God of the Old & God of the New

I have spent a lot of time in the Old Testament book of Kings this month. And I mean “A LOT” of time. I just completed an intensive course in Old Testament exegesis of Kings this month at Duke Divinity School. And as a result, I am thinking a lot about some of those stories and some of those people.

There are great stories in the books of Kings, stories that when we properly understand them, helps us understand the New Testament better. In fact, I am going to go as far as to say that you cannot understand the New Testament if you don’t understand the Old Testament. I know that might seem like a bold statement, but if you don’t understand the need for the Messiah, if you don’t see the correlation between the fall of humanity in the garden of Eden and the redemption of humanity through the cross at Golgotha, if you don’t see how having a “Davidic King” sit on the throne forever is part of an everlasting covenant, then I don’t think that you can effectively understand the New Testament when you read about Jesus.

            Remember, Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17).

            When you read the Old Testament through the lens of the Gospel, you see what Jesus was talking about. Jesus is not just introduced in the Gospels as a baby born in Bethlehem. That was just His incarnation into humanity. Jesus is God, pre-existent with the Father and the Holy Spirit. The apostle John, in his gospel, said it this way; “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:1-3). The “Word” mentioned here is Jesus. Think pre-creation, and Jesus was there.

            All of the Bible is God’s Words.

            Some people mistakenly think that the God of the Old Testament is somehow different than the God of the New Testament. Jesus, they think, just seems nicer when talking about love and forgiveness than the God who instructed Moses to kill nations in conquest or who made prohibitions and rules against so much. That line of thinking dates back to at least the second century, and is found in a heretical theology of the early church called Gnosticism.

            I say all of this, simply to say that all of your Bible is important. It is all there, given as a gift, and for a reason. And the reason is not just to teach, thought the Bible surely teaches us in many ways. And the reason is not just to instruct, though the Bible surely offers invaluable instruction. And the reason is not just to provide a narrative history, though the Bible surely offers historical data.

The Bible is here to connect us with God. This is a beautiful, and very complex, story of God’s greatness, of God’s power, and most of all, of God’s love. And God’s love has been ever present, unchangeable, and never-ending. And His love is for you. From the beginning of creation in Genesis, through the ups and downs of life and exile through Kings and Chronicles, through the incarnation at Bethlehem in Luke and into the eternal promise fulfilled in Revelation, the Bible is a story of God with us. Emmanuel.

Take some time this year to read through some of these great stories of God’s love for you. Find a Bible reading plan that is a good fit for you. Engage with a small group Bible study in your church. Or just read through 1 and 2 Kings. God’s love and God’s presence will meet you there.