THE OLD TESTAMENT LAID UPON THE SHELF.
By J. H. Curry
The fact is almost as universal as it is sad that the Old Testament scriptures are comparatively dispensed with, considered out of date, and therefore null and void, in this day and generation. Very few professedly Bible-loving Christians are conversant with any portions of the Old Testament outside of the Psalms, Proverbs, and one or two of the prophets, such as Isaiah and Jeremiah. This is not characteristically true of the masses of Christians, but grievously true with a goodly number of our preachers. I confess it has been the case with myself that I have neglected the Old Testament for the New, not only in my pulpit preparations, but in my individual reading and studying of God’s precious word. I. The questions are natural: Why is this? and should it be thus? There may be many more explanations, but I think these are the leading ones:— 1. In the New Testament the “doctrines of grace” are so much more clearly brought out and personalized; the teachings in the Gospels and Epistles being lifted out of that necessary materialism suitable for the development of Messianic thought in the Jewish mind, are more in harmony with our Spirit-enlightened natures. 2. A main reason is, because we consider the Old Testament a fulfilled mission. We fail to appreciate the great facts of unity, from the first to the finale, in the divine revelation to man. We divorce the two books; or, rather, never have considered them divinely joined together. There is a sublime harmony between the law and the gospel. The gospel was never designed to nullify or do away with the law. Christ answered the question of legal and gospel relationship when he declared: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets; I am not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill.” The law of God is still and forever operative, obeyed; it was dignified by Jesus Christ, the sinner’s substitute and Saviour. 3. Another reason of this neglect is simply this,—mental laziness. It requires no mean effort to read understandingly the word of God; but especially that portion darkened by the shadow of the law. But still more practical: A great deal of the old Bible is historical and biographical and we do not like such dry literature as this. It requires some effort to retain the facts, and some thought to conclude a lesson from these facts, and we are right down mentally lazy, and shrink from the ought-to-be-delightful task. Oh, how often you hear in our Sunday-schools: “I do wish we would hurry and get through with the lessons of this quarter; they are in the Old Testament, and so dry.” Some of our most intelligent Bible-class teachers are heard expressing the same sentiments. What good are they or their classes accomplishing? II. Now, ought this to be? If not, what is the remedy? To be sure, we will readily answer that it ought not to be thus. All of God’s word should be studied,—should be loved. The Old Testament scriptures are not null and void. Jesus himself quoted them, read them, and enjoined his hearers to read them. Paul declares that “all scripture is given by inspiration, and is profitable,” &c. He certainly referred to the Old Testament scriptures in their entirety. The Gospels and Epistles had not been collected and canonized. He meant the Hebrew Scriptures. He further declares that these same Hebrew Scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation. Now, what is the remedy to counteract this tendency to neglect the Old Testament? I shall only suggest one: Let our preachers and Bible-class teachers make these Scriptures their heart and mind’s foremost study, and thus be enabled to impress the minds of their hearers with those glorious truths of God, that, when appreciated, scatter a heavenly radiance over the face of his complete revelation. We need to become more profoundly conversant with God’s word as a whole, not as a scrap, a part, but as a sublime unity.—J. H. Curry, in Texas Baptist.