Tough Questions about God and His Actions in the Old Testament

by Walter C. Kaiser Jr.

Publisher:

Kregel

, 2015

Overview

Practical, scriptural discussions of tough topics such as polygamy, genocide, and the role of women in the Old Testament.

The God of the Old Testament can seem very foreign to Christians. His actions appear to starkly contrast with the God of grace in the New Testament and with modern notions of justice and propriety.

In this short volume, Old Testament scholar Walter Kaiser devotes each chapter to a different difficult subject, including creation, the wrath of God, the genocide of the Canaanites, God’s knowledge of the future, polygamy, Satan, the view of women, and application of the Old Testament law. He addresses each topic in a practical, accessible tone, with pastoral insight and humor, consistently focusing on the Scriptures.

The reader will find that there are not two different gods in the Bible and that the Old Testament is not an antique artifact that should now be jettisoned from Christianity. The Old Testament and the God it depicts is One with the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. His actions, when properly understood, are not at variance with the New Testament; rather, a view of the beautiful unity in the Bible as a whole will strengthen the church’s faith and aid in Christian witness and apologetics.

Key Features

• Tackles some of the main tough questions against the Old Testament teachings
• Explores issues and arguments that seek to pile up charges against the Old Testament
• Provides a list of discussion questions at the end of each chapter to encourage deeper reflection and critical thinking

Contents

• The God of Mercy or the God of Wrath?
• The God of Peace or the God of Ethnic Cleansing?
• The God of Truth or the God of Deception?
• The God of Evolution or the God of Creation?
• The God of Grace or the God of Law?
• The God of Monogamy or the God of Polygamy?
• The God Who Rules Satan or the God Who Battles Satan?
• The God Who Is Omniscient or the God Who Doesn’t Know the Future?
• The God Who Elevates Women or the God Who Devalues Women?
• The God of Freedom with Food or the God of Forbidden Food?

Top Highlights

“One of the most important principles of interpretation is that we should allow the biblical writer to say first of all what he wanted to say before we apply that truth or even ask how, in the progress of revelation, that truth was supplemented and advanced in the whole canon by New Testament comments on that same text.” (Page 13)

“In the case of the Canaanites, we know that the Lord has waited for four hundred years until the sins of the Canaanites finally mounted up so that the Canaanites filled the cup of judgment. God had been watching all those years to see if the Canaanites would repent and turn from their evil (Gen. 15:13–16).” (Page 29)

“Regardless of which explanation above best explains why many have bypassed the Old Testament or found it to be beyond their understanding, the reality is that the Old Testament contains over three-fourths of the revelation God has communicated to us. To avoid reading it is to miss the majority of what God has given us for our edification and insight. Can Christians dare refuse to listen to this disclosure of the mind of God and of his preparation for the person and work of his Son? To the extent that we selectively read and study the Bible, especially the Old Testament, we develop a type of biblical illiteracy and therefore remained unformed and untaught in portions of Christian truth.” (Pages 12–13)

“Instead, wars could only be entered into at Yahweh’s explicit direction and instruction and if they met Yahweh’s criteria.” (Page 29)

“‘I will make [the women] a power [or a strength] corresponding to the man.’” (Page 140)

Praise for Tough Questions about God and His Actions in the Old Testament

Many critics focus on God’s actions in the Old Testament in attempts to disprove Christianity. Dr. Kaiser’s efforts show the inaccuracy of this approach, offering a compelling look at how God’s work in the past is consistent with the teachings of the New Testament. This important method will better equip leaders at all levels of the faith.

—Dr. John Ankerberg, president and host of The John Ankerberg Show

In Tough Questions about God and His Actions in the Old Testament, Dr. Kaiser skillfully mingles biblical brilliance and conversational applicability. Few can do both well, especially tackling the more problematic issues found in the Old Testament. This book is just one more addition to his canon of publications that will benefit the ministry of leaders and the life of thoughtful Christians. Having known Dr. Kaiser as a colleague and as a friend for over twenty years, I know that what he writes he believes, and what he believes he lives. Anyone who desires to know God’s Word more deeply and believe it more convincingly should read this book.

—Barry H. Corey, President, Biola University

For several millennia certain passages in the Old Testament have perplexed careful readers of the Scriptures. Dr. Kaiser, with his customary exegetical and theological acumen, gets to the heart of these perplexing passages by wonderfully explaining and shedding insightful light on these difficult texts. This is an opportune resource—arriving amid increasingly complex times— for Christians who desire to explain God and his ways. Consequently, this book equips students of the Scriptures to better understand and teach the full extent of God’s word, without apology but with clarity and full confidence in the character, words, and plan of our triune God.

—Dorington Little, Senior Pastor, First Congregational Church, Hamilton, MA

Product Details

• Title: Tough Questions about God and His Actions in the Old Testament
• Author: Walter C. Kaiser Jr.
• Publisher: Kregel
• Print Publication Date: 2015
• Logos Release Date: 2021
• Pages: 176
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
• Subjects: Bible. O.T. › Theology; Ethics in the Bible; Apologetics; Violence › Biblical teaching; Women › Biblical teaching; Genocide › Biblical teaching; Justice › Biblical teaching; Marriage › Biblical teaching; Food › Biblical teaching; Good and evil › Biblical teaching
• ISBNs: 9780825443763, 0825443768
• Resource ID: LLS:TGHQSTNSLTSTMNT
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T03:18:54Z

About Walter C. Kaiser Jr.

Walter C. Kaiser (1933–) is an evangelical Old Testament scholar, writer, speaker, and educator. He earned degrees from Wheaton College and Brandeis University.

Kaiser taught Bible and archaeology at Wheaton College and taught at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in several capacities. He currently serves as the Colman M. Mockler Distinguished Professor of Old Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 2006 retired as their President.

Kaiser has contributed to numerous publications like Journal for the Study of Old Testament and Westminster Theological Journal. He has also written over 30 books including Toward an Exegetical Theology and A History of Israel: From the Bronze Age through the Jewish Wars.