Why is God so violent in the Old Testament?

We should see how God hates sin in the OT, and ourselves as well there. That makes the NT even sweeter.

to see that we really do have a Savior who loves us

 

Two different 'ministrations':

6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
7 But if the ministration of death, written, and engraven on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look stedfastly upon the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which glory was passing away:
8 how shall not rather the ministration of the spirit be with glory?
9 For if the ministration of condemnation hath glory, much rather doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. 2 Cor 3

 

I never understood why people think that the NT is peaceful. I always like to say when someone says that the God of the New Testament is not scary/violent, then they need to read alllllllllll the way to the end of the New Testament because they clearly have not read Revelation.

That's where you'll find unrepentant people harvested from the earth with a sickle, thrown alive into a winepress, their bodies stepped on and crushed until their juices run out all over each other, and the thick soup of blood and guts is said to rise as high as a horse's head. And that's just one of multiple acts we see in the vision. If anything the NT punishment seems more terrifying than anything in the OT.

The unrepentant have been given a reprieve, just like Noah and his generation were given a reprieve while Noah preached repentance. During Noah's time the rain fell on the wicked as well as God's people. This is the time to accept the Lord's yoke and repent. Soon, just as in Noah's day, this reprieve will end and those that do not repent will be utterly destroyed. We are living in what is similar to an expanded version of Noah's day.

 

ICYDK, Revelation is very much about the [violent] END of the Old Covenant. and the coming down from above the New.