The Old Testament. So many rich stories and wonders to behold, great evils that troubled earth and its’ inhabitants and joy met by grief. It’s truly a travesty that some would read it. Let me clarify before you totally disagree with me. The Old Testament is important, but is not as straight forward or as understandable a read as is the New Testament.
I was raised in a Christian home and have been around the stories and the Testaments all my life. I strive to follow Christ, though it seems I fail daily to put myself away. One day I am determined and motivated and the next is a sad attempt at getting my feet out of bed. And looking at the state of modern church is the same as looking at a freeway pile up. We've come violently in contact with other believers who might not have exactly the same beliefs as we, which is an example of dabbling in OT reading with lack of understanding.
It seems, at least in my region that we are trying to amend the wounds of one another. Good. But that's still not the purpose of the body of Christ. We're getting up, but it frustrates me to see us so stuck on ourselves. It's like we're juggling outreach with keeping an amount of peace among the body.
I'm not sure why I'm saying all this. Maybe my point is to make you totally disagree with me. Maybe I’m trying to make you breathe from a different side of the pillow. Not all people should read the OT right away. Maybe it's an over zealous attitude that drives many "on fire" Christians to come to the conclusions and stances that they do, such as agreeing and disagreeing with fellow believers.
Recently I've been reading the OT and it's full of stories I don't remember hearing. We have our Trademark stories as Christians. One example is Elijah. He was a great prophet and served God mightily. And Elisha was his servant who took his place when Elijah went to be with God. At least that's all I thought Elisha was. Turns out his story has twice the significance, at least for me. He was a bit more down to earth and had a different type of ministry than that of Elijah. Elisha is labeled the prophet of double fire. But in Scripture he is labeled Bald Head.
So what I’m saying is that the OT has its’ importance and place. It's what led up to the birth of Christ and is proof that he is the Messiah. Please read it. But don’t go into it with your own expectations because they’ll be shot down by the controversy you read, and you might find yourself trying to justify the evil that took place in the stories. Wrong had its’ place then and does now, whether or not we like it. It’s a present misfortune that is upon the earth. One day all things will be made right. But for now, I gotta walk through the dirt and snow.
And it makes me sad. More on sadness later.
Andrew R. M. Hanson
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