Verse of the day: Exodus
4:14 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and He said: “Is not Aaron
the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also
coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
Here
is a characteristic of God that too many Christians lay aside. Too often, there
is no balance in how we personally view God, or describe Him to others. We want
to stress, and over emphasize, God’s love and grace, and we end up with a
lopsided view of who our God is. Sadly, we forget that our God is a just God
who is also a God of wrath, and does get angry, yes, even today. God was
willing to reason with Moses, but we see here that God had enough of Moses’
excuses. God’s anger was not a little thing. “The anger of the Lord was kindled”,
means that God’s anger was a hot anger. There is nothing more displeasing to
God than when we have no faith. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is
impossible to please God. When we fail to trust God to lead us and take care of
us, in living, and serving Him, we demonstrate a lack of trust and faith. This
will not be the last time that we see God become angry with Moses. As a matter
of fact, the second time we see God’s anger against Moses, He actually sought
to kill him (v. 24). In the first instance, God’s anger was kindled against
Moses’ for his lack of faith, and in verse 24 God’s anger was kindled because
of Moses’ disobedience, and sin of omission. We fool ourselves, and do a
disservice to others if we fail to acknowledge, or warn others of, God’s wrath.
Being mindful, as God’s children, not paranoid, about God’s anger will help us
to be ever grateful for His love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness toward us in
Christ. It is because of Jesus that we will not experience God’s coming wrath
(Roman 8:1). Praise God that even in those moments when He becomes angry with
us, it is only for a short while. Psalm 30:5 tells us, “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure
for a night, but joy comes in
the morning.” For those who would dispute that God still gets angry, let
us not forget that there were moments when Jesus got angry. John 2:13-16 tell
us, Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the
money changers doing business. 15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove
them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the
changers’ money and overturned the tables. 16 And He said to those who sold
doves, “Take these things away! Do
not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” Mark 3:5
tells also recounts, And when
He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their
hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.
A warning goes out to the person(s) who still rejects the Gospel, and rejects
Jesus today. God’s wrath is to be feared; for the consequences for not fearing
God’s anger is eternal. Romans 2:1-6 warns, Therefore you are
inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge
another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 But
we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who
practice such things. 3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those
practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment
of God? 4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and
longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But
in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring
up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous
judgment of God, 6 who “will render to each one according to his deeds”. Sadly, those
who think that Hell is not real, or a joke, will someday find out how mistaken
they are, but by then it will be too late. In Christ, we have escaped God’s
anger, but not His discipline. God’s anger may not run hot against us because
of Jesus, but the Word of God is very clear that God will still discipline His
children (Hebrews 12:3-11). As God’s children, He is far more patient with us,
for Christ’s sake, than we deserve. Psalm 103:8 reminds us, “The Lord is merciful and
gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.” Praise Jesus
for the sacrifice He made on Calvary that gives us loving favor with our God.
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