Harmony Between the Testaments

There is a notion, perhaps more common than we realize, that the Old Testament and the New Testament belong to two different worlds — that the God of the one is somehow different from the God of the other. But that is simply not true. The same God who inspired the proverbs of Solomon inspired the letters of Paul, and when you set them side by side, the harmony is striking.

Consider Proverbs 10 and Romans 12. One is a collection of ancient wisdom sayings; the other is Paul's great practical appeal to Christians living in Rome. Different centuries. Different authors. Different audiences. And yet the principles they teach mirror each other so closely that you almost wonder if Paul had the proverbs open on his desk.

Diligence in What Matters Most

Proverbs 10:4 gives us a plain statement about the physical life: "He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich." (Prov 10:4) As a general rule of life, that is simply true. But Paul lifts the same principle into the spiritual realm in Romans 12: "Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." (Rom 12:11) The Christian who is slack about his faith — who never quite makes up his mind about being where the saints are worshiping — will find his spiritual life growing thin. The Lord is looking for those who will worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). That begins with a settled decision, not a weekly negotiation.

Love That Is Genuine

Proverbs 10:12 tells us that "hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sin." (Prov 10:12) Love remembers the thousand good things a person has done and tends to overlook the one bad. Hatred works exactly the opposite — it finds the one fault and magnifies it. Romans 12 says the same thing from the other direction: "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love." (Rom 12:9-10) The agape love the Bible commands does not require that we like everyone, but it does require that we want what is best for them — genuinely, not as a performance. Whoever hides hatred behind a smile while tearing someone down in private has lying lips, as the proverb says. Let love be real. 1 Peter 4:8 adds that love will cover a multitude of sin.

The Wisdom of a Restrained Tongue

Proverbs 10:19 warns that "in the multitude of words, sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise." (Prov 10:19) Sooner or later, the person who just keeps talking is going to say something he should not have said. Romans 12:14 mirrors that warning exactly: "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse." (Rom 12:14) Sometimes the most righteous thing you can do is simply be quiet. If you cannot bless, at least do not condemn. And if to do evil feels like a game to a fool (Prov 10:23), the Christian's answer is Paul's in Romans 12: repay no one evil for evil, and have regard for what is good in the sight of all men.

In Closing

So much of the New Testament is built on the foundation of the Old. The mind of God does not change. As we read through our Bibles — Old Testament and New, proverb and epistle — we would do well to look for those connections. They deepen our appreciation for Scripture and remind us that we serve one God, one Lord, revealed consistently across every page. Keep reading. Keep looking for the harmony. It is there, and it is rich.