Gods Wrath

Study By Jessie LaCount

Wrath

Hebrews 10:31 ESV [31] It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

God’s wrath is one of the hardest ones to except among God’s attributes. This attribute must be understood with God’s complete Holiness, omnipotence, justice, patience, and love. The Lord being slow to anger, allows time for us to turn from our sin and back to God (Ezekiel 33:11, 2 Peter 3:8-9), His Holiness can not abide with sin for there is no sin in God (Isaiah 59:12, 2 Cor 5:21, 1 John 3:5) we see God has turned His face away when His people sinned and that Jesus was also sinless and since He was from above (John 6:38) we know without a doubt that the Father is without sin.

When the Lord uses wrath it is to bring justice on the guilty, let’s read in scripture how?

Nahum 1:2-6 ESV [2] The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD is avenging and wrathful; the LORD takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. [3] The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and the LORD will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. [4] He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; he dries up all the rivers; Bashan and Carmel wither; the bloom of Lebanon withers. [5] The mountains quake before him; the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, the world and all who dwell in it. [6] Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by him.

The Lord Takes Vengeance on His Guilty Adversaries. The Lord is jealous with regard to his own honor and those in covenant fellowship with him.

avenging. God’s holy anger is righteous and just, in defense of his word and his people.

keeps wrath. God holds back the venting of his anger until an appropriate time (cf. Ps. 103:9).

slow to anger (Ex. 34:6). God’s patience explains why the wicked often do not immediately receive the judgment they deserve (cf. Ezek. 33:11).

great in power. The delay in deserved judgment is not due to a lack of power or control on God’s part.

will by no means clear the guilty (cf. Ex. 34:7). That the wicked seemingly prosper does not mean God regards them as innocent or has forgotten their iniquity.

The Lord Rules Creation in Majesty, and No One Can Stand before His Wrath. God’s interaction with, and his effect on, nature and the natural world is described in figurative language illustrating God’s awesome majesty and omnipotence.

Ezekiel 22:30-31 CSB [30] I searched for a man among them who would repair the wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land so that I might not destroy it, but I found no one. [31] So I have poured out my indignation on them and consumed them with the fire of my fury. I have brought their conduct down on their own heads." This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.

We have a problem folks. If no one can stand in the gap, or stand against His wrath for no one is righteous (Romans 3:10), who will satisfy God’s righteous wrath? Who will bare our iniquities before the Lord?

Isaiah 53:10-11 ESV [10] Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. [11] Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

The promised messiah!

1 Timothy 2:5-6 ESV [5] For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, [6] who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 ESV [9] For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, [10] and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

Romans 5:9-10 ESV [9] Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. [10] For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

Colossians 2:13-14 ESV [13] And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, [14] by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

Jesus became the curse (Gal 3:10-13), drank the cup (John 18:11), He was made to be sin of who did not know sin for our sakes (2 Cor 5:21), and bore our sins in His body (1 Peter 2:24). Those who believe in Christ has Eternal life, while those who do not believe the wrath of God remains on them (John 3:36).

Yet there is still one more wrath to come.

2 Thessalonians 1:5-12 ESV [5] This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering- [6] since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, [7] and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels [8] in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. [9] They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, [10] when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. [11] To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, [12] so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us pray in thankfulness that Jesus paid for our sins, and took God’s wrath that we deserved. That He took upon Himself our sins and bared them for our sakes. May we always preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ so they will also believe, giving mercy to those who doubt, and mercy to others snatching them from the fire (Jude 1:21-23).