The summum bonum—the highest good—of our culture is tolerance. Not surprisingly, as our culture becomes more tolerant and less concerned about sin, so does the god they worship. To support the idea that God is getting more tolerant, some appeal to the Bible.

We are all prone to imagine a god that is more like our culture than who God truly is. If we’re not careful, the culture will shape our view of God.

For example, the summum bonum—the highest good—of our culture is tolerance. Not surprisingly, as our culture becomes more tolerant and less concerned about sin, so does the god they worship.

To support the idea that God is getting more tolerant, some appeal to the Bible. After all, God isn’t raining down fire and brimstone like He did in the Old Testament. He isn’t turning people into pillars of salt for disobedience. No, something has changed. But it’s not God.

There is a difference between how God relates to people in the Old Testament and how God relates to people in the New Testament, but it’s not because of a change in His character. If God hasn’t changed, then what has?

Allow me to explain. To do so, I want to spend some time looking at a significant text in Hebrews where the author contrasts how God relates to people under the old and new covenants in different ways.

God Approaches People Differently

The author of Hebrews begins by describing how God related to the people of Israel under the Old Covenant.

For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” (Hebrews 12:18–29)

The author reminds his readers that God, in the Old Testament, was unapproachable. To illustrate his point, he uses a historical event that all Jews would be familiar with: Moses receiving the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. Look again at the description: “a blazing fire,” “darkness,” “gloom,” and “a tempest.” Remember, this isn’t describing Hell. This is describing the presence of God.

God met with Moses at Mount Sinai. But the people were warned that they must not touch the Mount lest they be put to death. God gave Moses strict instructions:

And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, “Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.” (Exodus 19:12–13)

Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” (Exodus 20:18–19)

Why does God appear this way? Why not appear like a disarming, Gandalf-like grandpa figure? Or, why not appear like a heavyset, non-judgmental, African American woman named “Papa”? I’ll tell you why. Most people—past and present—think that God can be approached by anyone, in any way. They believe that God is always loving and embracing, never wrathful and judging.

But that isn’t true. God appears this way—and Hebrews highlights it for us—to demonstrate that God is a lethal threat to anyone who dares approach Him through the law.

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