Dear ones in Christ,
In the early days during the days of Noah, the earth was utterly corrupted, filled with sin. The earth was filled with cruelty and tyranny. God saw the earth and beheld that the earth was filled with disorders. Every human being upon the earth was destroying their ways. So God’s wrath was kindled upon them. He wanted to destroy the earth. But God saved the righteous Noah and his family. If we don’t want the wrath of God to come upon us, we should live righteously and please God in all ways. We should listen to God’s voice and walk accordingly.
The Lord said to the children of Israel that, the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, throughout their hosts. But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony.
There are some reasons for the wrath of God to come upon the people:\
1. Unworthy or undeserved love:
In 2 Chronicles 19:2, 3, we read, “And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord. Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek the Lord.” God hates unfit, unworthy love or friendship.
2. Murmuring:
In Deuteronomy 1:33,34, we read, “Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day. And the Lord heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware saying, surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land”. Moreover in Deuteronomy 1:26,27, we read, “Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the lord your God: And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the Lord hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us”. So the wrath of God was kindled against them.
3. The faithless evil heart:
In Numbers 14:1, 2 we read, “And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; And they said one to another, let us return.” In Numbers 32:9, 10 we read, “They discouraged the hearts of the children of Israel, and the Lord’s anger was kindled the same time.”
4. A proud heart:
In 2 Chronicles 32:25, we read, “But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up; therefore there was wrath upon him”.
In 2 Chronicles 32:20, 21, we read, “And for this cause Hezekiah the king… prayed and cried to heaven. And the Lord sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and all the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land”.
5. Did not humble himself, but hardened his heart:
In 2 Chronicles 36:12, 16, we read, “And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord… but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the Lord God of Israel.” In 2 Chronicles 36:16 we read, “But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, and until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy.”
6. When we do not observe the Word of God, God’s wrath will come:
In 2 Chronicles 34:21, we read, “For great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do after all that is written in this book.”
Josiah started seeking the Lord. He cleansed the land. He did the renovation work of the temple of God. The book of covenant was found out and was read in the ears of the people. When the king heard the words, he rends his clothes and humbled himself. He sent people to enquire of the Lord. God spoke through prophetess Huldah. God replied through Huldah, I also have heard your petition. Behold I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thy eyes see all the evil. In 2 Chronicles 34:31, 32, “And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the Lord, and caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And made them to serve the Lord. And he did not go away from the Lord till his death.” Observe the commandments of the Lord, you will escape the wrath of God.
My dear friends! In order to escape the wrath of God, let us humble ourselves, and observe the commandments of God not hardening our hearts. Then we will live. The people who corrupted their ways during the days of Noah and the people of Sodom and Gomorrah died in the wrath of God. If we have the unfit friendship or love, murmuring, proud heart in us, we will come under the wrath of God. Just like Josiah, if we also humble ourselves and observe the word of God, we and our children will escape the wrath of God! Hallelujah!
