During class the other day one of the students asked a question that developed into a very interesting discussion about the nature of God. He believes, like most of us, that the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament are one. In reading the Bible, however, he pointed out the God of the Old Testament is very different from the God of the New Testament. Although most people find this one God difficult to reconcile, he said that for him "it is not inconsistent to believe that the God of the Old Testament was a God of judgment", who alternately protected and punished His people, while "the God of the New Testament is a God of love", who offered His people unlimited mercy. Although most of us in the class believe that the God of the Old Testament was a God of justice, we didn't believe that he was a God of judgment.
In the stories of the Old Testament the people of Moses and later the people of Israel experienced God's direct punishment for their lack of faith, disobedience, and sin. Most of us believed that these stories were infused with a limited understanding of who God was, and they were also enhanced to impress outsiders, keep aggressors at bay, and make the stories memorable. It is important to understand what was happening to God's chosen people and to everyone else. They began as a loose collection of emancipated slaves from different back grounds, with very little in common except for a belief in the God of Moses who led them to freedom, and after crossing the Red Sea they probably didn't get along with each other. They would most likely have traveled in separate groups, following their own leaders and making their own rules. They were a small population compared to the inhabitants of the areas they were passing through, and as a homeless people they struggled constantly with the local populations. They would have banded together only when necessary to ensure their safety.
As they traveled they would have recited the stories of national and local gods who did battle with each other, and attempted to understand and explain the struggle in their own lives caused by one god or another. Their beliefs in how the many gods behaved would have been applied to their understanding of the God of Moses. It was important to believe that their god would protect them and the idea of an "all powerful" God capable of smiting the forces of all other gods was very important. Later, the people of Judah and Israel also struggled with their neighbors and their understanding and relationship with God continued to evolve. For example, it wasn't until the period of exile to Babylon, and the loss of the Temple, that their God became for them the One True God. These stories were eventually collected and written down, and a God capable of severe punishment (as they understood him) was used to explain the obvious and very real effects of disobedience, etc.
The message that the Holy Spirit wishes to convey to us as readers of the Bible is that disobedience to God results in pain and disappointment. The stories about God smiting those who disobey him is intended to help us understand the severity of poor decisions and the lasting penalties of disobedience. The continuous and consistent message of the Bible is that God loves us, God will protect us, and God is waiting for us. Thankfully, the writers of the New Testament continue our understanding of who God is. Jesus is, for us, the "Face of God". Jesus is, in fact, God. Jesus taught love, mercy, and tolerance, and He is the example by which we come to know God. He said that, "no one comes to the Father except by me", which means physically and spiritually. Jesus is the source of knowledge to help us understand who God is and how we are to build a relationship with Him; to be worthy of spending eternity with Him. Ask yourself the question, “Who is Jesus?”, and you will know God.
In the stories of the Old Testament the people of Moses and later the people of Israel experienced God's direct punishment for their lack of faith, disobedience, and sin. Most of us believed that these stories were infused with a limited understanding of who God was, and they were also enhanced to impress outsiders, keep aggressors at bay, and make the stories memorable. It is important to understand what was happening to God's chosen people and to everyone else. They began as a loose collection of emancipated slaves from different back grounds, with very little in common except for a belief in the God of Moses who led them to freedom, and after crossing the Red Sea they probably didn't get along with each other. They would most likely have traveled in separate groups, following their own leaders and making their own rules. They were a small population compared to the inhabitants of the areas they were passing through, and as a homeless people they struggled constantly with the local populations. They would have banded together only when necessary to ensure their safety.
As they traveled they would have recited the stories of national and local gods who did battle with each other, and attempted to understand and explain the struggle in their own lives caused by one god or another. Their beliefs in how the many gods behaved would have been applied to their understanding of the God of Moses. It was important to believe that their god would protect them and the idea of an "all powerful" God capable of smiting the forces of all other gods was very important. Later, the people of Judah and Israel also struggled with their neighbors and their understanding and relationship with God continued to evolve. For example, it wasn't until the period of exile to Babylon, and the loss of the Temple, that their God became for them the One True God. These stories were eventually collected and written down, and a God capable of severe punishment (as they understood him) was used to explain the obvious and very real effects of disobedience, etc.
The message that the Holy Spirit wishes to convey to us as readers of the Bible is that disobedience to God results in pain and disappointment. The stories about God smiting those who disobey him is intended to help us understand the severity of poor decisions and the lasting penalties of disobedience. The continuous and consistent message of the Bible is that God loves us, God will protect us, and God is waiting for us. Thankfully, the writers of the New Testament continue our understanding of who God is. Jesus is, for us, the "Face of God". Jesus is, in fact, God. Jesus taught love, mercy, and tolerance, and He is the example by which we come to know God. He said that, "no one comes to the Father except by me", which means physically and spiritually. Jesus is the source of knowledge to help us understand who God is and how we are to build a relationship with Him; to be worthy of spending eternity with Him. Ask yourself the question, “Who is Jesus?”, and you will know God.
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