Famine of the word
There’s a trend I’ve seen where people seem to like, respect, and even claim belief in Jesus, but have little use for the God of the Old Testament. They find the customs and commandments of the Old Testament archaic and outdated, rooted in superstition and mythology. They see the God of the Old Testament as cruel, judgmental, and barbaric.
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. –Matthew 5:17-18 (NIV)
One insight into the validity of the Old Testament is the esteem in which it was held by Jesus Himself. Jesus knew the Old Testament to be historical, authoritative, and instructive. He quoted the writings of Moses, David, and the prophets, considering them inspired of God. He referenced Old Testament stories and characters as matters of fact, even some episodes which have lately been called into question, such as the account of Noah and the flood, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and Jonah and the fish.
(Worth noting: All three of those examples involved the judgment of God, pronounced after long seasons of patience, warning, and opportunity for the recipients of said judgment to change course. In Jonah’s case, the city of Nineveh actually repented, buying themselves a reprieve from God’s wrath. The record is consistently clear: God’s punishment is always measured, never administered arbitrarily or in a sudden outburst of rage.)
So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” –John 8:57-58 (ESV)
Then there are the claims of Jesus as to His own identity. He revealed Himself a little at a time, to different audiences over the course of His ministry. But ultimately, He declared Himself the Son of God, on equal footing with God the Father. It was this scandalous claim that led to His crucifixion.
I and the Father are one. –John 10:30 (NIV)
The Old Testament pointed to Christ. Even the hard parts. Even the parts that we may find shocking, revolting, and disappointing. Even the stories we find fantastic and unbelievable. The Old Testament reveals the heart of God, the nature of man, and the intention of God to save mankind from ourselves.
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. –Luke 24:27 (ESV)
The notion that there is a difference in nature and purpose between the God of the Old Testament and the Christ of the New Testament is bad theology. It indicates either a superficial reading of the actual teachings of Jesus, a complete misunderstanding of the Old Testament, or both. For someone holding that notion, I’d speculate that perhaps they like God more than they thought or Jesus less than they thought. Respect for the Son and disdain for the Father are incompatible ideas.
And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. –John 5:37-40 (ESV)
If Jesus is Who He said He was, then the things He said about His Father and the Old Testament Scriptures He used to reveal His Father are valid. If He isn’t Who He said He was, then what difference does any of it make and why would anyone give a second thought to the person of Jesus or anything He had to say? Ignorance is curable, but a desire to be cured is an act of the will. As was the case in the days of Amos, there is a consequence for willful ignorance.
“The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine through the land— not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it.” –Amos 8:11-12 (NIV)