In Exodus 32:9-10, we read: “And the LORD said to Moses, ‘I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.’” And we can see time and again in the Bible where God’s anger is spoken of, and how He punished people.
Many people ask, “Why is God so angry?”, and it’s easy to just say “God is so angry all the time!” However, the answer is, “No…God is merciful and loving. He gave the nation of Israel and others years and multiple times to get rid of their sin and obey Him, and yet they stubbornly refused and time and again invoked the wrath of God. It’s not that God is an angry God all the time, it’s that He knows how much sin destroys lives, and He hates it when we continue to destroy our lives by not obeying Him.
It’s like a criminal who continues to get into one wrong thing after another, and won’t mend or change his ways. And this criminal has to stand before a judge multiple times over the years, a judge who is always sentencing him to more jail time or more fines or other punishments. Now that judge may be a very nice person outside of the court room, and you can ask any of his family or friends and they will say, “Oh, he is such a kind person!” However, that criminal would argue, “No – that judge is a cruel, angry, mean person! He is always punishing me!!” Well, it’s not that the judge is mean and cruel. The problem is that the criminal keeps breaking the law!
It’s not that God is always an angry God and can’t seem to overcome His anger. It’s that God created us, wants what is best for our lives, and even loved us enough to send His Son to die for us. So, when we humans disobey Him, ignore Him, and rebel against Him – He is angry at our sin, and at our rebellious hearts, because He knows they can destroy us!
If you want to experience the wrath of God – keep on disobeying Him, rebelling against Him, and ignoring Him in your life. However, if you want to experience a loving, merciful, and gracious God – follow Him, obey Him, and seek to always please Him! It’s really that simple!