We are all affected by Tone whether it be in Music or Words or writings.
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Discordant musical Tones are excruciating while harmonious musical Tones are enjoyable.
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A harsh Tone in spoken Words is offensive.  A pleasant Tone in spoken Words makes the message palatable and much more acceptable even if it is not a message one wants to hear.  A pleasant Tone with an uplifting message is especially well received.
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In writings it is much more difficult to communicate the correct Tone .  Simple, straightforward writing is powerful but tends to be harsh.  Often when more words are added to the writing to soften the Tone the clarity, power and import of the message gets lost.
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I have personally written emails and texts whose Tones were misconstrued because of my Focus on content rather than the reader`s Perspective .
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As we look at Scripture we have several layers of interpretation taking place:
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<li> The Holy Spirit who originates the message
<li> The hearer of the message who writes it down
<li> The translator who translates the original writing into other languages
<li> The reader of the translated writing
<li> The orator who reads the text aloud to others
<li> The teacher or preacher who expounds on the writing
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So, it is obvious that the original Tone and purpose of the HolySpirit who inspired the Words may be lost as the Words go through the various layers of communication.
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We often use the term, ~rightly dividing the Word ~ to speak to the importance of placing all Scripture in context to ensure consistency of message.
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The biggest area of confusion and misinterpretation regarding the Scriptures has to do with God`s Commands, warnings, Wrath and Judgment .
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This is particularly true with respect to the Old Testament writings.
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Remember, the people of the Old Testament had a primitive understanding of God .  Sin had separated man from God in a very real sense.
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When we know a person intimately, we interpret what they say relative to our relationship with them.  We can take harsh words from a friend much easier than we can from a stranger.
This is because we consider the nature of the relationship to understand and interpret  the Tone .
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For the most part the characters of the Old Testament (excluding Abrahmam, David, etc.) appeared to have Legalistic , Clinical or Dogmatic relationships with God . When God said do something, they heard the command and followed it (some of the time) without understanding the rationale behind the command.
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As we look at the Tone of the New Testament we actually see a different God .  The God of the New Testament begins by sending His Son as the Eternal Sacrifice for Sin and proclaiming that He has Peace with man.
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As Christ Jesus Ministers , we see Him Forgiving , Healing and setting Free those who are Guilty , Sick and in Bondage - with no strings attached.
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In the Gospel of John we see inside the Heart of our Saviour and are amazed at the Love that He has for us.
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In the writings of Paul we are revealed to be a Royal Priesthood , Sons of God , Heirs of all things , partakers of the very HolySpirit of God . 
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So, is the God of the Old Testament the same God that we know as Christ Jesus ?
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Yes! 
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So, how do we explain the difference in Tone between the Old Testament and the New Testament ?
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It is a difference based on the filters.  The relationship of the Old Testament writers to God was completely different than that of the New Testament writers to Christ Jesus .
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 Jesus Himself told us to Repent - change our thinking.  There was and still is wrong thinking about God .  he also told us to ~search the Scriptures for these that which testify of me.~
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When a parent is dealing with a small child they don`t try to explain the rationale for every command they give.  The little one simply could not understand it and he really isn`t interested in the explanation anyway.
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Without the indwelling HolySpirit the Old Testament writers were like little children.  God told them what to do or write and they did it.  I don`t really recall any instances where they questioned God`s rationale even though they may have been resistant to what He said.
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When the HolySpirit walked the earth in Christ Jesus and was poured out on the day of Pentecost , there was given to us the Wisdom and Knowledge of God by Revelation .
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The Tone of Revelation is one of Love , Joy , Peace , Faith , Longsuffering , Gentleness , Kinddess , Meekness and Temperance .
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The Old Testament writers simply did not and could not experience the Tone of the HolySpirit that inspired them in their writings.  And so, their writings come across as terse, cold, severe, and even cruel at times.
