Why Should I Read the Old Testament? - Your Daily Forward Devotional

September 17

Read: Psalm 44:1-3

We have heard it with our ears, O God; our ancestors have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago. With your hand you drove out the nations and planted our ancestors; you crushed the peoples and made our ancestors flourish. It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them.

Reflect

Why do you think it is important for believers to read the Old Testament even today?

I have often heard Christians complain that they don’t like to read the Old Testament because they have difficulty relating to it. They contend that the law doesn’t apply to them and that the customs and cultures are too foreign to them to make much sense. So why should they bother reading the Old Testament? It’s ancient history.

And that, my friends, is one reason (among many) why we should read the Old Testament. It is ancient His-story. It is the ancient story of God. In the words of the sons of Korah (the authors of Psalm 44), “our ancestors have told us what You did in their days, in days long ago.” God repeatedly commanded His people to “tell your children and grandchildren,” what He did in their lives. The Jewish people had numerous practices and traditions that helped them recall their history. They needed to remember what God did for their ancestors, what He had done for them, and they needed to pass it on to the next generation.

When we read the Old Testament, we are reading words intended to remind us of what God did long ago for the ancestors of our faith. When we read the history of our faith, we learn more about who God is. The Old Testament lays the foundation for the Gospel. We have to know where we’ve been to understand where we are and where we’re going in God’s plan for redemption.

Friend, if you’ve been one to avoid the Old Testament, can I encourage you to crack it open today? Not sure where to start? Check out one of our reading plans at www.backtothebible.org history of our God. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 reminds us that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” We cannot be thoroughly equipped if we ignore half of the Bible! All Scripture is useful. Let’s read about the history of our God today.

Pray

God, I love to read Your Word. Thank You for revealing Yourself to us through the words of the ancestors of our faith. Amen.