Why is God so Angry?: A Short Guide to Reading Judgment Passages in the Bible

Have you ever read the book of Isaiah? If the answer to that question is “No,” I would completely understand. After all, it’s easily one of the longest books in the entire Bible. However, its length is not the difficulty that keeps people from finishing. The most difficult aspect of the book of Isaiah is its emphasis on judgment, particularly in the first half. As a pastor, I must confess I don’t always have the best attitude when reading the book myself. Without the proper tools, most of us resign ourselves to muscling through it, even if we don’t understand (or agree) with what we’re reading.

The book of Isaiah touches on a problem we have with God. The problem is this: If God is love, then why is He so angry throughout the majority of Scripture? I think this question is a good one; it’s a question we should not be afraid to ask. In light of what Jesus has done at the cross to appease God’s anger (1 John 4:9-10), we have the freedom to get real with Him in our prayers. So, let’s use this freedom to our benefit and ask two questions: (1) Why is God so Angry, and (2) Why should I care?

Why is God so Angry?

Sin. There you go, I saved you a few minutes. What? You want more? Okay, fine. Let’s start by looking at one of these judgment passages in Isaiah.

“Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.” (Is. 1:4)

The reason I will continue to write on this subject is that most of us feel like this general answer of “sin” is not a satisfying answer to the question raised above. “Is sin such a big deal that it would warrant this kind of response from God?” I think this line of reasoning highlights the disconnect between ourselves and God. While we may have moments where God opens our eyes to see the gravity of our sin, most of us live blissfully ignorant of the way our sin grieves God’s heart.

So why is sin such a big deal? A few reasons come to mind. The first and most foundational is that sin goes against God’s holiness, and since God’s holiness is His premier attribute, it’s fair to say that sin goes against God Himself. God cannot just overlook sin, or He would be someone else entirely. When we sin, we are not just making a wrong choice; we are making a choice that goes in direct opposition to the God who has created us.

The second reason sin is such a big deal is that it harms others. When we sin, God’s heart grieves because of His own holy purity, but also because of His holy love for His creation. This is the reason that naturally makes sense to us. It makes sense to us that a holy and loving God would be upset when His children negatively impact one another.

These two reasons bring us back to Isaiah, and they prompt us to ask, “Is God justified in His reaction?” This question is why it is so important to read the Bible in context. Out of context, God seems like a child throwing a tantrum. He seems like an out-of-control CEO screaming at his employees for clocking in 30 seconds late. However, when we read the Bible in context, we find that Isaiah’s audience was not “30 seconds late”. They didn’t show up to work at all. In fact, they quit their jobs and started a rival company. To make matters worse, the product they put out has led to all sorts of community dysfunction. The poor are exploited, and God’s name is forsaken (Is. 1:23). And the cherry on top is that their solution is to offer God a bribe so that He’ll look the other way (Is. 1:13-15). In context, it would seem God’s strong language is completely justified.

Perhaps the best question we can ask ourselves is this: Do I agree with God’s view of sin? Or has my culture distorted my view of God? Left unchecked, our hearts drift away from God to the point we think of Him as reactionary and harsh. However, when we read the Bible in context, we find that God is often much more patient than we would be in the same scenario.

Why Should I Care?

We began our time together with a typical scenario where we bump up against God’s judgment. This was to show you that the question of God’s judgment is less theoretical and more practical. It is for this reason I’d like to end by asking the big question, “Why Should I Care?”

The reason you should care is that the problem of sin is universal. What this means practically is that I can guarantee that you (Yes, you, the person reading this!) have a sin problem. According to the Bible, the problem of sin is not limited to a particular people at a particular time. No, because we are all descended from Adam, his sin is passed down through generations (Rom. 5:12). Because of this, to be human is to have a sin problem.

Now, if we stopped here, this would be a very sad post. If we stopped here, you would never have a reason to go to church or to seek answers from God. If we stopped here, the message of Christianity would simply be, “God is angry at you, but for your own mental health, try not to think too hard about it!” Thankfully, the message of the gospel does not stop here, and neither does Isaiah. In fact, we even get a hint of this in the very chapter we’ve been exploring. In Isaiah 1:18, we get a taste of God’s heart, and we find that God loves to show mercy.

“'Come now, let us settle the matter,' says the Lord. 'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.'” (Is. 1:18)

This is exactly what God has done in His Son Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:6-8). Because of Jesus’ death at the cross, our scarlet sins are white as snow. This is the essential message of Christianity. It is also the reason we as Christians cannot afford to leave the judgment passages to the “experts.” We cannot afford to merely skip over these passages because they are difficult to understand. If we do that, we are missing God’s mercy entirely.

So, we come back to the beginning, and we ask the question, “How do I handle God’s judgment in passages where His mercy is not immediately obvious?” My advice on this question (and so many others) is to look at Christ. While it is important to read books of the Bible as the original audience would have understood them, it is equally important to bring the gospel to these judgment passages. Because it is only in the gospel that the tension between God and humanity is resolved.

So next time you read through a book like Isaiah, remember this: God’s judgment serves to highlight His mercy. When we understand what our sins deserve, our hearts will begin to sing the song of Christ crucified.

Your Turn

• Ask yourself: Have you ever really sat and wrestled with the topic of Judgment in the Bible? How do you typically approach these kinds of passages?

• Do you agree with God’s attitude toward sin? Or does God seem prickly and reactionary?

• Consider how meditating on God’s mercy would change your relationship to the Bible and to God Himself. What is a book in the Bible you have always avoided that you might need to give another chance?

As with all things pertaining to finding and following Jesus, don’t hesitate to reach out to our staff. We’d love to help you work through these questions and equip you with any resources you feel you need!