He sent his only Son as a right to salvation for ALL.
2006-08-11 07:28:41 · 13 answers · asked by MH 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Then who is that God of the OT?
Is it an evil twin clone? Could God be bi-polar?
(I'n not saying this to mock your faith, but a lot of what God does in the Old Testament is rather disturbing, especially to Job.)
2006-08-11 07:32:30 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 1⤋
If your "God" was all powerful - and created us to populate his heaven - then why did he create people that were damned from the get. So much so, that they needed to be rescued by his "son". And if your God is all powerful - wouldn't he have realized he was creating a race of "heathens" in the first place? So why didn't Jesus comes sooner? Did he just like seeing all those people go to hell? And if your God is all powerful - why wouldn't he just create a race of people that were heaven worthy from the get go - and skip all this rigamarole. After all, he is all seeing, so he already knows where we are going to anyway.
Oooh, wait - so let me see if I got your explanation. God was a mean god originally and created the Old Testament, until he saw the wrong of his ways (even though he is all seeing and all knowing). Then he became a nice god, and created the New Testament. Or is it that we think we can decipher the bible enough to know what he wants NOW. Or is it that we think we are smart enough to edit his writings? Or is it that the Old Testament doesn't fit our modern day sentiment, and so we just made up a reason to ignore it.
Or maybe the real truth is that we make this crap up as we go, bending it as new morality comes to light, or new scientific discoveries are made that disprove it. Or is it that your God is a little kid in a playpen smiting people like ants with his mighty magnifying glass?
2006-08-11 14:36:34 · answer #2 · answered by Christopher B 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Looking back at the old testament can teach you so much about the loving aspect of God in sending Jesus (a part of himself). I believe God the father, Jesus the son, and the Holy Spirit are all one.
If you look at the old testament you will see how God over and over again provided for his children who continued to be disobedient. If you read the book of Hosea, you'll see just how sensitive God is and how he tried to illustrate his hurt when we disobey him.
Remember, GOD so loved the world that HE gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but the shall have everlasting life (John 3:16) This was the God of the old testament that did that.
Looking at the old testament doesn't reveal a vengeful God, but a God who kept his promises as a good parent. If you are a parent you will discipline your children. You would do all that was in your power to make them obedient and to keep them safe. This is why in wars God told his children to kill everyone and everything of the enemy. Sounds harsh, but he was protecting his children of Isreal who were too tempted by the habits and culture of other races to stay faithful to God. (Who knows what mercies he will have on those souls defeated. That is not our concern, really.) Read Isaiah where the messiah was promised. It shows us a God who hears our cries (remember Hagar in the desert?) It shows us a provider and a parent. Those who God loves, he chastens.
It also shows us that Jesus and God are one because Genesis tells of the creation, but Paul reveals that Jesus is the creative aspect of God who created the worlds and nothing was made without him.. (Also lets us know there are other worlds!)
The Bible must be read as a whole to reveal the wonderful salvation we have attained. Don't be afraid of God the father. He loves you and made provision to adopt you through the blood of his son, which was really himself wrapped in flesh. Just as you can't separate the father from the son (Jesus said when you have seen him you have seen the father) you can't separate your love of God either. Thank God for Jesus, but thank him also for being God the father and God the Holy Spirit.
May you continue to grow in your faith and in God's love.
Bless you, my sister or brother in Christ!
2006-08-11 14:51:27 · answer #3 · answered by Chris 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The God of the Old Testament is the same God he just did things differently because Jesus hadn't come yet
2006-08-11 14:41:40 · answer #4 · answered by notw777 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
So that we would know why He sent his only Son to us, the old testament is like a preview and it tells us about what God says about the coming of Jesus.
2006-08-11 14:34:33 · answer #5 · answered by Mint 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dear MH: To get a feel and sense of Who and What God is - you should not go back to the Old Testament.
Look at the New Testament.
Intellectually, people should not discard the Old Testament in that it provides historical information, myths and allegorical stories that have a major point to make: like the Moral to the story is: etc. Also, it contains inspired teachings like Isaiah - who caused Jesus, in His physical life, to be thoroughly imbued through with his words. There is so much to be gained from perusing through the Old Testament that it still stands as worthwhile in my own eyes. But, Ancient Man's concept of God, as written down in the OT, is not worthy of our more knowledgable selves today.
God did not Change! He is unalterable - unchanging. It is simply that Ancient Man did not understand the wars and sacrifices that were part of their world. They saw it as God's hand. It was their thinking - their concepts that were passed on as God's Nature.
When God speaks - it is to His Children - and it is passed into and through their personalities. That He would ". . .smite your enemies" was never in the manner Ancient Man thought He was doing. That wasn't God! He takes care of your enemies through lessons they must go through that will teach them higher thinking. He doesn't kill them on your behalf! He doesn't maim them on your behalf! He doesn't take their Nation away from them on your behalf ! He doesn't put them in any position other than one in which they can learn of what they have done and reach a higher way. God never punishes. Even during the lessons, He sustains His Child to ensure learning is successful and His Child can continue on - to a more compassionate lifestyle. Live from a higher plane.
God's nature is revealed in the New Testament.
2006-08-11 14:52:41 · answer #6 · answered by Lana S (1) 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you are speaking of God Our Father, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit...you are right he is a loving God.
He detests sin...and he is passionate about that!
We only need the "Opera" spirit (kindness, gentleness, long suffering etc.) when dealing with family, friends and people in general.
When we are dealing with the enemy...I want that Vengeful God on my side!
Grace to you and God Bless
2006-08-11 14:31:30 · answer #7 · answered by Salvation is a gift, Eph 2:8-9 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Lord, in the Old Testament, is as vengeful as a father who disciplines is children when they do wrong.
2006-08-11 14:35:30 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should talk to your brothers and sisters of your faith that use the OT God to uphold their bigoted beliefs. Even you guys don't agree on which God you worship, geez!
2006-08-11 14:35:04 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Um, I believe the statement is... God Does NOT Change.... Obviously, he did.
2006-08-11 14:39:02 · answer #10 · answered by Kithy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋