Sometimes many forget just how important the Old Testament is to a believer. It provides insight into God’s ways, gives us stories of the Patriarchs, the history of the Jewish people, it told of God’s Creation, it teaches one how to bare their soul to God and how to praise Him. It also provides warnings, insight, blessings, and curses through His prophets when a nation or people go astray.

While God did many wonderful works in the Old Testament, the information I believe the most important is the coming of the New Covenant. Remember, God always warns His people long before it happens and that’s exactly what He did through His prophets. One of the most revealing reads;

“Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, ‘when I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers on the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My Covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. For this is the Covenant I will make with the House of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD: I will put My Law within them and write it on their heart; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Jeremiah 31:31-33

But there are other fascinating scriptures which help us grasp just why the Old Testament is so important and still valid. And other scriptures which help us understand the bigger picture of God’s New Covenant. A few of these scriptures read;

Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new Spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statues and keep My Judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.

Ezekiel 11:19,20

I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statues, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

Ezekiel 36:26,27

But did you know the Old Testament also prophesied of the coming Messiah? Yes, God’s only Son was prophesied long before He appeared. Some of these scriptures are;

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.

Micah 5:2

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son today I have begotten you. Ask of Me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; you shall dash them to pieces like potter’s vessel.’ Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Bless are all those who put their trust in Him.

Psalm 2:7-12

Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fist? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, if you know?

Proverbs 30:4

And of course, who can forget the passage which speaks of the most heartbreaking scriptures found in the Old Testament prophesied hundreds of years before it occurred, the crucifixion of the Christ, the Messiah.

He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no stately form or majesty to attract us, no beauty that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He took on our affirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken by God, struck down and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to His own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away, and who can recount His descendants? For He was cut off from the land of the living; He was stricken for the transgression of My people.

He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in His death, although He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush Him and to cause Him to suffer; and when His soul is made a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. After the anguish of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He has poured out His life unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors. Yet He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.

Isaiah 53:2-12

The Lord God announced the New Covenant long before it went into effect. He told His people He would write His Law on their hearts and put it within them, give them a new Spirit, HIS SPIRIT, so they could walk in His judgments (Law). Which means, the 10 commandments are valid, they’re written on the Heart of every true believer, they’re put within them, and God’s Spirit will help us to walk in them. For we walk by FAITH, not by sight.

THIS is the reason I read the Old Testament…