Two Tips for Reading the Old Testament
The Old Testament has important stories and insights that are still relevant to us today.
Several days ago, I was part of a group that was discussing the value of Scripture. One of the young adults shared their challenges of reading from the Old Testament in the Bible. In particular, this person was going through the book of Ezekiel. And they were reading through it one chapter each day. At this pace, it will take this person close to a month and half just to complete this one Old Testament book. It's commendable to read through books of the Old Testament. The Old Testament has important stories and insights that are still relevant to us today. We shouldn't neglect it as some choose to do—it's a part of God's Word. At the same time, I relate to the challenges of reading through Old Testament passages. They can be hard to understand at times. And some books like Ezekiel are certainly not what we might call "light reading."
I shared a couple of strategies to make going through the Old Testament a little bit easier and a more enjoyable experience. The first is to consider investing in a Study Bible. A Study Bible will contain notes at the bottom of each page helping to explain portions of the Bible—especially difficult-to-understand verses. If you have a question about something you're reading, chances are that a suitable explanation can be found in the notes section of that kind of Bible. It's a convenient way to get answers quickly so that you don’t get stuck in that portion with questions. Most major translations of the Bible have Study Bible versions. I personally enjoy the NIV and ESV ones.
The second idea is to keep things interesting by reading multiple passages from different parts of the Bible (like the New Testament) along with the Old Testament passage you're reading. Some passages may not be particularly relevant to you today. That's OK. If you're just reading one Old Testament chapter per day, you might not get much out of it, if it's not currently relevant to you. But if you read other parts of the Bible too, you might find something relevant for you from those other passages. You can definitely read more of the Bible and not just one passage a day. Many people stick to just reading one chapter a day because that's what is often recommended for those who are new to the faith. But for those who are more mature in the faith, nothing is stopping you from reading more. In fact, it can be a very helpful practice to read several different passages of the Bible each day. Your chances of finding something relevant and applicable to you will be much higher. On most days, I read about 7 different passages of the Bible. There's rarely a time when I get nothing out of my Bible reading. That's simply because I choose to read more. There's almost always an insight that will catch my attention every day.
If you're finding it challenging to read Old Testament passages, try these two simple tips mentioned above—get yourself a good Study Bible and read more passages from other parts of the Bible. This will hopefully help keep things interesting in your daily Bible reading habit. But more importantly, hopefully it will help you gain more insights that will shape your life to become more like Christ's.
Barnabas the Monastic
Servant of Christ. Husband. Dad. Modern Monastic. I have a wild ambition in life: get as close to the Lord Jesus Christ as I can while on earth. I explore and integrate ancient Christian monk wisdom in modern everyday life. Lives in Canada.
