Understanding the Old Testament

The Neglected Three-Quarters

The Old Testament makes up approximately seventy-five percent of the Bible. Yet for many Christians it is the neglected three-quarters — confusing, violent, culturally alien, and seemingly disconnected from the New Testament and the Christian life.

This is a significant loss. Jesus said that all the Scriptures speak of Him (Luke 24:27). Paul wrote that "everything written in former days was written for our instruction" (Romans 15:4). To neglect the Old Testament is to misunderstand the New.

The Structure of the Old Testament

The Hebrew Bible is traditionally divided into three sections — Torah, Nevi'im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings) — abbreviated as TaNaK. The Protestant Old Testament reorganises these into:

The Law (Pentateuch) — Genesis through Deuteronomy. The foundation: creation, fall, Abraham, the Exodus, the giving of the law, the wilderness wanderings.

Historical Books — Joshua through Esther. The story of Israel in the land: the conquest, the judges, the monarchy, the divided kingdom, the exile, the return.

Wisdom Literature — Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon. Poetry and wisdom: how to live, how to worship, how to face suffering and mystery.

The Prophets — Isaiah through Malachi. God's messengers calling Israel back to covenant faithfulness, warning of judgment, and promising future restoration.

How the Old Testament Points to Christ

Jesus' statement on the Emmaus road — "beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself" (Luke 24:27) — is not a claim that every Old Testament passage is directly about Jesus. It is a claim that the whole Old Testament moves toward and prepares for Him.

The connections include:

• **Promise and fulfilment** — specific prophecies fulfilled in Christ (Isaiah 53, Psalm 22, Micah 5:2)
• **Type and antitype** — Old Testament persons, events, and institutions that prefigure Christ (Adam, Moses, David, the Passover lamb, the temple, the priesthood)
• **Theme and resolution** — the great themes of the Old Testament (creation, covenant, kingdom, temple, sacrifice) find their resolution in Christ

Practical Guidance

When reading Old Testament narrative, ask: where is God in this story? What is He doing? What does this tell us about His character and purposes? When reading the law, ask: what does this reveal about God's holiness, justice, and care for human flourishing? When reading the prophets, ask: what was the immediate message, and how does this point forward to Christ and the new covenant?