Then everyone who calls on the name of Yahweh will be saved. (Joel 2:32a HCSB)
I heard a preacher say that he only preaches from the New Testament since it reveals grace and the Old Testament shows the futility of keeping the law. He said he would rather look at the transfiguration since it showed Jesus' increasing glory instead of looking at Moses's appearance when he came down from the mountain since it showed his fading glory. To suggest that God's mercy and His grace are not evident in the Hebrew scripture is sad.
The passage in Joel was quoted by Peter during his sermon following Pentecost. A similar statement appears in Paul's letter to the church in Rome.
Contrary to common misconception, God did not evolve. The God of the Old Testament is not an angry, war-mongering God with His hand forever poised over the "smite" button and the God of the New Testament is not some pacifist that rescinded the law or its consequences. They are One, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and They are consistent throughout eternity. God has always been the God of mercy, grace and justice and only He is capable of balancing these attributes.
Jesus Christ is present throughout the Hebrew scripture. In theological terms there are types and anti-types; people and situations in the Old Testament that serve as prophecies of the coming Messiah. There are Old Testament appearances of Jesus. These are called theophonies or Christophanies. Whenever we see God in human form we are seeing Christ.
The early apostles preached from the Hebrew scripture--what we call the Old Testament--since the New Testament had not been written yet. They also preached from Jesus' teachings. He was and is the Word of God. In Genesis when it says, "God said, 'Let there be...", this is Christ. This is preceded by the first five words in the Bible, "In the beginning God created,". We see the first three of these words again in the first chapter of John. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God." It goes on in verse 3 to say, "All things were created through Him." This means Jesus.
Jesus said, "Don’t assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill."
Mercy and grace are woven throughout the entire Bible. Christ is found throughout the entire Bible. The message of salvation as a gift of grace through faith in God is found throughout the Bible.
Without the Old Testament the New Testament does not make sense. Dig into His word, all of it, and find treasures that really matter.
