For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has showed no mercy; and mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:13)

People often read the New Testament, but seldom read the Old Testament. Many believe that the “God of the Old Testament” actually differs from the “God of the New Testament, Jesus Christ.” Men tend to see the God of the Old Testament as the harsh God of tough and unreasonable laws. On the other hand, they see the God of the New Testament as a loving God of mercy and peace. Are they really different Gods?

The fact is that the same God is God of both the Old and New Testaments. Jesus IS the Creator we find in the Old Testament. He IS that God which gave his Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, also known as Mount Horeb. Likewise he IS that God of whom John said, “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:3) He IS that God who was born in the flesh of the virgin Mary. He IS that God of whom Isaiah said, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) He IS the Father who came to earth as the Son. And he is the one who said, “Mercy triumphs over judgment.”

But, isn’t this idea wholly other, wholly different from that law which stoned the man who picked up sticks on the Sabbath? Could the God who commanded Moses to kill that man really be the same God who preaches mercy? How could this be?

First, understand that God gave us his Law in order to teach us his righteous standards as applied in this world. The Law set forth God’s conception of justice with respect to man’s relationship with other men and with respect to man’s relationship with himself. But, the Law also establishes both natural and spiritual principles. For example, God forbade the practices of adultery and homosexuality and instituted the death penalty for violations of these laws. God enacted such a harsh penalty because these acts will destroy the very fabric of society if allowed to propagate and become common. We see the results of allowing rampant promiscuity in our own civilization. The destruction caused remains self-evident to anyone with eyes to see.

The law forbidding work on the Sabbath implemented the spiritual principle that one must lose one’s soul in order to gain it in the next age. It demonstrated the idea of “entering God’s rest.” One can only enter God’s rest when he dies to the lusts of the world. God sees this principle as so important for mankind in general that when a man disobeyed his command to rest on the Sabbath, he instructed Moses to stone him to death. The principle deals with eternal life. God executed this man as a “living parable,” a natural, historical event which teaches a profound spiritual lesson.

In a recent blog I discussed the fact that Joseph was called “righteous” because he refused to publicly denounce or call for Mary’s stoning when she was found pregnant with Jesus. Likewise, I do not believe that Joseph would have stoned a man found picking up sticks on the Sabbath in the Israel of his day.  By that time God’s people had learned his lesson of mercy.

If we read and re-read the Old Testament, meditating as we go, we will begin to see that God did not usually judge Israel according to his Law. Instead, he mercifully sent prophets to his rebellious people and urged them to repent. His way has always been one in which mercy triumphs over judgment.  As the Psalmist says,

O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from the hand of the enemy. (Psalms 107:1-2)