As I conversed with a friend the other day, he told me about this article – he subscribes to Got Questions Ministries. I thought it made many good points about the value of reading the Old Testament.
The following article was copied and pasted from https://www.gotquestions.org/
QUESTION: Why should we study the Old Testament?
ANSWER: There are many reasons to study the Old Testament. For one, the Old Testament lays the foundation for the teachings and events found in the New Testament. The Bible is a progressive revelation. If you skip the first half of any good book and try to finish it, you will have a hard time understanding the characters, the plot, and the ending.
In the same way, the New Testament is only completely understood when we see its foundation of the events, characters, laws, sacrificial system, covenants, and promises of the Old Testament.
If we only had the New Testament, we would come to the Gospels and not know why the Jews were looking for a Messiah (a Savior King). We would not understand why this Messiah was coming (see Isaiah 53), and we would not have been able to identify Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah through the many detailed prophecies that were given concerning Him [e.g., His birth place (Micah 5:2), His manner of death (Psalm 22, especially verses 1, 7–8, 14–18; 69:21), His resurrection (Psalm 16:10), and many more details of His ministry (Isaiah 9:2; 52:13)].
A study of the Old Testament is also important for understanding the Jewish customs mentioned in passing in the New Testament. We would not understand the way the Pharisees had perverted God’s law by adding their own traditions to it, or why Jesus was so upset as He cleansed the temple courtyard, or where Jesus got the words He used in His many replies to adversaries.
The Old Testament records numerous detailed prophecies that could only have come true if the Bible is God’s Word, not man’s (e.g., Daniel 7 and the following chapters). Daniel’s prophecies give specific details about the rise and fall of nations. These prophecies are so accurate, in fact, that skeptics choose to believe they were written after the fact.
We should study the Old Testament because of the countless lessons it contains for us. By observing the lives of the characters of the Old Testament, we find guidance for our own lives. We are exhorted to trust God no matter what (Daniel 3). We learn to stand firm in our convictions (Daniel 1) and to await the reward of faithfulness (Daniel 6). We learn it is best to confess sin early and sincerely instead of shifting blame (1 Samuel 15). We learn not to toy with sin, because it will find us out (Judges 13—16). We learn that our sin has consequences not only for ourselves but for our loved ones (Genesis 3) and, conversely, that our good behavior has rewards for us and those around us (Exodus 20:5–6).
A study of the Old Testament also helps us understand prophecy. The Old Testament contains many promises that God will yet fulfill for the Jewish nation. The Old Testament reveals such things as the length of the Tribulation, how Christ’s future 1,000-year reign fulfills His promises to the Jews, and how the conclusion of the Bible ties up the loose ends that were unraveled in the beginning of time. [See note 1, below article and links, about the emboldened text in this paragraph, Michael A. of Sheeplywolves.]
In summary, the Old Testament allows us to learn how to love and serve God, and it reveals more about God’s character. It shows through repeatedly fulfilled prophecy why the Bible is unique among holy books—it alone is able to demonstrate that it is what it claims to be: the inspired Word of God. In short, if you have not yet ventured into the pages of the Old Testament, you are missing much that God has available for you.
FOR FURTHER STUDY
Old Testament Survey by House & Mitchell
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End of Article
Note 1: This is a common view of end times, the pre-millennial view. The statements of that paragraph are based upon teachings held by dispensationalists. Although dispensationalism is still very popular, I have come to embrace covenant theology and have numerous posts on that matter in the CATEGORY, Covenant Theology.
I came to that after I read through the Bible about 20 times and was writing a document against the Baha’i Faith wherein, I demonstrated from scripture that Abraham, Moses and Christ are all part of Christianity. The Baha’is believe that they are leaders of three separate world religions.
The covenants of redemption connect these three Bible figures. (The apostle Paul makes such connections very clear in Romans 4 and in Galatians.) Not only that, there is much in the Old Testament that pictures the Redeemer and prophesies Him: the Ark; the Exodus from Egypt; the sacrificial system – the study of typology identifies other things. All of that indicates that He was always the only Savior and that salvation, since the fall, has only been by God’s grace.
Also, via the covenants of the Bible, God unfolds His plan of redemption. That plan began before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1) and was first hinted at in Genesis 3:15. The covenant God made with Abraham is the subject of Romans 4 and Galatians; therein, Paul also speaks to how the covenant God made with Moses was used by Him as a school master to keep Israel in line until the coming of the Redeemer and His WAY of faith…. The purpose of that covenant had nothing to do with a separate way of salvation.
By considering these things, one can come to the realization that there is only one people of God, those elected before creation of the world. All of God’s elect are being saved by the grace of God. That is, there was not another way of salvation for Jews. Also, in Ephesians and Romans 9-11, Paul talks about the mystery of the Gentiles being grafted into that one people of God.
The above promotes the view that Christ only returns one time. I guess that true believers are called up to meet Him in the air during that return????? I have some things to figure out. But I am solid on covenant theology from what I mentioned above.
Numerous posts in the category of Covenant Theology get into these things, from the perspective of theologians, not my perspective, as a mere student of the Bible.