Three Reasons for Teaching the Old Testament to Kids

If you've been involved in Children's ministry for any length of time, the question of curriculum always comes up. For us at Redeemer Fellowship, our choices recently have been focused on giving our kids a view of the whole Bible. We don't just want give them biblical stories that seem disjointed and disconnected (from either testament), we desire to give them a complete picture. Here are 3 reasons we teach from Old Testament:

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1. It's History

These are facts that actually happened in the past. We can argue about dates and times, but that doesn't get away from the fact that it happened. Any history teacher will tell you that we all can learn from past. For the people of God, this is our past and we are called in Deuteronomy 6 pass it on to future generations, to remind them of God's provision and faithfulness. 

2. It's ONE Story

We can sit and argue all day that the Bible is made up of many stories, but they all combine to form one grand meta-narrative of God's redemption.  Our kids not only need to understand how it all fits together as well as it's purpose. They need to see that they are just like the Israelites who are always in need of rescue and redemption. We do our kids a disservice when we only teach them some what God had done without helping them connect those together and help them see their need.

3. It's HIS Story

If the Old Testament is not only historical fact, but also tells one story; what story does it tell and who is the main character? The story the Old Testament tells is the story of God redeeming a people from their sin; it's the story of redemption. The main character is God Himself. The climax of this story, and all of history, is the sinless life, sacrificial death and miraculous resurrection of Jesus. Without the Old Testament the story of Jesus seems ... incomplete.

If we want our kids and the kids we teach to have a complete understanding of redemptive history, we have to teach the whole counsel of God, which includes the Old Testament. Without the Old Testament, we risk giving kids an incomplete picture of God and His work which would stunt their growth and maturity.