Is the God of the Old Testament ‘different’ than the
God of the New Testament?
That is a good question. Many
people view, believe, the God of the Old Testament is wrathful, vengeful, fearful,
etc.; and believe the God of the New Testament is more loving, forgiving,
accepting, and welcoming. I believe there is no difference. I view God as the
same God of love, for all, throughout the Bible. To show that different view of
God, please let me know which stories of the Old Testament you believe depicts
God as fearful, wrathful, etc. In turn, I will offer a different viewpoint.
Rich from Florida emailed the following question/comment:
ReplyDeleteThe fearful or wrathful God was when he flooded the world and only saved Noah and his family; being a child and going to Wednesday and Sunday school for release time the Catholic Church would really scare us for many years.
Rich, thanks for your comment. Yes, on the surface, that story seems to depict a wrathful God; killing everyone. To have a different understanding, one of God’s love, grace, and hope, and not wrath and fear, let’s look at the context of that story. In ancient times, there were many Flood narratives. The people of that time believed the gods (little “g” gods) got angry and decided to flood the world, kill everyone, and start all over. In Genesis chapter 6 it does say God was grieved that He made humankind and decided to wipe them out (just like the little “g” gods). Where God is different from the perceived gods, God saw favor in Noah. Instead of God wiping them all out, God, in His love for the world, saved Noah, his family, and many animals. God, using the beliefs at the time, about gods, was changing the narrative, so the world could see salvation by the big “G” God. God was wiping out the “sin” of the world and raising people, and animals, the world, to new life. In our Lutheran tradition, that Flood narrative is about dying and rising in the waters of our baptism. God giving us new life. New life that continued, and was fulfilled, through the Baptism of Jesus Christ; giving the world God’s love, hope, and peace.
ReplyDeleteNorma from IL wants to know how or why God showed mercy, compassion, and love for humanity in the story of Jonah 3:8-10.
ReplyDeleteNorma, that is good question. The story of Jonah, is, a wonderful story of God’s mercy, compassion, and love for “those” people. The Ninevites were some of Israel’s greatest enemies. They were notorious for being very brutal. They were a very murderous people; flaying people alive, burning them to death, and very immoral. That’s why when God called Jonah to go to Nineveh, he rebelled against God and went in the opposite direction to Tarshish (Spain). In this story we see God’s desire for all people to repent, to turn away from their evil ways, to turn around and live lives of love. We also see Jonah’s disdain for his calling. As we know, he eventually went to Nineveh (the whale story) and cried out, one time, “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” (Jonah 3:4b). Much to his surprise, and disdain, they all repented; all were “saved” by God. We also see God’s mercy, compassion, and love for Jonah who might still be with Jonah on that hillside waiting for him to know, believe, and live God’s love and forgiveness.
This is a great story of God’s love for all people. We see God, seeing all people, as the people God created; worthy of God’s love and forgiveness. What does forgiveness, from God, from each other look like? More peace? More hope? More love. Knowing God’s love for all people, including us, what if we lived more mercy, compassion, and love for all people as God does? As we do, how could, how would, our world look like?
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ReplyDeleteJeremiah 31:31-34 are some of the greatest verses in the Old Testament which depict God’s love for all. In spite of God’s people’s continual rebellion against God from Genesis 3 to Jeremiah 31, God has Jeremiah prophesy the New Covenant, Jesus would fill through the Sacrament of Holy Communion on Maundy Thursday. Then, through His death on Good Friday and God raising Him on that first Easter, God fulfilled God’s promise to forgive the world’s iniquity and remember our sin no more. I believe that to be God’s Holy Amnesia. Because of God’s prophesy in Jeremiah and Jesus fulfilling God’s promise, there might not an “unforgiveable” sin. Think about this, do you think the greatest sin we could ever do is killing God (which we all did with our sins, that sent Jesus to His Cross)? If so, remember Jesus’ words from Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive them (for killing me); for they don’t know what they are doing.” What if, we took Jesus, God, for His word of grace and forgiveness? What if we lived God’s grace and forgiveness? What could our world look like if we unconditionally loved as God does?
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