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No doubt this dilemma has been broached before  but I'm a newbie here so please forgive the redundancy.  I believe every word in the New Testament is the Word of God - I do not believe the same about the Old Testament.  When there is an apparent conflict between the two (e.g.; Eye for eye/turn other cheek) I believe the NT trumps the old.  We are the new covenant becasue the old one (I believe) was twisted and perverted by men to suit there own earthly purposes. 
    The God I love does not order one group of people to wipe out another.  He does not kill children for mocking an old man.  He does not slay, kill, destroy, avenge or do anything but bestow His perfect love.  I'm aware of the "discipline is love" argument but if that were the case then God would still be the earthly disciplinarian (God is perfect therefore God does not change - any change from perfection would be an imperfection).  We have free will and our choices will determine the fate of our afterlife.  Becasue the ancient Jews did not believe in the afterlife I believe they "demanded" that God mete out punishment here on earth.  Hence, the image of an angry, slaying God. 
    Like I said. I have trouble with the Old Testament - except where it prophesies the coming of the Christ.  Where is my thinking wrong?  And/or, can the OT and NT be seamlessly reconciled?  Thanks for any help in this area. 
                           - Kent

Just my take Kent. Hebrews 8:5  Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things.

The tabernacle, the events of the Old versus the New were to show types of how God judges and thinks of sin, and that was an illustration to Israel, and an example to unbelieving peoples. Eventually adulterous Israel backslid and was put away also with a bill of divorce. Are we to divorce for other than fornication? It was a type unfolded in the Old, but revealed in the New?

Did God create man to kill? No, of course not, but sin was judged with no tolerance in the Old, just as there will be no excuse at the great white throne judgment in the New. What happened to Jesus Who took our sin upon Him? He had to die. We may not understand how God would do certain things according to our unrighteous judgment, but shall we not live if we do that which is right in His eyes? And then shall God not do that which is always righteous.

We read in 2 Timothy 3:16  "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." Give the Holy Spirit time to make known those things that are not understandable this day; they may be revealed in the very next scripture you read added to something you just believed yesterday.


 

You are putting our ability to reason and judge, above the word of God.

If you believe the NT, you will believe it was the HS quoting the OT. 

It is bad when we think of ourselves as better than God.  God asked abraham to kill his son, that is in the NT.  Deal with it.

Peace

Thank you Larry2 for your good and sound advice.  I too have thought that in time, the HS will reveal the reconciliation of the two testaments to me. 

As for your advice TalkingDonkey I don't think I was guilty of the sin of blasphemy for questioning the OT.  If you have read the great religious/spiritual philosophers you would know that they ALL had their doubts at some time or another.  Truth is forged in a cauldron of questions.  And with that, I have dealt.

The OT (first testament) and NT (second testatment) are not in conflict with each other. They are both parts of God's ONE STORY. God is the same God throughout. He just reveals more of himself in the NT. Some say it is Retribution vs Grace. I disagree. There was overwhelming grace exibited by God in the OT, and Jesus will be the Great Retributor in the end, per Revelations.

I definitely believe the NT cannot be adequately understood without a pretty good foundational understanding of the Old Testament. Jesus quoted an awful lot of the OT in his quotations in the NT. Only reading the NT would be like reading War and Peace beginning on page 350. It's ONE STORY, not two.