Romans 15:4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
In the book of Romans, Paul makes the argument that the Gospel is for everyone – both Jew and Gentile alike (Romans 1:14-17). He wrote the book to the Church in Rome to help build a peaceful bridge between the two cultures. In his letter, he cites the Old Testament passages that indicated a future where the Gentiles were also included in the blessings and promises of God. These verses (2 Samuel 22:50, Psalm 18:49, Deuteronomy 32:43, Psalm 117:1, and Isaiah 11:10) lead up to our verse of the day.
Everything from the past writings that the Jewish people knew and understood was written with a purpose: to teach and give hope. As believers we often speak of the old ways being put aside because Christ defeated death and we are now saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). But that does not mean the Old Testament does not hold valuable insights meant for our instruction. ALL Scripture is God-breathed and meant to teach us (2 Timothy 3:16) and Paul’s use of these Scriptures not only proves a point, but also demonstrates their worth to the believer.
And not only do those Scriptures help teach us, but they give us encouragement and hope for the present and the future. They help us have hope in hard times. The Psalms are FULL of inspirational messages as well as cries for help when the writers were experiencing tribulation. The Old Testament was written for a purpose and through it we see our need for a Savior, as well as prophecies that would come true later (and some which have yet to be fulfilled).
Through the Old Testament, we see God’s plan unfolding. We see a step-by-step redemptive process laid out that points to salvation through Christ. His Word tells us of His love for each individual person, told through the stories of people of the past, leading up to Christ’s ministry, death, and resurrection. And through Scripture we have hope and encouragement to persevere, to push on, to not give in or give up. We see that everything written in the past had a purpose and was done to help us.
Spend some time reading through the Old Testament and see for yourself the beauty of these texts. If you need a place to start, try Psalms. You will definitely find hope and encouragement within that book.
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