The OT view of God's anger.

 

Taken from:

 All the words for anger that are used to describe human emotions and actions are also used of God. But the picture the Bible paints is far from the stereotype  the angry God of the Old Testament" we sometimes hear spoken of so blithely.

The causes of God's anger. 

One of the first facts to establish is that God's anger is no capricious thing, nor is it expressed in temper tantrums. God's anger is provoked: it is his righteous response to specific human failures and sin. OT law dearly specifies actions that arouse God's anger. Thus the law says: "Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be aroused (Ex 22:22-24). In addition to being related to injustice, God's anger is intimately linked with the violation of the covenant relationship the Land established among them (Dt 4:23-26). These and many other warnings (eg Dt 29:23-28; Jos 23:16) laid out for God's OT people those sinful actions that ked God's anger. Knowing God's moral character, his people could avoid anger by being obedient to the covenant which he carefully defines right and wrong

A survey of OT incidents that stimulate God's anger shows the lord is angry when he is not trusted (Ex 4:14),  when people complain against him (Nu 11:1,33, 12:9), when he is disobeyed (Nu 32:10), and particularly when he is rejected in favor of idols (Ex 32:7-12. Nu 25:3, Dt 11:16-17)

God's anger is a measured response to sin-a response about which his OT people were thoroughly warned.

The interpretation of God's anger. 

The OT sees God's anger in a positive rather  than a negative light God's anger expresses itself in rebuke and discipline (Ps 6:1, 38:1, 78:31-38), It is God's righteous reaction to those who persecute his people unjustly (Ex 15:7; Ps 7:6). His anger is provoked by wicked deeds (Ps 106:29). The psalmist says, "Surely your wrath against men brings you praise, and the survivors of your wrath are restrained" (Ps 76:10), God's anger is thus viewed as completely justified and also as of ultimate benefit to people.

But the Bible does not present anger as an essential characteristic of God. In fact, God's wrath is set aside when God forgives (Ps 85:2-3), and even his acts of anger show restraint (Ps 78:38). Compared to his favor, which lasts a lifetime, God's anger is momentary (Ps 30:5). God intends only good to humanity, and when it is necessary to act in anger, the intention to do good is never lost.

The concept of righteous anger. 

The Bible's positive view of God's anger brings us to the concept of righteous anger. God's anger is righteous in several senses. It is provoked only by sin. It is expressed with only good in mind. And, strikingly, the Bible insists that God's anger is never a controlling element in his choices.

It is impossible for human beings to exhibit truly righteous anger, because in us anger tends to dominate and to control. Exodus 34:6-7 describes God in this way. The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished." This significant statement places anger in a distinctive relationship with other qualities of the Lord. He is compassionate, gracious, loving, faithful, forgiving, just. God's anger never dominates to the extent that these other character traits no longer function. God's anger is always in harmony with his compassion, race, love, faithfulness, eagerness to forgive, and commitment to do justice. Nine times the OT reminds us that God is "slow to anger'' (Ex 34:6; Nu 14:18; Ne 9:17, Ps 86:15; 103:8; 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jnh 4:2. Na 1:3). Human beings are unable to maintain the balance that God does - a balance that makes it possible for him to be lovingly angry and to show compassionate wrath.

God's anger is expressed in judgment. 

Just as real events elicit God's anger, so God's anger is expressed in real events in history. God's anger at the Egyptian persecution of Israel was expressed in the ten plagues (Ex 15:7; cf. 10:14, 11:1). Armies served as the rod of God's anger (Isa 10:5). History has shown again and again the impact of his fury at persistent rebelliousness (Dt 4:25; 9:1-8; 2 Ki 21:1-26). At the end of time, God's anger will be fully expressed in final judgment (Isa 63; Zep 2).

NT- 

The NT also speaks of divine and human anger. Although the two Testaments are consistent in viewpoint, there are differences in emphasis. In the OT, God's anger is linked with violations of the covenant relationship. Thus the Jewish people are often the objects of his wrath. But in the NT, God's wrath is focused on those who will not believe. This and other differences make it important for us to study the Testaments separately as well as together.