New vs. Old Testament: Is God the Same?

By Hollie Roberts – BSF Executive Director

From an early age, I asked a lot of questions. “Why do beans sprout? Where does rubber go when it comes off your tires? What makes the sky so many colors? Where does the devil live? How will I know when he shows up?” 

I am sure my parents were exhausted from answering so many questions, but their careful responses taught me a valuable lesson. By gently challenging my perceptions, they helped me discover new truths. I learned that God does the same. He discerns the struggles in our hearts and helps us discover a new facet of who He is. By challenging our perceptions, He changes our view. 

When we ask a question like, “Why does God seem so different in the Old and New Testaments?” we can seek Him for an honest answer. As a place to begin, let us consider some common perceptions. 

How do we perceive the Bible? 

When we ask, “Why does God seem different?” we typically jump from one chapter to another.  

For example:  

In Numbers 16, God’s judgment was on full display. He caused the ground to open and swallow an entire group of rebellious people. In John 8, Jesus’ mercy was highlighted as He saved an adulterous woman and tenderly extended forgiveness.  

When read together, those two chapters seem to clash. Earlier in this series, Dr. David Talley explored why God judges the people He loves. In this post, we wonder if God’s firm judgment and tender mercy can be reconciled. 

To really unpack the question, we begin by expanding our perception of the Bible. As a collection of 66 books, the Bible is woven into a single narrative. Individual chapters and verses are carefully designed to work together as a whole. Single incidents like Numbers 16 and John 8 are carefully positioned to support a larger view of God.    

Just imagine if someone based their entire perception of you on a single moment. Would they have a complete picture? What would they miss?  

In a single day I am a wife, a mother, an executive director, a grandmother, a BSF member, a friend, and a neighbor. I am all of these at once, all of the time. But if you only saw my commute to work or listened to a single phone call, your perception would be too narrow to see the full Hollie Roberts.   

We would never attempt to define a person by a single incident so why would we do this with God? 

He is more than a few selected chapters or verses. We have to expand our perception. 

How do we perceive God and Jesus?

Even when we expand our view to include all 66 books of the Bible, we may still be tempted to contrast God’s judgment with Jesus’ mercy. Critics of Christianity often say, “I like your Jesus, but I cannot accept your God.”  

But beneath this thinking is a common misconception. We simply cannot contrast God and Jesus, because they are one and the same. Separating the two in our minds undermines the reality of one, magnificent, eternal God.  

Jesus declared, “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30) 

The New Testament clarifies:  

The Son is the image of the invisible God. (Colossians 1:16a) 

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being. (Hebrews 1:3a) 

For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him. (Colossians 1:19) 

To remove God from Jesus or Jesus from God is to completely misunderstand both. And without considering the Holy Spirit, we miss the fullness of God. Each embodies the other’s nature. To understand one, we must look at all three. 

How does this change our perception of God? 

When we look beyond a single verse or chapter and consider the triune God, we begin to see something wonderful. The Bible is no longer about God or Jesus or The Holy Spirit, it is about God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit – working in perfect harmony toward a single goal.   

The story begins in Genesis with the creation of Adam and Eve. God required one thing: righteousness. We can define this as “right living” according to God’s law. When Adam and Eve failed in their righteousness, sin was born. But God had a plan.   

The story continues in the Old Testament as humans failed again and again to be righteous. Through countless prophets, God called people back to Himself. Through promised judgment, He redirected their steps. And in His mercy, God extended grace. He “credited” righteousness to those who believed in Him. 

God’s plan did not end there. As the cycle of sin and disobedience continued, Jesus entered human history. Through His Son’s perfect sacrifice, God poured out the fullness of His wrath on Jesus and extended the fullness of His grace to humanity. This time, God’s righteousness became available to all people, for all time, for those who believe in Him. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)  

The story is still not over. God has yet to set all things right. Revelation 21 and 22 promise that one day He will. And through the power of the Holy Spirit, Christians rest our hope in a God who keeps His promises.   

Seen as a complete narrative, the Bible is no longer one Testament versus another Testament. Or one God versus another God. We see one God, with a single plan, working toward an eternal purpose.  

If we look at God’s judgment in Numbers 16 coupled with Jesus’ mercy in John 8, we see both perfectly represented in the gospel. In that moment as Jesus hung on the cross, the fullness of God’s character was clear.  

The more we study the Bible, our perceptions about God change. And since His character is everlasting, our journey never ends.  Asking hard questions to the One with eternal answers is a great place to begin. When we honestly seek to know Him, we discover that He is greater than we ever imagined.  

More in this series: 

Did God Choose Israel and Not the Other Nations?

Why Does God Judge the People He Loves?

By Dr. David Talley, Guest Contributor

As a professor of the Old Testament, I begin my classes by asking for students’ views of God. Without fail, the intensity of God’s judgment surfaces. Someone always asks, “If He is loving, why does God judge His people so harshly?”  

And it’s true. God’s judgment can be shocking. From Scripture, we know such events as the destruction of the Canaanites, a global flood, and the exile of Israel were all ordained by God Himself. In Amos, God told the nation of Israel, “I sent plagues among you as I did to Egypt. I killed your young men with the sword, along with your captured horses. I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camps …” (Amos 4:10).  

When we read those words, we struggle to reconcile a loving God with one who judges His own people. We are tempted to cast our own judgment by crying out, “How dare He do that? That is so wrong!”  

But God’s actions are undeniable, printed in the pages of the Bible. So how should we process these events?  

Before we cast God in the role of “angry punisher,” we should ask ourselves some questions. 

Who is the Judge behind the judgment?

When you hear the word ‘judgment,’ what comes to mind? Maybe you picture a high-profile court case weighed by a jury. Or even a disapproving family member with impossibly high standards. In today’s environment, the word “judgment” carries some extremely negative connotations. We typically go out of our way to avoid being labeled as “judgmental.”  

But the Bible does not cast us in the role of the “ultimate judge.” That position is reserved exclusively for God. So before we ask the question, “why would God …”, we have to begin by asking “Who is God?” 

God is not a human jury, weighed down by preconceived notions or flexible standards. He is not the disapproving family member who judges others to elevate Himself. He is divinely perfect, free from the hindrances of our human failures.  

Our understanding of God’s judgment must be grounded in the very attributes of who He is. An attribute is simply something that is true about God. From His Word, we know God is three-in-one, self-existent, immutable, infinite, eternal, self-sufficient, omniscient, wise, omnipresent, transcendent, faithful, good, just, merciful, gracious, loving, holy, and sovereign.   

God is all of these and more, simultaneously, all the time. If we are truly seeking to understand God’s judgment, we have to unpack the character of the judge Himself. When we do, we can acknowledge that God’s judgment is God’s, not ours.  

Is judgment really part of God’s character?

In exploring God’s character, we must separate God’s actions from His attributes. “Judgment” or “wrath” are not listed as attributes of God. They are not fundamental elements of God’s character. Instead they are necessary responses born of His character. In the face of injustice, a just God casts judgment. Confronted by unholiness, a holy God responds.  

God’s responses are never random. In His judgment, God remains fully faithful, merciful, gracious, and loving. He is fully God in every moment.  

In Amos 4:10, God’s judgment may feel extreme. The language is strikingly vivid.  

But God’s extreme measures in verse 10 are in response to the people’s extreme sin. Through Amos, we know that the people worshiped false gods; rejected God’s law; and exploited, even “crushed,” the poor and needy. Faced with the wreckage of human sin, God responded. 

True to His character, God delivered justice for the poor and needy. He remained consistent, doing what He said He would do. And through it all, He extended mercy to the guilty. Throughout Amos 4, God repeated the refrain, “… yet you have not returned to me.” In His grace and compassion, God called the people back to Himself again and again. God’s purpose in judgment was not destruction, but reconciliation. His motivation was not revenge, but compassion. He wasn’t wielding his power and justice merely as punishment, but as invitation.  

In every ounce of rendering judgment, God calls to his people, “Come back to me.” His perfect character never wavers.  

Does God take His judgment too far?

We may accept that God’s character is perfect but still struggle when His judgment feels extreme. Why does God judge the people He claims to love? On the surface, we may believe that a God without judgment is a God of love. But when we really consider the evils of this world, no one wants a God who simply looks the other way.  

Just ask the parent of a child who has been abused or the spouse who has been widowed through an act of violence. No one wants a God who casts the victim aside and looks at a perpetrator saying, “We need to be a little nicer.” That is not loving.  

When we see the evils of this world, we want justice. We want a God who is both gracious and just – a God who judges evil even while He offers grace to the perpetrator. We want loving justice and love that is just.   

As humans we are simply too flawed to offer this perfect blend of love and justice. It is impossible. Only God can accomplish that work. And in His mercy, He did so through Jesus’ death on the cross. God’s ultimate judgment for humanity’s evil rained down, not on us, but on Himself in the person of Jesus. In that moment, He was condemned so that we might live. God’s perfect love and perfect justice collided, resulting in eternal grace for those who believe.  

So perhaps God is challenging us to ask a new question. Instead of “Why does God judge the people He loves?” maybe we should ask, “Can I trust the One who judges?” When we reflect on His full character and honestly seek to know Him, we discover that He alone can deliver true justice. And He does so in perfect love. 

More in this series: 

New vs. Old Testament: Is God the Same?

Coming Soon

Did God Choose Israel and Not the Other Nations? 

By Dr. Mark Bailey – BSF Board Member

October 20, 2022

One of my greatest joys during the past 35 years has been leading Bible study tours to Israel. Each group is unique. Some are students, others are professors, many have been BSF members. However, one common thread links them all — their deep emotional response.  

There is a profound spiritual impact that comes from standing on the sites where Scripture took place. Passages once read in black and white become full-color memories. Israel is the land where God commissioned a small, insignificant group of people to change the world for eternity. 

God referred to Israel as “His people” (Deuteronomy 7:6); His “treasured possession” (Psalm 135:4), and even the “apple of His eye” (Zechariah 2:8). 

From Deuteronomy 7:6-10, we know that God did not choose Israel because they were strong or mighty. In fact, God chose Israel when they were small and weak, a people without a land.  

Beginning with a single man, Abraham, God built a powerful nation. In Genesis 12:2-3, God promised, “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” 

They were chosen and blessed by God, not only for their own sake, but to be a blessing to all nations, for all time. God’s plan for Israel stretched beyond their borders. Let me highlight three major ways God has blessed the world through His people Israel.

Light to the nations

In a world darkened by sin and chaos, God chose Israel to be a light to the nations. They were called to be a kingdom of priests who were to reflect God’s character to all nations. Through Israel, neighboring peoples or nations discovered what obedience to God would bring and also what would follow as a result of their disobedience. God chose Israel to be a people who would showcase both His redeeming grace and righteous judgment. 

In Isaiah 42:6-7, God revealed His character in this declaration to Israel: “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.” 

And again, in Isaiah 49:6, “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

For generations, Israel recognized this burden and prayed accordingly. 

Solomon petitioned God to hear the prayers of immigrants within Israel’s border “so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel” (1 Kings 8:43). 

The Psalm writers prayed that: 

“… all the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD” (22:27). 

 “… your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations” (67:2). 

“… all nations be blessed” (72:17).  

God implemented His saving activity through Israel to transform them. They became His servants to deliver Good News to the world for the salvation of all. The mission of God has always been for the world to know Him as God.  

One commentator writes, “God wanted a ‘flagship’ nation that was an example to the world – not of how they behave, but of how He behaves.” 

Stewards of God’s Truth

As part of His blessing, God gave Israel a gift. They were “entrusted with the very words of God” (Romans 3:2). 

The Psalmist wrote, God “has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel. He has done this for no other nation” (Psalm 147:19-20).  

Highlighting God’s blessing for Israel, Paul wrote, ““Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen” (Romans 9:4-5). 

But once again, this gift was not for Israel alone. 

As stewards of God’s Truth, Israel was given the privilege of guarding God’s Word and sharing it with the nations. 

The blessing extends to us today. Through the Jewish Scriptures — the law, the promises, and the patriarchs — God pointed the world to Jesus the Messiah (Luke 24:44). God entrusted Israel with the very foundation of Christianity. 

Line of the Messiah

As the ultimate mark of His blessing, God chose Israel to be the human line of the Messiah. Through the Old Testament, we read detailed prophecy, down to the Messiah’s birthplace and gender, that confirm Jesus as the promised Savior. Beginning with Abraham, Jesus’ genealogy can be traced through the Jewish nation, the tribe of Judah, and narrowed to the family of David. 

Through the miracle of the virgin birth, God fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:22-23). At just the right time, He delivered humanity from the curse of sin though Jesus’ substitutionary death (Galatians 4:4).   

Once more, the world was blessed through God’s blessing to Israel. While salvation comes through a Jewish Messiah, the Bible makes it clear He is also the Savior for the whole world (John 4:42).  

Starting back in Genesis 12:2-3, we see how God kept His promise to Abraham. Throughout their history, Israel did not earn God’s favor; they certainly did not always deserve it. God bestowed His blessing freely, and through that blessing we are blessed.  

When we wonder, “Did God choose Israel and not the other nations?” we can answer that God chose Israel “for” the other nations. Through a single people, God reflected His character and delivered His Word to the world. And by keeping an ancient promise, He extended salvation to all people for all time.  

When I travel to Israel with a group, I know they will feel deeply connected to the land of Abraham’s promise, because through that promise, we discover eternal hope in Jesus. 

More in this series: 

New vs. Old Testament: Is God the Same?

Coming Soon