By Kori Spangler
Lately, our home has been a flurry of creative activity. To my surprise, our youngest son taught himself to crochet, quite impressively I might add. Not only did he master a new skill, but he did so with a book from our local library. His ability, ingenuity, and thoughtful use of my most treasured resource—books—have filled me with immense pride as a mother.
The techniques he learned from creating simple items including bookmarks and coasters have allowed him to tackle more complex projects such as animals, hats, and blankets, all with the help of a well-written guide. If he began with complex patterns, which assumed mastery of foundational skills, his creations would lack finesse. Potentially, entire elements would be missing due to his lack of experience.
Building on a Foundation
In a similar way, our time dwelling richly in the Old Testament provides the history, context, and foundational knowledge necessary for fully experiencing the beauty of the New Testament. As author Jen Wilkin exhorts, “We can’t fully appreciate the sweetness of the New Testament without the savory of the Old Testament.” Believing all of Scripture to be God-breathed and profitable (2 Timothy 3:16), let us consider some reasons we should adopt a whole-Bible approach to cultivating biblical literacy.
Lineage Matters
The Old Testament establishes a people whose redemptive narrative continues throughout the New Testament. In the Old Testament, lineage was used to establish both covenant identity (Genesis 17:7) and Messianic expectation (Genesis 3:15). This thread of genealogy continues throughout the New Testament beginning in Matthew 1.
Without the context of the Old Testament, this opening lineage of Christ may seem arbitrary. Instead, we are greeted by Matthew with a direct tie from Jesus all the way back to Abraham and God’s original covenant with His people.
It is important for us to grapple with the people of the Old Testament, so that we learn they are just as real as those in the New Testament. While that may sound obvious enough, we often read the New Testament with more relatability to its central characters. Doctors and fishermen seem nearer to us than high priests and pharaohs. The same is true for the children we shepherd. However, connecting the people from Scripture along a historical timeline allows us to see a more complete picture of God’s redemptive narrative.
The Word Made Flesh
The Old Testament displays the triune nature of God, which is illuminated in the life and teachings of Jesus. On many occasions I have been asked, “When do we get to Jesus?” I have witnessed children and adults alike turning the page from final prophet to the first of the Gospels with an audible sigh of relief—finally, Jesus. In anticipation, I lead them back to the pages of Genesis where we discover together the evidence pointing to the triune nature of God. Only then do we return to John 1, which meticulously details the presence of Jesus, as the Word, in the opening scene of all of creation.
The beauty of that revelation alone motivates my hands to uncover more riches throughout all of Scripture. We dig deeper and find Jesus in John 8:58 applying to Himself the same name God used when talking with Moses through the burning bush, and the treasure hunting continues. Without a thorough study of the Old Testament, we will likely miss the intricacies that make the incarnation of Christ in the New Testament so glorious.
Prophecies Fulfilled
The Old Testament proclaims the coming Messiah whose arrival is revealed in the New Testament. One of my favorite family traditions happens during the season of Advent. Years ago, I splurged on a complete set of Jesse Tree ornaments, which included a beautifully curated reading plan.
In those early years, with six young children to corral, getting through both an Old Testament and New Testament passage before complete chaos erupted was nearly impossible—and that was before the battle ensued over ornament-placing rights.
There were many years, as my grown children insist on reminding me, when we never made it past December 15th and Gideon with his jar and torch. However, I was determined, and in the words of my husband, “We fought the good fight.” This is the single most important thing we have done as a family to instill a knowledge of and love for the Messianic prophecies linking Old Testament to New. Our confidence has been built upon God’s faithful character throughout all of Scripture. In a reflection attributed to St. Augustine, “The New is in the Old concealed; the Old is in the New revealed.”
Practical Steps for Seamless Transition
With determination to strengthen biblical literacy based upon the entirety of God’s Word, there are a few things we can do to seamlessly transition between the Old and New Testaments.
Guard our hearts and steward our words: Luke 6:45 reminds us that our mouths speak out a narrative that has been cultivated within. Carefully consider the value you place on the whole of Scripture and how you express that to others. Be specifically aware of the impact of your words concerning Scripture when leading children. Allow them to hear the value you place on the whole of the Bible.
Adopt a balanced approach: We tend to prefer what we understand. Comfort found in one part of the Bible will likely cause us to turn there more often, avoiding the text we find unfamiliar. With these tendencies in mind, we must cultivate a balanced approach to Bible study by immersing ourselves in the books we find most intimidating or exasperating.
Pray, read, and record: Begin your study by asking the Lord to give you wisdom and discernment as you steward His Word. As you read, reflect upon the passages and details the Lord has revealed to you and consider recording your thoughts. This could be as simple as a note in the margin of your reading, or a journal entry to summarize your reflections. Make note of the threads you see tying all of Scripture together. The more you read, the more you will notice. The more you notice, the more you will desire to discover.
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