Old Testament Meditation: God Has Feelings

Blessings My Brothers and Sisters,

I’m in seminary and every day over the next couple of months one question will be answered in many parts. The macrocosmic question is, why does studying the Old Testament matter? Today’s microcosmic question is, what role did the Law of Moses play in ancient Israel and how does the Law apply to my life as a Christian today?  

The Law of Moses is a covenant between the Israelites and God established on Mount Sinai. The covenant established a relationship between God and his chosen people to fulfill God’s covenants with Noah and Abraham. The Law of Moses introduces 613 laws that emphasize the permeation of faith into every area of Jewish life including ceremonial rituals, customs with food and customs regarding cleanliness and uncleanliness of the human body, justice in faith, civil, political, and familial conflict, and morality of the human heart to be free from sin and guilt. [1] The Laws, especially, differentiate God’s people, Israel, from all other surrounding tribes, nations, and religions. The Law also reveals the character of God through his relationship, words, and actions with Israel.

Jesus Christ is the fulfillment and Living Word of the Old Testament. Today, the Law applies within the Christian life as Jesus proclaims in the New Testament as part of the New Covenant. The Old Testament laws prescribed were particular to the time and culture in which they were written. However, ultimately, the purpose of the Law was for God’s people to be holy partners with God in bringing forth the atonement for mankind’s salvation because of the Fall of mankind which gave birth to sin and death (Gen. 3: 1 - 24). Today, an example of selected commandments from the Law of Moses, proclaimed by Jesus Christ, that we follow are to love the Lord as our only God and to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31 [NABRE]).

To my surprise, I developed a profound understanding of God’s character through the Book of Numbers. I was struck by listening (reading) God’s voice and his plea to Moses after God was betrayed by vicious and revolting doubt from his chosen people. Our Almighty Creator said to his human prophet, “How long will they refuse to believe in me, despite all the signs I have performed among them” (Num. 14: 11).

God was deeply hurt by the rebellion of his children whom he liberated from slavery and was leading to “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Num. 14: 8). In this moment, I wanted to be like Moses who God could trust and confide in. I wanted to be like Joshua, son of Nun, and Caleb, son of Jephunneh, who “tore their garments” pleading with the tribes shouting, “You need not be afraid,” and “the Lord is with us” (Num. 14: 6, 9).

My heart breaks for all the hardened hearts of humanity whom God is trying to love. God is a person and God feels. God feels everything that we feel, and he takes everything back upon himself on the Cross. The Fall brought sin and death. The new heart (new covenant) that is Jesus Christ brings salvation and life. The character of God is constant. God is a humble and loving father willing to descend from heaven and lower himself to personally love and protect his children, even when they doubt or reject his love and power to protect them.

Join me in prayer:

Lord, I pray to honor you with my life, trust you with everything I have, and to love you as you love me. Amen.

Totus Tuus,

Apolonia “Apo” Davalos

[1] The Bible Project, “The Law,” October 12, 2015, video, 1:22, https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/law/.