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I find that people's mischaracterizations of God and scripture is simply because they fail to understand the way God works in our lives-much like that of Job's friends. While Job's friends rightfully characterize God's nature, they failed in understanding that God uses adversity in our lives (such as Job) to help us grow. This is the lesson of Job. Job, though he was a righteous man, still had plenty of room for growth and teaching. What you characterize as a "primitive and archaic understanding of God" shows that you fail to grasp the love and compassion of a teaching Father to a righteous subject.

Jas 5:11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

I wouldn't put too much stock in all this God is Love talk which is very new teaching. While God is Love, this statement deliberately ignores the fact that WE are NOT love; which God rightfully finds offensive simply because He is Love. He cannot deny Himself. We are enemies of God unless He helps us overcome this nature. And, without His rod and staff to constantly guide us, we will go against everything that He stands for. That is our nature. And it's a very bad idea to think otherwise.

WRT: all this God is Love talk

The Bible is rife with adjectives of the Lord God being "compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love", but I think we read that and pass too quickly on the "slow to anger" part. If He's slow to anger, it must mean he DOES get angry, just not as quickly.

Nahum 1:3 says, "The LORD is slow to get angry, but his power is great, and he never lets the guilty go unpunished. He displays his power in the whirlwind and the storm. The billowing clouds are the dust beneath his feet."

And in Exodus 20:5, he says, "You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected--even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me."

God IS love, but it is a perfect love. It does not tolerate evil or sin. It was because of the perfect love of God that he gave his only begotten son - God became a man - so that he could make the sacrifice for all sin and redeem mankind back to Himself. His justice and holiness was satisfied and His love enabled His grace to go out to all who would turn to Him in faith. Those who deny Him and reject His unspeakable gift, must face the justice of a holy and righteous God who will punish with an everlasting death - separation from Him for eternity.