What is the meaning of the Old Testament?

The Old Testament is about God (Genesis 1:1) and him redeeming his people through his son Jesus Christ. In Genesis 2 we see the fall of man. In Genesis 3:15 we see God promising to send a Savior to crush Satan’s head and redeem his people from sin. The rest of the Old Testament points us towards that Savior who is Jesus.

The Old Testament is not a bunch of moral stories we read and try to live by. There are good stories in the bible but if you read them carefully you will find that the only “good” one in the stories is God Himself. God is always in complete control throughout these narratives. In all these stories we should see God’s Sovereignty and God’s redemption. That is what Gregg Day calls the "gold thread" and the "red thread". The gold thread is God's sovereignty and the red thread is God's redeeming act.  

The narratives throughout the Old Testament should be pointing us to the true Savior. Jesus is the promised seed from Adam that would crush the head of Satan (Gen. 3:15). He is the offspring of Abraham that would bless every nation (Gen. 12). He is the son of Judah who reigns eternally as king (Gen. 49).

Jesus is the Passover lamb who was slain to save God’s people from the angel of death (Exodus12). He is the bread of life that truly feeds his people (Exodus 16, John 6). Jesus is the rock from whom living water flows (Exodus 17, John 4). Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of the law, obeying the commandments of God perfectly in thought, word and deed (Exodus 20, Matt. 5:17). He is also the greater high priest that offers his very body as a sacrifice for the sins of his people (Exodus 28-29, 1 Cor. 15, Hebrews 4-5).

Jesus is the once for all sacrifice that God offered on the alter on the “day of atonement”, and at the same time the scape goat that took away the sins of his people, out of the presence of God (Lev. 16, Hebrews 7:22-28).

Jesus is the promise land that his people can run to for shelter (Numbers 34). He is also the one who leads us into this promise land where they will dwell with him forever (Joshua 3). He is the warrior who is victorious over sin and death (Joshua 5).

Jesus is Israel’s only Savior (Isaiah 43), He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:3-6). The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn (Isaiah 61:1-3).

Jesus is the merciful Husband who takes back his unfaithful bride (Hosea 1-3). He is the One who brings the Day of the Lord, Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; it is near, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains a great and powerful people; their like has never been before, nor will be again after them through the years of all generations (Joel 2:1-2). Yet he is also full of mercy and grace, “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster (Joel 2:12-13).

The Old Testament is all about God’s promises to his people. Jesus is the fulfillment of those promises. Jesus is our salvation. Turn to Him in faith and repentance.