The Rorschach GodНамуна

What About the Violent God?:
There’s certainly no denying that the Bible, the Old Testament especially, is full of horrifically violent images. We have examples such as Cain murdering Abel, Noah’s Flood, copious amounts of animal sacrifices, slavery, and the overwhelming cruelty and collateral damage of long-lasting campaigns of war. At surface level, we could agree that this is how humanity always prefers to advance itself, but it’s particularly problematic in Scripture when we see God Himself commanding such acts. There then exists a dramatic tension that confronts every Christian believer and interpreter of Scripture. On the one hand, we encounter Old Testament stories of God seeming to command horrendous acts of violence. On the other hand, we read the unequivocally nonviolent teachings of Jesus in the New Testament. Reconciling these two has challenged Christians and theologians for two millennia.

Violent depictions of God in the Old Testament serve as precursors to the crucified God. In essence, these violent portrayals can be seen as literary crucifixes, offering glimpses of the historical crucifixion when viewed through the lens of the cross.

When it comes to prophetic symbolism representing Jesus, two images stand far above the rest: the lion and the lamb...

Is Jesus alluded to as a lion? Certainly. Just observe John's imagery in Revelation 5:5: “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome” (NASB).

But is Jesus also alluded to as a lamb? Certainly. John the Baptist publicly declared in John 1:29, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

There’s no way around it; Jesus is both the Lion and the Lamb. But how do we identify with both of these images and the tension they represent? The first challenge we face is how not to impose our own expectations on either image. When we behold the lion imagery, we must resist defaulting to a great apex predator that tears its enemies to pieces. Similarly, when we contemplate the lamb imagery, we must resist defaulting to simply a weak and defenseless pet. Again, both images are true of Jesus, but it is His image and not our own projections of it that should define Him.

I believe one of the clearest ways to see the images at rest together is found in John’s prophetic vision in Revelation 5:5-6 (ESV):

"And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain."

In this vision of Jesus Christ, we behold the Lion and the Lamb, but it’s worth noting that John only heard the decree that the Lion was present, yet he only saw a Lamb, as though it had been slain. What do these images mean?

Jesus, being the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, represents His authority. It’s true that His kingdom will be eternal, and all nations will bow their knees and declare that He is Lord. But how is this accomplished? Unbelievably, and contrary to our default methodology of violence, the Lion rules by being a slaughtered Lamb. The King of kings lays down His life and baptizes the world with other-centered, self-sacrificial agape to demonstrate the essence of His Kingship. The Lion conquers as the crucified Lamb. This is who God has always been.