THE OLD TESTAMENT AND CHRISTIAN ETHICS
THE OLD TESTAMENT AND DEVELOPING CHRISTIAN ETHICS
The Old Testament is as important as the New Testament to Christians. The Old Testament and the New Testament form one cohesive story, and no one can fully understand the New Testament without knowledge of the Old Testament. Both Testaments present God’s redemptive story with His people through many events and teachings expressed in different forms of writing, such as narrative, poetry, and prophecy. Through these different types of writings, Christians understand the interaction between God and people.
Through the Old Testament narratives, the reader understands human failing and God’s holiness. Through poetry, the reader perceives the faithful people’s longing to repent and seek forgiveness. Through prophecies, the reader sees God’s wrath over nations for their immoral acts. In this paper, I will argue that the Old Testament presents a coherent moral story through narratives, poetry, and prophecies, which every Christian should use to develop his or her ethical understanding.
Old Testament Narratives and Ethics
From the Old Testament stories, the reader can draw godly ethical understanding and know what satisfies and displeases God. One example is the story of Abraham and Abimelech. Abraham claimed that Sarah was his sister, and Abimelech took her. God came to Abimelech in a dream and said, “Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife” (Gen 20:3 NKJV). Later, Abimelech blamed Abraham, saying, “You have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin” (Gen 20:9).
In this story, the reader can understand that it is ethically wrong to marry someone else’s wife, because a wife is meant for only one man. The Old Testament narratives are not mere history; rather, they reveal God’s plan for His people. John H. Sailhamer states, “The Bible is thus ‘history,’ but it is a unique kind of history, for its concerns go far beyond the everyday events of human history to include the plans and purposes of God.”
Thus, every Christian should strive to please the Lord in all aspects of life by accomplishing God’s plan and purpose through righteous moral conduct.
Another example is Joseph and his master’s wife. She asked him to lie with her, but he strongly refused, saying, “My master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Gen 39:9).
Here, Joseph demonstrates three moral principles. First, lying with his master’s wife would have been an act of betrayal, so he chose loyalty to his master. Second, even without a direct commandment prohibiting this act, he recognized it as morally wrong. Third, he understood that sin would be directly against God. Despite potential consequences, Joseph chose to honor God rather than follow his fleshly desires.
If a Christian desires to live according to God’s Word, these biblical narratives inspire holiness. Paul affirms, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning” (Rom 15:4 NKJV). Therefore, the Old Testament should shape our moral and ethical understanding, guiding us to walk in holiness and fulfill God’s will.
Old Testament Poetry and Ethics
The men of God expressed their prayers and meditations on God’s power and goodness in poetic form. One aspect of these prayers is repentance for moral failures. The author of 1 Kings comments on David’s life: “David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite” (1 Kgs 15:5).
When Nathan rebuked David for his sin, David wrote Psalm 51. As a man of God, he recognized that his actions were morally wrong. In Psalm 51, David repeatedly used phrases such as have mercy upon me, blot out my transgressions, wash me, make me hear joy and gladness, hide Your face from my sins, create in me a clean heart, renew a steadfast spirit within me, do not cast me away from Your presence, restore to me the joy of Your salvation, deliver me, open my lips, and do good in Your good pleasure.
He concluded his prayer with, “Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering” (Ps 51:19). God is not pleased with sacrifices without true repentance and righteousness. David did not merely repeat prayers; he expressed genuine remorse, which should urge every New Testament believer to live rightly with God and seek forgiveness when they sin.
Since God is holy, He cannot tolerate sin. T. Desmond Alexander explains, “As a perfect God, He cannot ignore anything evil. The smallest lie is offensive to the One who is truth. The tiniest feeling of animosity towards another person is repulsive to the One who is love.”
David also stated, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps 119:105). He recognized that the Word of God should guide all actions — a principle that should guide every Christian.
Old Testament Prophecies and Ethics
The prophetic books of the Old Testament play a vital role in Scripture. Through the prophecies, God declares judgment over nations such as Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, and Moab for their moral corruption. God charged them with mistreating citizens, abusing people for profit, dishonoring brotherhood, and showing no mercy to the poor.
Andrew E. Hill and John H. Walton note regarding the prophet Amos:
“His impassioned pleas for the socially disadvantaged (i.e., the poor, needy, and afflicted; cf. 2:6–7; 5:11–12; 8:4,6) and his denouncement of their affluent oppressors (i.e., rich women, dishonest merchants, corrupt rulers, opportunistic lawyers and judges) and false priests; cf. 4:1; 6:1, 4; 7:8–9 have earned him a reputation as God’s spokesman for social justice.”
Here, God reveals His holiness and dissatisfaction with moral corruption, providing a lesson for today’s believers. Prophecies are essential because these moral issues may not be elaborated on in the New Testament but are clearly addressed in the prophetic texts.
Conclusion
Both Testaments are two volumes of one story. The Old Testament, through its narratives, poetry, and prophecies, is not merely information; we are participants in its history. Craig G. Bartholomew and Michael W. Goheen observe, “If we view it as a single unfolding story, it can be tremendously exciting. Such a story invites us — compels us — to get involved.”
God’s inspired words should shape our thinking, understanding, and actions. In ethical matters, Christians should always return to Scripture and consider how to glorify the Lord through their deeds. Paul tells Timothy that Scripture is “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16). Therefore, the Word of God should guide and transform our behavior.
Bibliography
Alexander, T. Desmond. From Eden to the New Jerusalem: An Introduction to Biblical Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 2008.
Bartholomew, Craig G., and Michael W. Goheen. The Drama of Scripture: Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2004.
Hill, Andrew E., and John H. Walton. A Survey of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009.
Sailhamer, John H. Old Testament History. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1998.
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