The Old Testament

The Old Testament is the foundation for our story of salvation history. In the Old Testament, we encounter our origins: creation, the calling of a people, God’s saving actions, and counsel for how we are to live our lives. Yet reading the Old Testament can be difficult. We find texts that are confusing, unclear, tedious, or in other ways difficult for us to understand. We struggle with the great task of interpretation - how to read a text that is so far removed from us in time, language, and culture.

Furthermore, we also can find in the Old Testament troubling passages of people being treated in horrific ways, and people acting in ways that are unholy and immoral. We encounter what the scholar Phyllis Tribble calls “texts of terror,” which seem out of place in sacred writings inspired by God.

So why bother with the Old Testament? Isn’t the New Testament all we really need anyway?

One reason to consider the Old Testament is because it was the scripture of Jesus. In the synagogue, the scripture proclaimed was from the Old Testament, as when Jesus unrolled the scroll and read from the prophet Isaiah (Luke 4:17). Much of Jesus’ preaching engaged the teaching of the law and prophets, and Jesus considered himself the fulfillment of the law, not its abolisher.

The Old Testament was also the scripture of the early church. This year, Pope Benedict has asked us to look at St. Paul. We cannot fully understand Paul’s many letters in the New Testament without some knowledge of the Old Testament. Paul refers to Christ as the “new Adam.” Abraham is held up as a model of our faith. How the practices of the Old Testament fit into the life of the new Christian community is a constant theme. The Old Testament is not disregarded; it is considered anew in the light of Christ.

Second, the Old Testament contains beautiful poetry that moves us to worship, words of wisdom that shape our outlook on life, and stories that engage us as well as edify and inspire us to conversion.

Third, we read the Old Testament because, as sacred scripture, it continues to be a place where we encounter the living God. The stories of the Old Testament continue to bear fruit in our lives today:

+ The creation of the whole world by the spoken word of God; and God saw that it was good.

+ The saga of Joseph, betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery. When the moment comes when revenge is possible, instead he forgives: “You intended it for evil, but God intended it for good.”

+ Samuel’s visit to Jesse’s house to anoint God’s chosen one to serve as king. As brother after brother is lined up, the young David is not even presented as an option; yet God seeks him out.

+ The young widow, Ruth, in a leap of faith, follows her mother-in-law back to her homeland. Through Ruth’s courage she marries again and becomes the great-grandmother of David, a part of the genealogy of salvation.

These are just a few of the stories we dive into again and again to learn more about who we are and who God is.

At Christ the Redeemer, we will be offering an adult education course on the Old Testament (see the bulletin for details). For the novice, it will be a chance to get a big picture of the Old Testament, its contents and genres, and guidance on how to read it in faith. For the seasoned reader, the course will be a chance to encounter the familiar afresh, in a community of believers who seek deeper understanding.

I have recently begun reading the Bible with my preschooler. We read a story one day and she tells it back to me the next. She faithfully told me how God created the world in six days, and on the seventh day God “relaxed.” What a gift this has been to me, since I always heard the word “rested” as a break from creation. But to relax implies more than just a break from work; it implies taking delight and enjoyment in creation, as God intends for us to do.

This is why we read scripture, again and again and again. God speaks to us through the words, with scholars and preschoolers alike as interpreters. Please join us this Lent as we study the Old Testament.

Renee Bhatia