The Meeting of Opposites
Understanding the complex character of God is one of the believer’s big challenges. The God of the Old Testament seems harsh and unyielding in contrast to the New Testament God of love and grace. This has created such dissonance that many people prefer placing their study focus on the New Testament, referring to the Old only as it pertains to the fulfillment of prophesy or aids in background knowledge. Their justification is that love and grace triumph over judgment.
While true, the dichotomy between God’s severity and His love remains. Interestingly, scripture indicates that what appears as the softening of God’s heart in sending Jesus did not happen with New Testament timing. “He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.” (2 Timothy 1:9) God the Father and Jesus purposed our lives before the creation of the world. The love that prompted the creation of man was the same love that gave man choice and knew he would need a Savior because of his poor choices. Although love charted a new course for relationship through Jesus, it was actually part of the original plan.
But God introduced His covenantal plan to the world when the ancient peoples were accustomed to worshipping harsh, uncaring gods that made sport of man. The steep learning curve to make Himself known to the people of Israel required God to be very direct with the terms and conditions of His Law, and to choose an exceptional leader. Moses was faithful through 40 years of leadership not to add to God’s instructions or take away from them, except on one occasion. Because Moses was angry with the people for their complaining, he struck the rock with his staff to bring forth water, instead of speaking to it as God had commanded. Water flowed, but so did God’s wrath at Moses’ public disobedience. In dishonoring God, Moses forfeited his opportunity to enter the Promised Land. Around 1,500 years later, Jesus addressed this truth. “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” (Luke 12:48)
Even so, God’s severity was met with His love for Moses: “For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.” (Deuteronomy 34:12) God’s final instructions to Moses to climb the mountain where he would die also permitted him the supernatural experience of seeing the detail of the Promised Land in all directions to its farthest borders, impossible for the human eye.
When what appears as opposing aspects of God’s Nature meet, His severity and His love, we find they work more like opposite poles of a magnet that attract rather than repel. God’s severity can actually be termed tough love; love so intense that it suffers whatever is required for the best outcome. Jesus’ death to cleanse us from our sin is the greatest illustration. But at the time of His crucifixion, no one understood it. We rarely understand God’s severity in the moment and mistake it for God being unloving, cruel, or punitive. However, Moses knew the righteous heart of God and honored Him to the end. King David also said of God, “You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.” (Psalm 86:5) The question for us is whether we will accept God’s love equally in both its severity and its grace. Our growth in Him doesn’t happen any other way.