Is the God of the OT the same as the God of the NT?
There seems to be some sense of belief that the God of the OT is not the same God of the NT. Is there two different concepts of God? Does the OT present only a God of wrath, while the NT deals only with God's love and mercy absent the wrath?
Well we do see OT stories of God's commanding the destruction of Sodom, the annihilation of the Canaanites, the killing of the firstborn Egyptian babies and other such stories. So the accusers claim this proves a primitive, warlike deity which totally contradicts Jesus' love and mercy. After all Jesus taught us to love one another and to turn the other cheek.
So at first glance, yes ,it does seem to be a contradiction but careful examining of the scriptures teach otherwise. Jesus himself declared that the whole OT may be summed up by the commandments to love God and love your neighbor, Matt 22:37. He also taught that the God of the OT desired love and mercy rather than sacrifice, Matthew 9:13, 12:7.
God says in Ezekiel 18:23, "Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked....and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?"
God as a God of justice could not let the nations' evil go unchecked. He could not and did not condone their behavior. Sin, in the bible is likened to yeast. Anyone who is familiar with that pantry product knows fully well what happens when yeast does its thing. It permeates the dough. It actually "sours" the dough. That's why the Jews rid their houses of all leavened products before the Passover begins. God is serious about sin and this ceremony serves as a reminder. Maybe we all need to do that once a year, rid our homes of leaven, to remind us of how God abhors sin. It wouldn't hurt.
God is always giving second, third and fourth chances. He is very patient and longsuffering. You don't hear about that attribute of God from His accusers. In the case of the Ammorites God gave them hundreds of years to repent, yet they chose not to. Noah preached for 120 years before the flood. We all know about Jonah. Do you know how evil the Assyrians were? Yet God spared them because they chose to turn around after hearing the message Jonah put out. But later on, they went back to their wicked ways, and God did eventually destroy them.
So we can see the proper OT picture of God is one of patience, giving the people numerous opportunities to repent and turn back to Him, and only when they refuse does He judge and punish them for their evil deeds.
So now let's look at the NT and Jesus. Contrary to popular belief Jesus himself was responsible for some of the strongest statements of judgment and wrath in the bible. Matt 23 is an example. He lashes out at the religious leaders, calling them hypocrites and false leaders and informing them their destiny was eternal banishment from God. Pretty strong language coming from Jesus that is not pretty to hear. The truth is not always attractive especially to one who is not practicing it. At one point he tells them they are of their father....the devil.
In Matt 10:34 Jesus said that he came to divide, not unite. He said, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword." He goes on to say that His Word will divide families. We see today that it still does.
This is a biggie in our day. We're being taught that spiritually we must all come together as "one" and be united. Where in the world does this come from? Not Jesus. Anyone familiar with the Tower of Babel knows that this is not a good thing. Eccumenicalism today is the shofar blast of old. In ancient days the blast of the ram's horn meant the gathering of all to hear what was about to be addressed to the people by their leaders and perhaps even to lead them into battle.
We find love and judgement scattered throughout the NT, and love and mercy as well as judgment throughout the OT. God does not change. He is constant and reliable. Different situations do call for different emphases and maybe that's the rub. But when the two testaments are read, as they were inteneded, you can't help but see the same God who is rich in mercy but will not allow sin to go unpunished.