"Do we need the Old Testament?"

The Bible is in itself a library of books. It contains sixty-six books, thirty-nine were written before the coming of Jesus Christ, the other twenty-seven books in the New Testament mainly cover the time of Jesus on earth and the short period afterwards, but much of the text concerns the teaching of the Christian faith and the world’s future. Some of these books contain history, mainly connected with the Jewish nation. The records contains the record and history and life stories of kings, priests, saints, heros, poets, businessmen, fighters for and against God and individuals who could be good or bad.

This collection of books has one theme running through them, that of Jesus Christ, the God-Man who was born in poverty, His ministry lasted for about three years then was killed in agony, but rose in glory.

Written almost entirely in either Hebrew or Greek, by many different people, yet throughout the text there is this one simple theme. The Bible basically tells the story of God's purpose for the world, of the failure of Mankind to seek and to serve and love their creator God, and the ultimate final result of restoration of the relationship of Man and God through the sacrifice of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

Is the Old Testament now relevant?

The important point about any Christian teaching is that we understand the material and get the truth from it. Let us look at a passage in which Jesus gives understanding to these thoughts, "Is the Old Testament now relevant?"
Matthew 5:17-20 (KJV)

"17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. "

In this record of the words of Jesus we find that verses 1 to 12 are telling us how to get the right relationship with God, "Blessed are-".
Verses 13 to 16 explain the functions of a true believer, "Ye are the salt of the earth:"

Finally, the next verses, 17 to 20, are teaching the foundations of a Believer’s life - which is the Word of God.
The Word of God is the standard for the life of all the people of the world. Jesus related fully to the Word of God, so if we are His true followers then we must ask "what is our personal attitude to God’s Word."
In today’s world Mankind has modified these Words of God to suit his chosen way of living, they have looked at all the Words of God and just as Satan said to Eve, "Did God really say that?"

In verse 17 Jesus used the words "The Law" so was referring to the Laws of God. So lets examine these laws as given in the Old Testament and as interpreted by the Jewish Scribes and Pharisees.
Matthew 15:3-9 (KJV)

"3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightiest be profited by me;

6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. "

God gave the Ten Commandments at the begriming but over the years the religious leaders, the Scribes and Pharisees of the Jewish nation interpreted the basic given instruction from God. For example, the instruction to keep the Sabbath, Exodus 20:10 (KJV)

"10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: "

The Pharisees and Scribes asked "what is work?" and over the years they had come to the conclusion they could not exceed specific weights, the following are examples of an object that they could carry before it became classes as "work."

• Any object which does not exceed the weight of one fig.
• A very small cup of drink.
• Medicine, sufficient for one dose.
• Sufficient ink to be able to write two letters of their alphabet.
• There was some discussion as to whether a tailor could carry his sowing needle.

What God had intended to be a "day of rest" had become a day of great restriction on the Jews because the Pharisees and Scribes added there own interpretation of the Law’s of God.

Jesus made the following statement about the Law.
Matthew 5:17 (KJV)

" Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. "

Jesus, the Son of God, came as the final sacrifice, it was His aim and task to complete the Law, not destroy the Law.

"1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; "

The Laws.

The Laws can be basically divided in to three area’s, Moral, Judicial and Ceremonial.

Moral.

The Moral law, the Ten Commandments, were given by God as instructions for His creation and how He wanted their relationship with Him, their worship and how they are to live together.

The Judicial Law.

God originally chose the Jewish nation to represent Him on the earth, they were to be His special, chosen people, and live a separate, God controlled life away from the other nations and so showing God to these other people.
As a result God provided numerous instructions on how to live well, they were concerning agriculture, how to grow the best, Cleanliness and how to care of their bodies, their health, their dress and various other standards to make them separated from the other nations.

The Jewish Nation did occasionally show the world what God wanted but unfortunately they very often turned to follow the other religions and way of living by the other nations instead.
When the Jews rejected Jesus and crucified Him, then God stopped using the Jewish nation to reveal himself to the world, instead He has used the True Believers as His representatives to the world.
The Jewish nation did not actually exist as such until 1948 when they reformed as a nation in their land. One day in the future Jesus will rule the world from Jerusalem but until then the Judicial Laws have ceased.

The Ceremonial Law.

This was all part of the Covenant made by God with His chosen people, the Jew’s. These instructions were given by God through Moses. These instructions were to show how the Jews were to worship God, especially the actions by the High Priest, for example, The High Priest had to follow very specific instruction when he entered the Holy of Holies once a year with a sacrifice for the sin’s of the people, or he would lose his life.
In addition the people were given instructions for various sacrifices to be made for their own personal health problems and failure offerings.

As a result of the sacrifice by Jesus on the cross, all these ceremonial actions have now ceased for the following reason:-.

Jesus made the complete and final sacrifice for all the sin’s of the world, there is no need for any more sacrifices for any reason.

This was proved when the veil in the temple was rent from top to bottom revealing the Holy of Holies to all people.

Jesus became the High Priest

Hebrews 8:1 (KJV).

"We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. "

There is now a New Covenant through the Blood of Jesus, and this applies to all who accept His sacrifice for their sins.

Hebrews 12:24 (KJV)

"24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. "

The Permanence of the Law.

Jesus told the people that the Law’s of God were permanent, that not a "tittle," the smallest single part of a letter or a "jot," a dot, will be removed from the Laws until heaven and earth cease.

"18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled."

So based upon the present situation,
the Moral Law’s must still be in operation as they contain the standard set by God for His Creation.
The Judicial Law’s, This was meant to assist the Jews in showing the world God, that has been replaced by the True Believers following the death and resurrection of Jesus.
The Ceremonial Law’s have now ceased as the final sacrifice has been made by Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 8:13 (KJV)

"13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. "

There are some people who say that they have received their forgiveness through the "Grace of God" so can now live according to His Grace, living as they want. Yes, a Believer was saved by the Grace and love of God, but if you were truly saved and want to live a life pleasing to God then you would live a life which was according to His Law’s.
In connection with this, it is interesting what Jesus said in verse 19.

"19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

What is the purpose of the Scriptures?

"20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. "

The Scribes and Pharisees were very religious, so religious they had added many additions and their own interpretations to the laws as given by God. Unfortunately their righteousness was all external, not from their hearts, they were trying to earn "righteousness" and salvation by how they lived, you just cannot become more "righteous" than the Scribes and Pharisees. The only way to heaven and eternal life is through the Grace of God and the blood of Jesus.
Romans 10:3,4. (KJV)

"3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."

The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, contain many prophecies. Many in the Old Testament have already been fulfilled but some still have to be fulfilled.

In addition, the stories, warnings and teaching contained in the various Old and New Testaments books can help us live a life pleasing to God, and must be vary beneficial to all people, so the Old Testament is still needed.
1 Corinthians 10:1-12. (KJV)

"1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. "