From Your Pastor
 

Dear Church,
 
As we move from the Old Testament to the New, I know that many of us have been hungry for more Jesus. At the same time, I for one have been thankful to dive more deeply into the Old Testament and think about issues and stories I only brushed by in the past.
 
In wrapping up the Old Testament, I'd like to think about some misconceptions about the Old Testament you might have run across.
 
Misconception 1: The New Testament supercedes the Old.
 
This idea can be taken from the very names of the Testaments. For this reason, and to be respectful of the Jewish people for whom the Old Testament is the Bible, many Christians call the Old Testament "the Hebrew Scriptures." However, I think it all depends on what you think of the word "old." I think of "old" as meaning "trustworthy," "proven," and "commanding of respect." Additionally, some of the Old Testament is written in Aramaic, not Hebrew. For those reasons, I prefer the traditional title. The New Testament does not mean that the Old Testament is superceded. As a Christian, I believe the volumes of the New Testament and the Old are meant to stand side-by-side. You cannot understand grace without law, or law without grace; you cannot understand the New Testament without the history of the Old.
 
Misconception 2: The God of the Old Testament is a God of judgment, whereas the God of the New Testament is a God of grace.
 
First, if you believe that there is no judgment in the New Testament, you will be very surprised by the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. The starkest example that the God of the New Testament passes judgment is the cross. If you think about it, Christ's death is a chilling example of the wrath of God, because while the deaths recorded in the Old Testament were the result of sin, Christ himself was without sin and God still allowed him to suffer greatly. At the same time, God's grace is apparent in the Old Testament. Consider God's mercy towards Adam and Eve, God's forgiveness toward David, God's redemption of Israel. The Old Testament portrays God oftentimes in human terms, as a loving husband to his people, as a loving father, and even as a nurturing mother.

Misconception 3: The Old Testament does not proclaim the Good News.
 
My preaching professor, Rev. Frank Thomas, taught that every sermon must proclaim the Good News. He said, "if it's not in the verse, it's in the chapter. If it's not in the chapter, it's in the book. If it's not in the book, it's in the Bible." The good news is that God is all-powerful and all-merciful. We see God's power in the Old Testament in his creation of the world; in his deliverance of Israel from slavery; in his defeat of the nation's enemies; in his protection of Moses, Esther, Daniel, and Jonah, among others; in his continued faithfulness towards his people. We see God's mercy in the Old Testament in his continued attempts at loving relationship, even when his people go astray.
 
Psalm 23, the Ten Commandments, Isaiah 9, and Proverbs 31 are but a few of the Old Testament passages I turn to again and again. I'm thankful for this opportunity to dive deeper into texts that I had not taken the time to consider before. As the old Jewish proverb says, "Scripture is a precious jewel; turn it, turn it, the whole world is in it."
 
I would also like to let you know that my sermons for this year are being printed into a book published by Parson's Porch. The working title is "Walking Through the Word: A Year With the Bible." All the proceeds from sale will be given to Christian charities. I will let you know as details become available. Thanks be to God that perhaps more people can come to know God's Word more deeply through this resource.
 
Love,
 
Pastor Marianne
 

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