The last time I read through the New Testament, I decided it might be fruitful and interesting to keep track of all of the occurrences where the author made reference to narratives in the Old Testament. And since this week’s fighter passage makes reference to the Great Cloud of Witnesses, I thought it would be an appropriate time to post the list. You’ll find them below.
But before that –
One disclaimer: This list doesn’t include bible verse references nor does to include those instances when an author simply names an OT character. So for example, this list doesn’t include Luke 10:12, but it does include Luke 17:29. It also doesn’t include most passages where Moses commanded or spoke something.
And A Few Notes:
-88 Story References
-From 16 Books of the New Testament
-Primary Places: Acts 7 and Hebrews 11
-31 Main Characters
-Character with Most References: Moses (21) — About a third of the stories are references to the Exodus.
On Wednesday nights I work with Kindergarteners and we teach them that God is the most important person in the Bible. This list bears this out. Click on the links – more often than not you will see references to God working through the people, or how the story tells us something about God, or how God is speaking to us through the story.
This list also gives evidence to the idea that Jesus liked/knew/understood the Old Testament.
Here’s the List – Please let me know if I missed any.
New Testament References of Old Testament Stories
| Order | Reference | Main Character | Story |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matthew 8:4 | Moses | Commanded a Gift |
| 2 | Matthew 12:3 | David | Ate When He Was Hungry |
| 3 | Matthew 12:40 | Jonah | Three Days in the Whale |
| 4 | Matthew 12:41 | Ninevah | Repented at Jonah’s Preaching |
| 5 | Matthew 12:42 | Solomon | Visited by the Queen |
| 6 | Matthew 19:7-8 | Moses | Allowed Divorce |
| 7 | Matthew 22:42-45 | David | Calls the Christ Lord |
| 8 | Matthew 24:37-39 | People in Noah’s Day | Unaware Until the Flood came |
| 9 | Mark 2:25 | David | Eats When He’s Hungry |
| 10 | Mark 10:4 | Moses | Allowed Divorce |
| 11 | Mark 12:26 | Moses | Spoken To By God |
| 12 | Luke 4:25 | Israel in the days of Elijah | No Rain for Three Years |
| 13 | Luke 4:27 | Israel in the days of Elisha | Only Naaman Cured |
| 14 | Luke 6:3 | David | Eats When He’s Hungry |
| 15 | Luke 11:30 | Ninevah | Repented at Jonah’s Preaching |
| 16 | Luke 11:31 | Solomon | Visited by the Queen |
| 17 | Luke 17:26-27 | People in Noah’s Day | Unaware Until the Flood came |
| 18 | Luke 17:29 | Sodom | Destroyed By Fire and Sulfur |
| 19 | Luke 20:37 | Moses | He calls the Lord the God of the Patriarchs |
| 20 | John 3:14 | Moses | Moses holds up the serpent |
| 21 | John 4:5-12 | Jacob | Gives Joseph a Well |
| 22 | Acts 2:29-31 | David | David Sees Christ’s Resurrection |
| 23 | Acts 4:25 | Abraham | Abraham receives the blessing promise |
| 24 | Acts 7:2-7 | Abraham | Calling of Abraham |
| 25 | Acts 7:8 | Isaac and Jacob | Patriarchy |
| 26 | Acts 7:9-16 | Joseph | Joseph in Egypt |
| 27 | Acts 7:17-34 | Moses | Calling Of Moses – Burning Bush |
| 28 | Acts 7:36 | Moses | Escape From Egypt |
| 29 | Acts 7:35-36 | Moses | 40 Years in the Dessert |
| 30 | Acts 7:39-41 | Moses | Golden Calf |
| 31 | Acts 7:45 | Joshua | Conquering Of Canaan |
| 32 | Acts 7:45-46 | David | Wanting to Build the Temple |
| 33 | Acts 7:47 | Solomon | Building the Temple |
| 34 | Acts 13:17 | Nation of Israel | Escape From Egypt |
| 35 | Acts 13:18 | Nation of Israel | 40 Years in the Dessert |
| 36 | Acts 13:19 | Nation of Israel | Conquering Of Canaan |
| 37 | Acts 13:20 | Samuel | Judges in Israel |
| 38 | Acts 13:21 | Saul | Saul Made King |
| 39 | Acts 13:22 | David | David Made King |
| 40 | Romans 4:1-5 | Abraham | Abraham justified by faith |
| 41 | Romans 4:18-19 | Abraham | Miraculous Birth Of Isaac |
| 42 | Romans 5:12 | Adam | Adam sinned |
| 43 | Romans 9:8-9 | Abraham | Miraculous Birth Of Isaac |
| 44 | Romans 9:10-12 | Isaac | Birth of Jacob and Esau |
| 45 | Romans 11:2 | Elijah | Appealed To God Against Israel |
| 46 | 1 Cor 10:1-4 | People of Israel | Crossing the Red Sea and Sin at Sinai |
| 47 | 2 Cor 3:7-18 | Moses | Moses Bringing the Ten Commandments |
| 48 | Galatians 3 | Abraham | Promise and Blessing given to Abraham |
| 49 | Galatians 4:21 | Abraham | Two Sons with Hagar and Sarah |
| 50 | 2 Timothy 3:8 | Moses | Opposed by Pharaoh’s Magicians |
| 51 | Hebrews 3:15 | Moses | People’s Rebellion |
| 52 | Hebrews 4:1 | God | God Resting on the Sabbath |
| 53 | Hebrews 7:1 | Abraham | Abraham is blessed by Melchizedek |
| 54 | Hebrews 8:5 | Moses | Makes the Tent |
| 55 | Hebrews 9:1-10 | Moses | Moses and the Tabernacle |
| 56 | Hebrews 9:11ff | Moses | Moses and the priesthood |
| 57 | Hebrews 11:3 | God | God Created the World |
| 58 | Hebrews 11:4 | Abel | Abel offered a more acceptable sacrifice |
| 59 | Hebrews 11:5 | Enoch | Enoch taken up to heaven |
| 60 | Hebrews 11:7 | Noah | Noah Builds an Ark |
| 61 | Hebrews 11:8-10 | Abraham | Abraham goes to the Promised Land |
| 62 | Hebrews 11:11-12 | Abraham | Abraham & Sarah Conceiving |
| 63 | Hebrews 11:17-19 | Abraham | Abraham sacrifices Isaac |
| 64 | Hebrews 11:20 | Isaac | Isaac blessed his sons |
| 65 | Hebrews 11:21 | Jacob | Jacob blessed his sons |
| 66 | Hebrews 11:22 | Joseph | Joseph prophesies the Exodus |
| 67 | Hebrews 11:23 | Moses | Moses hidden from Pharaoh |
| 68 | Hebrews 11:24-26 | Moses | Moses refuses to be called Pharaoh’s son |
| 69 | Hebrews 11:27 | Moses | Moses runs from Egypt |
| 70 | Hebrews 11:28 | Moses | Moses keeps the Passover |
| 71 | Hebrews 11:29 | Israelite Nation | Israelites cross the Dead Sea |
| 72 | Hebrews 11:30 | Israelite Nation | Israelite Nation destroys Jericho |
| 73 | Hebrews 11:31 | Rahab | Rahab welcomes the spies |
| 74 | Hebrews 12:16 | Esau | Esau sells his birthright |
| 75 | Hebrews 12:18-21 | Moses | Moses afraid of the presence of God |
| 76 | James 2:21 | Jacob | Sacrifice of Isaac |
| 77 | James 5:11 | Job | Job is steadfast |
| 78 | James 5:17-18 | Elijah | Elijah prays for no rain |
| 79 | 1 Peter 3:6 | Sarah | Sarah called Abraham Lord |
| 80 | 1 Peter 3:20 | Noah | Noah and his family saved by God in the Ark |
| 81 | 2 Peter 2:5 | Noah | Noah and his family saved by God in the Ark |
| 82 | 2 Peter 2:6-8 | Lot | Saved in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah |
| 83 | 2 Peter 2:15-16 | Balaam | Rebuked by a donkey |
| 84 | 1 John 3:12 | Cain | Cain murders Abel |
| 85 | Jude 5 | Israelite Nation | Israelite Nation saved out of Egypt by Jesus |
| 86 | Jude 7 | Sodom and Gomorrah | Sodom and Gomorrah punished by eternal fire |
| 87 | Jude 14 | Enoch | Enoch prophesied warning |
| 88 | Rev 2:14 | Balaam | Taught Balak to trip up Israel |
In case you’re curious, here is a list of other posts on my blogs which show a whole category of items from the Bible.
Fighter Verse Songs 
The crossing of the Red Sea and the rebellion at Sinai and in the desert mentioned in 1 Corinthians 10:1-10.
By: Jeff Friesen on March 14, 2013
at 8:11 am
Great list! Don’t forget about Hebrews 12:18-21 which talks about Exodus 19:7-20! That’s my favorite scripture to read before meeting to worship.
By: Brandon on March 14, 2013
at 8:30 am
Great stuff…thank you for sharing. I’ve filed away and shared it. God bless.
By: Garrett Kell on March 14, 2013
at 9:17 am
Great list!
Thank you for posting it.
God bless.
By: Herman of bibledifferences.net on March 14, 2013
at 12:32 pm
Great list, but I noticed you had Moses blessed by Melchizedek, that was Abraham Gen 14:17-20 (or Abram at that time). Great list non the less.
By: DRA on March 15, 2013
at 12:37 am
[…] Fighter Verse Songs: The New Testament’s Favorite Old Testament Stories […]
By: Saturday Shout-Outs, STBS, Race Matters, & Ministry Links | H.B. Charles Jr. on March 16, 2013
at 4:05 pm
Thanks for you suggestions and edits. I’ve added them.
By: jamsco on March 23, 2013
at 1:37 am
[…] is something to help your understanding of how NT writers thought about the OT: “The New Testament’s Favorite Old Testament Stories.” Of […]
By: Grab bag | Words of Grace on August 3, 2013
at 12:34 pm