Where does it say in the Bible that WE get all the blessings that were promised to people in the Old Testament? I hear many preachers referring to Old Testament scriptures of blessings and protection and saying these are for us today.
Where does it say in the Bible that WE get all the blessings that were promised to people in the Old Testament? I hear many preachers referring to Old Testament scriptures of blessings and protection and saying these are for us today.
ANSWER: I am not aware of any Bible verses that promise that we get all of the blessings that were promised to people in the Old Testament. As we read the Old Testament, we need to identify to whom each passage is written. For example, in Zephaniah 3:14-15 we read, “Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The Lord hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.” This is a wonderful prophecy concerning Israel’s future blessing. This is not a prophecy about the body of Christ, of which all believers today are members. Even though these verses are not a promise for members of the Church, we can still praise the Lord for what He will do for His people Israel!
We should not avoid reading the Old Testament just because much of it is not written directly to us. There is much that we can learn and be encouraged by in the Old Testament. As we see in Romans 15:4, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”
It is good to remember that the Old Testament is just as much a part of God’s Word as the New Testament. The Lord Jesus Himself confirmed that the Old Testament is part of the Holy Scriptures as He spoke to two disciples on the way to Emmaus in Luke 24:27, “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” There is much spiritual blessing to be discovered when we look for Christ in each book of the Old Testament.
Another thing to keep in mind is that verses in the Old Testament may not have been written to us but they are still true in relation to our lives today. For example, after Moses died, the Lord spoke to Joshua in Joshua 1:9, “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” Each of us can apply this verse to our own lives since we have the same promise in the New Testament. The Lord tells us in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
As we search the Scriptures, let us ask for wisdom to apply verses to ourselves that we should apply and not to claim promises that were not intended for us. 2 Timothy tells us to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (169.2) (DJ)