Give Me Back My Old Testament!

In recent years I have noticed a lot of criticism of Christians who love Jer 29:11 and have personalized it for their lives. Recently even the Babylon Bee satirizes a young Christian who has it as a tattoo to commemorate his return from exile in Babylon. You certainly have heard it quoted, but here it is again: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Believe me, I teach a graduate course in Hermeneutics and I know what is going on in this verse, but I ask you to call off your attack dogs and give those “poor ignorant” lay Christians some space. Don’t “hermeneuticalize” the Bible out of their hands. It is this type of “woodenly literal” hermeneutic that leaves a bad taste in the mouths of laymen.

I can see an analogy between the way God worked with Israel and the way He works with His people today. Will you also deny to us Jer 29:13? “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Finally, what do you critics do with this verse? “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” (Rom 15:4).

So what do I do with Jer 29:11-13? I interpret it as a wonderful promise to God’s people in exile that He has not forgotten them. In the same way, the people of God today can rest assured that we are not alone in our suffering, but that He will remain faithful. Analogy is a legitimate hermeneutical tool if used wisely because He is the same God in both testaments. Again, Rom 15:4; in some very important ways, all of the Old Testament was also written for us.

I think a problem does arise when people take the words “plans to prosper you and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” to mean that they will lose weight, get rich, and always find a good parking space. If we understand God’s plans to basically be a way of reinforcing our carnal definitions of prosperity, then we are off the mark. If, however, we understand God’s plans in terms of relationship with him, sanctification, love, and growth as the image of God, then I don’t see why we can’t apply this to us.

Another important NT text is “All Scripture (the Old Testament) is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17). All Scripture!

Finally, what do the robbers of our promises do with 1 Cor 10:11-13? After citing a number of OT texts about the children of Israel in the wilderness, Paul concludes: “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

While not all Old Testament promises are directed individually TO us, the New Testament is quite clear that they are FOR us. I conclude with a comment on Jer 29:11-13 from the Zondervan Study Bible. “It is also a profound encouragement to contemporary believers who may feel cut off from God by their sins or by difficult circumstances.” Would you call D. A. Carson irresponsible in his hermeneutics?

So give me back my Old Testament! It is not just for Israel, it’s for me too! (Rom 3:29).