Recently I’ve had multiple conversations with people about how to apply the Old Testament today. At times it seems like we pick and choose which parts, and which laws we should still observe. Some will interpret the Old Testament literally while others will write it off and say, “that’s in the Old Testament so that doesn’t apply to us today.” The Old Testament is more than 3 times as long as the New Testament and there is a reason God left it in the Bible and Jesus Himself put His stamp of approval on it. So how exactly does the OT apply to the NT Christian? How can we see the practical benefit from studying it? How do we interpret it correctly? This article will seek to provide 3 questions you should ask yourself that will serve as what I believe are the best principles for how we should approach the OT to extract the most value out of it. As an aside I STRONGLY encourage you to read through and study the book of Hebrews. It will clear much of this confusion up in no time.

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PRINCIPLE #2 – IS THIS PART OF THE CEREMONIAL OR MORAL LAW?
Okay that’s a bunch of theological jargon so let me explain the difference between the two. When Moses communicated God’s laws to His people there were both ceremonial laws and moral laws. We must understand that the covenant God made in the OT was with the Jews, not the Gentiles. So the laws then don’t and never did apply to us today. Think of it like a state law. They were in Florida. We are in Texas. Are we obligated to obey specific laws that are unique to Florida? No. Not unless the laws are common to both states. The OT law was written for several reasons.

To reveal the utter sinfulness of mankind and our desperate need for a Savior – Rom. 7:7-9; Gal. 3:24

To set Israel apart from other nations

To train them in the ways of holiness having come out of Egyptian slavery.

To provide a “type” or “foreshadowing” of Jesus – Col. 2:16-17; Heb. 10:1 – In other words, they were symbolic of what Jesus Christ would one day come to the earth to do.

Several NT scriptures indicate that we are no longer under these laws but instead, we exist under a New Covenant (Rom. 10:4; Gal. 3:24-26; Eph. 2:15; Heb. 8:10-13). Below are some examples of ceremonial OT laws no longer valid today.

Dietary Restrictions – Jesus said,
It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.

Animal Sacrifices – Hebrews 10 teaches us that there is no longer a need for animal sacrifices because Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice.

Uncleanness – There were a list of things that made an Israelite “unclean” (leprosy, blood, male discharge, mildew, etc.). In other words, if they had these conditions they were to be set apart from others until they offered a sacrifice and got cleansed again. One such question that comes up frequently is, “is it prohibited for a husband and wife to have sexual intercourse during a woman’s menstrual cycle?” Once again this was part of the ceremonial law which we are not under. The NT also sheds light on this when it says a husband and wife should not deprive one another except by mutual consent for a season. In other words, each couple may choose not to for whatever reason but it is not a sin to do so (see also Heb. 13:4).

Circumcision – Paul explains that physical circumcision is of no value if your heart is not first circumcised (Rom. 2:25-29). In other words, the hardness of your heart must be removed.

Sabbath Day – This is the only one of the Ten Commandments that is not explicitly repeated in the NT. On the contrary it teaches that we should treat every day the same (Col. 2:16-17; Rom. 15:4). In other words, like many things under grace, it is a matter of personal choice and conviction.

As you can see the OT ceremonial laws are discussed in the NT and it is clear that we are not under any obligation to fulfill them. However, the moral laws of the OT are still binding because they are either repeated, further explained (Matt. 5-7) or fall under the “love your neighbor as yourself” or “love God with all your heart” commandments.