Introduction: Do you like the idea of a God who shows wrath?
I imagine that you love the idea for certain people, but
never for yourself. When my mother became old, she retained
a healthy body but her mind deteriorated terribly. While she
was in decline, a vitamin company called her and sold her so
many vitamins she could never take them all. Should someone
who takes advantage of the elderly be subject to wrath? What
about those who target the elderly for physical violence? If
you love others, then you love justice. Let’s plunge into
our study of the Bible and learn about God’s wrath based on
love!
I. Automated Wrath?
A. Read Deuteronomy 28:1-6. On what are these
blessings conditioned? (Obedience to God.)
1. How do you think this works? Does God measure
your obedience and then give you blessings
in that same measure? (I think this is
automatic. God created the commandments in
large part to make our lives better. When we
follow God’s rules for better living, then we
in fact live better.)
B. Read Deuteronomy 28:15-19. This states the opposite
of the blessings in Deuteronomy 28:1-6. How do
these curses work? Does God look down, see that you
are disobedient, and then curse you? Harm you?
C. Read Deuteronomy 28:20. This says specifically that
God will “send” “curses, confusion, and frustration
in all that you undertake to do.” Does this
suggest that the penalties are not “automatic” as I
suggested? (Notice the last part of verse 20, where
it says, “because you have forsaken Me.” This
suggests that we invite these problems.)
D. Read Romans 1:18. What do you think is the reason
why God’s wrath is “revealed” as opposed to
executed, or some other action word? (Revealed
suggests that this is something that we can see for
ourselves. It is a kind of “this is how things
work” revelation.)
E. Read Romans 1:19-23. God’s wrath is revealed in
what response of humans? (They become fools. Their
thinking is confused. That caused them to do stupid
things like worshiping images of animals.)
1. Is this an automatic version of God’s wrath?
(The IVP New Testament Commentary reports that
some say, as I have suggested, this is simply
a “cause-and-effect process. But then it
rejects the “automatic” view on the basis that
God’s wrath is so comprehensive that is
disallows this interpretation. I believe the
IVP Commentary is looking at the sins listed
in Romans 1:28-31.)
F. Read Romans 1:24-25. Does this sound like God is
executing His wrath on these sinners? (Romans says
that God “gave them up.” They visited God’s wrath
on themselves.)
G. Psalms 78 recounts the experience of God’s
people in the exodus from Egypt to the Promised
Land. Read Psalms 78:18-22. What has triggered
God’s wrath? (The people doubted that God could
provide for them, and they demanded that God give
them meat to eat.)
H. Read Psalms 78:23-31. Does this sound like an
automated penalty? Could they have suffered from
not being used to eating meat?
I. Read Numbers 21:5-6. The people have the same
complaint about the food, and this time snakes
attack them. Does this seem an automatic response?
(No. While dying from eating the meat might be
arguable, these verses tell us that God “sent” the
snakes. Being bitten by a snake is not the logical
result of complaining about your food.)
1. What do these texts teach us about the wrath
of God? (Some of it is the natural consequence
of disobedience to the rules of life. However,
God can and has acted on His anger and
punished the rebellious.)
J. Let’s step back and contemplate the overall message
of the verses we have studied. Does God love His
people? (Yes! He gave His commandments so our lives
will be better. He wants us to live well.)
II. Jonah’s Wrath
A. Read 2 Kings 14:23-25. This is our introduction to
the prophet Jonah. How popular do you think Jonah
was among God’s people? (Jonah predicted the
victories that restored the border of Israel! He
must have been a national hero.)
1. Was the king with whom Jonah worked a good
man? (No. He did evil in God’s eyes.)
B. Read Jonah 1:1-2. Do you think that Jonah would
appreciate this assignment? (Jonah was a hero for
predicting the victories of his people. He is not
used to being a prophet to pagans, and he might
have feared going to Nineveh.)
C. Read Jonah 1:3. Jonah tried to run away from God’s
command that Jonah work with God regarding the
people of Nineveh. Do you know what kind of people
lived in Nineveh? (Nineveh was the capital of
Assyria. They were terrible people. They killed
their enemies in horrible ways.)
D. We are going to summarize the main part of the
story. God gets Jonah back on track, Jonah warns
the people of Nineveh of impending doom, and they
repent. Read Jonah 3:10. Would you say that this is
a great outcome for Jonah’s mission?
E. Read Jonah 4:1-2. Why is Jonah angry that God has
turned His wrath from those who lived in Nineveh?
(The Ninevites were enemies of Israel and Jonah
wanted them to be destroyed. Jonah is like us. He
loves it when “justice” is done to defeat the
enemies of his people, but he is not happy when God
shows mercy to bad people.)
F. Read Jonah 4:3. Why would Jonah be that angry?
(Jonah is used to being a true prophet. When the
enemies of God’s people were correctly predicted by
Jonah to be destroyed he was celebrated. He now has
what appears to be a failed prophecy against bad
people.)
G. Read Jonah 4:4. Is God surprised by Jonah’s
reaction?
H. Read Jonah 4:5-6. Is Jonah still expecting the
destruction of the Ninevites?
1. Do you think this wonderful plant that
provided shade had an impact on Jonah’s
thinking about the Ninevites. (I expect Jonah
thought this was just a little favor from God
showing that God was still going to make him a
true prophet. Today we would call it a “God
wink.”)
I. Read Jonah 4:7-9. What now has made Jonah angry?
(His shade plant has died.)
1. Does Jonah seem mentally unbalanced?
J. Read Jonah 4:10-11. What does this teach us about
God’s love and justice as opposed to human love and
justice?
1. What is the specific character flaw of Jonah?
(He is selfish. He wants God to show love for
him and his plant. He wants God to show wrath,
not love, to the Ninevites.)
2. Does God love animals?
3. What does God mean when He makes reference to
those “who do not know their right had from
their left?” (I think this refers to small
children. It could mean those who do not
understand moral principles.)
K. Let’s step back and think about Jonah’s story. Was
God willing to destroy Nineveh?
1. Would that have been an “automatic”
punishment? (No. God would execute judgment.
We know this for sure because God decided
against destruction.)
a. Would that have been just? (Yes, they were
a terrible people.)
b. Would the destruction of the Assyrian
capital have shown love to others? (God
would have reduced the terror they brought
to others.)
2. Would God have been willing to destroy the
children if Nineveh had not repented? (Our
wicked actions can do great harm to others,
including our children.)
III. A Strange Thing
A. Read Lamentations 3:31-33. What is God’s attitude
towards destruction? (It is not “from His heart.”
He does not have pleasure in it. Ezekiel 33:11.)
B. Read Isaiah 28:21-22. What is God’s “strange” deed?
(Destruction. God destroys only when people do not
repent. It is His desire that all should turn to
Him.)
C. Friend, we know that sin and sinners must come to
an end. It would not be love to allow the world to
continue as it is. We need to accept that
destruction will come to us if we do not accept
Jesus’ free gift of eternal life. Will you turn to
Jesus and accept His gift right now?
IV. Next week: God’s Love of Justice.
Copr. 2025, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. Scripture quotations are
from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard
Version ), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing
ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All
rights reserved. Suggested answers are found within
parentheses. If you normally receive this lesson by e-mail,
but it is lost one week, you can find it by clicking on this
link: http://www.GoBible.org. Pray for the guidance of the
Holy Spirit as you study.