When we come to Galatians 3:15–29, Paul helps us understand an important question: If we are no longer under the Law of Moses, what purpose did that law serve, and what value does the Old Testament still have for us today?

Paul begins by reminding us of God’s promise to Abraham. That promise came long before the Law of Moses—about 430 years earlier. The law did not cancel, change, or replace God’s promise. The promise pointed forward to Abraham’s “Seed,” and Paul tells us plainly that this Seed is Jesus Christ.

So the law was never intended to be the final means of salvation.

Paul asks, “What purpose then does the law serve?” His answer is that it was added because of transgressions. The law revealed sin. It helped people understand the seriousness of sin and their need for redemption. But the law itself could not give eternal life.

It was temporary.

Paul describes the law as a tutor that brought people to Christ. A tutor helps prepare and instruct someone until they reach the point they need to reach. In the same way, the Old Law was preparing God’s people for the coming of Jesus.

Once Christ came and established the new covenant through His death on the cross, that old system was no longer the covenant under which God’s people live. We are now under Christ.

But that does not mean the Old Testament has no value for us.

In fact, we still need to study it.

Paul says in Romans 15:4 that the things written before were written for our learning. The Old Testament records God’s faithfulness. We see how He kept His promises to Abraham. We see how He dealt with Israel. We see His justice, His mercy, His patience, and His willingness to forgive those who truly turned back to Him.

And when we study those things, they give us hope.

If God kept His promises, we can trust Him to keep them now.

The Old Testament is also written for our admonition.

In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul reminds Christians about what happened to Israel in the wilderness. They experienced God’s blessings, but many of them still fell because of unbelief, idolatry, immorality, complaining, and rebellion.

Paul says those things happened as examples for us.

That means when you read about Israel’s failures, you should not just think, “Look what they did.”

You should ask, “Could I make the same mistake?”

Could we become ungrateful?

Could we become rebellious?

Could we allow sin to harden our hearts?

Could we drift away from God after having received His blessings?

Those Old Testament accounts warn us that apostasy is real and that faithfulness matters.

The Old Testament also teaches us patience and endurance. The New Testament writers frequently point back to figures such as Job, Abraham, Moses, and the prophets to help Christians understand how to remain faithful in the face of suffering.

And suffering can come in many forms. It may be physical pain, financial difficulty, disappointment, loss, or some other burden. When those times come, we need examples of people who trusted God even when life was difficult.

The Old Testament gives us those examples.

It also gives us wisdom concerning salvation.

Paul reminded Timothy that from childhood he had known the Holy Scriptures. Those Scriptures helped make him wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Think about how much of the gospel becomes clearer when we understand the Old Testament.

We learn where sin began.

We learn why mankind needs redemption.

We see God’s plan unfolding throughout history.

We see promise after promise pointing toward the Messiah.

We see hundreds of prophecies preparing people for Jesus Christ.

And when Christ comes, those promises find their fulfillment in Him.

Even some books of the New Testament are difficult to understand without an Old Testament foundation. You cannot fully appreciate Hebrews without understanding the priesthood, sacrifices, and tabernacle. You cannot fully appreciate many portions of Revelation without understanding the language and imagery of the prophets.

So if you want to understand the New Testament more deeply, you need to study the Old Testament.

Paul also tells us that all Scripture is profitable.

It is profitable for doctrine, because it teaches us about God, man, sin, righteousness, and redemption.

It is profitable for reproof and correction because it shows us what happens when people rebel against God and what repentance looks like.

And it is profitable for instruction in righteousness because it teaches us principles for living a life that pleases God.

Some things changed when the new covenant came. The system of worship changed. The priesthood changed. The sacrifices changed. The covenant itself changed.

But God’s holiness did not change.

The seriousness of sin did not change.

The importance of obedience did not change.

The need for faith did not change.

And God’s desire for His people to live righteous lives did not change.

So when we ask, “What value does the Old Testament have for us?” the answer is: a tremendous amount.

It teaches us.

It warns us.

It encourages us.

It gives us wisdom.

It helps us understand Christ.

And it strengthens our faith.

Today, we rejoice because salvation is offered through faith in Jesus Christ. We are not under the Law of Moses as our covenant. But we should never make the mistake of thinking that means the Old Testament no longer matters.

Instead, we should study it and learn from it.

Hebrews 11 gives us example after example of people who lived by faith. Their lives should encourage you to do the same.

As you study the Old Testament, do not read it simply as ancient history.

See what God is teaching you.

See the warnings.

See the examples.

See the promises.

And above all, see how everything points forward to Jesus Christ.

We are not under the old law, but we are still meant to learn from it, grow through it, and let it strengthen our faith in Christ.