Sin crimes & God's Holiness

Q: Reading Exodus and have q's.

I'm reading exodus for the first time and it's actually making me struggle a bit.

In particular, the rules God gives Moses are just 🤯 Why does God want everyone to be put to death? The wages of sin is death but some of these things feel really extreme for the crime... And why did he make that rule anyway... It's God's choice to make death the penalty for all these things he lists in exodus... But why would he choose that for us if he loves us. If he loved the Israelites enough to deliver them out of Egypt, why would he then put them to death for cursing their mother or father?

Also, He calls himself compassionate, but the whole water thing gets me.. the Israelites are in the wilderness, dying of thirst and they're begging God for water, what we desperately need for life, and Moses and God just seem to be really irritated at them for asking.... Water is a basic human need and they asked for it and God wants us to ask for what we need... 

Why does Jesus seem so different to the God in the OT? Honestly I don't really like the stories of God so far in the past... It doesn't seem like my loving father, the Bible says God never changes but OT God and NT God seem very different to me so far.

What are your thoughts? 

A: The Laws God gave to Israel show perfection . The standard God requires.

God is Perfect and Holy and in His righteous nature must punish sin. It cannot be in His presence and live. 

When we understand sin [in thought, word or deed] in reality it shows us how exceedingly sinful we all are. 

1 sin is enough to damn us to eternal Hell. (James 2:10)

It seems extreme to those who dont understand sin and God's Holiness. But Scripture reveals it. God has revealed to us by His Word. 

This is why when mankind sinned in Eden  (Gen 3) and brought sin to all mankind (Rom 5:12-19), God stepped in - he sacrificed a animal, shed its blood and covered them with it. It pointed --> to the Perfect Lamb who was coming whose blood and righteousness will eternally cover us and clean us. 

"This is how He loved us that while we were sinners Christ died for us."

"God so lived the world 👉 that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life". The extreme lengths and cost God went to, that Jesus went to, to redeem us from the curse...

"The wages of sin is death"

... is staggering and only possible by a God of true love. His nature and character includes love at the highest level. Ours is so tiny in comparison even as believers. 

God is "the same yesterday today and forever." (vs). He is same in OT & NT. What divides the Bible the Scriptures in half is what divides the calendar and history in half --> Jesus. 

OT tells us how God will defeat death & bring redemption, the NT tells us how he did it. 

God could rightly kill and damn us all, but he didnt. He created mankind to fellowship with him eternally. So he made a way to save us from himself. 

God offers Grace and Mercy where it isnt deserved. He doesnt give us what we deserve (Hell), as believers, and gives us what we dont deserve (salvation/redemption)

The law or revealing of all kinds of sins in OT and NT just meant to point us to Christ.

Scripture tells us this. "The Law was our schoolmaster to lead us to Christ." And "I did not know sin but by the Law." 

When we understand God properly, it all makes sense.

1. Understanding Gods Holiness 

2.  If you study "the attributes of God" this will help.

Deep dive here

Basics  <<

Free pdf Book study <<

And theres online a book or audio called Sinners in the hands of an angry God.

3. On The sinfulness of sin 

As for the water, Exodus 15:22-27, I found a few sermons with that story mentioned, but i reviewed this one pt1 there, and it does/should explain it well. 🙂

God always provides what we need when we need it. We don't need to ask or complain for it or desire the things of the world that held our attention before we got saved. 

Stop grumbling & complaining part 1. part 2 . 

There is a goood clarifying answer given in that message. You can listen and read along the transcript 

A good study on Understanding sin clearly will be helpful after you go thru the above. I do Recommend it. 

More on the Holiness of God here. 

In closing,

Have YOU ever seen and understood your sin in truth? Clearly pierced by the Word of God and were broken over your sin?  Examine yourself to ensure you understand the Gospel, and obey it today if you havent.  

For those wanting to do a deeper dive into the Gospel these will be a great benefit to you, to do that.

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