We were driving in the car the other night when Luisa said, "They did it in the Old Testament!" Have you ever tried to explain why God does some things in the Old Testament that seem totally against what Jesus teaches in the new. It doesn't quite make sense.
An eye for an eye vs. forgiveness. Stone a man vs. look at your own sins. Divorce someone vs. anyone who divorces is an adulterer.
When they asked Jesus about this (specifically why Moses allowed for husbands to give a certificate of divorce to their wives) He said, "It's because your hearts were hardened."
That's kind of the point I was making in the car the other night. In the Old Testament, God had no way to change hearts. Jesus had not come, reconciliation was not a factor, and the ultimate sacrifice had not been made yet. So, yes, there was some bullying going on by God, some intimidation. One could even argue that God's method of Goding (that's a verb) was through fear - the bad kind.
But, now God has open reign to forgive and usher in grace - and to those whom much is given, much is required. We have the same ability, with our family, our friends, and our wives.
You know what I just thought of? This does kind of separate us - there are people today living according to Old Testament rules. Isn't that crazy? Think about it - if someone was still using pagers, or playing 8 tracks in their car or better yet riding a horse to work, we'd think it's archaic. But, people are living according to rules that have been extinct for over 2000 years - and they choose to do it. Crazy!
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