#DailyDevotion The Old Testament Gives Us Encouragement & Hope
Romans 15:4-6
4All that was written long ago was written to teach us by the endurance and encouragement we get from the Bible to have hope. 5May God, who helps you to endure and encourages you, give you such harmony with one another as you follow Christ Jesus 6that together with one voice you praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
“All that was written long ago,” to what is Paul referring to? He is referring to the Old Testament scriptures of course. Paul says something similar in 1 Cor. 10, “11These things happened to them to make them a lesson to others and were written down to warn us who are living when the world is coming to an end.” We may, and many do, often wonder why deal with the Old Testament when it has been fulfilled and abrogated completely in Christ Jesus?
Between Romans 15 and 1 Cor. 10 Paul gives us several reasons: they are to teach us endurance, encouragement, warnings and to have hope. As we see how God dealt patiently calling his people to repentance and yet punishing them for their sins, we are warned not to live and believe as they did. As we see how God was merciful, kind, patient and forgiving we can have hope that through faith in Christ, Jesus will deal similarly with us.
For example, in Genesis we see how our first parents when they sinned God did not strike them down physically dead immediately but instead clothed their nakedness and gave them a promise of a future redemption, we too can see how God is patient with us and are comforted being clothed with the righteousness and glory of Christ Jesus. Instead of leaving Cain hanging on a limb with the possibility of anyone exacting vengeance on him because he killed Abel, the LORD put the mark of the cross upon his forehead to protect him against vengeance.
We see the LORD’s mercy and patience in the wilderness as he does not wipe out the whole congregation as they engaged in idol worship but forgives and preserves them so their descendants may eventually enter the Promise Land through they themselves would not. When David sins against the LORD by committing adultery and then murder to cover up his adulterous affair they LORD does not exact the punishment of the Law upon David which would be stoning to death but instead exacts only the fruit of those sinful actions to die, we see the heart of our God. The LORD even had mercy upon Manasseh, who led his people into great shame and vice, when he repented.
From these and other example we should be encouraged and endure in hope as we wait for the revelation of our Savior Jesus Christ. By the witnesses of the Old Testament God helps us to endure and encourages us in living out our faith. This help and encouragement ought to lead us to have harmony with one another and bring forth praise of God our Father with one united voice. Paul here is indeed speaking about unity of doctrine and faith, such is the meaning of the words harmony and one voice. As such, we should pray for such harmony and oneness paying close attention to what our LORD Jesus Christ has taught us through his Apostles.
Merciful God and Father, so have mercy on us that we may be encourage and strengthened in our hope that we may praise you with harmony of heart and oneness of voice through our LORD Jesus Christ your son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. Amen.