Why is God of the Old Testament so different from God of the New??

Question

God of the Old Testament was a complete @ss, to put it bluntly, then His son is born, and He's loving and forgiving, blah, blah, blah...... Isn't this just more evidence that these books were written to control mankind?? I mean, being a God of fear didn't work, so how about a God of love?

What about devastating cities, requiring sacrifices for "sins", a bias relationship with Israel and even the slaughter of children?!?

Answer 1

He is not any different in the New than in the old. What you are seeing is His holiness and response to sin. God was the same with Adam that He is now, but when sin came in His holiness separated Him from us and His wrath against sin became visible. Once the cross took place we are once again open to fellowship with Him. He has not changed at all, we did.

Answer 2

I'm sorry that you have come away with that impression. The God of the OT is the same as the God of the NT, except there is one major difference. The events in the OT are exactly what happens when we sin, and when WE have to take the punishment for it. In the NT, however, Jesus died for our sins as the ultimate sacrifice. For example, in the days of the OT, with the tabernacle in the wilderness and everything, once a year the priests would lay their hands on a goat, ask God to look upon this goat as if it held all the sins of Israel for the past year, and then the priest would drive it out of the camp or city, depending on where they were. Around the goat's neck was a red ribbon, and there was also another red ribbon tied to the tabernacle. When the goat died, the ribbon on the tabernacle turned white, which symbolized forgiveness and purity. The Israelite priest did this for many years, right up until the time Jesus died for our sins. At that point, the ribbon stopped turning white. This goes to show that the punishment for our sins were now placed on Jesus, and the only way we could be saved is through Him. So now, God is just waiting for as many people as possible that will come to Him. He wants you, and everyone reading this, to know Him, and be saved through faith in Jesus, by His grace. Go talk to a Christian pastor; he will explain this more. God bless!

Answer 3

I don't see how God was a bad guy in the Old Testament.
For some reason people look at what punishments that God doled out, and not at what people have done that caused that punishment.
Examples:
Adam and Eve
Sodom and Gomorrah
Egpyt and the Jews
Lot's wife
Nebuchadnezzar... I could go on.
All of those incidents were caused by man's evil nature. A just God would have to respond justly. Do you think if these same people were reflecting the kind of life God wanted them to live he would have done the same things? Look at the pattern of reward and punishment.
David was greatly rewarded for following God, even after he killed a man, just to steal his wife. He was turned from a shepherd into a king.
Solomon was greatly rewarded with wisdom.
Abraham was given the descendant which he was promised from a barren wife.
The Jews when freed from Egypt were completely taken care of by God. Yes they wandered the desert for 40 years, because of their own sins, and worshipping Egypt's false god's. But, God (the one true) still fed them Manna from Heaven everyday. And, when they got tired of Manna and sent Moses to complain, and ask for meat. God didn't kill them, or ignore them, he sent quail to them so they could have meat.
Why don't you think of these, and the many other stories where God did great things in the lives of his people, rather than just the wrath?

Answer 4

The Old Testament is made of many stories put together. All ranging from time to time. The New Testament, starts with John the Baptist and talks all about Jesus and his works. The first 5 books, were written by the Apostles. The rest of the books tells about the journeys of the Apostles. Most of the New Testament, towards the end, are all letters.

Answer 5

If it's written to control mankind, why aren't you under control now? I don't get it how you can say that about God when He only cared for His people in the OT. If you read it you would see everything God does has reasons. The flood on Noah's time: people were ruthless, haters of God so the flood happened so that the innocent will be protected. If you don't believe in God and you are a parent, would you give your child to the only one who can save your kid? Likewise the children perish because of the unbelief of the adults. So those who believe were saved. God never change, He is the same today, tomorrow, and forever. And God is love, thats why He gave His Son to die for our sins.

Answer 6

The OT was written over a long period of time, and is a collection of stories, poetry, and history of the Israelite people and their relationship with God. We have to understand that some of the stories reflect the ancient world view, of people and of God. For instance, did water really cover the entire earth? No, but in ancient times you were only aware of the land around you, if that was flooded then that meant the "world" was flooded.
The OT also contains many images of God that we are less familiar with, the prophets portray God as a mother hen protecting her chicks, or a mother bear with her cubs. The Psalms also have a variety of images for God, like shepherd, warrior, friend.
Perhaps a better way to look at is that God continued seeking to have a relationship with people, and Jesus extended God's invitation beyond the walls of Judaism.

Answer 7

I am not a Jew, but I disagree wth your comprehension of the God of the Old Testament. He was very merciful--He just had to deal with a stiff-necked and gain-saying people (Romans 10:21; Acts 7:51-53). We are all just like those people, and it is a testament to His mercy and grace that we have been allowed to continue this long! He could have thrown us all in Hell a loooooong time ago.

Instead of complaining about His mercy, why not just receive it? He is still a God who hates sin, and will punish it all--down to the insult you threw at your enemy in spite. He can punish it on you, in Hell forever, or He can have already punished it on His Son. The choice is yours.

Answer 8

He didn't change, just our perception changed. How can you know perfection? How can you achieve it? All of the Bible built up to the point where we could easily accept Christ as our saviour. Everything before that was real but also had meaning and symbolism. The sacrifice of the perfect lamb was the old testament way of taking part of Jesus' death in the old testament. He still loved them but there did not exist a way for us to come to him yet. But prophesies were given as hope and were completed and now we live in an awesome time where we all have access to his thrown through Christ Jesus.

Answer 9

Malachi 3 says that I, the Lord God, does not change.

The Old Testament people were under the Law, New Testament believers are under grace. It is more difficult to live under grace than the Law.
Example:

Matthew 5:27-28
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Before was physical. Now all it takes is to lust in your heart over someone, t is a sin.

You need to study the Bible more clearly before you assume that God was less merciful thenthan now.

Answer 10

God is the same God in the whole Bible. Jesus is the living word, and The Bible is the true inspired written word. For God is love. Read First John 4:7-8.