Beth-El Baptist Church
11/21/04
Is God a God of wrath or mercy?
Many people get confused when talking about God. They hear that God is a God of great wrath who destroys and obliterates people. They also hear that God is a God of great mercy who is willing to overlook man’s sins and transgressions. They are confused and want to know which is he?
1. What does wrath mean?
Genesis 49:7
Numbers 25:4
Psalm 69:24
Isaiah 13:9-13
Ezekiel 22:31
Jeremiah 25:37-38; 30:24
Wrath is the carrying out of “fierce anger”. It is a very intense emotion and driving force towards the utter destruction of those targeted by the wrathful one.
2. Why would people think that God is a wrathful God?
Deuteronomy 4:24; 9:3; Hebrews 12:29
2 Chronicles 29:10; 36:16
Ezra 5:12
Proverbs 11:23 (cmp Proverbs 23:7; Titus 1:15)
Jeremiah 10:10
Matthew 25:24-26
Revelation 14:10-19; 15:1-7
God is described as being a “consuming fire” and there are many passages that talk about the pouring out of the “wrath of God” or the “wrath of the LORD”. So there are many scriptures describing God as carrying out His wrath. The exiles of Israel and Judah were the result of God’s wrath being poured out upon them (Ezra 5:12).
There is also an aspect of people seeing God as wrathful because of the way they see themselves. They know they are impure, so the view God as such (Titus 1:15).
3. Why would God be wrathful?
Deuteronomy 9:7
2Kings 22:11-13
2Chronicles 24:18
Nehemiah 13:18
Job 20:19
Psalm 51:4; 78:30-33
Nahum 1:2
Romans 1:18, 28-32; 2:5-6
Ephesians 5:6
God is rightly to be wrathful against people since they know what righteousness is but they have willingly and purposefully ignored not only God but His commandments as well. As a result the focus of God’s wrath are those who are disobedient to God’s holiness and righteousness.
4. What does merciful mean?
Genesis 19:15-19; 39:21
Nehemiah 9:17-19 (very well explained throughout all of Nehemiah 9)
Psalm 51:1-2; 86:13-15
Isaiah 30:18
Mercy is knowing that we rightfully deserve to face the wrath of God because of our great sin executed against Him, His character, and His commandments but God does not pour out His wrath upon us.
5. Why would people think that God is a merciful God?
Exodus 15:13
Numbers 14:18-19
Deuteronomy 4:31
2Samuel 22:26
1Chronicles 16:34 (see also Psalm 136)
Psalm 18:25; 103:8; 145:8-9
2Corinthians 4:1
1Peter 1:3
God is merciful because He is described as being merciful. He has shown Himself merciful by sending His son Jesus to take the punishment we rightly deserved. God is also viewed to be merciful because of merciful people who see God as being merciful.
6. Why would God be merciful?
Exodus 20:6; 33:19
Deuteronomy 7:9-12
Psalm 6:2-4; 25:6-11; 33:22; 59:5; 85:7
Isaiah 27:11
Jeremiah 3:12
Lamentations 3:22-23
Ezekiel 39:25
Hosea 6:6
Joel 2:13
Micah 7:18-20
Matthew 9:13
Luke 1:50; 6:36; 18:13-14
2Corinthians 1:3
Ephesians 2:4
Hebrews 2:17
It is God’s very nature to be merciful. God is not pleased with the destruction of the wicked (Exodus 18:23) but instead He receives joy out of being merciful. God is merciful because He chooses to be merciful. There is no requirement, legally, that God be merciful, He just is.
7. How are the two reconciled?
Ezra 8:22
John 3:36
Romans 9: 9:15-18, 22
1 Thessalonians 5:7-10
1 Timothy 1:13-16
Titus 3:5
Hebrews 8:12
God shows Himself merciful by saving some who obey His commandments. Others He does not show His mercy to by choice. Mercy is not something that God is obligated to bestow but He does anyway. It is God’s wrath that He is more obligated to pour out simply because God is completely Holy and Righteous and must punish the guilty (Exodus 20:7). In order to have the mercy and grace of God poured out on you, you must have Jesus as your mediator to be the one who satisfied the great wrath of God by the death of His only son.
God is both wrathful and merciful. All of us properly deserve to face the wrath of God, but God out of His great mercy has shown mercy to some simply because He chose to. It is our sins that deserve the wrath of God, but it is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ which makes a person a brand new creature having the Holy Spirit dwelling in us that demonstrates not only God mercy in not destroying us but also His grace by bringing us into fellowship within Himself.