Many of them implying that much in the Old Testament was a misinterpretation of the nature of God, or misrepresented God's will — because they couldn't see God manifest in the flesh, or hear Him speak with a mouth of clay. Some (it looks like) implying, for example, that “an eye for an eye” were somehow Moses’ misrepresentations of God.
This is a naturalistic view, and much influenced by a modernistic sense of how man wants God to act toward man, or in his affairs.
But, it seems to me, what is ignored is that God can change His instructions to man justly from one age to another. It is not a violation of His nature.
From the very beginning of the Bible -— God's instructions to Adam while in a state of innocence in the Garden were not the instructions God continued to give to Adam after the fall, once Adam was ejected from Paradise.
So God manifest in flesh, Jesus Christ, justly modified His instructions to the nation of Israel for a new Day, a new Age, a new Dealing with the nation (Matthew through John), and it does not say in the least that the instructions given from Sinai to Moses were not correct, or were somehow “misinterpretations” by the Old Testament writers.
Further, God the Holy Spirit gave subsequent Revelation — advanced Revelation, if you will, directly through post- Resurrection Apostles and prophets, that supersede even instruction given in Matthew chapters 5 through 7, Matthew 10, Luke chapters 9 and 10, and other areas of the Gospel records.
When my children were seven years old, the instructions and restrictions applicable to their daily lives and activities would not match very well the instructions given to my sixteen and seventeen year old children. I have children from age 30 all the way down to age seven. The eldest yet living in my house is sixteen. My seven year old knows quite well that she can't venture out as my sixteen year old son does. The instructions justly change from year-to-year.
I find no indication anywhere in Jesus’ words in the Gospel records that He believed that anything in the Mosaic Law is to be taken as anything except proper instruction for that period of God's dealings with Israel.
Jesus Christ never brought doubt upon the verity of any words in the Old Testament. He called the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms SCRIPTURE (Luke 24:25-46). If they are Scripture, then they are “given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16, 17).
Yes, that is my assessment as well. Modern man has given up Christian presuppositions and inserted man himself in their places. Without God as the foundational starting point as the basis of reality, man grasps at straws and can only make sense of things by what makes sense to him AS the starting point. This has man transforming God into what man wants, just as you said.
But, it seems to me, what is ignored is that God can change His instructions to man justly from one age to another. It is not a violation of His nature.
I totally agree. A change in direction is not a change in essence. God can walk and chew gum at the same time.
So God manifest in flesh, Jesus Christ, justly modified His instructions to the nation of Israel for a new Day, a new Age, a new Dealing with the nation (Matthew through John), and it does not say in the least that the instructions given from Sinai to Moses were not correct, or were somehow “misinterpretations” by the Old Testament writers.
Amen. The New Covenant wouldn't be new if it wasn't different from the Old Covenant. That doesn't mean the Old Covenant was wrong or bad.