Jesus in the Old Testament
The whole Bible points to one person, Jesus. This is important to recognize, and especially so as we peer into the Old Testament. At times the Old Testament can be confusing, but one way to help bring clarity is to look for Jesus in what it is saying. The Gospel writers John and Luke record a number of verses which illustrate this truth.
In John 5:39, Jesus was in a conversation with the Pharisees when He said, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me." He's talking about what we know today as the 39 books of the Old Testament - the Jewish Scriptures which were referred to and read every week in the synagogues.
After the resurrection, two of Jesus' followers were walking from Jerusalem to a village called Emmaus when the risen Savior joined them on the road. They did not recognize him at first, but Luke 24:27 records, "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he [Jesus] interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself." Jesus revealed to his Jewish followers how the Old Testament Scriptures point to Him as the crucified Messiah of Israel.
There are fairly obvious passages which point to Jesus, like the story of God asking Abraham to sacrifice Isaac in Genesis 22 or the Suffering Servant passage of Isaiah 53. But there are also more subtle ways this is seen. In Psalm 15, the psalmist talks about 11 descriptions of the person who is able to live with God: walking blamelessly, speaking the truth, not slandering, doing no evil to a neighbor, not taking up a reproach against a friend, despising vile people, honoring those who fear the Lord, swearing even to their own hurt, not lending money at interest, and not taking a bribe. This list rightly shows us how far short we fall. If this is what it takes to dwell with God, then I guess I'm out. However, this list does more than condemn my shortcomings. This list points out the characteristics of the person who is truly perfect - Jesus. We ought to be in awe of someone who actually lived this way, and yet loves those who fall so far short.
In Psalm 1 the destiny of the righteous person is contrasted with the destiny of the wicked person. We see that the righteous person is blessed by God, but if we honestly evaluate ourselves, none of us can say that we are truly righteous on our own. The technical description of a righteous person points to someone unique. Looking at Psalm 1 through the lens of Jesus displays something remarkable, a wonderful reversal. The One who was perfectly righteous willingly took the destiny of the wicked on the cross so that those who rightly could be called wicked would have the blessed destiny of the righteous.
This reversal illuminates for me in a new way what Jesus did for us on the cross. It nourishes my soul. It softens my hard heart and motivates me to live for Him. That is one of the rich benefits of reading, studying, and meditating on the Old Testament. I hope as we look at the Psalms together that we gain a deeper appreciation, understanding, and love for our Savior who is the focal point of the whole Bible.