2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Here’s where the fun begins. What scriptures is he talking about here? The Gospels? Revelation? We can look at the prior verse to get an idea.
15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
There’s a case to be made that early books of the NT were already being considered scripture; however, the only scripture available at the birth of Timothy is the Old Testament.
Why The Old Testament?
The OT gets a bad rap. It’s in the name “old”. It makes it sound like it’s out of date. However, I’m a huge fan of the OT. For one I love history, and the OT is filled with it. I’m that annoying guy who when people say, “This is the worst thing any American politician has ever done!” points out something like, “Aaron Burr was tried for treason for trying to start his own nation while the VP.”
It has all the action. Paul has his letters, but the OT has Samson slaying Philistines, The Flood, The Plagues. People being turned to salt. If the New Testament is Interstellar, then the OT is End Game. But most importantly the OT is foundation that Christianity is built on!
The Gospel
Let’s talk about one of the most foundational things in all of Christianity: the Gospel. If I were to ask the average person, “What is the Gospel?” I would probably get one of a couple answers like, “John 3:16,” or “the good news.” Let’s look at Paul’s description of the Gospel:
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
Twice Paul mentions the scriptures. Jesus died and rose again for our sins and was raised again according the scriptures. The Gospel is sowed all throughout the OT let’s look at perhaps the 1st example
14 So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring[a] and hers; he will crush[b] your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Take a look what God is saying to the serpent. He’s telling the serpent that woman will have offspring and that offspring is going to crush the serpent’s head. Let’s look at one more out of Isaiah 53:
Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.3 He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. 4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
I would argue that there’s not a better description of Jesus than this.
Now, about sins… How do even know what sins are? In general, we would look at them as breaking a commandment. Again, those are from the OT.
The Old Testament Answers Some Big Questions
Do you ever wonder why God just doesn’t declare himself from the mountain tops? Why not make some grand gesture and remove all doubt? The OT has the answer.
• After the plagues in Egypt and the crossing the Red Sea, the Israelites sing a song of praise. Yet 3 days later, the people are complaining about the lack of water. 11 days later they complain about a lack of food. 3 months later they make a new God who they claim brought them out of Egypt It seems that having wonders and miracles is enough to get a pig headed people across a dessert, but not enough to build the kind of faith God wants.
• Job deals with the big question of why do bad things happen to good people
• Ecclesiastes deals with leaning on wisdom
• Song of Songs deals with love or women with goats teeth, that one I’m not completely clear on.
In Conclusion
Normally I would close with something for you think about. I’m a big fan of “how is it with you?”
This time I don’t have a big call. Rather, I would like it if you were to give the OT another try.
Open it up, maybe read Exodus as family. I think if you give a try with Jesus in mind, you might be surprised at the nuggets you will find
PRAYER TIME
The Old Testament also speaks of repentance, which is our theme this month. Let’s spend some time in prayer before we close with a few songs.
Psalm 32
1 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.2 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.
Take a moment to thank God for his faithful forgiveness. If you can name the sin, even better.
3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Take a moment to acknowledge and uncover your sin, and pray for the faithful forgiveness of Christ. Be as specific as possible.
6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. 7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. 9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.
Take a moment to pray that God helps you to kneel before the cross willingly and not stubbornly, remembering that you alone offer the true song of deliverance.
10 Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him. 11 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Thank God for his unfailing love: you are righteous only because He has the power to declare repentant sinners righteous. He has the power to take the fallen wicked heart and turn it into an upright heart. Rejoice at not only the forgiveness of God, but on the life, hope and joy on the other side of repentance.