4 - THE PLACE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT IN THE LIFE OF THE BELIEVER

4 - THE PLACE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT IN THE LIFE OF THE BELIEVER

September 12th, 1962

Pastor Henry F. Kulp

Romans. 15:4 — "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."

Paul is telling the Gentiles in the church at Rome that the Old Testament was needful for them, and through learning it they will have hope. Last week we showed you how Jesus Christ used the Scripture that was not under Law. Not by direct interpretation, but by application.

1/ Then there is another thing to see. In the New Testament, there are dozens of Old Testament stories mentioned. But to really get the meat out of these Scriptures, one has to know the Old Testament. 

For example, Hebrews 11:8 — "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." 

If you read just this portion of Scripture, you are told that Abraham obeyed God when He was called to go out to a place which he should receive for an inheritance, and he went out not knowing whither he was going. If you did not have the Old Testament, or what is commonly called the Old Testament, you would have a wrong picture. And the hope of this Scripture would be lost to you. From this Scripture you would think that Abraham heard the command of God, and clicked his heals, saluted and cried out "forward march!" 1,2,3,4 122,3,4 and then he hardly stopped to catch his breathe until he pitched camp in Canaan. But when we go back to the story in Genesis, we see there was a long delay, and that he did not fully obey the command of God for several years.

2/ The history of this man begins way back in Genesis 11: 31, 32 — "And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran." 

After God gave up the Gentile nations, He called this man and from Hebrews 11: 8 you would never know that he lived in the Ur of Chaldees, which is far, far from the promised land. Ur means Flame, Chaldees means destruction. So God called a man from the place of the flame and from the land of destruction.

3/ And you would never know Abraham was an idolater from Hebrews 11: 8. He came from a pagan country and a pagan home. His family worshipped idols.

 Joshua 24: 2 — "And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.”

4/ And then you would find that in Genesis 11: 31 it was Abraham who led the way, but Terah -- his father, who took Abraham and the rest from the land of the Chaldees. Abraham disobeyed God right at the start.

5/ Then from the New Testament Scripture you would never have known that when they got half the way to the destination, when suddenly God stopped them short in the land of Haran. Which means, Dry or parched, fruitless. Canaan stands for Fruitfulness and victory, and they were there for approximately six years -- wasted years. We do not read that Abraham built any altars, or that he even prayed, or that God encouraged him in any way.

6/ If you compare this with Genesis 12: 1 — "Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee." 

He was to get out of his father's house, but he took his father, and disobeyed God. Terah means delay. And he had to bury his father in a strange land, away from his loved ones because he had disobeyed God.

7/ Then you would not know from the New Testament that Abraham was a liar. 

But now let us turn to Romans 4: 1-4 — "What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt." 

And here we find the Apostle Paul tells us that Abraham found something out as pertaining to the flesh. Without these older writings this Scripture would not really be the blessing that it should. 

When we go back to Genesis 12: 10 — "And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land."

Here we see a very disturbing situation arose in the land of Canaan. A famine was in the land. How it must have troubled Abraham. Was he where God wanted him to be? If so, why the famine? He was tested and failed. For instead of trusting God, he tried to solve his own problem in the flesh. Instead of saying, God placed me here, I am going to stay here until He moves me -- he took matters into his own hands, and went down into Egypt, which is a picture of the world. He paid dearly and learned a great lesson. He lost his peace of mind, his security, he began to worry. He feared that he would be killed because his wife was beautiful, and the Egyptians would slay him to get her. 

Genesis 12: 12,13 — "Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee." 

And we see a beautiful picture of the Grace of God. Instead of cursing Abraham, God plagued Pharoah. 

Genesis 12: 17 — "And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife." 

Here we read that the Lord plagued Pharoah with great plagues. The one who deserved the plagues was Abraham, but God in His grace plagued the unsaved man.

AMEN

9/12/1962 / 4 - THE PLACE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT IN THE LIFE OF THE BELIEVER / 4/25/2026

2 - THE PLACE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT IN THE LIFE OF THE BELIEVER

Photo taken from Smith's patio

2 - THE PLACE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT IN THE LIFE OF THE BELIEVER

September 26, 1962

Pastor Henry F. Kulp

Romans 15: 4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

Here we read that the Old Testament—that which was written before time, was written for our learning, our instruction. We have been looking at the study of the Old Testament, from the viewpoint that you will not fully understand many New Testament truths without a good working knowledge of the Old Testament.

1/ We have been looking at the three blind Jews in the Bible.

Acts 13: 10, 11 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. 

Here we read of Bar-Jesus the Jew who was blinded for a season, when he tried to keep a Gentile, Sergius Paulus, from believing in Jesus Christ. When I read this Scripture, my mind immediately goes back to two Jews in the Old Testament who were blinded. These three Jews show me God’s program.

2/ The first Jew in the Old Testament was Zedekiah. When he was 21 years of age he became King of the Jews. And for eleven years, he did that which is evil in the sight of the Lord. Then God sent the Gentile King, Nebuchadnezzar against the holy city, and Zedekiah, and besieged it. The King and his people tried to escape, but were caught and his sons were killed right before his eyes and he was blinded. The blinding of Zedekiah speaks of the blinding of Israel when the Times of the Gentiles, politically, began. This was around 600 years before Christ. But when we compare this with the blinding of Bar-Jesus, it speaks to us of when the Times of the Gentiles began, spiritually. So these two blind Jews reveal much to us.

3/ Then the next Jew that was blinded was Samson. He speaks of the judgment of God on both Jew and Gentile on the close of this present Day of Grace. Now, Samson was brought forth by God from the time of his birth for God’s own divine purpose.

Judges 13: 5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel

out of the hand of the Philistines.

So, in other words, he was different from other children. And he had the power of God with him until he profaned the Name of God among the Gentiles.

Judges 14: 5, 6 Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him. And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.

Here we read that Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnath. And he came to the vineyards, and there he came face to face with young lion, and the  6th Verse tells us the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him and he rent the lion as he would a kid. Then the Scripture says, he had nothing in his hand. It was the power of God working in this divinely appointed man.

4/ Another time when the power of God was upon him mightily is found in Judges.

Judges 14: 19 And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.

And here we read, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon. And he slew 30 men. 

In this, he is a type of a picture of the nation Israel. Israel was born different from any other nation. Born miraculously, sustained miraculously for the divine purpose of God.

Isaiah 44: 1, 2 Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.

Here we read about the birth of Israel. God said, that He made them and formed them from the womb, and that He would help them, so you can see the beautiful type of Israel in Samson.

Isaiah 43: 21 This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.

Here, again, He says, This people have I formed for myself. As Samson was a Nazarite from his birth, Israel was formed for God.

5/ But the story of Samson is a story of compromise, dishonor and defeat and disgrace. He profaned God’s holy Name before the Gentiles; he lost his power and his eyes.

Judges 14: 1- 3 And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife. Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.

Here he did that which was against the will of God. He fell in love with a Gentile woman. His father asked him if there wasn’t a woman among the nation to take for a wife rather than an uncircumcised Gentile. Then we have the key to the character of Samson. He was not interested in pleasing God—he was interested in pleasing himself.

6/ And he brought dishonor upon himself. Israel was guilty of this same sin. He cared not.

Deuteronomy 7: 1 - 4 When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou; And when the Lord thy God shall  eliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them: Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.

7/ Israel was the same way.

Isaiah 1: 4 - 6 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

Here we read about a sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil doers, children that are corrupters—they have forgotten the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger. In other words, they cared not about God and His will.

8/ Then Samson profaned God’s Holy Name among the Gentiles. As you know, Delilah shaved off his hair, which showed that he had broken the vow of the Nazarite, and he lost his power with God. He no longer was in the position where God could use him.

Judges 15: 20 And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.

But like most back-sliders, Samson did not know that the Lord had departed from him. How like the Jew in our present day. You would think that the rabbis and the leaders of the nation would know that God has departed, but they are blind.

9/ He became a laughing stock before the Gentiles.

Judges 15: 19 - 21 But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived: wherefore he called the name thereof Enhakkore, which is in Lehi unto this day. And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.

They put out his eyes, and they mocked, not only him, but his God. This is exactly why happened to the nation Israel.

Ezekiel 36: 20 And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of his land.

Here they profaned the Hoy Name of God when they went among the Gentiles, and, of course, They ere blinded just like Samson.

10/ Judges 16: 22 Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.

But the hair one Samson’s head began to grow again, just as the hair of Israel will grow again. And you know the story of when Samson brought judgment upon himself and the Gentiles. This speaks to us that at the end of this age of grace, God will bring judgment both upon the Jew and the Gentile.

Isaiah 10: 5, 6 O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give hima charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the

streets.

God will use the Gentile to afflict the Jew and then punish the Gentile for his deeds.

11/ Bar-Jesus speaks of the Jew in Romans 11: 25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

Thy are blinded in the present day and age. But notice what God said about Nathanael

John 1: 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

Behold an Israelite in whom there is no guile. The word, guile, means subtlety. 

This is the same word that is used in Acts 13: 10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

Here is a Jew who is full of subtlety. Just the opposite of Nathanael. Then notice, Nathaniel’s salutation to Jesus Christ, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, Thou art the King of Israel.

Then notice, John 1:48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.

Nathaniel was under the fig tree. Redeemed Israel will be under the fig tree.

Micah 4: 4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.

Bar-jesus speaks of the Jew in Romans 11: 25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

Nathaniel speaks of the Jew in Romans 11: 26 after God has redeemed and cleansed Israel.

And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

12/ When I read Romans 8: 32 my mind goes back to Deuteronomy 21: 18 - 23.

Romans 8: 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Deuteronomy 21: 18 - 23 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear. And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

AMEN

09/26/1962 / 2 - THE PLACE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT IN THE LIFE OF THE BELIEVER / 4/25/2026