An Old Testament Heart

[monkeybird]

To survive, you must at some point allow cool to become cold. Stockdale wrote, “In difficult situations, the leader with the heart, not the soft heart, not the bleeding heart, but the Old Testament heart, the hard heart, comes into his own.” Survival means accepting reality, and accepting reality takes a hard heart.

Gonzales, Laurence (2004). Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why (pp. 209-210). W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition.

The book Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why was recommended by SCinPNW. I downloaded it and read it Friday and Saturday. It's excellent for discovering the right mental attitude that marks those that survive and those that don't. Many of it's points have been great food for thought for me.

The above quote somehow affected me. I never thought it about it quite like that. I believe that in some cases 'an old testament heart' is an essential survival attribute.

Comment please.

[HDM]

What does "an Old Testament heart" mean to you? I think I understand what it is saying but I just want to get your thoughts. I think that I have an Old Testament heart but for different reasons than what this is talking about.

[Rmplstlskn]

I think it is the same misunderstanding that I once had by my decades of "western gentile Christianity" indoctrination, ignorant of The Scriptures as a complete, undivided, seamless book. That the OT is a cold, harsh story from a God who demanded life or death, no emotion or compassion. Judgement given, execute (stone).

When in reality, the OT is where GRACE, COMPASSION and MERCY originated; the grace that saved a wretched sinner from his just reward. Messiah, in the NT, just expounded on it and seperated it from the "Ma'asim and Takanot," the Jewish man-made laws, which eventually led him to the ultimate sacrifice. It is the OT that promises SALVATION and REDEMPTION. The NT describes its completion...

The so-called OT heart is a heart for proper justice, just as YHWH will have when we stand before the White Throne. The OT heart is mercy righteously given, just like we don't get what we deserve but given an opportunity to repent. And the OT heart is a heart that executes those judged guilty of certain heinous acts...

It is the misguided who misunderstand the Sermon on the Mount that have screwed up so much of our world, allowing evil to flourish unopposed.

[monkeybird]

An old testament heart to me is the ability to see the bigger picture of any event. To make the hard decisions which are both moral and insure the safety and survival of those within your group. There are two old testament hearts to my way of thinking. Tthere is Abraham who was willing to obey GOD regardless of his own desires. His willingness to sacrifice Isaac is a Biblical classic in obedience. The other heart is the one I'm thinking of. The heart of Moses in his dogged determination to lead the Israelis out of Egypt. He knew that the plagues he called down on the Egyptians was cruel but necessary. He didn't do this for revenge or satisfaction, but because God gave him the task.

I have an Old Testament heart but for different reasons

I'd like to hear your thinking on this.

[HDM]

Shoot, don't know that I can add anything. You two have pretty much nailed it. The Old Testament does show God's stern side i.e. when God commands the Israelites to destroy all living things in an enemies city. I think that is what the author is referring to is having the heart to do the hard thing to survive. As for me personally mine is an Old Testament heart out of obedience like monkeybird described about Abraham. Modern Christianity uses grace as a "license to sin" too often. I believe that we need to get back to following God's rules. Somehow things just always work out right when you do it the way God said do it.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

I honestly don't know. I've had to do things I aint proud of or just knew were wrong but "The World" standards and have come to terms with so we could make it thru the situation. All i know is I ask for forgiveness and I reckon me and Him will have a chat in the end. I also believe he wouldnt have given me a survival instict and not want me to use it. It starts at birth, it just gets complicated after we learn to think. dunno, maybe i'm off base, might not be the one to listen to on this, it's a constant struggle for me

[Klayton]

@Matt: I prayed for forgiveness after every mission I knew caused lives lost...

Hang in there brother, God forgives...