What We Are Looking For In The Old Testament

by Fr. John A. Peck

The Old Testament is 85%+ of the Bible. That’s a lot, in case you were wondering.

If you are going to take the Old Testament Challenge, which starts next Tuesday, Sept. 15, then in order to help you see things with the eye of the Church as we read it, I want to give you a few things to consider, and when I say ‘consider’ I mean specifically consider writing them down so you have them in front of you as you read.

Look for shadows and images of,

• The Trinity – you might be surprised to know that there are only a few places we actually hear the voice of the Father. Genesis isn’t one of them.
• The Christ – especially of two natures (fire and matter, for example), three days (always a sign), and of sacrifice.
• The Church – the worshipping community of believers who fulfill the Lord’s covenant. Watch for contrasts between the elder and the younger, where the younger receives the inheritance. This is a symbol and type of the Church (younger) supplanting the Synagogue (elder) as the bearer of revelation.

These are the lenses through which the Church ‘sees’ the entire Bible, because through the revelation of Christ the Church sees the Bible, in three ways.

• Trinitarian – pertaining to the Trinity, the source of all existence;
• Christologically – pertaining to our Lord Jesus, the source of all revelation;
• Eccesiologically – pertaining to the Church, the source of our adoption.

Keep an eye out for these. Call them out if you think you have one!