Have you ever read the Bible and wondered why God seems to be different in the Old Testament (OT) than the New Testament (NT)? Or maybe you haven’t asked this question, but someone you know has. Either way, this is a common question and claim about the Bible. Some use it to point out apparent “inconsistencies” in Scripture while others are genuinely curious. In the New Testament, Jesus is constantly healing, restoring, and redeeming people, while in the Old Testament, God is seen judging entire cities and nations. So why does God seem to be different in the first half of the Bible compared to the second half?
Anytime we’re reading Scripture, and something seems confusing or inconsistent, it’s not because there’s an error or contradiction; it’s because we are missing a piece of the puzzle. The truth is that God is unchanging. In Malachi 3:6, God proclaims, “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” God is unchanging in His character, but something is clearly different between the OT and NT, so what is it?… It’s the New Covenant.
Before Jesus Christ came to earth and gave His life on the cross, humanity was separated from God because of sin. Time and time again, people chose to rebel against Him. Yet in His mercy, God sent His only Son so that through His death and resurrection we could be restored to Him (John 3:16).
Before the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost (Acts 2), believers did not experience the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit like Christians do today. As a result, there were entire nations that completely rejected God and became consumed by wickedness. At different points in the Old Testament, God judged these nations by wiping them out. This may seem harsh at first, but it was an act of divine justice that also protected His covenant people and preserved His plan of redemption. Like surgery to remove cancer, it is invasive and sometimes painful, but it is necessary to save the person. Without those judgments, the evil and corruption of those nations would have continued to spread and threaten creation and the people through whom God had promised to bring the Messiah.
We must also remember that while God is infinitely loving, He is also equally just. He is the divine creator who knows best and has the authority to rule over His creation as He sees fit. We may not always understand it, but He truly does know best. So, the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament are not different at all. He has always been the same God, holy, just, loving, and merciful. What changes is not God’s character, but humanity’s relationship with Him through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Written by Kayleigh Rosado