I'm currently studying the OT and am amazed by how similar to the NT it actually is. God wants his people to love him from their hearts--sacrifices without love are vain and an irritation to him. He wants social justice--the Israelites were told to look after widows, orphans, and to treat the alien resident as one of their own. All these things are repeated in the NT. I think the idea of the OT God as jealous and wrathful and the NT God as one of love is mischaracterizing both testaments.

Certainly there is a spiritual progression: the OT presented many things in physical patterns, and the NT picks up on them in spiritual realities. In the OT the Spirit descends on particular individuals, like prophets, at particular times for certain reasons. In the NT, the Spirit is portrayed as a constant companion to those in Christ--a more complete realization of God's presence with the believer. Yet we still see in a "dark mirror" and wait for that day when we will see eye to eye. And as others have pointed out, there is a perhaps violent judgement coming upon the wicked even in the NT age.

However, the problem of Israelite warfare persists. It's a very difficult question. It seems God was using Israel to create an eternal pattern which believers could look back on and learn from--a pattern which will remain thousands, millions maybe, years from now as a testimony to God's working out his wise and eternal purposes. Added to this pattern is Church history since Jesus. If the Israelites had been pacifists like Jesus, they probably would have been wiped out in short order. So God, in his wisdom employed coercion where needed to ensure his people would survive and produce that eternal pattern for us to look back on and learn from.

It seems in the OT God enters this world through Israel and plays by the rules of this world, which include war and violence if necessary. In the NT, he enters this world through Jesus, and ushers in a higher spiritual reality. Jesus doesn't play by this world's rules, but by God's. His Kingdom is no part of this world, as Israel's was. Again, a necessary condition in order to create an OT divine teaching pattern that will lead to salvation of many, many people--maybe all people past and present.

As we progress to the NT age, we see the same kind of sin unfaithful Israel perpetrated, but now perpetrated by the apostate Church, in its support for wars, it's idolatry, immorality, and its harlotry with world powers. We have spiritual warfare in the NT age--perhaps not as messy in the physical sense, but just as deadly--maybe more so if eternal salvation is at risk (which may not have been the case in Israel's time). The great insight that the Church, it seems to me, completely misses, is the fact that it is repeating all the same sins Israel and Judah are guilty of--idolotry, injustice, violence against the innocent, sexual immorality. Because we have that historical pattern, those who have eyes and ears can look back and see it. Sadly, like apostate Israel and Judah, the Church carries on, and in the past, has killed those who spoke out, as Israel killed her true prophets (think of Tyndale, Huss, Anabaptists, etc.). I think there is a great judgement coming upon her. Again, we have the OT pattern: God's people become corrupt immoral idolaters, he sends prophets to try to turn them back to him, then he sends world powers to punish them.

There is also an element of trust. This is brought out in Job. Job doesn't understand why he is suffering, but he trusts God is good, wise and loving, and in the end, repents and puts his life completely in God's hands. We now have the benefit and knowledge of Christ--who willingly suffered--a man who knew God better than any of us. We should be able to trust that Jesus knew his suffering was for a good purpose, and that our suffering is also (as the suffering in the OT also was). When we think of the resurrection (of the righteous AND the unrighteous - Acts 24:15), we know that God will set right all which was wrong in history. But we need to, like Job and Jesus, trust he is good, wise, loving and just--even if we don't completely understand. We know from Rev. 21 he will achieve his purposes.  At that time, there will be no more war and violence.  Christians perhaps ought to learn peace now in preparation.

1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the HolyCity, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."