November 7 I Thursday

Jeremiah 40-42

Hebrews 4

“May Your unfailing love come to me, LORD, Your salvation, according to Your promise; then I can answer anyone who taunts me, for I trust in Your Word.”   

—Psalm 119:41-42

Alec Matière, a well-known minister in Britain, wrote a little pamphlet called, “The Mischievous Piece of Paper.” An intriguing title for a pamphlet, but which piece of paper is Matière referring to? If we were to open our Bible and look between the beginning of the New Testament and the end of the Old Testament, we will find a blank sheet of paper––the mischievous piece of paper. Why is that? Matière says that the mischievous piece of paper conveys the idea that there are two revelations when there is really only one. Although the Old Testament has different aspects compared to the New Testament, it is still one progressive revelation of truth. The sixth unit of truth, therefore, is to interpret the testaments in light of the whole Bible because the Bible is one revelation.

There is a saying that goes, “The New is in the Old contained; the Old is in the New explained.” In other words, the Old and the New Testaments dovetail together. Paul mentions “the mystery” several times in his letters: “…my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets” (Ephesians 3:4-5). There has always been an element of mystery in the revelation through the Old Testament, but now, that mystery has come to full light through Christ. As Paul tells us, “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 3:6).

The Old Testament looks like a Jewish Book––though, it is a Jewish book––it appears as if the agenda is all about Jews. Paul, however, emphasizes through the New Testament that now Jew and Gentile have been incorporated into one new body, which is called the Church. The whole Bible is a progression of truth but the progressive truth is not from part truth to whole truth. The progress is from promise to fulfilment.

We find in the Old Testament all kinds of leads that give a promise that something better is going to happen. Even in the Garden of Eden, God’s curse to the serpent after the Fall of Adam and Eve was, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel” (Genesis 3:15). Right from Genesis, there is the promise of a deliverer and we find its fulfillment in Christ. As we read the Bible, may we disregard the mischievous piece of paper and comprehend it as one revelation from God.

Prayer: Almighty Lord, thank You for Your revelation and progression of truth that moves from promise to fulfillment throughout the Old and the New Testaments. Praise You!