Topical Bible: Israel: The Anger of the Lord in Consequence

◄ Israel: The Anger of the Lord in Consequence ►

Jump to: Nave's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The concept of the Lord's anger towards Israel is a recurring theme throughout the Old Testament, reflecting the covenant relationship between God and His chosen people. This anger is often depicted as a response to Israel's disobedience, idolatry, and failure to uphold the laws and commandments given by God.

Covenant Relationship and Expectations

The relationship between God and Israel is fundamentally based on the covenant established at Mount Sinai, where the Israelites agreed to follow God's laws in exchange for His protection and blessing. This covenant is articulated in passages such as Exodus 19:5-6, where God declares, "Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine. And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."

Instances of Divine Anger

1. The Golden Calf Incident: One of the earliest and most significant instances of God's anger is found in Exodus 32, where the Israelites create and worship a golden calf while Moses is on Mount Sinai. God's response is one of fierce anger, as He tells Moses, "Now leave Me alone, so that My anger may burn against them and consume them. Then I will make you into a great nation" (Exodus 32:10). Moses intercedes, and God relents, but the incident underscores the seriousness of idolatry.

2. Rebellion in the Wilderness: Throughout the Israelites' journey in the wilderness, there are multiple occasions where God's anger is kindled due to their rebellion and lack of faith. In Numbers 14, after the negative report of the spies, the people express a desire to return to Egypt, prompting God to say, "How long will this wicked congregation grumble against Me? I have heard the complaints that the Israelites are making against Me" (Numbers 14:27). As a consequence, that generation is condemned to die in the wilderness.

3. Achan’s Sin: In Joshua 7, the sin of Achan, who takes forbidden items from Jericho, leads to God's anger against Israel. The Lord says to Joshua, "Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant that I commanded them. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, lied, and put them with their own possessions" (Joshua 7:11). This results in Israel's defeat at Ai until the sin is addressed.

4. Idolatry and Apostasy: The period of the Judges is marked by a cycle of sin, oppression, repentance, and deliverance. Judges 2:12-14 describes how the Israelites forsake the Lord and serve Baal and Ashtoreths, provoking the Lord's anger: "They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. And because they provoked the LORD to anger, He handed them over to raiders who plundered them."

5. The Divided Kingdom: After the reign of Solomon, the kingdom of Israel is divided, and both the northern kingdom (Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judah) experience periods of idolatry and injustice. The prophets frequently warn of God's impending judgment. In 2 Kings 17:18, the fall of the northern kingdom is attributed to divine anger: "So the LORD was very angry with Israel, and He removed them from His presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left."

Prophetic Warnings and Calls to Repentance

The prophets play a crucial role in communicating God's anger and calling Israel to repentance. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and others convey messages of both judgment and hope. For instance, Isaiah 1:4 expresses God's lament over Israel's rebellion: "Alas, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children of corruption! They have forsaken the LORD; they have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on Him."

Theological Implications

The anger of the Lord towards Israel serves as a reminder of the holiness and justice of God. It underscores the seriousness of sin and the importance of faithfulness to the covenant. Yet, it is also balanced by God's mercy and willingness to forgive upon genuine repentance, as seen in numerous instances where God relents from sending disaster when the people turn back to Him. This dynamic relationship highlights the tension between divine justice and mercy, a theme that resonates throughout the biblical narrative.

Nave's Topical Index

Exodus 32:9-14
And the LORD said to Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiff necked people:
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Israel's Obstinacy and God's Patience
... the all-withering effect of God's anger,"a picture ... equivalent to cancelling the choice
of Israel as God's ... chapter; but, more probably, 'the Lord said' does ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture f/israels obstinacy and gods patience.htm

National Sins and Miseries
... 1. The chapter begins, "And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel,
and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 130 national sins and.htm

The Great Suit: Jehovah Versus Judah
... provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are ... They have 'despised the Holy
One of Israel'; that is ... blessedness, 'for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/the great suit jehovah versus.htm

The Unmistakable Honesty of the Writers of the Bible Attests to ...
... And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord God of ... were round about
them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger. ...
/.../the divine inspiration of the bible/chapter three the unmistakable honesty.htm

Carried Captive into Babylon
... heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, and remembered not His footstool in
the day of His anger! The Lord hath swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 37 carried captive into.htm

God Willing that all Men Should be Saved.
... denunciation, "The Lord will not spare him; but the anger of the Lord and his ... We
may make the same remark respecting the declensions of Israel and Judah and ...
/.../lee/sermons on various important subjects/sermon xvii god willing that.htm

The Later Hebrew Histories.
... The anger of the ... people, his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which
is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord, the God of Israel, (he is ...
/.../gladden/who wrote the bible/chapter vi the later hebrew.htm

Approaching Doom
... "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I ... prophet's words, instead
of leading to confession and repentance, aroused the anger of those ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 35 approaching doom.htm

Elijah the Tishbite
... death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore ... God had sent messengers to
Israel, with appeals to ... Their pride had been wounded, their anger had been ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 9 elijah the tishbite.htm

The Last King of Judah
... people, "the ancients of the house of Israel," to the ... and have returned to provoke
Me to anger: and, lo ... Through Jeremiah the Lord had declared of the wicked men ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 36 the last king.htm