God's Wisdom In A Nutshell

Hello, I hope the month of May is starting off well for you.   Today I would like to discuss the Old and New Testaments.

When I began reading the Bible I was clueless with a capital “C!” I was going through a complete devastation in my life and a friend told me to start reading the Bible. If she would have suggested reading the Bible several years prior, I would have first looked at her like she was some kind of alien and then said, “I’m good, I have life figured out thank you very much!” The ONLY reason I even considered her suggestion was because there was simply no one else who could help me- except God.

After I found a translation of the Bible that I could understand (New Living Translation or NLT by Tyndale), I started reading. Although I found passages that immediately helped me, I wondered why there was an Old Testament and a New Testament. I figured that if I was that clueless in the beginning, perhaps other people will be wondering that as well, so I will give you a quick synopsis of the two Testaments. Now this is a quick explanation, so bear with me…

Old Testament, also known as the Law:

People must follow the letter of the Law: the Ten Commandments and other laws governing moral, civil and religious affairs.

The consequence for not following the law is to be sentenced to slavery or be killed.

Contact with God’s presence (he wasn’t on earth yet) was through a priest only.

The high priest was the only person who could go into the “holiest of holies” contained within the Tabernacle. This was done once a year on the day of atonement, to cover the sins of the people.  It was covered by a tall, thick curtain.  This is where the presence of the Lord dwelt.  Read more about it here.

There are many, many prophecies in the Old Testament, some fulfilled some yet to be fulfilled.

People must continually offer killed animals (shed blood) and food offerings to cover their sin. This act never changes a soul or a person’s behavior so this is why Jesus came to shed His blood once and for all for everyone, thus the New Testament.

New Testament, also known as the “Good News”:

In this Testament, there are four accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) of the life, teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Of course there are several other books of the New Testament as well.)

Christ was the One sacrifice to cover every sin. He clears the conscience, perfects the worshiper, and changes people from having “heart of stone” into a “heart of flesh.”  This is why Christian followers do good works and live in service to others. Their “good works” are not out of a sense of obligation, but gratefulness.

The Sermon on The Mount tells us that the law (all of the rules in the old Testament) is fulfilled by loving God and others, which are the two greatest Commandments. (following the Ten Commandments shows your love for God and others, that is why they are still relevant.)

Remember that the consequence of following God is freedom to live your life without fear, knowing God is for you and is helping you. Ironically, if we don’t follow the Lord’s teachings, we will still be “sentenced” to slavery and death- like in the Old Testament.    Think about if you abuse drugs, food or alcohol.  You are first a slave to the substance and second, you could die eventually from complications related to those excesses. The Bible teaches us to avoid things that will lead to slavery and death and instead, trust God for everything.  Following the Lord is LIFE!

Contact with God in the New Testament is direct, the veil of the temple/tabernacle was torn in two as Jesus breathed His last breath, opening up a direct access to God for ALL OF US!  We can approach God Himself through prayer and His Word found in the Bible.

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body …let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.” (Hebrews 10:19-22)

So that’s it in a nutshell. Thank God we don’t have to kill a lamb, hoist it over our shoulder and haul it into church every time we sin! That would be a bit messy and a bit embarrassing, especially if you sin a lot! All we have to do is approach God with a repentant heart and He forgives us. He will then give us even louder “nudgings” next time – before we partake in that sin again.

God is such a wonderful Father. Go to Him directly through prayer and reading  His Word. You won’t understand the Bible until your true desire is to approach His teachings with childlike faith. When He sees that your heart is in it, He opens your eyes to understanding. The Bible is truly the best kept secret to the beautiful life we all desire to live.

When you are ready and have an open heart, go to a Christian bookstore and look through the different Bible translations by comparing a verse in each version of the Bible, then choose the one that “speaks” to you. That purchase can be the turning point of your life!

GOD’S PROMISE:
God wants us to grow into a full understanding of every good thing we have in Him. (Philemon 1:6)

MUSIC FOR YOUR SOUL:

In Christ Alone – A cappella.