Expert: Pastor Don Carpenter - 9/26/2005

Question
I believe it's important for Christians to have a full and accurate view of who God is, but I'm having trouble understanding God's actual nature from what is commonly espoused in mainstream, popular Christianity today.  It seems that most denominations focus on God's qualities that most match what we as humans view to be positive: loving, caring, concerned, empathetic, and supportive.  But as I read the Bible, God seems to have a lot of characteristics that we would consider negative: jealousy (Ex. 34:14), vengeance (Ps. 94:1), wrath (Deu 9:7), and hatred (Deu 9:28, Mal 1:2, 3).

In the Old Testament, God had Israel slaughter defenseless peoples with the sword including newborns and women (Due 3:6).  After God had Israel destroy the Midianites, Moses and Eleazar, the prophet and priest, had the remaining Midianites slaughtered and plundered.  In this case, the Israelites had the captives in the midst of them when Moses commanded them to slaughter mothers and fathers in front of their children, and then take the young virgins as bounty (Num 31:15-18).  When God spoke to Moses after this event, God did not reprove him for his actions, but rather further directed him in dividing the plunder (Num 31:25-31).

How should events like these and the characteristics in the first paragraph shape our view of God?  

Answer
Hi Aaron,

Thank you for this very difficult question!  Hehehe... I believe that if we are to understand the depth of the love of God, we must understand His holy hatred for sin and the only just punishment for sin which is death.

The Old Testament if full of examples where God used enemy invasion to humble a nation who has turned their backs on Him.  It was not only Israel invading the pagan, godless, idolatrous nations, but also it was those nations invading Israel when they were in a state of rebellion against God.

Do I get it all?  No!  But one thing I know... God hates sin and deals with that sin and a nation that sins severly.  I do not know if you are an American, but as an American, I fear that the righteous vengence that was demonstrated upon people in the Old Testament may be poured out uopn us because of our wretched and sinful condition.

Malachi 1:5-6,11-14
5 And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.  
6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?


11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts. 12 But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible. 13 Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD.  14 But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.  

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

God demands the respect that He is due.

I hope that this helps you some.  I understand that these concepts are difficult to reconcile in our own finite logic.

In Christ
Pastor Don