Theology Thursday: What's the point of the Old Testament?

Welcome to Theology Thursday! Theology is the study of God, his relation to the world, and our relation to him. I hope these newsletters help enhance your faith and deepen your love for God and his people, the church.

Today's question:
What's the purpose of the Old Testament?

Pastor Brady's thoughts:
It’s ok to admit it, this is a safe space: you kinda like the New Testament (NT) better than the Old Testament (OT), don’t you? That’s ok. I kinda do too.  

Most Bible readers prefer to spend the majority of their time in the NT. Most churches do the majority of their preaching and teaching from the NT. And for good reason: the NT gives us Jesus, in the flesh! The central character in the creation of the universe and in our faith doesn’t show up until about 75% through our Bible, but his arrival impacts everything from that moment forward including today (and reshapes how we view the OT scriptures as well).

The NT lays out the process for our salvation, it establishes the church, it includes moral instruction that still feels applicable today, it re-defines the family of God from ancient Israel to all who submit to the lordship of Christ. Good stuff! Isn’t that enough? Everything that comes before it seems so…different.

The OT can be difficult to get through, with its detailed sections of historical accounts, complicated prophecies, and a bunch of stuff that is seemingly irrelevant to our lives as Christians today. And it’s soooo loooong.

Plus, didn’t Jesus fulfill the old covenant and institute a new one? Why do we still need to read and care about the OT? What’s the OT’s purpose?

For many modern readers, the OT feels like uncharted waters; too daunting to really engage with, too scary to try and navigate. With its ancient laws, sweeping genealogies, and detailed history, it can seem distant and difficult to understand. But far from being irrelevant or outdated, the OT is foundational to the Christian faith and deeply meaningful for believers today. It exists for many reasons, but three rise to the top: the OT shows us who God is, it shows us who we are, and it shows us what faithfulness looks like.

THE OT SHOWS US WHO GOD IS 
At its core, the OT is a revelation of God's character. From Genesis to Malachi, we see God not as a vague or abstract force but as a personal, involved, and deeply relational being. He is creator, judge, redeemer, and shepherd. Through his interactions with humanity—especially with the people of Israel—we come to know a God who is holy, just, loving, patient, and faithful.

In Genesis, God reveals himself as the creator of all things, bringing the universe into existence with intention and care. He is not distant from his creation but walks in the garden with Adam and Eve, setting the tone for a relational God who desires closeness with his people. In Exodus, God hears the cries of the oppressed and acts to rescue them, showing us that he is a deliverer who cares about justice.

The laws in Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy—while sometimes puzzling to modern readers—reflect a God of order, holiness, and compassion. They were given to shape a people who would reflect God’s nature to the world. The prophets, from Isaiah to Malachi, consistently point back to God's mercy and desire for a restored relationship with his people.

Through it all, we see a God who keeps his promises, even when his people don’t. The OT reminds us that God is not a distant deity but a faithful, loving presence who actively works in history for the good of his people and the glory of his name.

In addition to all of this, the OT shows us who God is by preparing God’s people and God’s world for God’s son - the incarnation of Christ Jesus.
 
THE OT SHOWS US WHO WE ARE
While the OT is first and foremost about God, it also holds up a mirror to humanity. It shows us our origin, our identity, and our struggles. From the first pages of Genesis, we learn that we are created in the image of God—imbued with dignity, purpose, and value. But we also learn that we are deeply flawed, prone to sin and rebellion, and in desperate need of redemption.

The stories of the OT do not sugarcoat the human condition. The patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and others—are portrayed with unflinching honesty. They are heroes of faith, yes, but also deeply human: full of fear, doubt, and mistakes.
 
Rahab was a prostitute before she was a righteous spy; David was an adulterer and murderer who abused his position of power to manipulate the people around him and yet still a “man after God’s own heart” (1st Samuel 13:14); Moses (Moses!) was faithful to God for a lifetime, except for that moment of disobedience in the Desert of Zin when he struck the rock to produce water rather than speaking to it as God had commanded, thus costing himself the opportunity to enter the promised land he had been leading the Israelites to for years.
 
The history of Israel is marked by repeated cycles of faithfulness and failure, showing us that the problem of sin is not new- it's embedded in the human story.

These stories resonate because they reflect our own experiences. We see ourselves in the Israelites, who trust God one day and grumble the next. We recognize our own hearts in the Psalms, where the psalmists cry out in pain, rejoice in God’s goodness, and wrestle with doubt and despair. The OT doesn’t flatter us—it tells the truth. And in doing so, it invites us into a deeper awareness of our need for grace.

THE OT SHOWS US WHAT FAITHFULNESS LOOKS LIKE 
I know what you’re thinking: But wait, if Israel failed over and over again to live as God commanded of them, their story is mostly one of failed faithfulness…isn’t it?

Yes it is, and so is ours. But what the OT testifies to isn’t the faithfulness of God’s people, but the faithfulness of God.
 
In a world that prizes instant results and quick fixes, the OT offers a long view of faithfulness. It tells the story of a God who patiently works through generations, and of people who—though imperfect—choose to trust and obey him.

Faithfulness in the OT isn’t just about following rules; it’s about a relationship. Abraham’s willingness to leave everything behind and follow God into the unknown sets the tone for what faith looks like: trusting God even when the path isn’t clear. Moses’s perseverance in leading a grumbling people through the wilderness shows the cost of obedience. Ruth’s loyalty, David’s repentance, and Daniel’s courage all point to lives shaped by steadfast devotion to God.

The prophets, often speaking to rebellious and indifferent audiences, model faithfulness in the face of rejection. They spoke the truth when it was unpopular and clung to God’s promises even when judgment seemed inevitable. Their lives remind us that faithfulness is often quiet, costly, and countercultural.

In all these examples, we see that faithfulness is not perfection—it’s persistence. It’s choosing to walk with God day after day, even when circumstances are hard or unclear. The OT gives us a gallery of real people whose lives testify to the enduring value of trust in God.
And in turn, it shows to us a God who always - always - follows through. One of my favorite ways of formulating the story of scripture is this: promises made; promises kept. In the OT, God makes a whole bunch of promises about redemption and salvation and reconciliation. In the NT, he keeps every single one of them, in Jesus. The story of the Bible is of God offering rescue to his creation who turned against their creator. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23).

CONCLUSION
The OT is not just a historical record or a collection of ancient stories. It is a living testament to who God is, who we are, and what it means to walk with him in faith. It invites us to see the world through a divine lens, to recognize our deep need for grace, and to live lives marked by trust, obedience, and hope. Far from being obsolete, the OT is essential—both for understanding the full scope of God’s plan for his world and building the foundation for the coming life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. I've heard it said that the OT is Jesus concealed, and the NT is Jesus revealed. “All roads of scripture lead to Christ!”

Putting all of this together, I think we can summarize the purpose of the Old Testament in one word: hope.
 
Promises made; promises kept.

TO KNOW GOD AND TO MAKE HIM KNOWN!
- Pastor Brady

Have a question for Theology Thursday? Send an email to office@minierchristian.org and we'll respond, or we'll include in a future Theology Thursday Buffet.