Are you among those who believe the “Old Testament” is irrelevant?

THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS TO PONDER ABOUT THE BIBLE; THE FOLLOWING IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE:

If you are among the many who believe the “Old Testament” is no longer relevant today, or that it doesn’t pertain to the modern-day world, then you – unfortunately -  are DENYING that passages such as Isaiah 52 and 53 both foretell and perfectly outline the coming of God’s Messiah!

No, really – don’t sit there, rolling your eyes!  The bottom line is, you either believe ALL of the Bible is true and relevant; or not.  There is no “gray area.” 

TIME may have changed, but GOD has not! (Malachi 3; Hebrews 13:8; Hebrews 6:17–20; James 1:17; Psalm 102:25–27; Psalm 90:1–2; Isaiah 40:27–28; Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29 and 2 Timothy 2:13.)

NORMS, CUSTOMS AND STANDARDS may have changed, but the nature of humanity has not! Human beings are still the same carnal beings they always were – and we can see that more than ever in today’s corrupt, immoral society, where everything God ever considered “good” is now considered “evil”, and “evil” is now considered “good” by society at large…

So, let’s check out the passages to which I’m referring:

Isaiah 52: 13 "See how my servant will succeed! He will be raised up, exalted, highly honored! 14 Just as many were appalled at him, because he was so disfigured that he didn't even seem human and simply no longer looked like a man, 15 so now he will startle many nations; because of him, kings will be speechless. For they will see what they had not been told, they will ponder things they had never heard." (CJB)

Isaiah 53: 1 Who believes our report? To whom is the arm of ADONAI revealed? 2 For before him he grew up like a young plant, like a root out of dry ground. He was not well-formed or especially handsome; we saw him, but his appearance did not attract us. 3 People despised and avoided him, a man of pains, well acquainted with illness. Like someone from whom people turn their faces, he was despised; we did not value him.

4 In fact, it was our diseases he bore, our pains from which he suffered; yet we regarded him as punished, stricken and afflicted by God. 5 But he was wounded because of our crimes, crushed because of our sins; the disciplining that makes us whole fell on him, and by his bruises we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, went astray; we turned, each one, to his own way; yet ADONAI laid on him the guilt of all of us. Or: and in fellowship with him 7 Though mistreated, he was submissive - he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb led to be slaughtered, like a sheep silent before its shearers, he did not open his mouth.

8 After forcible arrest and sentencing, he was taken away; and none of his generation protested his being cut off from the land of the living for the crimes of my people, who deserved the punishment themselves. 9 He was given a grave among the wicked; in his death he was with a rich man. Although he had done no violence and had said nothing deceptive, 10 yet it pleased ADONAI to crush him with illness, to see if he would present himself as a guilt offering. If he does, he will see his offspring; and he will prolong his days; and at his hand ADONAI's desire will be accomplished.

11 After this ordeal, he will see satisfaction. "By his knowing [pain and sacrifice], my righteous servant makes many righteous; it is for their sins that he suffers. 12 Therefore I will assign him a share with the great, he will divide the spoil with the mighty, for having exposed himself to death and being counted among the sinners, while actually bearing the sin of many and interceding for the offenders." (CJB)

Do you see what I’m getting at?  To ignore ANY of the “Old Testament” is NOT a wise idea – because, without it, you cannot KNOW the God you serve – the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and His Divine Messiah! Unfortunately, many “New-Testament-only” Christians view the “Old Testament” as being interesting, but totally irrelevant “old stories”…

On the other hand, many  (if not most) Jews view the above passages as referring to Israel.  They never ask themselves how Israel can possibly "die" for Israel; or how Israel can’t be "well-formed or especially handsome" or have an "appearance that did not attract us."  They don’t ask how Israel can be "a man of pains, well acquainted with illness" or bear "our diseases" or be "forcibly arrested and taken away," or "given a grave among the wicked"…

But, yet –  just like their Christian counterparts – they will  “cherry-pick” Scripture, to find other passages to help them “tweak the truth” to match their own beliefs or understanding. (We’ve ALL been guilty of it, at some point!)

Regardless, as you can plainly see, the Bible should NEVER be viewed as “two separate “testaments.”  The “old” and the “new” are ONE ENTITY that reveal God’s Plan from beginning to end! Why is that so hard to understand?

Attempting to cherry-pick” the whole of ELOHIM’s Word is dangerous business, because it keeps one from actually KNOWING the God we worship: the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – the One who never changes; the One who gave us His Only Begotten “Son” – Messiah Yeshua who willingly shed his own Divine Blood to become our Redeemer; the One who has ALWAYS expected mankind to get to know and obey His Divine Instructions, without which we would have NO blueprint for moral, holy living…

Please don’t take my word for it; simply remove those bigoted glasses through which you’ve been reading the Bible, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand GOD’s Truth as you begin reading your way from cover to cover, starting in Genesis, and heading straight through to Revelation.