Have you ever done something in spite of warnings about the harm and consequences?
Much of the Old Testament is one repeating story of God giving people a lot with a few requirements, the people forgetting the requirements and becoming prideful, God humbling them and then restoring them.This cycle reaches a crescendo with God coming to earth in the form of a Savior – Jesus Christ. God sent Jesus and his Holy Spirit to make the requirements for his gift of eternal life even easier.
People have not changed. We still become prideful and God still humbles us, but we live under the new covenant. God and forgiveness are accessible through our hearts. We never need a human intermediary or a live sacrifice. “It is finished,” as Christ said on the cross (John 19:30).
The stories of men and women’s lives, the failure followed by redemption, and the many signs pointing toward the arrival of Christ make the Old Testament critical to a full, contextual understanding of God.
Thousands of years ago and still today, God’s purpose is not to destroy you. His desire is to help you use time on earth to grow in character and understanding of his purposes. He has a plan for you that is unique; a purpose carved out for you alone. There will be hardships and loss. You will experience correction from God when you go astray. He may even allow severe consequences to occur as the result of your decisions or as the result of evil in the world.
As Winston Churchill said, “Never ever ever ever ever give up.”