God Changes Throughout The Old Testament Essay

, Research Paper

God changes throughout the first books of the Old Testament.. The portrait of God during the creation is drastically different from the God of Exodus and Luke. In addition to God s transformation, the role of human kind changes as well. The idea of God changing and evolving is contradictory of the teachings today. However, God did drastically change his views and form of punishment throughout the Old Testament. During the creation of the earth, two different schemes are prevalent, with completely different emphasis on the importance on humans. The first accounts shows God creating humans after plants and animals (Geneses 1:20-25). God does not interact with humans, we are simple told of their creation. During the second story of creation humans are created first. They are placed in the Garden of Eden and God communicates with Adam, and eventually Eve (Genesis 2:19-2:20). The only reason for the creation of man s counterpart is do to Adam telling God that he is alone, and needs a companion (Genesis 2:23). These two completely different accounts of the creation are only the beginning of God s metamorphosis in the Old Testament. God also changes his temperament in the Old Testament. When Adam and Eve where in Eden, God instructs them not to eat of the tree, or they will surely die. However, Eve eats of the tree, as does Adam second, yet they do not perish. The serpent told Adam and Eve that the fruit would make them God-like, and that was God s reason for his command (Genesis 3:4-3:7). God becomes enraged at the serpent, Adam and Eve as well.God is upset because he has been revealed. He tried to convince Adam and Eve that the tree was poison. However, the tree can be seen as the source of his power, and if they consumed the fruit they would be Gods also. God does not want people to become godlike, hence they would be immortal and he would loose his control over them. God has now begun to show his various forms of punishment. He has no qualm destroying all of the Earth, except Noah and his immediate family. God destroys almost all the animals on the planet. However, animals can not sin. The idea of him killing all serpents due to his fore mentioned encounter with one could be explained. But this was not the case, he blatantly destroyed the very planet he gave life. God never gave a concise reason for destroying an entire world, just that it had become dark. God seems to be experimenting with good, evil, wrong and write, and the correct level of punishment, in the Old Testament. God did not know that murder was wrong until Cain killed Abel. God decides that he does not like the idea of one man murdering another, but now he has to come up with a punishment for Cain ( Genesis 4:8-4:18).

At this point God can be seen as deceitful, manipulative, and some what spoiled. Then the most logical choice for the man to father God s tribes would be Jacob. Jacob is the man who conjured his brother Esau out of his birth right as the oldest, and would make the perfect servant for God! God knows what Jacob has done and still he appears to Jacob and assures him that he will be kept safe, his children will be blessed, and that God will be with him ( Genesis 28:12-28:17). God then enables Jacob to trick Laban out of all his flock and herds, do to the fact that Jacob was not fairly treated by Laban in the marriage agreement made for Rachel. Jacob now leaves Laban s house, and returns to his father s land. However, Jacob now has two wives, as well as large herds of cattle and flock. God is constantly changing his views on what is right and what is wrong ( Genesis 31:14-18). By the time Exodus is over God has changed again. Moses is now the main character of the book of Exodus. Moses is very different in his interpretation of service to God, compared to earlier men. God then proceeds to define strict laws by which he wants the Israelites to live by. The Ten Commandments include prohibition of dishonesty, covetousness, and credibility. All of these traits that God has deemed wrong are the same ones that he practically encouraged Jacob to develop!! (Exodus 20:16-18) God changes throughout the entire Bible, but these accounts are painfully clear in the first few books. Did God reconsider thoughts he had earlier? Or did he simply evolve and experience new avenues that needed to be thought out more? The first books are full of discrepancies from one type of God to another. God might have only been able to change when people changed, after all he was alone and had no reference to form opinions. The theory about the Bible being written by different people at various points in time is now more acceptable. Different interpretations, stories, and myths collided throughout time, the discontinuity of the Old Testament shows this. The Bible can not be taken as a literal text, but more for personal interpretation. To take this piece of literature ver batum would be overwhelmingly conflicting, and prove nothing.

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