That's fine with me, FK. I will put my bets on the God portrayed in the Gospels and you can beieve in the OT God.
If the idea of the God of the OT was the same as Christ, then the Jews would have recognized Him as God. Instead, they expected, even demanded an OT despot God. So they mocked Him:
To the Jews, a sovereign God would not allow Himself to be humiliated and tortured and killed like a common thief. They expected, indeed demanded, that He react just as the God of your OT verses portray Him—by smiting His enemeis and driving the fear of God (no pun intended) in their hearts.
They could not imagine a suffering God! He was a big "sissy" in their eyes. It's actually a deformed image of God. Had the Jews received full revelation, they would have recognized Christ.
If you deny the OT God then you deny the NT God that was revealed to you.
If the idea of the God of the OT was the same as Christ, then the Jews would have recognized Him as God. Instead, they expected, even demanded an OT despot God.
The OT righteous DID recognize Christ as God in the coming. Some Jews in Christ's time also recognized Him, as the Father revealed to them:
Matt 16:15-17 : 15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.
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To the Jews, a sovereign God would not allow Himself to be humiliated and tortured and killed like a common thief. They expected, indeed demanded, that He react just as the God of your OT verses portray Him—by smiting His enemies and driving the fear of God (no pun intended) in their hearts.
YES, for many Jews this was true, but NOT ALL Jews. Jesus obviously exposed all the Jews who thought as you described as not being righteous. The righteous Jews were not so misguided. As quoted above, the Father revealed to those He would, as He would.
Very well stated... And this cannot be stressed enough, because the essence of the demonic is the hatred of the Cross of Christ.
This is why Our Blessed Lord said to Peter " get be hind me satan" Peter did not want or understand a suffering Christ at the time.