3 Ways to Gain Greater Understanding of Old Testament Books

It’s the beginning of the year and you are determined to read the Bible from start to finish. You get through Genesis, perhaps even Exodus, but then Leviticus appears. And if, by sheer resolution you get through Leviticus, you trudge into Numbers which seems like another version of Leviticus. Your determination wanes until the next year when you try again…only to find yourself once again stopping when understanding Old Testament books is confusing. Sound familiar?

Or maybe it’s just me. I think I’ve read Genesis and Exodus over 10 times, before coming to a screeching halt at Leviticus. Or I’d skim Leviticus just to grow weary in Numbers because none of it made sense and seems completely irrelevant to today’s day and time.

And then, miracle of miracles (truly), I learned to actually love Leviticus. My notebook became full of notes. Notes that I continually reference because it taught me so much about Jesus.

Why We Should Study the Whole Bible – Including the Old Testament

At first glance certain Old Testament books don’t seem to have any relevance to our modern eyes. They appear filled with laws that we have no use for – laws or accounts of history that seem even cruel at times. It is tempting to skip over these books to get to the easier to read and seemingly more relevant books like Psalms and Proverbs.

Yet, if we never read the more difficult books, we miss out on seeing beautiful foreshadowing of Christ. We fail to understand how the coming of Christ, not just changed Israel’s way of life, but completely fulfilled all the prophecies of old. Understanding difficult Old Testament books is not only possible, but revolutionary in seeing the Bible as one big story that points to Jesus. And when you see Jesus, yes, even in the books that don’t seem to have anything in them but boring procedure and law, suddenly there is even greater depth to the Gospels.

Jesus prays: “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth (John 17:16). God’s word is Truth, which means that if we only study part of it, we are not gleaning the whole Truth, only bits and pieces. “All scripture is God-breathed and is profitable (2 Timothy 3:16). All of scripture. That includes the difficult to read books, like Leviticus, Numbers, and the prophets. If we only study the books that we want to, we miss out on discovering characteristics of God and His relationship with mankind.

I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that is not only a book which was once spoken, but a book which is now speaking.

A.W. Tozer

3 Tips for Understanding Hard to Read Old Testament Books

First of all, understanding comes from God, otherwise, we are just studying another text. It is God who gives us eyes to see and ears to hear. If you are really struggling with a particular passage pray for God to help you understand something you hadn’t before. I love asking Him to delight me with particular insight.

Learning to study the Bible is also a discipline. It doesn’t just happen – it takes work, it may take re-reading. It takes effort beyond quick application quotes for social media. If you want to learn more about how to study the Bible, check out Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin.

1. Focus on Context

When trying to understand Old Testament books, one thing to remember is context. For example, Leviticus is full of laws for a people who just escaped slavery and a foreign pagan nation. God is teaching the Israelites how to follow and worship Him. The laws set them apart as God’s people. They also show the people how to divorce any sinful practices they assumed while under Egyptian rule.

It is also important to note that Israel had no concept of holiness. When God creates seemingly weird laws and even ones that seem unfair, God is the judge of righteousness and the people have no understanding of true holiness.

Ask the question: “What would this be teaching the original audience and ancient readers?”

2. Cross References are Your Friend

If I could tell you one practical tool that could revolutionize how you study and understand the Bible, is to use the cross references listed in your study Bible. They are particularly important when studying Old Testament books. For instance, when reading books dealing with the laws, cross-reference into the New Testament to see what Jesus says about them. It can be time consuming chasing down all the references, but the Bible is one big story and all those cross-references help you understand that it is all connected. When I am consistently reading the Bible, other cross-references naturally start popping into my mind as well.

3. Don’t Focus on Application, Focus on Jesus

Modern readers find Old Testament books so difficult to understand because we are application focused. We want to see what the passage means to us personally, which can sometimes cause us to take passages out of context.

Rather than focus on “How can I apply this?” Choose to reframe your mind to look for Jesus: “What is this showing me about God? How is this foreshadowing Christ? What does this mean in the Big Story of Scripture?”

Putting it Together

Understanding the Old Testament Passage Numbers 5

The three tips came in handy when I read Numbers 5.

For a quick summary, it addresses what is called the Test for Adultery. If a woman’s husband suspected her of not being faithful, the woman would go before the priest. The woman would hold a grain offering and take an oath. The priest would write curses in a book and prepare bitter water for the woman to drink. If the woman was lying about being faithful, the bitter waters would make her womb swell (essentially causing her to be barren). However, if the woman was telling the truth, nothing would happen to her and she would be free to conceive children.

Okay, at first and second and even third read, this seems incredibly weird. And if I’m honest, it seems women shaming. Where is the man? Isn’t he just as in sin?

Context & Cross References

This is when context and cross-referencing are so important to understanding Old Testament books. Without context and a knowledge of the Bible as a whole, we could leave this passage with an altered image of the character of God. Perhaps, He would seem unfair and unjust.

If we remember context though, we see that God has set up a justice system in a way to protect innocent women. In Leviticus, he commands that both the man and the woman actually caught in the act of adultery be put to death. That command shows us the seriousness of sin and that all sin has consequences, leads to death. In Numbers 5, however, the woman is just suspected to adultery. Rather than allowing the woman to be put to death by a male-dominated court, God removes the woman’s fate from human jurisdiction. In Jeremiah, men are killed who commit adultery – sin isn’t a female problem, it is a mankind problem.

Looking for Jesus

Jesus may not be mentioned in this passage, but His mercy is written all over it. The bitter water was mixed with dust from the tabernacle floor. The same Hebrew word ‘aphar is also used in Genesis 3 when God curses the snake to eat dust all his days. From that moment on, all of mankind was cursed with sin. If each one of us, male or female, were to stand before the priest – we would fail the adultery test. We have put our trust and worship in idols. We’ve sold our souls and the bitter dust from the curse causes death to swell up in us. God states in Jeremiah 29:23, “I am the one who knows, and I am witness.” God Himself knows the state of our hearts and the wickedness that lies within. We are without hope, without excuse, without pardon.

But Jesus. In John 8:1-11, Jesus shows mercy on a woman actually caught in the act of adultery. (Remember this was a death sentence). Jesus takes his finger and writes on the ground. He writes IN THE DUST. Then he tells the woman to go and sin no more.

In Genesis 3, the snake was cursed with eating dust, the woman suspected of adultery would drink bitter water mixed with dust, and here Jesus writes in the dust.

The priest would blot out the curses on the parchment with the bitter water. Jesus blots out our transgressions and writes our name in the Book of Life. And He isn’t bitter water, He’s the Living Water.

Jesus reverses the curse.

The Beauty of the Old Testament

Understanding Old Testament books may not be easy, but it is possible with diligent study, a learner’s heart and the Holy Spirit. If a passage doesn’t make sense, tell God. Ask Him for clarity. He wants to be known and the Bible is His gift for us to know Him.