In the movie “Annie Hall”, Woody Allen is waiting in line with his girlfriend to see a movie. Standing behind him is a very loud and arrogant man who is heavily criticizing a well known author. After several minutes of this, Wood Allen is pulling his hair out because what the man is saying is not true. Finally, he turns to the camera and says, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if life were like this?” He then proceeds to walk behind a column and to bring out the real author who said to the man, “You know nothing of my work. You are completely misrepresenting me” – the man’s jaw drops open and he is silenced. Woody Allen, meanwhile, is intensely delighted.

The message of the Bible, as I understand it, increasingly points to the character of God as being all-good, all-loving, and even incorporating supreme humility, service and kindness. In this setting, I’ve thought of some individuals who have loudly railed against the character of God that is presented in the Bible. Mark Twain and Richard Dawkins are two that come to mind. If one were to attempt to use the Bible to make the case that “God is just like Jesus in character” both men would be itching to respond, Bible in hand, with the challenge, “You are using this book as ‘exhibit A’ to say that God is just like Jesus? This book?” Here is what Mark Twain had to say about the Bible:

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The book of Malachi has a number of challenges. Did God hate Esau and his descendants? Does God choose to love some people and to hate others. Is personal salvation God's choice or our choice? And, the book of Malachi includes an incredible description of the coming Messiah: "But who will be able to endure the day when he comes? Who will be able to survive when he appears? He will be like strong soap, like a fire that refines metal. He will come to judge like one who refines and purifies silver. As a metalworker refines silver and gold, so the LORD's messenger will purify the priests, so that they will bring to the LORD the right kind of offerings" (Malachi 3:2-3). Do these words apply to the humble carpenter of Nazareth?

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click here to download the lecture

click here to watch the powerpoint slides with the audio

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This Bible study concludes our trip through the Old Testament. Do these words in Malachi 3 refer to gentle Jesus? "Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears?" In what sense?

Malachi says that Jesus came to purify the priests that they may offer the proper sacrifices. What does this mean?

The last half of this Bible study reviewed the translation of the English Bible. Can we really trust the Bible? Which version of the Bible is most trustworthy?

Before we leave the Old Testament, here is one last summary look at these 39 books. Stories in the Old Testament have turned many individuals away from God. Here was Mark Twain's opinion of God, based largely on the Old Testament stories:

“It ain’t the parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand”

“The two Testaments are interesting, each in its own way. The Old one gives us a picture of these people’s Deity as he was before he got religion, the other one gives us a picture of him as he appeared afterward”

“Our Bible reveals to us the character of our god with minute and remorseless exactness…It is perhaps the most damnatory biography that exists in print anywhere. It makes Nero an angel of light and leading by contrast”

“If there is a God, he is a malign thug”

“God, so atrocious in the Old Testament, so attractive in the New - - the Jekyl and Hyde of sacred romance”

“There has been only one Christian. They caught him and crucified him - - early”

This talk is a discussion of some of those difficult Old Testament stories. Eternal life is to know God, and my opinion is that we should not throw out the Old Testament in our quest to know God. Rather, we should see the Old Testament through the lens of Jesus Christ as He died on Calvary.

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