Like many of you, I took my kids to see Star Wars over the Christmas break from school.
I’m old enough to remember the original movies, but I don’t remember ever actually seeing them.
I know, tragic, but please don’t unfriend me…
But, they said, “Don’t worry. It stands alone.”
And they said, “You don’t need to have seen the previous movies to enjoy The Force Awakens.”
Well, they were wrong.
I spent the first 30 minutes of the movie entirely confused. Questions swarmed my brain several times throughout the whole show.
I didn’t know who was who or how they were related.
I didn’t know the significance of the uniforms.
I didn’t understand the languages being spoken.
I didn’t know why the landscape looked the way it did or in what galaxy the events were taking place.
I didn’t know why everybody seemed to want to get to Jakku.
I didn’t know how to tell the good guys from the bad guys.
I did know Luke Skywalker was The Man, but I couldn’t tell you why. Or why he wasn’t actually in the movie until the very end.
All I really knew was that I was pretty sure “the force” was something I wanted to have.
But all the other things I didn’t know kept me from appreciating the whole story.
Without history, the present is confusing and the future is incomprehensible. Click To Tweet
The same is true for us when we study the Bible. Some people claim we can learn all we need to know by reading the New Testament. That it stands alone. But I’d say they are wrong, too.
In order to make sense of the New Testament, we must understand the relationship with God and His people. We must have a working knowledge of the laws and traditions established by Jewish custom. We must grasp the enormity of God as depicted by creation, the flood, the escape from Egypt, the parting of the red sea, the crossing of the Jordan, the taking of the Promised Land, and the destruction and rebuilding of Jerusalem. We must trace lineage and family heritage to interpret how we fit into God’s family. We must comprehend the all-encompassing nature of the Law, to increase our appreciation for the gift of grace.
Sure, the Holy Spirit can lead us to faith with no more than is written in the Gospels. But in order to strengthen our faith into a tool we can use to decipher our proper place in history and reason our way through Revelation we must know the whole story, from the beginning to its glorious and triumphant end.
This is one of the reasons I enjoy reading from a study Bible. When I read Genesis through Malachi, it cross references verses that are linked to passages found in Matthew through Revelation. By reading both together we learn of critical information that builds up our understanding. Seeing how the prophecies of old came to pass gives us confidence that the promises we await are true.
Knowledge of the Old Testament is the key to understanding of the intricacies of the New Testament. Click To Tweet
Dear Father, Thank you for the gift of Your Word that enables us to understand You. As we study Scripture may we be filled with wisdom, understanding, and discernment by Your Holy Spirit. May knowledge of your past faithfulness strengthen our trust in Your future promises. In Jesus Name, Amen.
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16
For more encouragement please join the discussions on these fabulous blog link ups - Suzanne Eller, Thought Provoking Thursday, Susan B. Mead, Faith Filled Friday, Faith and Fellowship Friday, Grace and Truth Friday, Still Saturday, Good Morning Monday, Soul Survival, Monday Musings, Rah Rah Link Up, Tell His Story, Woman to Woman Wednesday, Women With Intention Wednesday.
This made me smile, b/c I have never watched a Star Wars movie either. When the Force came out, I couldn’t believe how many friends and family were huge fans of SW. 🙂 Great point about the OT/NT. Reading through the Bible a number of times has grown me tremendously. Growing up, I mostly read the NT and Psalms/Proverbs, and it’s so true, that I was missing the beauty of understanding God’s relationship with His people, and so many ways the OT was pointing to Jesus. His Word is a GIFT…we are blessed!
It is so important to keep reading! I learn something new every. single. time.
Ha, I love this! I had watched every movie before the more recent, and I still needed reminders to keep up and grasp the depths of the story. What a lovely point you make. Thank you!!
Thanks, Bethany! You should have seen me scribbling my notes on an envelope in the dark movie theater!
His Word is put together perfectly. It is fun to see all the OT prophecies coming true. It shows that we have a faithful God who keeps His promises!
Visiting from Women with Intention. 🙂
What a fun and true pop culture reference!
Oh! Points scored for Star Wars geeks everywhere!
And for students of the Word of God. Context is everything!
Yes it is! With it comes such deeper understanding!
Great post! You are so right. We need the Old Testament to understand the new and get prepared for the future. Thanks so much. Blessings to you and yours. Or should I say May the force be with you all!
Hahaha!!! May the force be with you, as well!
Liz, I too am finding the importance of a study bible. I just got my first one this past Christmas and it’s been so useful! I’m glad you’re finding it’s benefiting your study time. Blessings to you as you continue your study.
Yes, it is so nice to have the notes right there to refer to as you read! May God bless your commitment to dig deeper into His word!
Love this post Liz! Connecting the dots in scripture is so important. And like you said, “Seeing how the prophecies of old came to pass gives us confidence that the promises we await are true.” For me personally it has helped me develop a deeper trust in Lord. (By the way I actually made my daughter watch the earlier episodes of Star Wars so she wouldn’t be lost when we went to see the new one. She didn’t want to at first, but in the end she was glad she did. 😉 )
That’s hilarious. My kids clued me in on some of it, but after the first few questions, they just shook their head at my ignorance!
You’re so right! It breaks my heart when I hear people intentionally ignore the Old Testament and say it’s not important. It’s there for a reason! Thanks for this excellent post!
There is more of Old than New… for a reason! Thanks for visiting Alyssa!
I love this! My Bible study went through the life of Moses this past year, and I can’t begin to tell you how much I learned about Jesus and the cross through that study. It’s essential for us to understand what led to the cross in order to understand fully what the cross means for us today.
Absolutely! And the First5 wrap-up teaching on the temple this weekend was another incredible example of linking the tabernacle to Jesus. Thanks for stopping by, Alyssa!
The OT and NT can’t be divided just as the “God of the OT” and “God of the NT” are one. Thanks for this wonderful read.