The Greatest Parable

Understanding Old Testament Violence Through the Lens of God's Eternal Purpose

One of the most difficult questions Christians are asked—often by skeptics or unbelievers—is this: How can a loving, merciful, and just God be responsible for the brutal and, at times, seemingly merciless genocides recorded in the Old Testament?

These accounts are unsettling, not just to outsiders, but to honest believers who want to uphold both the truthfulness of Scripture and the goodness of God. In many of these stories, the destruction is not only condoned by God—it is carried out or directly commanded by Him. Naturally, this leads to the tension: How do we reconcile the God who says “Love your enemies” with the One who commanded the extermination of entire nations?

This is not a minor question. It has been one of the most powerful weapons in the hands of critics, especially atheists, who claim that the God of the Bible is inconsistent, violent, and unjust. If God is truly good and just, how can these acts be explained without compromising either His character or the integrity of Scripture?

Common Christian Responses—and Their Limitations
Some well-meaning Christians respond by saying, “God is all-wise; we simply have to trust Him and not question His actions.” Others suggest that the nations God destroyed were already hopelessly depraved, having passed the point of redemption.

While these answers are sincere, they often fall short of satisfying the deeper moral concern. They imply that God’s justice can function outside our understanding of fairness, or that He judges and punishes people based on His foreknowledge rather than their actual choices—a kind of preemptive punishment. But this raises further questions about God’s transparency and whether His actions can truly be seen as just or righteous by created beings.

Is God asking us to suspend reason, turn off moral discernment, and simply accept acts that would horrify us if done by anyone else? No. There is a better, more beautiful, and deeply biblical explanation—one that upholds both the justice and love of God.

The Key: Two Kinds of Law—Natural and Legal
To unravel this mystery, we must first understand that the Bible reveals two kinds of law at work in God’s dealings with humanity:

Natural Law – This is the law of reality: cause and effect. It is how God designed the universe to function, both physically and spiritually. "Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" (Gal. 6:7). If you step off a cliff, you fall. If you touch fire, you burn. If you sin, death follows. These are not judicial penalties—they are natural consequences built into the structure of creation.

Legal Law – This is a law imposed by a governing authority. It does not operate automatically; it requires enforcement and judgment. “He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death” (Exod. 21:12). This law illustrates and enforces justice on behalf of a system but is not inherently self-operating.

The legal system God gave to Israel was based on this second kind of law. It was a system of governance, teaching, and illustration. But it was not the final or truest expression of His character.

The Old Testament: A Divinely Orchestrated Parable
The New Testament gives us a vital insight into how to read the Old: it was designed as a teaching tool. Paul calls it a “schoolmaster to bring us to Christ” (Gal. 3:24), and says, “These things happened to them as examples and were written for our admonition” (1 Cor. 10:11).

In other words, the entire Old Testament system—laws, judgments, sacrifices, wars—was constructed by God to serve as a living parable, pointing to deeper spiritual truths. Like Isaiah walking barefoot for three years as a sign against Egypt (Isa. 20:2–4), many of the events in Israel’s history were enacted messages, not literal representations of how God functions in His eternal character.

A parable, by definition, is not about the story itself—it’s about the message behind it. When Jesus told of the rich man in hell (Luke 16), He was not giving a theological treatise on the afterlife; He was using a fictional narrative to teach spiritual lessons. The same is true of the Old Testament as a whole—it is a lived-out parable of sin, judgment, and redemption.

Why the Violence? A Lesson About Sin, Not About God’s Character
So why do we see so much violence, wrath, and retribution? Because the Old Testament was a legal representation of natural law. It was a dramatized depiction of what sin actually does. In reality, sin always kills. It always corrupts. It is completely merciless, harsh, and destructive. It makes no distinction between young and old, ignorant or informed.

Under God’s guidance, this reality was illustrated through judgments and executions—not because God delights in such actions, but because the parable needed to be taught with perfect accuracy. God was revealing the horror of sin, not His own preferences.

Sin is the destroyer—not God.

In the legal system, God appeared as the enforcer of harsh penalties. But in reality, He was modeling what sin itself does when it goes unchecked. The slightest contact with sin leads to death (Rom. 6:23). This is how natural law functions—and under the Old Covenant, God used legal mechanisms to portray this unchanging reality. It’s like a man who insists on walking down a path that leads to a hidden cliff. Because he ignores every warning, a law is created: “Anyone who takes this path must be put to death.” The law is severe, but it’s meant to highlight the real danger. In the same way, when a man was stoned for picking up sticks on the Sabbath (Num. 15:32–36), it wasn’t just about gathering wood—it was a deliberate act of defiance against God’s command and presence. That act represented a conscious step away from divine communion, and under the legal system, God enforced a visible penalty to teach the spiritual reality: deliberately stepping away from God—even in what seems like a small act—begins a path that leads to spiritual death.

What About Those Who Died? Are They Eternally Lost?
This leads to another important question: What about those who died under these judgments? Are they all eternally condemned?

Not necessarily. Just as actors in a play may “die” in the story but live in reality, many of those who perished in the Old Testament parable may yet be saved. The parable required the sentence to be carried out, but in the eternal judgment—where grace and truth through Christ are revealed—they may stand forgiven and restored.

Consider:

Uzzah, who touched the Ark and died for it (2 Sam. 6:6–7). His death taught a vital lesson about God’s holiness, but it does not necessarily mean he was lost.

The disobedient prophet who was deceived into eating when God told him not to (1 Kings 13). His punishment was real under the system of law, but the lesson was symbolic: never trust man’s word over God's command.

Moses, who died under God’s judgment for striking the rock (Deut. 34:7), yet later appeared with Christ in glory (Matt. 17:3). He died in the “parable,” but he lives in the reality of grace.

The Movie Ends—Grace Triumphs
When Christ came, the parable ended and reality began. In Jesus, we no longer see shadowy reflections of God’s character—we see the fullness:

“He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” — John 14:9
“The law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” — John 1:17

Jesus reveals that God is not violent, capricious, or eager to destroy. He is patient, forgiving, and self-sacrificing to the end. The Old Testament showed what sin deserves. The New Testament shows what God is truly like.

Conclusion: What the Old Testament Really Tells Us
So how should we understand the violent stories of the Old Testament?

They are not revelations of God's eternal nature.

They are not blueprints for justice under grace.

They are not meant to be repeated or emulated.

Rather, they are a great parable, a living drama illustrating the devastating nature of sin and the utter necessity of grace. Through this lens, we no longer see a cruel God—we see a wise, patient Father teaching a desperate world just how serious sin is, so that when grace appeared in Christ, we would finally understand our need for it.

The Old Testament shows the death sin demands.
The New Testament shows the life God gives.

“The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
— John 1:17