If you are one of the many Biblically illiterate, or you fail to read scripture in a way that consistently points you to Christ may I recommend Mark Dever’s The Message of the Old Testament. The book is a collection of 39 sermons, one for each book of the Bible that Mark Preached at Capitol Hill Baptist Church where he is the pastor. Because they are sermons they are very accessible and practical, being void of the technical jargon that an introduction to the Old Testament might have. This is a great book to give you an overall feel for God’s redemptive plan as seen throughout the Old Testament.
Yet, by abandoning these books, we abandon the revelation of God. More than that, we hinder our ability to understand the New Testament’s revelation of Jesus Christ. If Christ is the key to human history, the Old Testament carefully describes the lock.
If Christ is the climax of the story, the Old Testament sets the stage and begins the plot. Do you read just the endings of books?
If the New Testament presents God’s promises kept, the Old Testament tells us about God’s promises made.
In other words, if you don’t get what the Old Testament teaches, you’ll never get Christ. Our God does not waste words. Each Testament needs the other. You will best be able to comprehend Christ’s cross if you first understand the question left unanswered by the Old Testament. The cross is the answer. How well do you know the question?
No Other Boast 