"And YHWH waits to show you⁺ favor, and therefore He rises up to show you⁺ mercy. For YHWH is a God of justice; blessed are all those waiting for Him." Isaiah 30:18
So many references to fierce in Scripture references to the Lord's anger. To not see God as a fiercely angry God can be difficult. Lord, help me understand this aspect of your character.
The fierce anger/wrath of the Lord comes after much patience and forbearance, for He is slow to anger. Because I can read the whole Bible in a matter of days, I fail to comprehend the years involved.
The master of deception twists the truth, the true nature of God: God of compassion and mercy, slow to anger, filled with unfailing love and faithfulness, lavishing love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. Exodus 34:6-7
The Lord longs to be gracious to you, therefore, He will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are those who wait for Him. Isaiah 30:18
FIERCE ANGER is not the Divine Purpose. His intent is to be gracious. It is our sin that stands in the way. Sin undermines our safety. The ways we seek to save ourselves only lead to trouble.
For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. Hebrews 2:2
But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. 6God “will repay each one according to his deeds. Romans 2:5-6
God is the Divine Healer for our sin-sick condition. Yet if we won't take and obey what He prescribes then we heap on wrath we have stored up for ourselves.
God's wrath is against sin, over and over God tells us that. He is not angry with us, He is angry at the sin that is killing us. Take some time, read these verses and see if I am right or wrong. Psalm 34:21, Proverbs 11:5, Romans 6:23, James 1:15, Galatians 6:8. They all tell the same truth sin has wages and gives birth to death.
In The God Shaped Brain, Timothy Jennings write, "Our thinking has become so backward that we are more afraid of our spiritual doctor (God) than the sickness (sin) that is killing us."
Jesus came not to condemn the world, but to save it. So God's FIERCE ANGER is directed at the sin that is killing me and separating me from His presence. Jesus came and shed His blood to destroy the works of the devil.
"The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil." 1 John 3:8
The devil's goal is to separate me, to separate humanity from God so we die an eternal death and share his fate.
As for me, I choose Jesus, His work on the cross, His blood to cover my sin at bring me into union with the Living God. Perhaps you need to make that choice today also. Jesus is waiting.
Lesson four: God's fierce grace is extended to anyone who will receive His offer.