Making Sense of the Old Testament

Tremper Longman III wrote this accessible introduction to address the widespread confusion and neglect surrounding the Hebrew Scriptures in contemporary Christian communities. Writing as a Reformed Old Testament scholar at Westminster Theological Seminary, Longman recognized that many believers found the Old Testament intimidating, irrelevant, or simply incomprehensible, leading them to focus almost exclusively on the New Testament in their spiritual lives.

Longman's approach centers on three foundational principles for understanding the Hebrew Bible: understanding its ancient Near Eastern context, recognizing its literary diversity, and grasping its theological unity with the New Testament. He walks readers through the major genres of Old Testament literature—narrative, law, poetry, wisdom, and prophecy—explaining how each functions and how modern readers can interpret them responsibly. Rather than offering superficial devotional insights, Longman insists that proper interpretation requires attention to historical background, literary structure, and canonical context. He demonstrates how the Old Testament's covenant themes, messianic prophecies, and moral teachings find their fulfillment in Christ while retaining their own theological integrity and practical relevance.

The book has remained valuable as a bridge between scholarly biblical studies and popular Christian reading. Longman writes with the precision of an academic but the clarity of a pastor, making complex interpretive principles accessible without dumbing them down. His Reformed perspective provides a robust framework for seeing Old Testament and New Testament as a unified revelation while respecting the distinct contribution of each. Who should read this: Christians who feel overwhelmed by the Old Testament's cultural distance and literary complexity, pastors seeking to preach more confidently from Hebrew texts, and study group leaders wanting solid interpretive foundations. This is not for those seeking verse-by-verse commentary or quick devotional applications.