Does that seem a tad harsh? Whoever reads the Old Testament must struggle with the apparent brutality of God’s judgment found there. For many this is as far as they read. They stumble over the violent passages we call the “hard sayings.” In this chapter I want to stare the Old Testament God right in the eye. I want to look at the most difficult, most offensive passages we can find in the Old Testament and see if we can make any sense of them. We will look at the swift and sudden judgment that falls upon Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron; we will look at God striking Uzzah dead for touching the ark of the covenant; …we will look at the lengthy list of crimes for which God commanded capital punishment; we will look at the slaughter of women and children allegedly done under the orders of God. Take heed. This chapter is not for the weak of stomach or of heart. We will stare into the abyss of the Most Terrible, if you are willing to read along. Some people see these sayings as sufficient reason to reject Christianity out of hand. They seem ample reason to hold the Old Testament God in contempt. Others try to soften the blow by turning the Old Testament into a religious parable or by applying a method of scissors and paste, assigning the more brutal passages to the level of primitive myth. Some even go so far as to argue that the Old Testament God is a different God from the New Testament God—a shadowy God with a bad temper, a kind of demonic deity whose blazing wrath is beneath the dignity of the New Testament God of love. Genesis 2:16–17 (NIV2011) And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” We have grown used to the mercy of God. We have come to expect the mercy of God. We have come to believe that we deserve the mercy of God. We have grown used to the mercy of God. We have come to expect the mercy of God. We have come to believe that we deserve the mercy of God. We have grown used to the mercy of God. We have come to expect the mercy of God. We have come to believe that we deserve the mercy of God.

2. If you were a
school teacher,
what is the first
thing you would
want to
communicate to

3. Who is boss.

4. If you were God,
what is the first
thing you would
want to
communicate to
Your people?

5. Who is boss.

8. Exodus 19:4 (NIV2011)
‘You yourselves have
seen what I did to
Egypt, and how I
carried you on eagles’
wings and brought you
to myself.

9. After selecting a site
on a high precipice,
the mother eagle
builds her nest. And
as her newly hatched
eaglet grows, he’s
comfy and cozy—until
one day the mother
eagle overturns the
nest and the young
eagle is sent tumbling

10. Just before he hits
the rocks below,
however, the
mother eagle
swoops down and
rescues him,
bearing him upon
her wings. She
returns him to the
nest—only to

11. This
process is
repeated
six or seven
times—until
one time,
the eaglet
catches a

12. God will push you
into exhilarating
circumstances
until you learn to
trust Him.

13. God will push you
out of your
comfort zone until
you learn to fly.

14. Exodus 19:4 (NIV2011)
‘You yourselves have
seen what I did to
Egypt, and how I
carried you on eagles’
wings and brought you
to myself.

15. We will obey!
•Exodus 19:7–8 (NIV2011) So Moses
went back and summoned the
elders of the people and set
before them all the words the
LORD had commanded him to
speak. 8 The people all
responded together, “We will do
everything the LORD has said.”
So Moses brought their answer

17. Resolve is not
enough.

18. Resolve is not
enough1. Trying
2. Truth
3. Training
4. Habit
5. Trusting
6. Worship
7. Way of
escape
8. Together
9. Prayer
10. Replacement
11. Telling
12. The Holy Spirit
13. Testing
14. Example
15. God’s sovereign
grace

19. Big idea…
You can change,
but resolve is not
enough.

20. Big idea…
You can change,
but resolve is not
enough.

21. We will obey!
•Exodus 19:7–8 (NIV2011) So Moses
went back and summoned the
elders of the people and set
before them all the words the
LORD had commanded him to
speak. 8 The people all
responded together, “We will do
everything the LORD has said.”
So Moses brought their answer

24. 1 Corinthians 15:3–4
(NIV2011)
For what I received I
passed on to you as of
first importance: that
Christ died for our sins
according to the
Scriptures, that he was

25. Exodus 19:12–13
(NIV2011)
Put limits for the people
around the mountain
and tell them, ‘Be
careful that you do not
approach the mountain
or touch the foot of it.

26. Exodus 19:12–13
(NIV2011)
Put limits for the people
around the mountain
and tell them, ‘Be
careful that you do not
approach the mountain
or touch the foot of it.

27. 13 They are to be stoned
or shot with arrows; not
a hand is to be laid on
them. No person or
animal shall be
permitted to live.’ Only
when the ram’s horn
sounds a long blast may

28. Does that
seem a tad
harsh?

29. Whoever reads the
Old Testament must
struggle with the
apparent brutality of
God’s judgment
found there. For
many this is as far as
they read. They
stumble over the
violent passages we

30. In this chapter I want
to stare the Old
Testament God right
in the eye. I want to
look at the most
difficult, most
offensive passages we
can find in the Old
Testament and see if
we can make any

31. We will look at the
swift and sudden
judgment that falls
upon Nadab and
Abihu, the sons of
Aaron; we will look
at God striking
Uzzah dead for
touching the ark of

32. …we will look at the
lengthy list of crimes
for which God
commanded capital
punishment; we will
look at the slaughter
of women and
children allegedly
done under the
orders of God.

33. Take heed. This
chapter is not for
the weak of
stomach or of
heart. We will
stare into the
abyss of the Most
Terrible, if you are

34. Some people see these
sayings as sufficient reason
to reject Christianity out of
hand. They seem ample
reason to hold the Old
Testament God in
contempt. Others try to
soften the blow by turning
the Old Testament into a
religious parable or by
applying a method of
scissors and paste, assigning

35. Some even go so far as
to argue that the Old
Testament God is a
different God from the
New Testament God—a
shadowy God with a
bad temper, a kind of
demonic deity whose
blazing wrath is
beneath the dignity of

37. Genesis 2:16–17 (NIV2011)
And the LORD God
commanded the man, “You
are free to eat from any
tree in the garden;
but you must not eat from
the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil, for when
you eat from it you will

38. We have grown used to
the mercy of God.
We have come to expect
the mercy of God.
We have come to believe
that we deserve the

39. We have grown used to
the mercy of God.
We have come to expect
the mercy of God.
We have come to believe
that we deserve the

40. We have grown used to
the mercy of God.
We have come to expect
the mercy of God.
We have come to believe
that we deserve the

42. Holy, Holy, Holy
Words by Reginald Heber
Music by John B. Dykes
Words and Music public domain
711

43. Holy, holy, holy
Lord God Almighty
Early in the morning
our song shall rise to Thee

44. Holy, holy, holy
merciful and mighty
God in three Persons
blessed Trinity

45. Holy, holy, holy
all the saints adore Thee
Casting down their golden
crowns around the glassy sea

46. Cherubim and seraphim
falling down before Thee
Which wert, and art
and evermore shalt be

47. Holy, holy, holy
tho’ the darkness hide Thee
Tho’ the eye of sinful man
Thy glory may not see

48. Only Thou art holy
there is none beside Thee
Perfect in pow’r
in love, and purity

49. Holy, holy, holy
Lord God Almighty
All Thy works shall praise Thy name
in earth, and sky, and sea

50. Holy, holy, holy
merciful and mighty
God in three Persons
blessed Trinity