THE
OLD TESATAMENT—THE BIBLE JESUS READ
Matthew 4:1-10
Philip Yancey recently wrote a very
interesting book, The Bible Jesus Read, in which are found many interesting
and challenging ideas. This sermon, and a few others to follow, come from my
being thus motivated to take a fresh look at the timeless teaching of the Old
Covenant. The basic format for presentation I borrow with adaptation from Mr.
Yancey. The truths of the Old Testament, of course, we must all borrow from
God. I think this lesson and others I plan to develop will help us to all
better appreciate that older of God’s two great testaments.
OVERCOMMING DIFFICULTIES
1. The
Old Testament is not like other books. It is a combination of many different
kinds of writing, composed by a few dozen different writers, written over a
period of at least 1,000 years, and containing many things now strange to
us—but fitting together into one coherent story!
2. It
contains many passages of graphic violence, several of which include God’s own
direct involvement—yet it only relates themes of evil, violence, and revenge
commonly recognize by our own culture as needed to portray reality truthfully
(i.e. Macbeth,
and Saving
Private Ryan).
3. If we
choose to turn away from the God Who has association with troubling realities,
we improperly reach conclusions prior to God Himself addressing these very
issues in the “Old Bible” (i.e. Job).
4. “In the
context of real life, the Bible seems refreshingly whole, an honest reflection
on humanity in relation to the sacred and the profane.”–Kathleen
Norris
5. God
worked with people where He found them at a given time. He even, at times, chose
not to deal directly with behavior of which He disapproved, due to people’s
“hardness of heart” (Matt. 19:8)—an awkward, yet needed reality for honest
evaluation .
6. As
Yancey put it , “There is in a word, nothing comfortable about the Bible—until we
manage to get so used to it that we make it comfortable for ourselves. Let us
not be too sure we know the Bible just because we have learned not to be
astonished at it, just because we have learned not to have problems with it.”
SOME ASK OF THE OLD COVENANT,
“WHY BOTHER?”
1. While
80% of Americans claim to believe in the value of the Ten Commandments, only a
very small percentage can name more than four!
2. And
ignorance about such a basic thing, why should we ever bother about all those
priestly regulations, sacrifices, limping lambs, doves with bent wings, and
baby goats not to be cooked in their mother’s milk?
3. For
one thing, one Testament is not enough to tell all the story—there was a need
to develop and transition over time before the complete redemption story could
find its final expression through careful development (Heb. 1:1-2; 8:1-5; 10:1;
Gal. 4:4; cf. Gen. 15:16).
4. Additionally,
those supposedly “Western” ideas such as: “new, individual, history, freedom, spirit, justice,
mercy, time, faith”, and many more, these come to us via the Bible
Jesus read.
5. Predictive
prophecy contributes one of the most powerful reasons for “bothering” about the Old
Testament (Isa. 53; Psa. 22; Gen. 3:15>>Isa. 7:14>>Matt. 1:18-23).
6. Imagery
of the Christ gives yet another profound reason for Old Covenant study—“Lamb of
God” (Isa. 53:7); “Good Shepherd” (Isa. 40:11); “sign of
Jonah” (Jonah 1:17); “the stone that the builders rejected” (Ps.
118:22).
WHAT IS GOD LIKE?
1. The
Old Testament gives us an invaluable look at God’s majestic awesomness—only the
book of Revelation shows us this side of Christ’s Godlikeness (cf. Rev. 1:
9-20).
2. The
Old Covenant also shows us multiplied glimpses of what God is like: father,
lion, lamb, rock, eagle, mother hen, king, servant, husband, judge, shepherd,
barber, vineyard keeper, and much more.
3. He
enters into agreements with men and gives them rules, boundaries, promises,
warnings, curses, and blessings, so that people might know how to live—He
defines relationships and thus does not leave men in uncertainty (Deut.
30:11-20).
4. He
loves, and wants to be loved back (Jer. 31:3; Deut. 6:4-6).
IS GOD REALLY GOOD?
1. A
question often asked today is given a strong “yes!” in the Old Covenant.
2. The
Jews struggled with this very question. On the one hand they quoted Psalm
107:1, “Oh
give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is
everlasting,” while on the other hand they expressed doubt (cf. Ps.
89).
3. God is
good, but He most often does not express His goodness within our predetermined
timetables or in our expected ways—Several hundred years after the Garden of
Eden a pagan from what is now Iraq was chosen, given several tests of faith,
many of which he failed. This man became the man from which would come the
nation and the Messiah. Then three infertile women became the wives of those to
whom God promised to make their seed “like the stars of the heavens.” On top of
that, four hundred years of Egyptian servitude were included. Forty years of
wilderness wandering for what should have taken eleven days was also included.
And then, of all things, a Messiah came and was rejected by the best prepared
people on earth. But in all these things God was steadfast in doing good. God is
good! His goodness must not be misunderstood by our limitations.
4. God’s
goodness is further seen in what is important to Him—Omri, a mighty king of
Israel, gets only eight verses of biblical text (I Kg. 16:21-28); four mighty,
world empires are dismissed as “crushed” in only one verse (Dan. 2:44). On the
other hand, God keeps company with Adam and Eve, thankless rebels; Abraham, a
grossly spineless husband on two occasions; Jacob, a cheat and a spoiled
momma’s boy; Moses, a murderer; David, a murderer and adulterer—and all because
they accepted His chastening.
5. God
truly cares about people (Ezek. 18:23). Dennis Rodman once observed that if
there were a God, “He/She/It” would not care about his “stupid” problems—but
the Old Testament declares in a thousand ways, yes He does!
6. God
shows He is good by being a special God to very different people: Abraham,
Enoch, Noah, Jeremiah, Josiah, Isaiah, Moses, David, Jonah, Job, etc.—no one
size fits all in God’s personal expressions of goodness.
Yes, the Bible Jesus read is very much
worth our time. In its study we
overcome difficulties, grow in our understanding of its value, receive great
insights into God’s identity, and are strengthened in understanding the certainty
of God’s goodness. As we prepare to investigate its makeup in even greater
detail, there are wonderful things that await our search!
Edwin
8/13/00
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