Lessons of Faith from Joshua - Sabbath School Lesson 12 - Wednesday
The Anger of the Lord
When we come across the descriptions of God’s wrath and retributive justice in Joshua—especially in Joshua 23:15–16, where Joshua warns Israel that rebellion will bring the same judgments that fell on the nations before them—it can feel unsettling. Yet Scripture consistently frames God’s anger not as a random outburst but as the response of a holy God who loves His creation too much to let evil destroy it.
Throughout the Old Testament, divine wrath appears whenever persistent rebellion and rejection of God finally reach a tipping point. When Israel complained against God’s provision, “the anger of the Lord was kindled” and judgment fell (Num. 11:33). When Judah repeatedly mocked God’s prophets, “there was no remedy,” and judgment followed (2 Chron. 36:16). In the New Testament, the imagery intensifies: those who cling to evil rather than God face the undiluted consequences of that choice (Rev. 14:10, 19; Rev. 15:1).
These scenes are not meant to paint God as harsh or unpredictable. Instead, they reveal that God takes evil seriously because He takes His people seriously. His wrath is the settled, righteous opposition to everything that destroys, corrupts, or dehumanizes. A universe without divine judgment would be a universe where justice never comes.
But Scripture never leaves us in fear. It reveals a stunning truth: no one who believes in Christ needs to face God’s wrath. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life… the wrath of God remains on him” only if he refuses the Son (John 3:36). By nature we were “children of wrath,” but God’s mercy intervened (Eph. 2:3). Jesus is the One “who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thess. 1:10).
The cross shows us the clearest picture of both divine wrath and divine love. Sin is so destructive that it required a real reckoning. You are so valuable that God chose to bear that reckoning Himself.
Ultimately, the concept of God’s wrath teaches us that He is the righteous Judge of all the earth. “God is a righteous judge” (Ps. 7:11). “The heavens proclaim His righteousness, for God Himself is judge” (Ps. 50:6). And Christ Himself will one day judge with perfect justice (2 Tim. 4:8). This doesn’t drive us away from God—it draws us toward Him. Because His judgments are righteous, His mercy is meaningful. Because He confronts evil, He can restore all things.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for being a God who takes evil seriously and justice personally. Thank You that in Your love You have provided a way for us to stand in grace rather than wrath. Help us to trust Your character, to rest in the salvation You provide through Christ, and to live with reverence and hope as we wait for the day when Your righteous judgment sets all things right. Amen.
More: God is Faithful!- Sabbath School Lesson 12 - The Lessons of Faith from Joshua
Sabbath School Quarterly Online: The Lessons of Faith from Joshua
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