Old Testament Stories With Modern-Day Applications
“I’m not sure I’m going to make it through Leviticus,” my friend declared as we walked together through the local park. We’d both been reflectively reading through the Old Testament stories in Genesis and Exodus, but Leviticus posed a challenge.
“I feel that,” I agreed. A few weeks earlier, we both started a Bible reading plan with the hope of reading through the Bible in a year.
Bogged down by text we didn’t understand and rules about sacrifices and oxen, we were both having trouble applying the words to our lives.
“Maybe we need a different plan. Instead of just reading the Bible, maybe we need to slow down and study it,” I suggested.
“Good point,” my friend agreed. “I’m just not sure where to start. There are so many resources.”
Our conversation then drifted to other topics, but I kept thinking about it in the days that followed. I also began searching for a succinct resource to help me apply the Old Testament to my life.
Ultimately, I used a wide variety of resources—study Bibles, conversations with other believers, and various websites—and I wrote the book my friend and I were looking for.
I’m excited to release this book in eBook form for a suggested donation of $4.99 or for free with promo code JESUS below. You’ll find 30 devotions on the key stories from the first six books of the Old Testament.
30 Old Testament Stories With Modern-Day Applications
This devotional will help us see how these stories apply to us today. We’ll learn practical lessons from Noah, Moses, and other key Old Testament stories and figures.
We will also examine the way the entire Bible points to Jesus as we study the symbolism of Jesus in these narratives.
Studying these stories helped me move beyond the frustration I expressed with my friend. I was shaped by God’s holiness, moved by his mercy, and transformed by his Truth.
I pray you will share this experience as well. God’s word is timeless, and it is his primary tool for renewing and transforming our minds. As we learn to study it and grow from it, we become more like Jesus.
Here are a few excerpts from the book, highlights from these Old Testament Stories.
Several Old Testament Stories in This Devotional
The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil
In the middle of the Garden of Eden, God placed two trees: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The tree of life symbolized God’s provision and goodness.
Those who ate from it would receive spiritual renewal, union with God, and eternal life. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil symbolized the temptation to self-rule apart from God.
It carried the deceptive promise of knowing good and evil and becoming like God, while being apart from him. The consequences of eating from it included spiritual death, shame, and separation from God.
The story of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil teaches that we are meant to be connected with God, and any satisfaction without him is temporary.
The tree didn’t deliver what Adam and Eve hoped for; it delivered shame, spiritual death, and broken union with God. Our experience is no different. When we pursue fulfillment apart from God, we will ultimately be let down.
The question remains: How do we find satisfaction in God? We will look at some practical ways to turn to God for fulfillment and comfort instead of turning to things of this world.
Noah’s Ark
As we consider the lessons we can learn from Noah’s ark, we are reminded that we can trust God’s step-by-step guidance. God showed Noah what to do, one step at a time. He didn’t give Noah the entire blueprint for how the flood would play out.
It took Noah more than a few years to build the ark. Most scholars suggest this was more than a 5-year building project. It most likely took Noah between 50 and 120 years to build the ark!
Imagine investing your entire life building something that might never prove useful.
What if the rains never came?
What if the scoffers were right?
We all face “What If” moments when God calls us to follow him. Like Noah, when we persevere in God’s work, he blesses us.
The Tower of Babel
What can we learn from the Tower of Babel?
God wants us to find our security in him.
In Genesis 9:1, God told Noah and his family to disperse and multiply on the earth. However, instead of dispersing, they stayed together and built a city. They chose security over obedience.
We might scoff at their disobedience and wonder why they didn’t trust God and follow his directive. But we are not so different. God calls us to set out into new territories, and we resist because we prefer the security of staying within our comfort zones.
God calls us to step into new ministries, pursue new careers, and embrace new seasons of life. We drag our feet because the unknown feels so very insecure.
The first lesson from the Tower of Babel reminds us that when our security is found in God, we aren’t afraid to step into new endeavors. We trust that he goes ahead of us and with us.
Moses’ Story
When God approached him, commissioning him to speak to Pharaoh and lead the Hebrew people out of Egypt, Moses was full of excuses. At the top of his list, he noted that he was not a skilled speaker. Some scholars believe he had a stutter or speech impediment.
In response, God allowed Moses’ brother Aaron to help him speak. God also reminded Moses that he would be with him.
This is a reminder that God works through willing people. We don’t have to be perfect. Our weaknesses are the perfect backdrop for God to work through us.
Moses was also a murderer. He fled Egypt as a fugitive. Nevertheless, God used him to lead millions of people to freedom. No matter how dark our past mistakes might be, we are never disqualified from being used by God.
The Golden Calf
What can we learn from Moses and the golden calf?
Waiting tests our faith.
The people grew impatient because Moses was taking longer than expected on the mountain. We all face times when God asks us to wait longer than we expect.
When faced with such situations, many people feel inclined to handle things by themselves. We rush ahead of God’s timing, making rash decisions and failing to seek God’s direction.
If you are in a period of waiting, ask God to help you honor him while you wait. Continue doing the work he has called you to undertake but resist the urge to rush ahead of God.
It is human nature to reshape God’s image and make him more manageable.
Some say that while humans are created in God’s image, we often attempt to remake God in our own likeness.
We feel comfortable with that which we can understand. The Israelites understood the gods they had worshiped in Egypt. These false gods were represented by carved images, idols created by human hands.
More Old Testament Stories
The Pillar of Fire
Here are two symbols in the pillar of fire as well their fulfillment for all followers of Christ.
God’s Presence
The pillar carried God’s presence as he guided his people. Under the New Covenant, anyone who receives Jesus as Savior also receives the Holy Spirit.
Through the Holy Spirit, God’s presence comes to dwell within us. The pillar of fire astonishingly moved from an outward sign of God’s presence to an inward, indwelling Spirit. God does not guide us from afar; he guides us from within. This leads to our next point.
God’s Guidance
Under the New Covenant, God’s guidance transformed from visible movement to inner leading. We are no longer following a route. We follow the presence of the Living God as he guides us using conviction, wisdom, peace, and the illumination of Scripture. Our Shepherd does more than lead us along the right path in life; he shepherds our souls.
Moses and Jesus
In many ways, Moses points to Jesus. Here are some of the most noteworthy connections.
Moses and Jesus both fulfilled the role of delivering God’s people.
Moses delivered the Hebrews from Egypt after nearly four centuries of enslavement under Pharaoh.
Jesus delivers all who call on his name from slavery to sin. Matthew 1:21 reads, “She will give birth to a Son; and you shall name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (NASB).
Moses and Jesus were both threatened at birth.
We read Moses’ story in Exodus 1-2. When Pharaoh ordered the execution of all baby boys, Moses’ parents hid him for three months. When he was too old to conceal, they placed him in a basket and put it in some reeds in the Nile River, where Pharaoh’s daughter found him.
Jesus’ birth is described in Matthew 2. Herod had commanded the deaths of all baby boys because he was threatened by the idea of a King who could dethrone him. For this reason, Jesus’ parents traveled to Egypt when he was a baby and hid with him for two years.
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If these applications of seven key Old Testament stories blessed you, I invite you to explore our family devotional books below or scroll to the bottom of today’s post for a devotional eBook to help you understand these stories. It is yours for a suggested donation of 4.99 or for free with promo code JESUS.
Calling All Parents and Grandparents!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. Read more below.
Attention All Boy Moms (and Dads)!
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
A Free Devotional to Help You Apply the Old Testament to Your Life Today
Do you want to learn how to read the Old Testament and apply it to the challenges you face in your everyday life? In 30 devotions, my free devotional eBook, Timeless, will help you grow in God’s Word while applying it to your life. You’ll also learn how the entire Bible points to Jesus as we unpack fascinating symbolism linking the Old Testament to Christ. Download it for free with promo code JESUS here or consider offering a $4.99 donation to support this ministry. I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here!
