Here is the preface of Jason DeRouchie‘s book, How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament: Twelve Steps from Exegesis to Theology.
PREFACE
An Overview of the Book
This year, 2017, marks the five hundredth anniversary of Martin Luther’s posting of his Ninety-five Theses (October 31, 1517)—the spark that enflamed a global Reformation that is still alive and advancing today. The book you are now reading falls within and builds on this great gospel tradition, celebrating sola Scriptura—that Scripture alone stands as our highest authority in all matters of doctrine and practice.
Jesus loved the Old Testament. Indeed, it was his only Bible, and he believed that it pointed to him. I wrote this book to help believers better study, practice, and teach the Old Testament as Christian Scripture. I view God’s inerrant Word as bearing highest authority in our lives, and I want Christians everywhere to interpret all of the Bible with care, celebrating the continuities between the Testaments while recognizing that Christ changes so much. I want to help Christians understand and apply the Old Testament in a way that nurtures hope in the gospel and that magnifies our Messiah in faithful ways.
This book targets both laypeople who don’t know Hebrew and students studying the Old Testament in the original languages. This book is for anyone who wants to learn how to observe carefully, understand accurately, evaluate fairly, feel appropriately, act rightly, and express faithfully God’s revealed Word, especially as embodied in the Old Testament. Through this book you will:
- Learn a twelve-step process for doing exegesis and theology;
- See numerous illustrations from Scripture that model the various interpretive steps;
- Consider how new covenant believers are to appropriate the Old Testament as Christian Scripture; and
- Celebrate the centrality of Christ and the hope of the gospel from the initial three-fourths of our Bible.
Two of the distinctive contributions of this book are its focus on discourse analysis (tracking an author’s flow of thought) and biblical theology (considering how Scripture fits together and points to Christ). Some of the practical questions that I will seek to answer include:
- What are Christians to do with Old Testament laws? Do any of Moses’ requirements still serve as guides for our pursuit of Christ
- How should Christians consider Old Testament promises, especially those related to physical provision and protection? Can we really sing, “Every promise in the Book is mine”? *1
- How does the Old Testament point to Christ and the hope of the gospel? How could Paul, who preached from the Old Testament, say, “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2)?
I originally drafted this book in preparation for a course titled Old Testament Exegesis that I taught for Logos Mobile Ed in a studio at the Faithlife headquarters in Bellingham, Washington, in summer 2015. My colleague Andy Naselli taught the companion New Testament Exegesis course, and both are available at https://www.logos.com/product/117883/mobile-ed-biblical-exegesis-bundle. At the end of that process, John Hughes and the P&R Publishing team invited Andy and me to publish counterpart volumes, which are fraternal twins in every way—conceptually, structurally, theologically, and pedagogically.
A Guide to Using the Book
Every level in the study of God’s Word includes beauties to discover and challenges to overcome. Recognizing that not every interpreter is the same, I have written this book with three tracks.
Level 1—Easy makes up most of the book and is for all readers. For beginning interpreters, this track may be the only one you will take, since it includes no exposure to biblical Hebrew. It will, however, still contain numerous exegetical and theological paths and vistas that will instruct, awe, inspire, and motivate.
Level 2—Moderate is also for all readers and does not require a knowledge of biblical Hebrew. It does, however, interact with the original language where beneficial for intermediate interpreters. I always translate the Hebrew and try to instruct clearly. Here you will gain exposure to some of the benefits of Hebrew exegesis and will learn how even those without Hebrew can profit greatly from important interpretive tools.
Level 3—Challenging is specialized for more advanced interpreters who know or are learning biblical Hebrew. These sections likely include technical discussions that will substantially benefit only those with some awareness of the original language and who will use their Hebrew Bibles for study.
Throughout the book I use the three symbols above to identify the difficulty level of each section or subsection. Decide what path you want to travel, and follow my lead. At the head of every chapter I also include a “Trail Guide” that will remind you where you are in the journey from exegesis to theology and that will give you a quick overview of the paths you are about to tread.
Even if you don’t know Hebrew, I encourage you to work through all Level 2—Moderate material, for the exegetical and theological payoff will be rich and the discussions should not be beyond your grasp. If you choose this path, just remember that all Level 1 material is also for you. For those who are studying or have studied Hebrew, every part of this book is for you, and my hope is that it will remind, clarify, and instruct, leading you into more focused, richer engagement with God and the biblical text.
At the end of every chapter I include “Key Words and Concepts,” “Questions for Further Reflection,” and “Resources for Further Study.” I hope these additions will benefit personal study, small-group discussions, and classroom use. The back of the book also includes a full glossary of the key terms, along with The KINGDOM Bible Reading Plan, a selected bibliography, the Index of Scripture, and the Index of Subjects and Names.
As we set out on our journey into biblical interpretation, may God the Father, by his Spirit, stir your affections for Christ and awaken your mind to think deeply. May you increase your skill at handling the whole Bible for the glory of God and the good of his church among the nations.
Jason S. DeRouchie
Bethlehem College & Seminary
Minneapolis, Minnesota
*1. The Sensational Nightingales, “Every Promise in the Book Is Mine,” Let Us Encourage You (Malco Records, 2005; orig. 1957).
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