Issue 1366 – Different Gods – February 9, 2024
Good morning; I’m still under the weather, so it’s back to the archives again. Today’s issue uses the New English Translation (NET), a solid translation and one I quite like. It was used for a long stretch for Gleanings. I switched to the ESV when it came out as it was more commonly read, but I often still read and study in the NET,
I often speak with Christians who tell me they prefer the New Testament over the God of the Old Testament. They usually support it with comments like “The God of the Old Testament is all wrath and law, but the God of the New Testament is love and mercy.” Folks, if that is the way you think, you need to re-read the Bible and re-think your God.
Firstly, there is only one God.
Listen, Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! There is only one true God and He never changes. Deuteronomy 6:4 NET
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever! That means if the God you worship is different from the God in another part of the Bible you are not worshipping the God of the Bible. Hebrews 13:8 NET
Secondly, both wrath and grace can be found in each Testament. Let me give you an example of each picked at random.
Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for your sin has been your downfall! Return to the Lord and repent! Say to him: “Completely forgive our iniquity; accept our penitential prayer, that we may offer the praise of our lips as sacrificial bulls. Assyria cannot save us; we will not ride warhorses. We will never again say, ‘Our gods’ to what our own hands have made. For only you will show compassion to Orphan Israel!” Divine Promise to Relent from Judgment and to Restore Blessings: “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger will turn away from them. Hosea 14:1-4 NET
If there was ever a people deserving of God’s wrath, it was the nations of Israel and Judah in the time of Hosea. They were as wicked and rebellious as any people at any time in history. What was God’s requirement for their redemption?
He asked for them to repent and turn to Him. He invited them to confess their sins and receive His forgiveness. That sounds suspiciously like grace and love to me.
Finally the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying: “It is done!” Then there were flashes of lightning, roaring, and crashes of thunder, and there was a tremendous earthquake – an earthquake unequaled since humanity has been on the earth, so tremendous was that earthquake. The great city was split into three parts and the cities of the nations collapsed. So Babylon the great was remembered before God, and was given the cup filled with the wine made of God’s furious wrath. Every island fled away and no mountains could be found. And gigantic hailstones, weighing about a hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people, but they blasphemed God because of the plague of hail, since it was so horrendous. Revelation 16:17-21 NET
The Scriptures tell us that the huge hailstones fell because of God’s furious wrath. I cannot imagine being hit by a hundred-pound hailstone, but it must do incredible damage.
I could wade through Scripture and show you dozens more similar examples.
God’s nature is both holy wrath and mercy. He brings His wrath to bear on sin, and justifiably so. How could a holy God let sin go unpunished? Yet, He also loves us so much that through Jesus the Christ He made provision for us to be saved.
God did not suddenly change His character in the 400 years between the Old and New Testaments. The God of the Old Testament is NOT different than the God of the New. The God of the New Covenant is NOT different than the God of the Old. If He were to change, He would not be much of a God.
If the God you serve changes, what hope do you have? What is to keep Him from changing His character again? If He changes, you have no hope at all.
Until next time, hold fast to our unchanging God.
Hallelu Yah (Praise God)
Be blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (For the Glory of God alone)
__________________________________________
Please like and share this post with friends and your circle of influence. Also, please comment if you wish.
Did you know we have an email version? It has the same content but in a different format. Subscribe today https://mailchi.mp/f27bbeb09c22/gleanings-1
______________________________
All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2024 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin, Gleanings From The Word.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English
Standard Version (ESV). __________________________________________
#oneGod #GodIsOne #OldTestament #OldTestamentGod #UnchangingGod #NewTestament #NewTestamentGod #Deuteronomy6 #Hebrews13 #Hosea14 #Revelation16 #dailyBible #verseoftheday #grace #god #HolySpirit #theology #blessing #BibleReading #biblestudy #bible #bibleVerse #jesus #christian #god #faith #jesuschrist #godisgood #scripture #love #prayer #church #truth