Sunday, May 07, 2006

God of Wrath?

Ezekiel 33:11 Say to them, 'As I live!' declares the Lord GOD, 'I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live, turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?'

So I was reading Ezekiel for a Bible reading group a few weeks ago and was struck by that verse. God actually repeats it earlier in the book. As a church, we have done a dreadful thing in writing off God in the Old Testament as "wrathful". Honestly, we impugn God's Name when we say that. Now, God did and still does have wrath. It's part of His nature to be ticked off at sin and wickedness, however, He is also a God of intense and passionate love. Every time I read Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel I am struck by that. I honestly don't think God enjoys punishing us. He has to do it, but He doesn't enjoy it. I read these verses, and I wonder why I still sin. What is it about my corrupt nature that I can't stop?

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