“God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation everyday.” (Psalm 7)
God can and does feel anger, but it is a righteous anger consistent with his righteous character. The Bible depicts God as a being who has emotions, but these emotions are under his control. If ever he becomes angry it is because he chooses to be. It is in this light that we should understand the biblical passages that describe him as being provoked by our sins. Being omniscient, he is not caught by surprise by them; nevertheless, he is genuinely provoked and his anger is genuine as well.
“If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword.” (Psalm 7)
The threat is real and should not be taken lightly. In 1 Kings ch. 16, because Baasha provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger with his idols, the Lord destroyed all his house (i.e., family) through the hand of Zimri, in accordance with what the Lord spoke by Jehu the prophet.
Do we take the Lord’s anger lightly? Do we provoke him to anger?
Lord, forgive us for the many times we have provoked you to anger. Help us to fear you with a holy fear. Amen.
