We Still Serve the God of the Old Testament

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever. – Heb 13:8

You won’t experience God any greater than your concept of Him. Some scholars say that there’re two “Gods” in the Bible; the harsh, unforgiving one of the Old Testament; and the gracious, loving one in the New. This only reveals the shallowness of their so-called scholarship; because any conscientious reader of the Bible will notice the unchanging Grace nature of Jehovah even with His dealings with Israel.

He presents Himself as Father, as Mother, as Husband, as passionate lover, as protector, as banner, as shield, as shepherd… (Ex 4:22; Dt 32:5,6,11; Hos 2:19,20; Ez 16; Ps 81:13-16; 3:3; 23:1…). Everything God is now, He has always been; indeed, Mal 3:6 explains that it’s because of His unchanging nature that the Jews were not destroyed under the Old Covenant.

Nevertheless, the collective experience of the Israelites was based on their perception of God and how they related with Him. Repeatedly, they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do” (Ex 19:8; 24:3,7; Num 32:31). From a Father-Children relationship (Ex4:22), it quickly became a Boss-Employee arrangement where they saw the largesse and magnanimity of the LORD as their just emoluments. Like paying customers at a chic restaurant, they gave orders concerning the menu and complained if it wasn’t served up to their expectations. Whereas their ancestor, Jacob, was grateful to have survived with just a stick, they enjoyed 5-star treatment in the desert and still grumbled.

Unfortunately, many in the Church still have this warped perception of God. 

Hearing their testimonies about how they got their miracle is a clear revelation of their theology: “We gave”, “We served”, “We sowed”, “We danced”, “We prayed”, “We Fasted”, “We, we, we…”.

Surely, they may be unaware of this, but it stops them short of receiving the full expressions of God’s unmerited favour. Like the Israelites, their sow-reap mindset is limiting the Holy One of Israel, (Ps 78:41). The New Covenant is not about you, it’s about God. The Ten Commandments of the Old Testament had a bunch of “Thou Shalt Not”s; but the terms of the New Covenant as outlined in Heb 8:8-13 is littered with God’s “I Will’s”.

Beloved, God hasn’t changed, (Heb 13:8) He’s ever merciful, ever gracious and ever abundant in goodness and truth; and is waiting to have a rich fulfilling relationship with you.

AMEN.

Have a Blessed Weekend in Jesus’ Name.
GREG ELKAN