God's Anger
From The HeartPublish date: 04/06/2014
1. It can be kindled:
In the Old Testament, the word “kindled” is used 18 times and “provoke” 40 times, in reference to God’s anger.
And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp. Numbers 11:1 KJV
When ye have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them; then shall the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you. Joshua 23:16 KJV
They said, 'Repent now everyone of his evil way and his evil doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord has given to you and your fathers forever and ever. 6 Do not go after other gods to serve them and worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands; and I will not harm you.' 7 Yet you have not listened to Me," says the Lord, "that you might provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt. Jeremiah 25:5-7 NKJV
But you have done more evil than all who were before you, for you have gone and made for yourself other gods and molded images to provoke Me to anger, and have cast Me behind your back. 1 Kings 14:9 NKJV
There they burned incense on all the high places, like the nations whom the Lord had carried away before them; and they did wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger, 12 for they served idols, of which the Lord had said to them, "You shall not do this thing." 2 Kings 17:11-12 NKJV
God never becomes angry for no reason. People provoke him to anger with great sin and disobedience. He is never angry with those who walk righteously before Him.
2. It can get hot:
So Aaron said, "Do not let the anger of my lord become hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. 23 For they said to me, 'Make us gods that shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.' Exodus 32:22-23 NKJV
All nations would say, 'Why has the Lord done so to this land? What does the heat of this great anger mean?' 25 Then people would say: 'Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt; 26 for they went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods that they did not know and that He had not given to them. 27 Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against this land, to bring on it every curse that is written in this book. 28 And the Lord uprooted them from their land in anger, in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.' Deuteronomy 29:24-28 NKJV
3. It can be fierce:
So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel. 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the Lord, out in the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel." Numbers 25:3-4 NKJV
4. God is slow to anger:
The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. Psalms 103:8 NKJV
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. Psalms 145:8 NKJV
Therefore also now, says the Lord, turn and keep on coming to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning [until every hindrance is removed and the broken fellowship is restored]. 13 Rend your hearts and not your garments and return to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in loving-kindness; and He revokes His sentence of evil [when His conditions are met]. Joel 2:12-13 AMP
5. His anger is momentary (temporary):
He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. Psalms 103:9 NKJV
Go and proclaim these words toward the north [where the ten tribes have been taken as captives] and say, Return, faithless Israel, says the Lord, and I will not cause My countenance to fall and look in anger upon you, for I am merciful, says the Lord; I will not keep My anger forever. Jeremiah 3:12 AMP
Who is a God like You, Who forgives iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retains not His anger forever, because He delights in mercy and loving-kindness. 19 He will again have compassion on us; He will subdue and tread underfoot our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:18-19 AMP
The Bible tells us that God takes a LONG time to get angry and He can get extremely angry; however, He is also able to turn from His anger in a moment. He displays his anger for a very short time, but his mercy for a lifetime. As Micah 7:18 tells us: He retains not His anger forever, because He delights in mercy and loving-kindness. God MUCH prefers showing us His mercy, rather than being angry with us; and He will show us His mercy every opportunity He gets.
For His anger is but for a moment, but His favor is for a lifetime or in His favor is life. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Psalms 30:5 AMP