Many Christian say that it is easy to find the fact that God is a loving God when we read through the New Testament. In contrast, they say it is hard to understand that God is a loving God in the Old Testament. They say God in the Old Testament usually seems like an angry, scary, merciless God. I thought like that before too, but I realize God is the same loving God in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Then how can we explain differences of God in the Old and New Testament? I would say the way that God communicates with people could be changed, but His character does not change at all from the beginning to today.
First of all, we need to know circumstances in the Ancient period. In the Ancient period, people did not know who God is, so He had to show that He is the real God among all the pagan gods in a physical and visible way through Israel.
Also, we need to know God’s intention when He punishes people. In the Judges, Israel kept committing sin such as Idolatry, sexual immorality, and other pagan rituals. God allowed other nations to invade Israel, but when they cried out to God, He always brought judges and saved them. We can see here God’s patience, grace, and His intention to punish. It was not because God hated them, but because He wanted them to come back to Him and live by His law and under His blessing. We can see God’s love for other nations, too. God told to Jonah to proclaim judgment to Nineveh. However, when they confessed to God, He gave that nation another chance.
Also, there is one example that people misunderstand about God in general. One of the most popular passages that people think of an unmerciful God is when God commanded to kill everyone when Israel took the promised land. Before we judge God as unmerciful, we need to see Genesis 15. When God made a covenant with Abraham, God told him that Israelites are going to have the promised land, but it will take more than 400 years because the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet complete. At that time, the Amorites’ evilness was more than we think. We can see God’s patience here. God did not judge them immediately, but he gave them a chance which was 400 years, and it was not a short time. Also, we should know God did not command ‘Holy war’ every time. Usually, when Israel had a war, God told them to give a chance to their enemy to surrender. He was not killing people because He was angry. As I mentioned, at that time, God wanted to bless all nations through Israel, but He had to deal with sin in some way because He is Holy God. He waited four generations for the Amorites to repent, but they did not. If they repented of their evilness and turned to God, He would forgive them. We can see that of God’s character in Jeremiah 18:7-10.
Moreover, we should know that God in the New Testament is the same God in the Old Testament who hates sin. God dealt with sin sincerely in the New Testament, also. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is the best example that shows it. God did not, actually could not, overlook an offense of people because it crosses His character. God is a loving God, but also He is God of justice. He loves us, but He had to deal with sin. Therefore, He sent His son, who is innocent, to die instead of us. It is the cross. We can see God’s love and justice in Calvary.
As we see, God is always the same God through the Old Testament to the New Testament, who is patient, gracious, merciful, but who hates sin.
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