You haven’t seen YHWH if you haven’t seen Yeshua

How many people actually understand God in a Christlike way? What’s your experience? In my experience many people often make one of two fundamental mistakes when speaking about God (YHWH) and Jesus (Yeshua).

Firstly, many critics of Christianity assert the God of the Old Testament is irreconcilable with the Jesus of the New Testament. Then, having demonstrated that split (to their satisfaction at least), they then proceed to beat Christians over the head with decontextualised Deuteronomy and Leviticus verses as if Christ factors not into Christian teaching at all! And yet Yeshua himself said we should love YHWH with all our hearts, not reject him, so clearly YHWH is not being understood in the way Yeshua understood YHWH. It’s almost as if ancient Gnosticism is being advocated over ancient Judaism, and that this somehow counts as an accusation against Christianity even though Christ’s Old Testament commentary is missed entirely.

Secondly, many fans of Christianity assert the God of the Old Testament is compatible with Jesus of the New Testament, but only because they understand Yeshua through an Old Testament lens, not because they understand YHWH through a New Testament lens. This too is to miss how Yeshua understood YHWH. Indeed it’s also to miss Yeshua, so no wonder the critics are confused. It’s the blind leading the blind.

So it seems to me we need to issue a double challenge. Firstly, to the modern day Judaisers, to pay attention to the way Jesus interpreted the Old Testament. Secondly, to the modern day Paganisers, to lay off the more difficult Old Testament till they have a handle on the more essential New Testament. And to both, to lay off the mysteries of YHWH till they’ve grasped the revelation of Yeshua.