Is God’s Wrath Stronger Than His Love? (Part I)

There are MANY things in the Bible that are easily misunderstood and therefore easily misrepresented. Perhaps the most singularly misrepresented subject in the entire Bible is the nature of God Himself. There are many who accuse God of being angry, vengeful, cruel and unjust, especially because of the Old Testament. They write Him off as unworthy of respect, and laugh when the New Testament presents Him as just, loving and merciful. The contradiction, they say, is untenable and glaring. When we read certain Old Testament verses without explanation or context, we can begin to identify their perspective. What we know based on the study of scripture and history, is that they are wrong. God DOES show anger, wrath and harshness in the Bible, but there is a plan behind it if we are willing to search it out! When the nation of Israel was released from their slavery in Egypt, they were instructed to go the land of Canaan. God had promised them this land would be their homeland. The only problem was, there were seven other nations already occupying it. The solution? God told Israel to wipe out those seven nations, and that He would lead the annihilation. He did. Israel conquered the land of Canaan and established it as their homeland. Let’s pause a moment. As Christians, how can we justify such actions? How can we in good conscience stand behind a God who seems to be so arbitrary when so many lives are at stake? The good news is, we don’t have to stand behind such a one-sided story. Why? Because the actual account contains a myriad of other details that entirely change the meaning of this account. The first point of significance is this: 400 years before this destruction occurred, God spoke to Abraham in a dream. He told him that the sinfulness of the Canaanites was growing and their evil would come to its full measure 400 years later. This foresight of God reveals many things * First, it tells us that God is not arbitrary in His wrath. It tells us that He will release His righteous anger only when the circumstances call for it. * Second, it shows us that God understands the effects of sin upon humanity. He knows that if given time, sin will slowly and methodically peel away any remnants of righteousness from those who reject Him. Check out our February 28, 2022 podcast, “Is God’s Wrath Stronger Than His Love? (Part I)" for more. We track the historical demise of the Canaanite people and find their horrifying and degraded condition. We examine several other accusations regarding the wrath of God and put them in historical and scriptural context. The bottom line is, when we look at the things God did that seem so dark, we need to be willing to back up and see their broader context. God IS just and God IS love. Join us for Part 1 as it unveils the issues we then explain more fully in Part II.