1st John 4:8 He that loveth not knows not God; for God is love.
One of the more critically important requirements when studying the Scriptures is that of harboring, and cultivating the perspective that God is love, and that everything God does is from a foundation of loving-kindness. Even His judgements are to be interpreted from this very perspective, or else persons will draw wrong conclusions as to His intents and purposes. When God shed the blood of the first lamb, to clothe our first parents, it was an act of love.
When God sent His Son to die on Calvary, it was an act of love. We just cannot say it enough, for what ever God does, be it acts of mercy, healing, reproof or judgements, it has always been, and will always be from the perspective of love, for the principle of love defines who God is.
The flood of the antediluvian world, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all the blessings, and curses found in the book of Deuteronomy are all to be seen in the context of God’s love. God doesn’t do anything that will not be in the best interest of the beings He has created. Therefore, even if some might stumble, or balk at some of His actions in the Old Testament, we would never be moved, or even shaken in our faith, if our core understanding of God is that He is love.
2nd Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!