He had warned them so many times. But they did not listen. God demonstrated His Righteousness and His Wrath against Sin repeatedly throughout history. Everything in nature demonstrates who He is. Still, in total depravity, humanity persists in living lives of high treason against the Almighty creator of this world. If God allowed depravity to overrun all this creation without showing forth His Wrath against injustice, then we could never experience His Ultimate Wonderful Grace. Evil and darkness would snuff out any spark of light. Do you feel the smothering effects of evil’s power in this world today? I do.
But I also recognize how the effects of evil’s power manifests itself within my own heart, were it not for the grace of God that saves me and releases me from its power. His Ultimate Wonderful Grace can only be fully understood when I understand the Wrath of God against sin.
Warning of the Wrath of God Because They Rejected Him
The people had pleaded for a King to rule them so they would be like all the other kingdoms. In I Samuel 8:10-18, God warned them. He tried to tell them that they would regret this once the Kings had taken from them. They insisted they wanted a king to rule them.
6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. 8 According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. 9 Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.” I Samuel 8: 6-9 (NASB)
God had warned them long before through Moses.
In Deuteronomy 28, God promised blessings if only they would obey. They would be blessed beyond measure. Yet, He warned them.
But it shall come about, if you do not obey the Lord your God, to be careful to follow all His commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: Deuteronomy 28:15(NASB)
He proceeds to describe then all of the curses to include famine, plagues, drought, floods, pestilence, war, and ultimately if they did not repent, He foretold their exile.
47 “Since you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a cheerful heart, in gratitude for the abundance of all things, 48 you will serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, thirst, nakedness, and devoid of all things; and He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.
49 “The Lord will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, as the eagle swoops down; a nation whose language you will not understand, 50 a nation with a defiant attitude, who will have no respect for the old, nor show favor to the young. Deuteronomy 28: (NASB)
The Wrath of God Demonstrates His Ultimate Wonderful Grace
The Lord God Almighty gave them Kings as they requested. He sent prophets to warn them. Throughout those years, He demonstrated His power, His patience, His Grace and His wrath. Despite all this, they continued to chase idols or attempt to worship however they saw fit. Doing each one what was right in their own eyes. As such, the prophecies were all fulfilled and the last King to sit upon the thrown in their time ended in total distress.
Jeremiah warned King Zedekiah of all that would come. Instead of listening, the King imprisoned Jeremiah.
5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him. 6 Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and he passed sentence on him. 7 And they slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, then put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze shackles, and brought him to Babylon. 2 Kings 25:5-7 (NASB)
Despite all this, we know that King Zedekiah will not be the final King. For the King of Kings will come. They had rejected God as their ruler, but He will return, and He will reign as Israel’s ultimate King.
Why the Wrath of God in Exiling Judah?
They had turned their back on God. And the sour grapes, spoiled the crop completely. Therefore, it was necessary that He remove and preserve the remnant by separating them in exile.
Let me sing now for my beloved
A song of my beloved about His vineyard.
My beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill.
2 He dug it all around, cleared it of stones,
And planted it with the choicest vine.
And He built a tower in the middle of it,
And also carved out a wine vat in it;
Then He expected it to produce good grapes,
But it produced only worthless ones.3 “And now, you inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah,
Judge between Me and My vineyard.
4 What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it?
Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones?
5 So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard:
I will remove its hedge and it will be consumed;
I will break down its wall and it will become trampled ground.
6 I will lay it waste;
It will not be pruned nor hoed,
But briars and thorns will come up.
I will also command the clouds not to rain on it.”7 For the vineyard of the Lord of armies is the house of Israel,
And the people of Judah are His delightful plant.
So He waited for justice, but behold, there was bloodshed;
For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help….13 Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge;
Isaiah 5 (NASB)
And their [j]nobles are famished,
And their multitude is parched with thirst.
14 Therefore Sheol has enlarged its [k]throat and opened its mouth beyond measure;
And [l]Jerusalem’s splendor, her multitude, her noise of revelry, and the jubilant within her, descend into it.
15 So the common people will be humbled and the person of importance brought low,
The eyes of the haughty also will be brought low.
16 But the Lord of armies will be exalted in judgment,
And the holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness.
17 Then the lambs will graze as in their pasture,
And strangers will eat in the ruins of the [m]wealthy.
In the meantime, God preserved the remnant. They remained a scattered nation enjoying only moments within their land; but enough to preserve the heritage and to fulfill God’s ultimate plan of salvation.
Were His wrath against sin never demonstrated, His ultimate wonderful grace could not have been. Why? Because humanity’s depraved heart would remain hell-bent on destroying all that is righteous and good. Is that not what we see today as well?
Without the Wrath of God How Do We Know Grace?
If we do not understand God’s wrath against sin then we can never comprehend His Grace. God the Father poured out all His wrath against our sin upon God the Son who willingly bore that wrath, so that His elect could be save. Like the wrath of God being poured out on Israel and Judah, so that the remnant might be preserved and saved. God demonstrates Himself in many ways, so that no one has any excuse.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse. Romans 1(NASB)
No Excuses, He Has Made Himself Known
Not only has He shown himself through creation itself, God also revealed Himself through His word. With great, miraculous means He has proven His word repeatedly throughout history. It would take a fool to see all that has happened and not believe. Ah, but that we are: fools. I see that He has the power to speak, and the demons even obey His voice; yet, like a fool at times worry about such trivial things. Furthermore, He has spoken through His son.
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways. 2 In these last days has spoken to us in His Son. Whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of His glory. The exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Hebrews 1: (NASB)
God Has a Future for Jerusalem and the Jewish Nation
He will return to restore His people of Israel as well. One day, He is returning to pour out His wrath against all sin and evil. We have through the studies seen glimpses of His wrath. Some have died suddenly, some in battle, some swollen up by the earth. But in all and through all, God has accomplished His will and we who know Him as Lord and Savior can rest assured, He will complete His work in us as well.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? 35 Or who has first given to Him, that it would be paid back to him? 36 For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. Romans 11 (NASB)
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.
Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
For Prayer or Comments
If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here
Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here
Previous
DISCLOSURES
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Credits
New King James Version (NKJV)Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New Living Translation (NLT)Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV)The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Photo licensed from AdobeStock