A lay preacher I had a lot of time for as a young Christian told me a basic principle: "The OT is in the NT revealed, the NT is in the OT concealed). And I've been thinking there is a warning here not to take the OT as normative without reference to the OT. A good example is why Christians believe that the system of OT sacrifices of animals don't apply to the Church today.
But I wonder if there are not more examples. Now I know some Christians make a lot of
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Mt 5:17-20
But, in Jesus' day, those commandments would include the commandments for animal sacrifices that were still being done in Jesus' time.
Another aspect of the OT is there's a lot of wars and killing. If Israel was successful on the battlefield (i.e. killed lots of people) then that meant God was blessing them and vice versa. When Jericho fell we read:
They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys. Josh 6:21
The donkeys might lead them into idolatry! Everyone seems to include babies.
David is praised not so much for his poetry but for killing lots of people. Joshua holds up Moses' arms so the Israelites can kill lots of Amalekites:
So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
Ex 17:10-13
And there are many more examples in the OT. Not exactly blessed are the peacemakers or turning the other cheek. So I think we need to be very careful about drawing moral lessons for Christian behaviour from things that were done in the OT narratives or history books. Reference should always be made to the relevant teaching in the NT and we should interpret the OT in the light of the NT not vice versa. So hopefully any donkeys that might stray into a church in the next few weeks will be safe.
But I wonder if there are not more examples. Now I know some Christians make a lot of
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Mt 5:17-20
But, in Jesus' day, those commandments would include the commandments for animal sacrifices that were still being done in Jesus' time.
Another aspect of the OT is there's a lot of wars and killing. If Israel was successful on the battlefield (i.e. killed lots of people) then that meant God was blessing them and vice versa. When Jericho fell we read:
They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys. Josh 6:21
The donkeys might lead them into idolatry! Everyone seems to include babies.
David is praised not so much for his poetry but for killing lots of people. Joshua holds up Moses' arms so the Israelites can kill lots of Amalekites:
So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
Ex 17:10-13
And there are many more examples in the OT. Not exactly blessed are the peacemakers or turning the other cheek. So I think we need to be very careful about drawing moral lessons for Christian behaviour from things that were done in the OT narratives or history books. Reference should always be made to the relevant teaching in the NT and we should interpret the OT in the light of the NT not vice versa. So hopefully any donkeys that might stray into a church in the next few weeks will be safe.
