Q: Why does God seem to act differently in the Old Testament than He does in the New Testament? How would you respond to nonbelievers that call God a murderer and a perpetrator of genocide, based on Old Testament accounts? In the Old Testament we see God primarily as a God of judgment and wrath, but in the New Testament as the God of love, grace, and mercy. —Robert

A. Many of our problems in interpreting the Old Testament are due to misunderstanding the context in which they were written. The Old Testament writers didn’t have a clear conception of the resurrection. Much less did they understand how God would provide a means for salvation. Although the writers were inspired by God, they were imperfect human instruments limited by their language, writing skills, and cultural background. But with all of their limitations, the Old Testament writers had the unique insight that the great high God, Yahweh, the Creator of the universe, was also intimately interested and involved in people’s individual lives.

Exodus 34:6, 7 describes God as “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished.”

Psalm 23:1-6 describes God as a gentle shepherd who protects and nourishes his wayward sheep. And the prophet Isaiah declares:

Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon (Isaiah 55:7).

The gods of other ancient people were man-made, deaf, dumb, and blind. But the God of Israel is the Creator of the universe, an infinite being. God’s awareness is infinitely greater than ours, His personality is infinitely more complex, and his relationships infinitely more intimate.

The Old Testament descriptions of God’s interaction with human beings can be understood best as men struggling to describe God’s nature, power, and relationship with mankind. Old Testament descriptions of God’s interaction with people should always be interpreted in the light of the Bible’s overall affirmation of God’s holiness, justice, and love. —Dan VanderLugt

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