When God's Anger Was Hot

Bill Brinkworth

The image many people have of God is not biblical. They envision the creator of the world as a little, gray-haired old man that walks around with an eternal smile, tolerating sin, and never getting mad. They have no idea regarding the true temperament of the Almighty. There are things that do anger God, and they usually involve sin.

Accounts in Judges 2 illustrate one of the sins that drew God’s wrath. The people of Israel had just lost their God-chosen leader, Joshua. After he had died, the spiritual condition of Israel worsened. It could have been prevented, if they had only done as God had commanded them. He said to go into the lands that were given to them and kill the heathen occupiers of the land: men, women, and children.

"Kill everyone?" Perhaps the Israelites were queasy about obeying that order, but God knows best. His orders, no matter what we think, still needed to be obeyed. Perhaps they came up with the same excuses the love-everyone religionists of today come up with: “We can all get along together as brothers,” or “we will tolerate all faiths” Whatever the reasons, they did not obey God.

Three times in Judges 2 and 3, God was “hot against Israel.” Why? He was angry with His people because:

They lived amongst the ungodly. They were to destroy the enemy; so that they would not have been tempted to take on the ways of those that were not followers of the one true God. They did not obey God’s commandment, and soon were doing exactly what God did not want them to do. They lived amongst their enemies and were soon worshipping other, false gods. False religion got hold of them

All through the Bible, God’s people are told to be separated from the worldly crowd. Today, just a “little” fellowship or contact with the world is enough to pull a Christian in the wrong direction; just as it happened in Israel. Watch enough television, and you will be de-sensitized to the severity of adultery, disobedience, homosexuality, lawlessness, thievery, and other sins. Hang around with the ungodly and swearing, lying, cheating, and other sins will not bother you as much as they first did. Doing what you want, rather than what God wants, will give you the same misery and unhappiness the unsaved will have.
The ungodly were thorns in their side (Judges 22:43). They were a constant nagging irritation that may even be bothering them to this day; as in the Muslim problem that is plaguing their nation and is threatening their lands.
They worshipped like the ungodly. One of the reasons God wanted the ungodly killed was so that their idolatrous ways would stop. Since the ungodly were alive, their idolatry grew and soon spread to God’s people. Israel’s allegiance to God diminished as they followed the heathen religions. They served Baalim (Judges 2:11), Baal and Ashtaroth (Judges 2:13)
They could not break the habit of living the ungodly lifestyle. God gave them good judges to rule over them. When they died, they quickly went back to living a lifestyle that was not pleasing to God. “And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel.” – Jud. 2:14.
They married the heathen. Jud. 3:5

Finally, God’s toleration and grace ended. To turn them back to Himself, God:

Delivered them into the hands of the spoilers. They lost everything to the hands of thieves. Jud. 2:14
Was no longer blessing nor protecting them. Whatever they did, including battle, was purposely foiled by God. Jud. 2:15
Would not help them drive out their enemies. Jud.2:21.

Here in America, because there is little separation from the unsaved, “Christianity” has been watered down. More and more unbiblical practices are prevailing. The worship of Allah in Islam is being tolerated; even though repeatedly the religion has proved itself unbiblical and even intolerant of any other religion, including Christianity. Satanic worship is increasing. Religions worshipping many false gods, such as Hinduism, are being tolerated. Mocking of the one true God and His followers is permitted. Coexisting with false religions is watering-down and weakening the worship God expects from a nation founded on the principles of the Bible.

Surely, as “… the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel” (Jud. 2:14), God is angry at this country for not separating from practices and lifestyles God abhors. No, I am not saying to kill the ungodly. That commandment was to Israel in a much different time. It is not God’s commandment to us. We live in the world, but we do not have to voluntarily act as the world does. We can and must separate from the world and obey God. As children of God, we are on the winning side and do not have to appear, sound like, or behave as if we were on the losing side.

“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,” 2 Corinthians 6:17

As evil as Israel’s sin repeatedly was, God forgave them time and time again. He bailed them out of their troubles (Jud. 2:18, 3:15). As wicked as we can be, God gives us opportunity after opportunity to changes our ways. He is merciful. He certainly is a second-chance God. No matter what you have done, He will forgive you. If you fail, He will help you again. Separate from the activities God hates, or face the consequences of an angry God, as did Israel.

“ The great need of the world today is the spiritual power necessary for the overthrow of evil, for the establishment of righteousness, and for the ushering in of the era of perpetual peace; and that spiritual power begins in the surrender of the individual to God. It commences with obedience to the first commandment.”
— William J. Bryan

This article was featured in The Bible View #139.