Has God changed?

Is the God of the Old Testament different from the God revealed in Jesus Christ? In the Old, He tells His people to destroy their enemies. In the new, Jesus tells us to love our enemies. What am I supposed to think about God as I see this dichotomy?

During the reign of Hezekiah, Sennacherib, king of Assyria attacked the fortified cities in Judah, then set his eyes on Jerusalem. Hezekiah prayed and sent servants to the prophet Isaiah for help. Isaiah told Hezekiah to not be afraid; God would deal with this enemy. He also sent this message to the king:

Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, this is the word that the LORD has spoken concerning him: “She despises you, she scorns you — the virgin daughter of Zion; she wags her head behind you — the daughter of Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 37:21–22)

Knowing that God would take care of their enemy, His people became bold and mocked Sennacherib’s threats. This is the usual response of the human heart when “my dad is stronger than your dad” gives confidence in a conflict.

However, when Jesus came He asked for more than the usual response. In His noted Sermon on the Mount, He said . . . 

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:43–48)

The people in the Old Testament knew that they were supposed to love their neighbor but Jesus takes this command farther. He says that we are to love even our enemies, even those who persecute us. Anyone can love those who are lovable, but it takes the grace of God and the perfection found in Jesus Christ to love those who are set against us.

Still, the question remains. If God wants us to love our enemies, why does He destroy those who are His enemies? This is the wrong question. Instead, I need to ask this: Why does God not destroy all sinners? We shake our fist in His face and sin against Him with great defiance, yet He sends sunshine and rain. He even sent Jesus — to die for our sin!

From this sermon, Jesus makes it clear that no one can be “perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect.” Who is good to the unjust in the same way they are good to good people? Who even wants to be like this? Sin makes us want to retaliate. Our selfish hearts love to mock our enemies, particularly when God puts them down and lifts us up. Loving them is totally foreign to our nature.

Perfection is found only in Jesus Christ. “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:22–23).

Unless Jesus lives in my heart, I cannot be perfect, never mind perfect from the inside out as this sermon calls for. I might be able to act out some of the things Jesus calls for in an external manner, but eventually the attitude of my heart will come out.

The Old Testament shows God’s wrath on the sinfulness of human beings, even those God called to be His people. While He did tell them to destroy their enemies, it was the sinfulness that consumed these pagans. A just and holy God has every right to judge sin. That He didn’t destroy the Jews remains to be seen.

When Jesus came, He revealed the grace of God, something the Jews did not expect. They expected Him to deal with their enemies (the Romans), but instead He asked them to deal with their own sin — such as their hatred of their enemies. This knocked them on their heels. They were God’s chosen. How could this man say they were sinners in need of mercy? They didn’t want to hear that message from God so they crucified the Messenger.

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Father, Your hatred of sin has never changed. Your love of sinners has not changed either; otherwise You would have destroyed the daughters of Jerusalem for their attitude toward their enemies, the New Testament Jews for their attitude toward the Romans, and me as well – for my bad attitudes and multiplied sins. Instead, throughout history You have offered grace. Grace protected Your people in those days of old when they so often deserved wrath, and grace was revealed fully in Jesus Christ who took Your wrath on my sin and died for it. You are perfect and have not changed. You still hate sin and simply ask me to do the same.