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The Causes of Old Testament Distance

1. CONNECT

   10min
   Some facets of the Old Testament are well-known to most followers of Christ. Many of us learned its stories as children—stories about Adam and Eve eating forbidden fruit, Noah building the ark, Moses receiving the Ten Commandments, David killing Goliath, and many more. As adults, we benefit from sermons and lessons on the Old Testament. Still, if you’re ready to devote yourself to more serious reflection on these Scriptures, it won’t be long before you realize that understanding the Old Testament is not as simple as you thought. The Old Testament can be quite challenging, in part because it often feels very distant from what we experience today.

2. Reflection

   Why does studying the Old Testament often feel like we are visiting a strange, distant land? Only as we answer this question will we be able to understand more clearly how “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17).

3. Guiding Question

   If the Old Testament is the Word of God for all time, why does it often seem so distant from our lives today?

4. WATCH

   15min

5. DISCUSS

   15min
   1. What is “organic inspiration”? Read 2 Peter 3:15-16. How does this passage acknowledge both the divine and human dimensions of biblical inspiration?
   2. Why do you think organic inspiration often causes us to feel distant from the Old Testament?
   3. What is “divine accommodation”? How did God reveal himself to people in the Old Testament in ways they could understand?

6. APPLY

   15min
   1. Explain what this statement means: “Serious students of Scripture will not treat the Old Testament as if it was written directly for them. They will learn all they can about the people by whom and for whom the Old Testament was first written. Only then will they apply these Scriptures to themselves.”
   2. How can studying the Old Testament help us share the gospel in our day?

7. CHALLENGE

   Take some time to write down ways in which you have sensed that some passages in the Old Testament seem distant from the modern world. Finish with a time of prayer.