Grappling with the Relevance of the Old Testament

Day 84: 2 Chronicles 23-26

I have another confession to make. Here it is: I feel in a rut with this whole reading thing. I've read the passages for the day and don't have anything to write about them. Everything I've been reading for the past few weeks has already been told in the books of Samuel and Kings, and so I'm not hearing about new stories or learning different things about the nature of God (at least that's how I feel, which is why I'm in a rut). Now I realize when I write that how arrogant that sounds, and I really don't mean it that way. I know there is much more for me to learn. I guess what I mean is that this stuff is a little boring. I learn about kings and battles and how God was involved in them, but I end up asking, "So what?" What does all this matter anyway? Why is it important that I learn about Joash, Amaziah, and the armies of Israel and Judah? What should Christians today take away from these passages in the Old Testament that seem so outdated and ancient?

I recognize the historical significance of the Bible and how Christians today find our identity by connecting our lives to our ancestors. I also realize that we learn about God and about his nature. This is no small thing either. However, often times God is merely referenced and only in rare occasions (at least from what I've been reading) is he the center of the story. Rather, God is only mentioned when the author is summing up the king's life: King ____ did not follow the Lord's commands as his father King ___ did, or King ____ followed the Lord's commands as his father King ___ did, too. Is there something to be learned from that? I'm sure I could post something about it, but that statement doesn't really tell me much. How did he follow the Lord? What did he do specifically that resulted in the author writing this about him? I'm just a bit more curious about the "so what" of it all.

There's also a connection between success in battles and following of God. If the king follows God and keeps his commandments, then God is with him and allows him to gain power and glory. However, in spite of this connection, I know from living life that today good things do not always happen to good people. While this may be true in the Old Testament (and I'm not sure it was), it's not true today. So I'm not sure how to reconcile these differences between our lives today and theirs from long ago.

What can we learn today from the stories of the Israelites so long ago? 

What is God trying to teach us--teach me--through the Old Testament scripture? 


These are questions I'm pondering right now because I feel in a bit of a rut with the scripture of late.
Have you ever grappled with these same questions? What are your thoughts, dear reader? How do you get out of a scripture rut? How do you find meaning when the text seems more historical than applicable and relevant? I'd love to hear your thoughts.