They are one and the same. God never changed, only His covenant is different. The new coventrat is better as we now can have direct access to God (no going through a priest).
GOD IS LOVE. That's the one I've chatted with my entire life. That other one? The VENGEFUL JEALOUS GOD? I do not "get" him. Different strokes m'dear. The little girl is still the one within. No way to change her at this juncture in my life. Thank you for your reply Shuhak! :)
God is love. Everything He does is out of love. Of course, love must have justice. Why do we discipline our children? Because we love them. What kind of a parent would tell their child that they loved them, but then let them play in condemned buildings, or draw on the walls with permanent marker without disciplining them? In fact, not disciplining them shows that the parent DOESN'T really love them.
God is jealous as well. He's jealous that we give a tree or rock credit for what He's done for us. That instead of saying thanks to Him, we give that thanks to the sun and stars. God loves us and expects is to love Him on return. Instead, we love money, houses or other created things. That's how God is jealous.
God was merciful in the old testament just like He is in the new testament. He gave people 100 years to repent before He sent the flood. He would have spared Sodom and Gomorrah had there been even 10 good people living there (and He still spared 4). He sent prophet after prophet to both Judah and Israel telling them that if they didn't straighten up He would remove them from their land. God led His people out of Egypt, gave them food and water, protected them by day and night... even their sandals never wore out! Stril they complained against Him, so He disciplined them. No, God hasn't changed. He's still the same loving, merciful, patient God He's always been. But as the old testament shows, eventually HIs patience will run out.
It's just NOT in me to perceive GOD as having human frailties...jealousy being one of them Shuhak. It's just not in me. Thank you for your reply! :)
This post was edited by RosieG at August 17, 2021 4:43 AM MDT
At the very heart of your question lies a fundamental misunderstanding of what both the Old and New Testaments reveal about the nature of God. Some people say, “The God of the Old Testament is a God of wrath while the God of the New Testament is a God of love.” The fact that the Bible is God’s progressive revelation of Himself to us through historical events and through His relationship with people throughout history might contribute to misconceptions about what God is like in the Old Testament as compared to the New Testament.
However, when one reads both the Old and the New Testaments, it becomes evident that God is not different from one testament to another and that God’s wrath and His love are revealed in both testaments. As we read and study the Bible, it becomes clear that God is the same in the Old and New Testaments. The Bible is very clear about the unchanging nature of God. There has not been (and never could be) any shift in God’s character: God doesn't come in "versions". Reading and studying the Bible is the key to understanding this.
Shuhak 