GOD’S WORD FOR NOVEMBER 13 ~ ~ Joshua 1:8 ~ ~ “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

From the book, How to Read the Bible, by Dr. Michael Youssef

There is a common misconception in the church – and even among some Bible teachers and preachers – that the Bible contains two separate and largely unrelated stories. According to this mistaken view, the Old Testament is the story of Israel’s history, the Law of Moses, and God’s wrath and judgment – and the New Testament is the story of God’s love, mercy, and grace through Jesus Christ.

Because of this misconception, many in the church have decided to toss out the Old Testament and preach only from the New Testament. They claim that the Old Testament is no longer relevant and that all the teachings we really need for Christian life are found in the New Testament. Yes, the New Covenant is superior to the Old because “the new covenant is established on better promises” (Hebrews 8:6). But the New Covenant does not invalidate the Old Covenant.

The death and resurrection of Jesus fulfilled the promises of the Old Testament – but Jesus did not change or erase any of the Old Testament promises. God did not change from one Testament to the next. The entire Bible is God’s Word to us. It fully reveals God’s love and His justice.

The Old and New Testaments complement each other. Neither Testament is complete without the other. Whether in the Old Testament or the New, every passage of Scripture points to God as our Creator and to Jesus as our Redeemer. The first Old Testament prophesy about Jesus is found at the beginning of the Bible, in Genesis 3:15, when God tells the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers, He will crush your head and you will strike His heel.” the offspring of the woman is Jesus, who crushed Satan’s head when He died upon the cross.

The renowned Bible scholar Alfred Edersheim identified 456 Old Testament verses that Jewish rabbis claimed were predictions about the coming Messiah or His times. For example, Micah 5:2 predicted that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, and Zechariah 11:12 predicted that He would be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver. (for a partial list of messianic prophecies fulfilled by Jesus, see Chapter 13).

So the story of Jesus the Messiah does not begin in the gospel accounts in the New Testament. The first prophecy of Jesus appears in Genesis 3 and the prophecies of the coming Messiah are woven throughout the Old Testament.

Those who claim the Old Testament is no longer relevant are lopping off the first half of one continuous story of God’s dealings with the human race. The New testament must be understood within the context of everything that happened before.

The Old Testament tells why humanity needed a Messiah, where He would come from, what He would do, and why He would have to die for our sins. Those who would toss out the Old Testament are unwittingly attempting to shove Christianity off its foundation.

Many people reject the idea that God judges sin. But what if God allowed sin – including murder, violence, robbery, and oppression – to grow unchecked?

In the United States, we have seen what happens when sin and violence go unpunished. Sometime in the early 2000’s, billionaire George Soros quietly began funneling money to political candidates running for district attorney in cities nationwide. Many voters had no idea what these well-financed candidates stood for, so they unwittingly voted for those who were soft on crime. Once in office, these district attorneys stopped prosecuting entire categories of crimes, including violent ones. They ended cash bail for arrested suspects, putting violent criminals back on the street the same day they were arrested!

The predictable result was a 33 percent rise in the homicide rate in 2020 alone, with the trend line continuing to rise steeply ever since. Many businesses have been forced to close or leave areas where illegal activities have been decriminalized by radical prosecutors.

It is righteous and compassionate to punish crime. God instituted government to protect the innocent. In a just society, evildoers should be afraid of the sword of government. As the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 13:4:

“For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But I you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.”

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Job 10:12

You have granted me life and goodness;
And Your care has guarded my spirit.

Psalm 5:12

For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.

Psalm 30:7a

Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong;

Psalm 115:12&13

The Lord has been mindful of us: He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron. He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great.

Proverbs 8:35

For whosoever finds me finds life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord.

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