Spending time in Galatians recently reminded me of a belief I held in my late teens and early twenties—that the Old Testament wasn’t as necessary to read as the New. After all, one is “old” and the other “new,” right? But the people Paul addresses in Galatians had a similar misunderstanding. Like the younger me, they didn’t realize how deeply Jesus and His gospel are woven throughout the Old Testament.

Because of this, they—and I—missed the full significance of who Jesus is and what He fulfilled in His birth, life, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension. They failed to see Jesus in the Scriptures they had (Genesis through Malachi), and as a result, they were misled and confused about God and His desires for them. They missed the awesome deity of Jesus and the full power of the gospel.

Paul wrote Galatians to make this crystal clear. The people had reduced the Old Testament to a list of laws to follow in hopes of being good enough. This led to false gospels and a diminished view of Jesus. Paul reminds them in Galatians 3:10–14:

“For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse… Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because ‘the righteous will live by faith.’”

Here, Paul quotes Habakkuk 2:4, pointing to the faith of Abraham—the faith of the covenant God made with him in the Old Testament. This reference signaled to the Jews that Paul was affirming Jesus as Almighty God, not just a remarkable man.

In Genesis 15:8, Abram asks, “O Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?” God responds with instructions for a covenant ceremony. Abram prepares the animals and lays the pieces out. Then, in Genesis 15:17–18, God alone walks between the pieces:

“When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram…”

God didn’t require Abram to walk between the carcasses. He knew Abram couldn’t fulfill every requirement of the covenant. Only God had the authority, strength, and sovereignty to seal it. By walking alone, God personally guaranteed His promises—knowing we are incapable of fulfilling our part perfectly. This moment foreshadowed Jesus securing our eternal promises through His suffering and death on the cross. All that’s required of us is the kind of trust Abraham had, as described in Hebrews 11:8–11:

“By faith Abraham…obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going…he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”

When we trust Jesus, we seek to know Him more and follow Him—not out of obligation, but out of love. And Jesus promises help along the way. In John 14:24–26, He says:

“The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

Jesus not only secures God’s promises for us—He sends the Spirit to guide us, remind us of truth, and help us resist the things that rob us of His promises. All we have to do is consistently turn to Him and trust Him, leaning on the power of His walk on our behalf.

A Prayer of Grateful Trust

Dear Lord Jesus, I am far from fully grasping the significance of You taking that walk for me. I pray for the help You promised—so that I may honor the walk You’ve taken on my behalf. Let Your Word be what I seek and follow more and more, as I learn of Your love for me. May that love ignite a fire in my heart for You. Amen.