Do you ever feel a sense of “spiritual whiplash” when moving from the Old Testament to the New?

Many readers struggle with an apparent dichotomy: the God of the Hebrew Bible is often viewed as a stern, distant Judge, while the New Testament reveals a God of warmth, grace, and mercy through Jesus Christ. This perceived divide can make the Old Testament feel like a hurdle rather than a treasure.

However, the disconnect isn’t in God’s character—it’s in our perspective. When we view the ancient scriptures through the right lens, we realize that the God of Sinai and the God of Calvary are one and the same.

Read more: The Lens of Grace

The Lens of Grace

Grace is not a New Testament invention; it is the heartbeat of the entire biblical narrative. Once you begin to look for it, you realize that the Old Testament doesn’t just contain grace—it is built upon it.

Consider these pivotal moments where God’s grace was hiding in plain sight:

• The Gift of the Law: Far from a list of restrictive “dos and don’ts,” the Law was an act of grace. It protected the Israelites from the moral decay and chaos of the surrounding nations, establishing a blueprint for a just, flourishing society.
• The System of Leviticus: While the rituals of Leviticus can seem tedious to modern eyes, they were actually a gracious provision. God provided a tangible way for a fallen people to maintain a perpetual, holy relationship with Him.
• The Rhythms of Worship: Through the seven feasts, God graciously hard-wired “remembrance” into the Hebrew calendar, ensuring His people never forgot His faithfulness in their past, present, or future.
• The Voice of the Prophets: Every prophetic warning was an act of mercy—a divine call to repentance for a people who had wandered off the path of life.
• The Discipline of Exile: Even the Exile was an act of “tough grace.” God allowed His people to feel the weight of their choices so they might ultimately turn back to Him.
• The Restoration: God’s grace brought the Israelites back to their land, proving that His covenantal love is stronger than human unfaithfulness.

One and the Same

As Preston Sprinkle writes in his book Charis: God’s Scandalous Grace for Us,

“Take grace out of the Old Testament, and, like pulling a thread from a sweater, the whole thing will come undone. Every character, every event, every single page from the Old Testament bleeds grace.”*

The God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament are not two different beings competing for our attention. He is the God of all grace. Whether He is speaking through a burning bush or a cross on a hill, His intent remains the same: to draw a people to Himself and enable them to live under His restorative Reign.

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*Preston Sprinkle, Charis: God’s Scandalous Grace for Us, (Colorado Springs, David C. Cook, 2021), Kindle Electronic Edition, Chapter 1, Page 27.