The Old and New Testaments

 •  3 min. read  •  grade level: 7
The Old Testament begins with God— “In the beginning God” (Gen. 1:11In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)).
The New Testament begins with Christ “The book of the generations of Jesus Christ” (Matt. 1:11The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. (Matthew 1:1)).
The reader will also have noticed that while the Old Testament contains much of grace in it, it nevertheless deals chiefly with law, and so we find it ends with the word curse (Mal. 4:66And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. (Malachi 4:6)); for man had broken the law, of which the Old Testament speaks, and it was written, “Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them” (Deut. 27:2626Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen. (Deuteronomy 27:26)).
On the other hand, the New Testament, while mentioning law (Rom. 3:3131Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. (Romans 3:31)), deals chiefly with grace, and so ends, not with a curse, but a blessing: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, Amen” (Rev. 22:2121The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. (Revelation 22:21)).
And so we read that, in the Old Testament, “the law was given by Moses”; in the New Testament “grace. . . came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:1717For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:17)).
And in perfect keeping with this, we find one of the first miracles wrought by Moses was that of turning the water into blood (Ex. 7:1919And the Lord spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone. (Exodus 7:19)) type of death. While the first miracle performed by Christ was that of turning water into wine (John 2:1-111And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 2And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. 3And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. 4Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. 5His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. 6And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. 7Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 8And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. 9When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 10And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. 11This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. (John 2:1‑11)), representing joy and strength. Again, the first question in the Old Testament contains a call from God to man, “Where art thou?” (Gen. 3:99And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? (Genesis 3:9)); while the first question in the New Testament contains man’s cry for God in Christ, “Where is He?” (Matt. 2:22Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. (Matthew 2:2)).
Is there no design here? Is there no teaching in these things? Should we not ask ourselves whether we are under the law that worketh wrath (Rom. 4:1515Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. (Romans 4:15)), or under grace that bringeth salvation (Titus 1:1111Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. (Titus 1:11))?
At the same time, we must not for a moment fall into the error of looking upon the Old and New Testaments as if they were two separate and opposing books. They are not. They merely give two aspects of the mind and purpose of the unchanging God. Both enshrine the Saviour, each revealing our blessed Lord from its own particular point of view. Hence: In the Old Testament we see Christ.
In the New Testament we see Jesus.
In the Old Testament we see a just God.
Both are the good and perfect gifts which have come down from the Father of Lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning (James 1:1717Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (James 1:17)).
Of the Old and New Testaments it has been truly said—
The New is in the Old contained,
While the Old is by the New explained;
Or—
The New is in the Old concealed, While the Old is by the New revealed; Or, again, The New is enfolded in the Old, while the Old is unfolded by the New; or, yet again, The Old is the solid and firm foundation of God’s unchangeable law of righteousness, on which the New with all its beauty and grace is built.