The Importance of Reading the Entirety of the Bible
Reading the Bible has been an anchor to my soul and spirit over the years of my life. I’ve read it from cover-to-cover too many times to count. I’ve wondered at those who say they only read the New Testament and/or only portions of the Old Testament. Why is it important to read it entirely, you may ask. To use an analogy: when I met my husband, prior to and after I married him, I wanted to know his history, his family, his experiences, his way of living, his joys and sorrows, everything. This is what the whole of scripture does for us. It acquaints us with the person of the Bible pages, Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
John 1:1-3 identifies Jesus as the Word, the spoken Word (logos), who was with God as the universe was created. To know Jesus at the very beginning of time then requires a dive into the very first book of the Bible, Genesis, to see what He was speaking and how powerfully His spoken words affected this planet we call our home. Jesus tells us further on in the book of John that He and the Father are one and anyone who knows him, knows the Father also because he is in the Father and the Father is in him (John 14:7,10-11). Genesis throughout Malichi hold stories of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit working together continually.
The Old Testament, then, can be called the history of Jesus’ life before he came as that tiny baby born in a manger. We come to see Jesus every time we read about divine encounters of God and man through its recording of their lives. Prophecies of Jesus are found, such as the promised Messiah (Dan. 9:25), Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace (Is. 9:6), Lord of Hosts (Zec. 10:3), the Angel of the Lord (Ex. 3:2), Savior and Deliverer (Is. 19:20) just to name a few. His work and character are revealed through representations such as Melchizedek (Gen. 14:18; Ps. 110:4; Heb. 5:6-10) where Jesus is proclaimed to be a High Priest of God, our constant Intercessor, the author of our eternal salvation, to whom we give offerings of honor and substance. Throughout scripture we come to recognize the character of our Father God and His Son Jesus through the acts of lovingkindness, mercy and compassion. He is the lawgiver and our friend. His laws lay out boundaries for our lives. The demands of that law were completely fulfilled in Jesus when he loved us enough to endure the cross on our behalf.
We learn of God’s ways and his requirements of us. We are to simply believe on Jesus, as the New Testament reveals (John 1:12), yet are also responsible to walk in obedience to His commands by loving mercy, doing justly, and becoming humble (Micah 6:8). We see how his Holy Spirit moves in power throughout the Bible, both Old and New, and particularly in the book of Acts as the Holy Spirit was then freely given to all Believers.
Every book of the New Testament refers back to the Old Testament. It has been said that “the New Testament is contained in the Old Testament; while the Old Testament is explained in the New Testament.” Every prophetic word penned in the OT about Jesus was fulfilled in the NT as He walked upon this earth with the exception of His final return. That will happen at some point in the future. We discover the blessings God intends to overflow in our lives in Deuteronomy as we willingly choose His ways; or the consequences of choosing the opposite. We read about God’s faithfulness and miraculous goodness in times of distress, overwhelming circumstances, threats of death, poverty, correcting bad choices, redeeming the time over and over again throughout both Testaments. We read of God’s guidance through the lives of Old Testament followers of God as they overcame the difficulties of life. Proverbs gives us repeatedly the key to unlocking the wisdom of God - ‘the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’ - leading us into knowledge, understanding, and discernment. The NT makes that even more accessible by simply asking for wisdom (James 1:5). Psalms teaches us how to process the ups and downs of our soul as we learn to be worshippers of the One true God. Song of Solomon gives us a glimpse into the development of maturing from the point of salvation to walking in power by leaning on the arm of our Beloved King.
In Matthew we see Jesus as our King. In Mark, we see him as a servant. In Luke, we him as the perfect (completely matured) man. In John, he is the Son of God. In Acts we see how the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, poured out now moves and flows through God’s people freely with mighty signs and wonders that draw mankind to Jesus as Savior. We learn of God’s structure for the family, the church, the community, and the nations of the world complete with warnings and words of wisdom. I Corinthians though Jude gives practical application to the divine truths revealed. In Revelation we come to see Jesus as King of kings. He reigns from Heaven over the affairs of mankind.
Such a rich treasure of wisdom, truth, and transforming power is found on every page of God’s written word. Read it. Then read it again. It never fails to amaze me that there’s always a new truth to grasp hold of with understanding every time I sit down with King Jesus to read His Word, letting the Holy Spirit lead me into all His truth. Be blessed as you read again this mighty gift from God.
love,
Wanda