How I read the Old Testament

So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" (Acts 8:30-31)

In my last post I asked, Should Christians even bother with the Old Testament anymore? and I concluded with, “Yes, we should read the Old Testament. We should know it well. But now the question is, How should we interpret what we read?”

Therefore Philip’s question is timely. The eunuch replied, How can I, unless someone guides me? I’m not attempting to guide anyone as much as I am simply sharing how I approach the Old Testament. But I do believe I am following the Apostles.

First of all, there is a distinction to be made between interpretation and application. Interpretation is, What does the passage say? What did it mean for the original hearers? Application is, What does this mean for me? How does this work in my life?

As far as interpreting the Old Testament, I believe it can be interpreted as literally as we interpret the words of Jesus. And I think it is pretty clear when Jesus says something that we should take literally and when he says something that is figurative. Even so with the Old Testament. The narrative/historical sections should be read as literal history. When we get to the poetical and prophetical sections, we recognize there are figures of speech, and similes, and metaphors. But each figure of speech means something specific, not whatever we want it to mean at the moment. For example, Ephraim is a cake not turned. Ephraim is not really a cake, it is a figure of speech, conveying something about Ephraim. (I confess, I have never understood this figure!)

Here is how I read the Old Testament and seek to apply it to my own life:

† I read it as the Word of God. I accept the historical sections as true, whether speaking of creation, Abraham, Israel, Moses, the exodus, Joshua, or the sun standing still. I accept the prophecies as true, with many of them already fulfilled in the first advent of Messiah and anticipate the rest to be fulfilled when He comes again.

† I believe Jesus and the Apostles after Him, left us a template for understanding the Old Testament, which can be summed up in a few words:
- The Old Testament speaks of Jesus (it is a Jesus book and is therefore for me as a Jesus follower)
- We are under a new and different covenant. In other words, the law has been fulfilled in Christ and we are no longer under the law.
- The Law consisted of carnal ordinances (feasts, circumcision, sacrifices, temple, priests etc), and these have been superceded by spiritual ordinances (ie the sacrifice of praise)
- The Church is spiritual Israel. As such, we are the inheritors of the promises.

This last one means I can read the Old Testament with the expectation that God will speak to me, that there is something for me, a precept, a promise, a principle for my walk with the Lord. So, when I read the Old Testament I am looking for spiritual truths that transcend covenants. Since I am currently reading in Deuteronomy*, let me offer a few examples from that book:

8:2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee in the wilderness, that he might afflict thee, and try thee, and that the things in thine heart might be made manifest, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or no.
I interpret this literally - this is what really happened to them. But I see here a principle: Here is the purpose of my trials – that what’s in my heart might be made manifest.

8:11 Take heed to thyself that thou forget not the Lord thy God, so as not to keep his commands….
The passage goes on to detail the dangers of prosperity. ‘Nuff said.

10: 12 And now, Israel, what does the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, and to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul;  13 to keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and his ordinances, all that I charge thee to-day, that it may be well with thee?
That seems rather straightforward.

12:2 Ye shall utterly destroy all the places in which they served their gods, whose land ye inherit, on the high mountains and on the hills, and under the thick tree.  3 And ye shall destroy their altars, and break in pieces their pillars, and ye shall cut down their groves, and ye shall burn with fire the graven images of their gods, and ye shall abolish their name out of that place.
Ah-ha! Spiritual truth time. They literally did this, but we do not have here a command for us to go out and wage war on idols. This is done spiritually, in our hearts.

20:1  And if thou shouldest go forth to war against thine enemies…
Again, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, so this is applied to spiritual warfare.

I could go on and on with examples. Deuteronomy is a great book and full of spiritual benefit for us today. I admit, Deuteronomy is sometimes more difficult than Psalms or Isaiah because there is so much law, so many ordinances etc. We know these do not apply to us, but there is an underlying truth that does. There is a lot about their social and civil life. We can learn about justice and mercy from that. There’s a lot about defiling the land, which is a really interesting concept… There is mention of capital punishment for certain offenses, and aren’t we glad that churches do not deal with sinners this way? But there is that pesky principle of remove the evil one from yourselves which is for today.

Do you understand what you are reading? How can I, unless someone guides me? That guide is the Gospel, and following that guide you will find  the Old Testament profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. Amen.


*All quotations from Deuteronomy are from the English Translation of the Septuagint by Sir Lancelot C. L. Brenton 1851