Love & Wrath

Welcome Statement

Good Morning Church!

We talked last week about the is

We now are going to reflect on one of the toughest tensions, one that I myself had a long time ever willing to even broach or accept as something a loving God would ever have this attribute or aspect we call “Wrath”. We don’t attribute it much in the New Testament, except in maybe regards to unbelievers, or to eschatology or the end days. But in the Old Testament, it’s really hard to grasp the display of what God’s Wrath means. I am not interested in understating it. But what I don’t want to conflate here, is God’s wrath becoming this image of hatred. I believe that is something the church has failed to really explain well. What God’s wrath really is.

The word ‘af’ in hebrew literally means nostril. But it is used in context to described God’s anger or wrath. It describes someone’s nose burning hot at the tip. The phrase “to be long nosed” means one has patience, and is precisely how God is described. Despite how many times you might see God pour out wrath in the Bible, that pales in comparison to the number of times he poured out mercy in the Old Testament, his mercy and grace can be found throughout it, in his laws, everywhere.

Wrath simply means anger, its an archaic word for anger. It’s typically used in the context of God to mean a righteous or divine anger. This is why we fear it, because we know there is no pleasing it. That’s why people think it attributes itself to hatred. God is not this hateful being that despises and loathes creation. We do see in the Old Testament, before he is incarnated, where he is unable to be in the same room as sin, he can’t tolerate it, that’s where his righteous anger comes from! Think about the times you find yourself angry from injustice from things you hear on the internet or TV. Of course, our own fury is only an approximation, and probably is in hindsight, not totally justified most of the time, but we inherit these emotions and qualities, because we are created in the image of God. So it shoudln’t be surprising that God, like the Heavenly parent he is, I say parent, because I think when we say Heavenly Father so many times, we forget that by him being our father, he is like an actual parent, having to watch over his kids. You don’t think he get’s frustrated at all? The Old Testament is proof of that!

Old Testament Reading - Nahum 1:2-6

Nahum 1:2–6 NRSV

A jealous and avenging God is the Lord, the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and rages against his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger but 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. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, and he dries up all the rivers; Bashan and Carmel wither, and the bloom of Lebanon fades. The mountains quake before him, and the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, the world and all who live in it. Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and by him the rocks are broken in pieces.

In nahum’s time, there was no clearing of the guilty, sacrifices were an incomplete acknowledgement of one’s sin.

Nahum was one of the minor prophets. He prophesized against the city of Ninevah, an Assyrian city, and to the downfall of the Assyrians. This first chapter we just read from proclaims to judge evil from among the nations, and how he wont’ allow evil nations to endure. It shows how he grieves for the death of the innocent, his demand for goodness and righteousness. He is compelled by his perfect goodness to act against these nations.

He is intermingled in history, more than we care to admit. Unfortunately, we are not the prophets, so we can’t proclaim how outside of what the OT and NT tells us. To do so would make us someone we aren’t. But the Old Testament does give us clear guidance that God is patient.

The context that’s important here is, Israel w as oppressed by these nations due to their own inability to Follow God through the Old Covenants. That’s what is so problematic when we try to conclude that our own country is going to fail by applying the same mentality.

It’s a complicated tension I will explore more next sermon, but essentially, God doesn’t have this back and forth with us like he did in the Old rTestament, as we are currentily under Grace, proclaiming the Good News. We can debate eschatology, the end of days, and the wrath, or whether those end days will be scary or not, but the Good News is the Good News for those who believe, so as far as I know, we have a responsibility to at least proclaim to as many people as we can this Good News, to turn around, repent, and believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Yet despite this, God still loved his chosen people enough to bring forth the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

NT Reading - Romans 12:17-21

Romans 12:17–21 NRSV

Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

NT Reading 1 John 4:7-21

1 John 4:7–21 NRSV

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us. Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.

Old Testament Point #1

words

Old Testament Point #2

words

Old Testament Point #3

words

New Testament Reading - Book 1:1 ABC

words

New Testament Point #1

words

New Testament Point #2

words

New Testament Point #3

words

Closing Statement

words

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, adfs asdfa

Amen.

Doxology / Benediction / Closing

May you Have a Blessed Sunday, and rest of your Week! Amen!