009 - 14 - Lesson 14: The Wrath of God
Notes
Transcript
In previous lessons we have seen that God is holy, loving, and unchanging. So what are we to make of God’s wrath?
Sin in the Presence of Holy Love
Sin in the Presence of Holy Love
Lev. 9 describes the consecration of Aaron and his sons as priests. Notice 9:22-24:
22 Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings. 23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. 24 And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.
The glory of God appears
Fires comes out from before the LORD
The people shout (cf. 2 Chron. 7:1-3), responding with gratitude to the love and goodness of God.
1 As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. 2 And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house. 3 When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”
On the very same day!! (cf.10:19), Aaron’s sons flagrant violate the word of God, offering “strange fire” (NASB, cf. 16:12; Ex. 30:9), “unauthorized fire” (ESV). Notice what happens:
Fires comes out from before the LORD (10:2).
Aaron is silent (10:3).
Moses says this is a matter of the holiness and glory of God (10:3).
This story helps us grasp what the wrath of God is (10:6). Divine wrath is what happens when sin comes into contact with the holy love of God.
The story of Aaron in 9:22-24 shows us what happens when God’s holy love is met with obedience.
And the story of Nadab and Abihu shows is what happens when God’s holy love is met with disobedience.
The fire is the same in both stories, but the result is different because the human response is different.
God’s “Strange Work”
God’s “Strange Work”
In this sense, wrath is not part of God’s eternal nature. Holy love is his eternal nature – wrath happens when sinful creatures distort their relationship with God. Wrath is God’s “strange work” (see Isaiah 28:14-21). A medieval tradition reports how someone who had made God angry was told, “You have caused me to take up a trade that is not mine” (Goldingay, Isaiah, p. 157).
14 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers, who rule this people in Jerusalem! 15 Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement, when the overwhelming whip passes through it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter”; 16 therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’ 17 And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter.” 18 Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be beaten down by it. 19 As often as it passes through it will take you; for morning by morning it will pass through, by day and by night; and it will be sheer terror to understand the message. 20 For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on, and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in. 21 For the Lord will rise up as on Mount Perazim; as in the Valley of Gibeon he will be roused; to do his deed—strange is his deed! and to work his work—alien is his work!
And when his holy love encounters sin, God’s desire is ultimately for mercy and forgiveness (Ex. 34:6-7).
6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
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