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Having a Complete Picture of God

I find it fascinating how two (or more) people can read the same thing, yet come up with different conclusions. One of the most common differences is with how people see the Bible.

Has anyone ever told you there are two Gods in the Bible? There is a cruel God of the Old Testament and a loving God of the New Testament. People will say the God of the Old Testament is wrathful and comes down hard on people for making sometimes seemingly little mistakes. In the New Testament, we see Jesus, a man full of compassion and love. It seems they are at odds, or does it? The fact is, nothing could be further from the truth!

The issue is mainly how people see God in the Old Testament. Was He hard on sin? Yes. Did He come down hard on some people and even nations? Yes. But even in judgement, there was a reason and ultimately, there was grace. The Flood and salvation of Jonah and his family in Genesis 6-8 shows that.

But there is much more to God’s love and grace in the Old Testament. Much had to do with how His people were to live.

Scripture portrays God’s compassion for His creation, and especially for those who might be taken advantage of because of their weakness or position in society. For instance, He gave protective laws concerning servants who had suffered abuse under the heavy hand of taskmasters. Look at God’s concern toward the stranger, the widow, and the fatherless. He says, “Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt. Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry” (Exodus 22:21-24).

Not only were the destitute, the timid, and the helpless not to be abused, but God’s people were to be ready to lend them a hand. They were called to comfort and assist them, and to show them kindness. God’s great compassionate heart is toward all His creation. Even the land was not to be abused or overworked. Every seventh year the land was to be given rest. The vineyards and the olive groves were afforded that break too.

Scripture sets forth the God of the Old Testament as filled with compassion, care, and creative ways to watch out for those who might not be able to watch out for themselves. And if we took the time and made the effort to see it, it would put to rest the accusations of those who portray Him otherwise.

There are many different attributes and qualities about God that are mentioned in Scripture. He is holy, just, jealous, wrathful, graceful, compassionate, etc… and as 1 John tells us that “God is love.” Instead of compartmentalizing God into the Old Testament and New Testament or to any one single attribute, try to read Scripture with all these attributes in mind. They will help you to see God’s plan unfold to fulfill all of these qualities of His nature.

If we try to define God by a single attribute, we will miss so much of who He truly is and fail to recognize how God works in history and our lives. May the Lord help us to get a complete picture of who He is and may that inspire us to be a part of His work in our world.

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