The second thing we all need in order to understand the Bible is to read and acquaint ourselves with the beginning of the ‘story’, in particular the first five books which are collectively called the Torah (instruction), the Law, or Moses.
We shall never really understand the Holy Scriptures if all we know (supposedly) is the middle and end of the Bible. The foundation for the middle and end of the Bible was laid by God in the Torah. Without a proper foundation, a building will sooner or later collapse. In the same way, a lack of knowledge and understanding of Moses spells spiritual disaster for a Christian.
Almost every person who gets born again is instructed to read the Bible starting with a New Testament (NT) book, often John or Acts. This has its benefits. However, as fast as possible, a new believer should also be taught the Law. It is amazing how fast a new convert will grow spiritually and remain doctrinally stable if this approach is taken.
You see, everything that we find from Matthew to Revelation has its roots in Moses. Without this healthy root system, a person will of course bear some fruit of Bible knowledge by reading NT books. However, such an individual will not really understand the Bible including the ‘recommended John’. Also, they will lack the ability to intellectually explain their faith starting from first principles. Worse still, the winds of the doctrines of demons can easily blow away this person to spiritual destruction.
You see, it is in the Torah that God, and His unchanging nature and principles are introduced to us. Therefore, if we do not have a basic understanding of the Torah, we will have a wrong perception of the nature of God and His ways; and that wrong perception will invariably get us into trouble especially with Him. For example, it is in Genesis that we first see the unchangeable double-sided nature of God: Although Adam, ‘the beloved of God’, was initially tremendously blessed by God, he later experienced the not-so-pleasant consequences of disobedience. This concept, of God being ‘cool’ and a ‘consuming fire’ at the same time is also found in Exodus, Numbers and Leviticus. It is actually well demonstrated in Deuteronomy (chapter 28) by God promising to bless His people because of their obedience to Him, but also categorically stating that curses will follow the disobedient. Now, because many Christians do not have a solid foundation from the Torah of the goodness and severity of God, they only know God as ‘God who so loved the world and gave His only begotten Son’. These Christians take God for granted by practicing sin. When they are warned of possible judgment from God if they do not turn from their sinful ways, they say that that type of God is an Old Testament (OT) God. When they are told that the NT says that the calamities that befell the Israelites in the wilderness are our example lest we too get in trouble with God (1 Corinthians 10), they respond with a contradictory quote from their man or woman of God. Little do they know that they might even end up in hell. Most of them cannot even believe that the NT books they claim to know do not contradict Moses. It is in the NT that it is written (just as taught in the Old Testament), “Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off” (Romans 11:22).
Folks, God’s nature is first revealed in the front of the Bible. The same applies to His ways and principles. If you do not take time to read and study Moses (the Law or the Torah), you are building on a shaky foundation.
Christians who are against prosperity and divine healing have either never read Moses, or they think that that the OT God is different from the NT one. Christians who believe that Israel stole land from the Palestinians are also in the same boat. Basically, a lot of stupidity in the body of Christ can be traced to a neglect of the Law!
Please, read Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Those books testified of Jesus who was to come. Even the festivals the Israelites were to commemorate were a shadow of what was to come with Jesus. Therefore, you will better appreciate Jesus’ mission if you read and study Moses. And also, what happened to the people in the first five books of the OT was preserved for our admonition lest the wrath that God ‘rained’ on them is ‘rained’ on us too.
You will understand the Bible if you really understand that The Torah is a must read and you actually go ahead and read it.
God bless you.