Three reasons to celebrate the Wrath of God

Anyway, there’s this movie called, “Taken.” It’s about a father named Bryan Mills, an ex-CIA agent. He retired from his job in order to be closer to his daughter, who lives with his ex-wife. Bryan loves his daughter very much, but he can’t really compete with his daughter’s step-dad because he’s uber-rich and he literally gives her anything she could ever want. Now, toward the beginning of the film, Bryan’s daughter invites him to lunch, and he’s thrilled because he misses his daughter and he hasn’t been given a lot of opportunities to see her. But quickly he discovers that she’s invited him to to ask for his permission to accompany a friend on a whirlwind trip through Europe.

The idea of the trip makes this guy very uncomfortable, but his daughter is really upset when he begins to express hesitation, and his ex-wife basically throws a temper-tantrum. So, in the end, Bryan backs down and signs the form.

The first stop of his daughter’s trip is in Paris. And the action of the film begins when Bryan’s phone rings. It’s his daughter, and she’s having a great time in her friend’s private loft. She’s giggling and rehearsing the events of the day when, all of the sudden, she hears the screams of her best friend. And she looks through one of the windows of the loft and sees that some scary men have broken in and grabbed her. Obviously she’s terrified.

The most famous scene of the film unfolds as the camera closes in on Bryan’s face. He immediately understands what’s happening. And he says to his daughter, “Get under the bed. Breathe. Calm Down. They’re going to take you.”

She screams when they find her, and one of these guys picks up the phone. And Bryan Mills speaks the following words:

I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom I can tell you I don't have money, but what I do have are a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you and I will kill you.

Even if you haven’t seen the movie, you’ve heard those words, right? Those words have become cinematic legend. Because what follows is a stunning display of righteous fire. Every scene, from this point to the end of the film, every scene that follows is an awesome, moving display of merciless vengeance and terrifying rage against wicked men. Bryan Mills single-handedly crushes the criminal underground of Paris. He beats, he tortures, he murders in cold-blood to save his daughter. And it’s beautiful. It’s magnificent and moving.

The movie, “Taken,” is an homage to righteous wrath.

Are you ashamed of wrath?

If there’s a short list of God’s popular attributes, I’m not sure wrath would be on it.

You don’t hear many anthems on Christian radio celebrating God’s wrath, do you? And when you stumble across a hymn that celebrate’s God’s wrath, it’s striking, isn’t it? Because it’s rare.

There’s something wrong with us, I think. At least I know that there’s something wrong with me. Because when we read passages of God’s wrath against the wicked, I don’t often swell with praise. I sober, I wilt sometimes when I think of God’s wrath poured out on the earth.

But here’s the thing. I love that movie, “Taken.” I rejoice at the righteous wrath of a father, crushing the wicked without mercy in order to save his daughter.

I love “The Lord of the Rings”, and I rejoice when Aragorn’s swift blade pierces the Orcai, when the trolls fall to Gimli’s righteous ax, when the goblin is pierced by Legolas’ true arrow.

I love “Braveheart,” and I rejoice when William Wallace’s vengeance mercilessly crushes the traitor nobles of Scotland.

In other words, I celebrate righteous wrath. My heart swells at its display. I don’t have a problem with righteous wrath, I have a problem with God’s righteous wrath.

Do you?

I’m asking honestly. I want you to think about it.

Are you ashamed of God’s wrath?

Three reasons to celebrate God’s wrath.

My goal today is to teach your heart to celebrate the wrath of God. We’re going to read passages that explain the wrath of God, we’re going to read stories that exhibit the wrath of God, and we’re going to look forward to the promises of the coming wrath of God. And we’re doing this in order to make a very important connection.

The wrath of God isn’t anything to be ashamed of. God’s wrath is as fundamental to his character as his mercy, as his kindness, as his love, as his hope. It is to be celebrated. It is to be worshiped. There is no gospel without God’s wrath, there is no redemption without God’s wrath. And my hope for you is that your heart would begin to swell with worship when you encounter the display of God’s wrath in the scriptures.

So let’s get to it.

Turn with me to . Should be right about in the middle.

Let’s read together.

Psalm 9:5–10 ESV

You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish; you have blotted out their name forever and ever. The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins; their cities you rooted out; the very memory of them has perished. But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness. The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Okay, so I chose this passage to begin because it is super simple and super clear.

Today I’m going to give you three reasons to celebrate the wrath of God, and these three reasons follow what I think is a biblical formula. Anytime God’s wrath unfolds, three things happen. Anytime God’s wrath unfolds, three things happen. And all three of those things unfold in the life of David, and all three of those things are promised in the promised wrath of God that precedes the Kingdom of Christ, and all three of those things happen in this song.

First, God’s wrath crushes the wicked and permanently ends their wickedness.

Psalm 9:5–6 ESV

The wickedness of the inhabitants of Canaan was legendary. They molested sojourners in the public plaza, for centuries, they murdered infants as sacrifice to bloodthirsty idols, for centuries, they waged war against the innocent, for centuries.

Can you imagine? Centuries of breathtaking displays of treachery, generations of abuse, infanticide, prostitution, gluttony, drunkeness, rape, murder. Generations upon generations of cruelty.

God in his wrath ended them. He crushed these wicked men. He blotted out their name forever. God crushed the wicked nations, and he ended their violence.

Can you imagine how that must have felt for the oppressed, for the victims of their violence, for the victims of their perversion? Peace. Hope. Freedom.

I think these terms are so abstract for us, that it’s difficult to conceptualize. I mean, these people lived so long ago, their culture was so different from ours, their customs are hardly recognizable. So let me place this in a framework you might better understand.

There are, right at this moment, in every major city in the United States, sex trafficking rings. These men steal children for the gratification of perverts. This is unspeakable wickedness. For major events, like the Super Bowl, thousands are delivered, sometimes in cargo trucks, sometimes in delivery vans, to rent houses. So that perverts might be gratified.

Tell me something. If you could snap your fingers to crush these wicked men, to blot them out forever, to end their unimaginable wickedness. Tell me, wouldn’t you do it?

The first reason to celebrate God’s wrath is this. Because God’s crushes the wicked and ends their wickedness forever.

Second, God’s wrath reminds the world to worship Him.

Psalm 9:7–8 ESV

But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness.

In the wake of God’s righteous wrath, the world is reminded of his justice, the world is reminded of this throne, the world is reminded of his righteousness, his uprightness, his holiness. The wrath of God teaches us who God is and what God is like by contrast.

Have you ever sat in a room, reading by the natural light of the sun until late in the evening? You grow accustomed, hour after hour, to the dwindling light of dusk. And you might not realize it because it’s happened so gradually, but every moment your eyes are straining to read these words. Until someone walks in and flips a light on.

Two things happen, immediately. First, something like pain, when the darkness is stifled by a bright light. And then, almost immediately thereafter, you realize how dark it really was.

That’s sort of what happens in the wake of God’s wrath. The darkness is stifled by light, and our attention is drawn to the light. We’re struck by the absence of wickedness for a moment, but ultimately our attention rests on the righteous one who ended it. The uprightness of God is on display when he ends the wretchedness of men. The righteousness of God is on display when he ends the wickedness of men. The justice of God is on display when he ends the injustice of men.

The second reason to celebrate God’s wrath is this. Because God’s wrath reminds the world to worship him.

Third, God has made a way to escape his wrath.

Psalm 9:9–10 ESV

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

We have, each of us, earned the wrath of God. But he has made a way for his people. He is a stronghold for the oppressed. He is a stronghold for those who place their trust in him. He will never forsake those who seek him.

The people of God are the beneficiaries of the wrath of God.

When the wicked are crushed, in their wake will be peace for those who have trusted in God. The land will be restored, the memory of the darkness will fade, and what is left?

Peace among the household of God. Those who trust him have a place free of wickedness, free of darkness, free of pain and sorrow, free of tears. Those who know God’s name and who trust him are made free by the wrath of God.

The third reason to celebrate God’s wrath is this. Because God has made a way to escape his wrath. Trust him, seek him, and you’ll find a stronghold in the day of wrath.

The Righteous Wrath of King David

Anytime God’s wrath unfolds, three things happen. I want you to remember this, because it’ll help us understand this moment in David’s life. Anytime God’s wrath unfolds, three things happen:

Wickedness is crushed.

Worship is restored.

God’s people are safe and secure.

Got it? Okay. Turn with me to . We’re going to read the first five verses.

2 Samuel 5:1–10 ESV

Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh. In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.’ ” So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years. And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, “You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off”—thinking, “David cannot come in here.” Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David. And David said on that day, “Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft to attack ‘the lame and the blind,’ who are hated by David’s soul.” Therefore it is said, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.” And David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David built the city all around from the Millo inward. And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.

This passage begins where we left off. David is crowned King of Israel, not only by the tribe of Judah but by all of the tribes of Israel. And if you pay attention to the words of the elders of Israel, you’ll see that they’re all in. This isn’t an acknowledgement of political inevitability. Listen to their words:

Behold, we are your bone and flesh. In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.

In other words, the elders of Israel crown David king and immediately admit that, even though Saul was officially their king in the past, David was truly the one who led them. And then they remember that God had prophetically promised that David would someday be King over all Israel. In a word, the people of Israel are ready for the true King of Israel. They are done with the civil wars, they are finished with the pretender Kings. They’re placing their trust in God and in God’s anointed. Remember that, because it’ll become important.

So David’s first act as King is to take Jerusalem. This is significant for a number of reasons.

First, The people of Israel have been in a passive state of rebellion since the death of Moses, because they were told to take the land - all of the land - and they chose not to. For generations now the people of Israel have simply refused to obey God. He asked them to go to war against the ancient inhabitants of the land, and they said, “no.”

David was different. From the moment he began to lead the armies of Israel, David was obedient. He hasn’t stopped making war against the ancient inhabitants of the land. It’s almost become like a character distinctive. No matter where he is, no matter what he’s doing, he’s always working to obey the word of God, to wage war against the wicked.

So when we learn that David’s first act as King is to take the city of Jerusalem, we shouldn’t be surprised. He’s faithful to the covenant, and he knows that there is no life in disobedience, so he wages war against the wicked, just as God has asked him to do.

But that isn’t the only reason that this decision is significant.

Jerusalem is the center of the redemptive universe. All the work of God to rescue his people revolves around Jerusalem. It was the home of Melchizedek, king of righteousness, king of peace, priest of the most high God, to whom grandfather Abraham gave tribute. Within the walls of Jerusalem was Mount Moriah, upon which grandfather Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only beloved son. And whether David truly understood the coming redemptive significance of this city, whether he knew that upon this mount our savior would be murdered to purchase God’s people, we can only guess. But all of the citizens of Israel knew that Jerusalem was a special city, a city that for some reason God chose to bless with his presence, a city which punctuated the stories of the ancient fathers.

Of course David would lead his people to take Jerusalem as a matter of first importance.

So David leads the armies of Israel to battle against the Jebusites. David’s men arrive to find an impregnable fortress. The stronghold of Zion was nearly perfect, a walled city naturally surrounded by valleys on three sides. The inhabitants were so confident that they shouted to David’s men, “You’ll not come in here! The blind and the lame will ward you off!”

David didn’t think this was funny. But he was in a particularly tricky situation. There was literally no good way to attack the city, at least on the surface. But there is one unique feature of the stronghold of Zion.

David apparently didn’t think this was funny.

The walled city of Zion sat upon a hill within a stone’s throw of a natural spring. It was a source of fresh water to the city’s inhabitants throughout the year, and they had devised a particularly clever way to access that water. A series of natural and artificial cataracts were cut into the limestone that allowed the inhabitants of the city access to the fresh spring water even in case of a seige. This series of holes, tunnels, and shafts were nearly impossible to navigate on the best of days, and the city was protected especially a 14 meter high natural shaft that split the limestone in two and seperated a lower access tunnel from a higher, more protected channel. In other words, the water was simple to access by city inhabitants, but it was nearly impossible to access the city through the water shaft.

Nearly impossible.

David’s men weren’t average soldiers, they were spectacular soldiers. And the might of God was on display through their strength, their ingenuity, and their cunning. So David not only knew about this water shaft, but realized that his men could scale the 14 meter shaft in order to attack the city from within, unaware. And as he commissions his men to do so, he turns their mocking words back upon them - “Climb up the water shaft to strike these “blind and lame.” The wrath of God was on display in the might of the anointed King. The wicked were crushed, and their wickedness stifled in righteous wrath.

The victory was legendary, and shortly thereafter Mount Zion was called the “City of David.” His obedience to the covenant was infectious, and the people of God began to rally behind the anointed King of Israel. We’ll learn that among David’s first acts after establishing Jerusalem is to gather supplies to build the Temple. He has crushed the wicked in order to usher the praise of God’s people. In the wake of the wrath of God, Mount Zion was no longer a bastion of wickedness, but a house of worship.

We’ll learn shortly that among David’s first acts after establishing Jerusalem is to gather supplies to build the Temple. He has crushed the wicked in order to usher the praise of God’s people. Mount Zion was no longer a bastion of wickedness, but a house of worship.

After taking Mount Zion, David builds a great wall around the city, broadening its borders and establishing a capital for the Kingdom of Israel. The walls of Jerusalem were a stronghold for the people of God for generations thereafter. Because of the righteous wrath of God, those who trust the anointed have a stronghold in the city of David.

The city of David becomes t

The passage ends with a particularly important sentence.

When David

Anytime God’s wrath unfolds, three things happen.

The wicked are crushed.

2 Samuel 5:10 ESV

And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.

It ended their wickedness.

Worship is restored.

Look,

God’s people are safe and secure.

David’s first act as king was an act of God’s wrath. David’s first act as king was to crush the wicked, to restore the worship of God, and to establish a stronghold for the people of God. And that’s a breathtaking display of God’s judgment, God’s justice, and God’s faithfulness toward those who would trust him. The might of David is a spectacle of God’s righteous wrath, and yet it is but a grim shadow.

The righteous wrath of the Son of David

Revelation 19:11–16 ESV

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

It’s not a coincidence that David’s first act as consummated King of Israel is to lead Israel’s armies against the wicked, to take the city of Jerusalem, to restore God’s worship and to establish God’s people. The wrath of King David is a grim shadow of the wrath of King Jesus.

Our King has promised to return. And on that day the sky will be lit with the righteousness of he who is called Faithful and True! And on that day he’ll have fire in his eyes. And on that day he’ll bear a sharp sword to strike down the nations. And on that day he’ll pour out the fury of God’s wrath.

Let me tell you why that’s good news.

1. Celebrate the wrath of God because it means the end of wickedness forever.

When Christ returns, the wicked will be crushed forever. All that is dark in this world, all that causes pain, all that stirs hopelessness, all that provokes despair will be stifled in a moment. Sin will be no more. And you want that. It’s the reason we flinch when we turn on the news. It’s the reason we avoid talking about Syria. Because the suffering that we all know is unfolding, right now, all over the world, is unspeakable. And you and I cannot wait for that suffering, that darkness, that wickedness to end. Christ will return, and in a word the wicked will be crushed. We celebrate the wrath of God because it means the end of wickedness forever.

2. Celebrate the wrath of God because it means that worship will be restored forever.

When Christ returns, perfect worship will be restored. Every knee will bow, every tongue confess. Creation will sing of the faithfulness of God in Christ! When Christ returns and pours out the wrath of God, all will know their sin, all will see his righteousness, and all will worship his Holy Name. When sin is crushed, the justice of God is on display. When sin is crushed, the holiness of God is on display. When sin is crushed, the faithfulness of God to shelter the oppressed is on display. We will see it in breathtaking glory, and we will bow before him, and we will worship in spirit and in truth.

3. Celebrate the wrath of God because Christ has made a way for you to escape it.

He is clothed in a robe of blood, and he is called the Word of God.

John 1:1–5 ESV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:9–13 ESV

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 3:16–18 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

I think I know why it’s easy for me to celebrate righteous wrath at the movies. Because I identify with Aragorn, not the Orcai. Because I see myself as Legolas, not the Goblin. Because I rally behind William Wallace, not even considering that I might be the Traitor in this story.

But you are the traitor. You have twisted creation to your ends. You were a steward and you stole. You have broken a sacred covenant. You carry a great debt.

This is why the world hates the gospel. Because the gospel begins with the story of your sin.

“No one does good. Not even one. Their throat is an open grave. They use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. In their paths are ruin and misery.”

Goodness gracious, can their be a heavier indictment than that?! You have earned God’s wrath, and it is coming for you. So you must find shelter in the blood of Jesus.

The best reason, the most pressing reason, the most important reason to celebrate the wrath of God is that he has a made a way for you to escape it. And that way is through the blood of Jesus.

Jesus Christ took your sin and gave you his righteousness. If you trust him, you’ll stand before the judgement seat of God wearing the righteousness of Christ. If you paint his blood on your threshold, the angel of death will pass over your house. Take shelter in the blood of Jesus! It is your only hope!

And when you do, rejoice in the coming wrath of God. Because wickedness will cease, worship will be restored, and the people of God will be safe and secure, forever.

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