When the Story Doesn’t Sound Like Jesus...What Do We Do With It?

Some passages in Scripture stop us in our tracks.

Exodus 32 is one of them.

The golden calf rebellion erupts, Moses returns from the mountain, and then we read something that seems impossible to reconcile with the Jesus revealed in the Gospels:

“Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let every man put his sword on his side… and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.’”

Exodus 32:27

Three thousand people die that day, not by foreign armies and not by unbelievers, but by the swords of their own people.

This naturally raises a confronting question:

Would Jesus ever tell someone to kill their brother?

John, the disciple who walked closest to Jesus, records this teaching:

“If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar.”

1 John 4:20

According to Christ, love for God is proven by love for people.

The idea of killing your brother and loving your brother cannot come from the same Spirit.

So what are we seeing in Exodus 32?

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Jesus Defines Love, Not the Old Testament

The Old Testament command is clear:

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Leviticus 19:18

Jesus repeats this, but elevates it:

“…this is the second greatest commandment.”

Matthew 22:39

Then, through the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29–37), He explains that “neighbour” includes not only fellow Israelites but also outsiders and even enemies.

And then He goes further still:

“Love your enemies… pray for those who abuse you.”

Luke 6:27–28

Jesus didn’t simply say “Do not kill your brother.”

He called His followers to bless the very people who hate them.

Violence appears in the biblical story, but violence is not the method of God.

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“Turn the Other Cheek” and the Non-Violent Kingdom

Jesus describes how His kingdom operates:

“Do not resist the one who is evil. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

Matthew 5:39

No sword. No vengeance. No retaliation.

Not weakness, but the strength of love.

Jesus shows what the Father is truly like:

“He who has seen Me has seen the Father.”

John 14:9

If Jesus would not command the slaughter of thousands, then the Father would not either.

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When a Prophet Says “God Said” but God Didn’t Say

The Bible itself warns that sometimes prophets and religious leaders spoke from their own hearts rather than from God.

“They speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord.”

Jeremiah 23:16

“Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing.”

Ezekiel 13:2–3

“The prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him…”

Deuteronomy 18:20

The Bible contains both divine revelation and human interpretation.

We are never asked to accept every claim simply because someone said “Thus says the Lord.”

Scripture invites discernment:

“Test all things; hold fast what is good.”

1 Thessalonians 5:21

Everything must be compared with the character of God revealed through Christ.

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Even the Great Heroes Were Human

James makes a surprising statement about Elijah:

“Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are.”

James 5:17

Elijah was a prophet, yet also human, emotional, and imperfect.

If a miracle-working prophet had human impulses and weaknesses, then so did Moses, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and every other writer.

The Bible is inspired, but it was written through people who were still growing, still learning, and still influenced by their time, culture, and assumptions.

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The Golden Thread That Never Changes

Throughout Scripture there is one unchanging measuring line:

Jesus.

Not every supernatural moment proves something is from God.

Not every “God said” statement proves God actually said it.

Not every tradition reflects the Father accurately.

Jesus Himself is the clear picture of God.

If something attributed to God contradicts the life, teachings, and spirit of Jesus, we are meant to pause and examine it. Christ is the lens that corrects our view of God.

If killing your neighbour does not look like Jesus,

and hating your brother does not look like Jesus,

and retaliation does not look like Jesus,

then the voice behind that command was not the Father.

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Why This Matters Today

This is not about attacking the Old Testament or judging ancient writers.

It is about seeing God clearly.

If we read the Bible without Jesus as the interpretive centre:

God becomes unpredictable

Violence can be justified in His name

Harm can be seen as obedience

Religion becomes based on fear rather than love

But when we read the Bible through Jesus:

Love becomes the foundation

Mercy becomes the method

Enemies become neighbours

Faith becomes relationship instead of fear

And suddenly God looks like a Father again.

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Maybe the real question is not

“Why does the Bible sometimes portray God commanding violence?”

Maybe the better question is

“Why did humanity take so long to trust that God has always been like Jesus?”