut to confusion. In my mind it is akin to trying to put together a complicated machine without the directions. Yes, you will get to work faster if you don’t take time to read the instructions, but you’ll soon find yourself lost. If you read the directions, however, you are enabled to start and appreciate each step in its proper place. The same is true with Biblical context. First start out by finding out the basic time frame of writing and the author. There are many resources to help you in this pursuit, such as a Study Bible, many online resources, or, (gasp!) texting/calling your pastor! I often recommend the Bible Project’s “Read Scripture” videos online for a quick reference. (Just search “Bible Project” + the name of the biblical book you want to start reading and you’ll find their video right away.) Doing a little study up front will yield a harvest of long term benefits. 

#3. Read Bigger Sections: So often in church and in personal study we’ve been taught to read only a few verses and then stop. While it is certainly a blessing to chew on a small section and go deep, this is also a way to miss the forest for the trees when it comes to the Old Testament. What if you read an entire book in a single sitting? It sounds a bit crazy, but it shouldn’t be that odd. You could sit down and read the entire book of Ruth tonight in about 15minutes. You could read the first half of Daniel in 45 minutes. There is value in Bible-reading plans that divide up the readings so that you read one chapter each day. But if that’s the only way you read the Bible, it will be difficult to understand key literary features and the theological message of whole books of the Bible. I understand the objection: “There’s no way I can find time to do this.” But aren’t there other activities you do for longer periods of time? Do you read other books for an hour at a time? Do you spend an hour watching a TV show or two hours watching a movie or three hours watching a football game? Why not prioritize lengthy time reading God’s life-giving Word? One idea might be to buy a “reader’s” Bible which does not contain such obvious breaks in the text from headings and chapter and verse markings. Another option might be to consider an audio Bible. When you listen to an Audio-Bible, you’ll be surprised how quickly the time goes by and how much of the Bible you “read.” 

#4. Think and Pray about What You Read: The Bible is God’s Word. It promises strength and faith to all who refuse to let it go and wrestle like ancient Jacob. After you read a section, take time to ponder it, ask some of the questions, and end in prayer. The Holy Spirit will help you and work in you through his Word. Be confident that when you read the Old Testament you will be blessed. That is God’s promise, not mine.

(This article is Part 3 of 3. Part 1 focused on the need to read the Old Testament and Part 2 focused on the need for an exile’s perspective.)