Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ Jesus,
We are finishing our three-part series entitled, “Are You Looking Through a Clouded Glass” with part three of the series. This message we’ll examine why the Old Testament seemingly contradicts the character of God found in the New Testament, we’ll look at some examples of the seeming contradictions, and we’ll review Scripture that clearly shows us there are no contradictions. God has never changed and never will change. He can’t according to His Word.
Why Does The Old Testament Seemingly Contradict The Character of God?
It is easy to believe God creates, sends, and uses evil if you read the Old Testament and you don’t understand the character of God. There are seeming contradictions in the Old Testament from which New Covenant men and women have wrongly established false doctrines because man did not study to show themselves approved unto God.
The people of the Old Testament and the Old Testament prophets had a limited knowledge of God. They had a limited vision of God. Old Testament prophecy was never meant to give us a clear picture of God. Paul tells us in I Corinthians 13:12 that prophecy is like looking through a cloudy or a dark glass [hence the title of this message]. You can see things when looking through it, but the things are not clear. You can’t get a complete understanding. This is true of many Believers today who have not rightly divided The Word of God and wrongly attribute evil deeds to God. Because the New Testament, the New Covenant, now gives us the clarity, the clear vision of God, which the Old Testament prophets, psalmists, saints didn’t have at the time.
I Corinthians 13:12
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
Why was there such a limited vision of God in the Old Testament, under the Old Covenants? One reason and one reason only. As we will see, The Word says only Jesus could fully explain and declare The Father as Who He really is. Jesus came to explain The Father and reveal The Truth as told to us by Jesus in John 1:17-18. The law, the prophets, the Psalms, and the people of the Old Covenants could not provide the complete and clear Truth about Who God is. Jesus was sent to declare exactly Who God is and to affirm in thoughts, Words, and deeds the character of God. Jesus, in His walk on this earth, is an exact representation of God.
John 1:17-18
17 For the law was given by Moses, but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ.
18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, Which is in the bosom of the Father, He [Jesus] hath declared [explained] Him [God].
John 14:7
If ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also: and from henceforth ye know Him, and have seen Him.
I John 3:8
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
God progressively revealed Himself in the Old Testament – a little bit at a time. God revealed Himself more and more through the different covenants and through the revealed names of God (Jehovah Rapha – The Lord is our Healer – Jehovah Jireh – The Lord is our Provider – Jehovah Shalom – The Lord is our Peace, etc.)
Examples From The Old Testament of Seeming Contradiction
Let’s look at a great example in the Old Testament of God wrongly being attributed with evil because of a lack of revelation, or understanding, by the Old Testament Saints, of satan and his wiles, and his devices.
II Samuel 24:1
And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.
I Chronicles 21:1
And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
In I Chronicles 21:1, this is one of three times in the Old Testament satan is expressly identified by name. God gave progressive revelation to the writer of I Chronicles about satan whereas the writer of I Samuel did not have this revelation. It was not God that incited David to number the people, it was satan. And, if we know God’s character, we can see that if God incited David to do evil, this is totally out of line with God’s character. God would be divided; His Kingdom would be divided if He were to do this. This would be in direct contradiction to Jesus’ teachings.
Reading Exodus 12:13, it appears God is going to smite the land of Egypt with a plague which will destroy them. However, when we read Exodus 12:23, we can see God is not the destroyer and that He, God, will not allow the destroyer to smite His children who are obedient to God.
Exodus 12:13
And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
Exodus 12:23
For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.
Another example of God being given credit for evil is Job 1:16. It appears God has personally harmed Job and taken from him.
Job 1:16
While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
However, in Job 2:7 we’re told satan smote Job. God is not going to employ satan to do His bidding. satan can only do one thing – cause evil to happen. Again, if we stopped with Job 1 and didn’t read or rightly divide Job 1 and 2, we would believe God caused evil to happen to Job.
Job 2:7
So went Satan forth from the presence of The LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
In closing out this series, I hope it has become clear that God CANNOT think evil, CANNOT speak evil, and CANNOT do evil. If He were ever to think, speak, or do evil, all of His creation would implode, including God Himself. Everything is upheld by The Word of His power (Hebrews 1:3). God would be a kingdom divided, a God divided, a Word divided. Since Psalm 138:2 tells us God answers to His Word, His Word would judge Him, find Him divided, corrupted, and The Word of His power would destroy everything including God Himself. I encourage you to continue to meditate and study the character of God. Once we understand God CAN ONLY have good and perfect thoughts, CAN ONLY speak good and perfect Words, and CAN ONLY do good and perfect things, the bondage of fear satan exercises over many Believers will disappear. We will see satan has been deceiving us with his lies, his condemnation, and his temptation. Our Father loves us dearly and has, Himself, accomplished every good and perfect work, thought, and Word for us to use in our daily walk so we “always triumph in Christ Jesus” and to manifest the promises He has made to us for His glory.
In Christ Jesus,
Larry