To help with people who call God cruel.
Rather than just moving His people around, watching them suffer(Egypt, Babylon), pulling them out; and annihilating people that don’t please Him.
I know that God is love, but I would like to defend the statement from the OT.
Sense the FALL of Adam & Eve man’s sinful nature
CONCUPISCENCE." Insubordination of man’s desires to the dictates of reason, and the propensity of human nature to sin as a result of original sin. More commonly, it refers to the spontaneous movement of the sensitive appetites toward whatever the imagination portrays as pleasant and away from whatever it portrays as painful. However, concupiscence also includes the unruly desires of the will, such as pride, ambition, and envy".
Fr. Hardon’s Catholic Dictionary
God’s Divine sense of fairness and Justice have consistently DEMANDED that men prove & then prove time N’ again there love and fidelity to Him.
Isa. 43: 7 & 21 “[7] every one who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.” “the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise”
God’s harshness is in FACT Divine Justice being made evident.
Does NOT God have not only THEE right; but factually the grave MORAL responsibility to reward good and punish evil? OF course He does.
There is no greater OT evidence than the CALL of Abram
** Gen 12:1-3**
“And the Lord said to Abram: Go forth out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and out of thy father’ s house, and come into the land which I shall shew thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and magnify thy name, and thou shalt be blessed. I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee, and IN THEE shall all the kindred of the earth be blessed”
& the story of the GREAT Exodus found throughout the Book of that name.:
** Exodus 15:26**
Saying: If thou wilt hear the voice of the Lord thy God, and do what is right before him, and obey his commandments, and keep all his precepts, none of the evils that I laid upon Egypt, will I bring upon thee: for I am the Lord thy healer
The Story of King David is another example of God’s Merciful Love
** 2 Samuel 8:11**
And king David dedicated them to the Lord, together with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all the nations, which he had subdued: [WITH GOD’s Providential help]
And then ALL of the OT prophesies of the coming Messiah
In the imagery of the prophets, “spirit” and “fire” were associated with purification and restoration. The Old Testament prophets warned of a purifying fire that would refine the souls of God’s people by burning away what was impure and purifying the souls of the repentant sinner (Is 4:4; 66:24; Joel 2:30; Zech 13:9; Mal 3:2-4/4:1). They also promised an outpouring of the Spirit of God when God came to redeem His people (Is 32:15; 31:31-34; 40:24;41:16; 44:3;Jer 4:11-16; 23:19; 30:23: 31:31-34; Ez 13:11;36:25-27; 39:29;Joel 2:28-29). These were prophecies that were very familiar to the people and the significant word clues and actions that John used would have triggered the recall of these prophecies.
Micah 5:2: But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.
Hosea 11:1: When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.
Isaiah 9:6-7: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
In reading the bible it is natural to find what we’d LIKE to find. That my friend is a very human tendency.
2Peter 1: 19-21
And we have the more firm prophetical word: whereunto you do well to attend, as to a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: [20] **Understanding this first, that no prophecy of scripture is made by private interpretation. **[21] For prophecy came not by the will of man at any time: but the holy men of God spoke, inspired by the Holy Ghost.
[Douay explanation]
[20] No prophecy of scripture is made by private interpretation: This shews plainly that the scriptures are not to be expounded by any one’s private judgment or private spirit, because every part of the holy scriptures were written by men inspired by the Holy Ghost, and declared as such by the Church; therefore they are not to be interpreted but by the Spirit of God, which he hath left, and promised to remain with his Church to guide her in all truth to the end of the world. Some may tell us, that many of our divines interpret the scriptures: they may do so, but they do it always with a submission to the judgment of the Church, and not otherwise. End Quotes
“Whenever something is good it does not depend on us getting our way, but on God getting His way, and whether we do God’s Will depends on us [humbly] loving God. Moreover to love God we must [actually] know God, [not just know OF God].” Bread of Life booklet January 9, 2016”[Mt 7:21]
SEE: **2nd. Peter 3: 14-18 **
Hope this helps you,
Blessings
