It is common for people to claim that there is a great difference between God in the Old Testament and God in the New Testament. They say that in the former God is portrayed as jealous and judging, while in the latter as mild and forgiving. I believe that this is a myth perpetrated by people who are not well versed with the books of the Bible. When I read the Old Testament, I see the same God which I see in the New Testament. A creating, ruling God that demands obedience, a virtuous and righteous God from whom all good things are derived, a wrathful God who truly hates sin, and a merciful and forgiving God, who offers salvation to those unable to acquire it themselves.
You have wrath and judgement in the NT and likewise mercy and support in the OT. Indeed, I think that the criticism of God’s actions in the OT could be much more effectively applied to his actions in the NT. The problems arise when considering the context in which God is described. In the OT it is in very strict Jewish terms, while in the NT it is in (more understandable to us) mostly mixed Jewish/Hellenistic terms. As God acts in history, he acts in different cultures that may differ in their understanding of him. The actions of God needs to be put in a frame of reference, and that frame of reference is intrinsically tied to a historical and cultural milieu. For a “correct” view of God to be present, we need to take into account all views of God in a specific religious system, in this case Christianity, and then approach it humbly and critically. For me, the view that emerges is that of Jesus Christ, which results in a need to re-evaluate my findings in light of this. The outcome is faith.
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