Behold the Goodness of God in His Severity Romans 11:22 The Bible says, “Behold then the goodness and the severity of God” (Rom. 11:22). There are definitely these two sides of God.

He is a God of love and mercy, but He is also a God of righteousness and justice. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb. 10:31), and our God is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29). Nevertheless, even in the wrath of God, His goodness and compassion can be seen.

Statement of fact: Ezra 9:13 - “Seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such a remnant.” This statement is in a prayer of Ezra when he found out how the Israelites had inter- married with the people of the land. It was an acknowledgment of the mercy of God even in His wrath.

Nehemiah 9:31 - “Nevertheless in thy manifold mercies thou didst not make a full end of them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.” This statement was part of a prayer made at the time of the dedication of the walls of Jerusalem. It had to do with the exile in Babylon, that God did not wipe out His people. It, too, is an acknowledgment of God’s mercy.

Psalm 78:38 - “But He, being merciful, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned He his anger away, and did no stir up all His wrath.” This passage refers to multiple times in God’s dealings with Israel when He did not destroy Israel but forgave them.

Psalm 103:10 - “He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us after our iniquities.” “Jehovah is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness. He will not always chide; neither will He keep His anger for ever” (103:8-9). This Psalm is well entitled: “Praise for Jehovah’s Mercies.” Among the many mercies named is this supreme quality of God.

God’s own promise: Isaiah 48:9 - “For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.” In a passage containing a severe rebuke of His people (48:1-11), God says that for His own name’s sake He will defer and not cut them off. For His divine purposes, though Israel (including Judah) deserved complete rejection, God would not at this time make a full end of them.

Hosea 11:9 – “I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim.” God announced in Amos that though He had put off the chastisement of Israel many times (Amos 7:4-6). Nevertheless, He had measured them by the plumb-line of His own righteousness, and had determined that He “will not again pass by them any more” (7:8).

The idea in Hosea is that although the northern kingdom was to be obliterated from the land, they would not be brought to a complete end. God says that in the future “they shall walk after Jehovah” (11:10). One day God would call, and His children would come out of Egypt and out of Assyria (11:11). The blessings that await Israel will be in connection, not with a physical restoration to the land of Israel, but with the coming of the Messiah.

Prayer: Psalm 6:1 - “O Jehovah, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.” Prayer of the Psalmist for mercy in the time of trouble. This entire prayer is a prayer for God’s mercy instead of His anger.

The Psalmist is in anguish and deep trouble. But after telling of his troubles, the Psalmist warns those who work iniquity to depart from him (Matt. 7:23). They can trouble him no more. Why? Because the Lord has heard his prayer (6:8-10).

Psalm 38:1 - “O Jehovah, rebuke me not in thy wrath; neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.” Prayer of a man who has done wrong, and he knows it. Verse after verse is filled with the most vivid acknowledgments of his sins.

Therefore when his enemies use his vulnerabilities at this time to attack him, he is like a deaf man who does not even hear them, like someone who is mute, he does not open his mouth to defend himself (38:13- 14). His concentration is on his God: “Forsake me not, O Jehovah” (38:21).

Hab. 3:2 - In wrath remember mercy. After Habakkuk learns that God is going to chastise Judah with Babylon, he prays this prayer (3:1-15). He has seen through testimony and the eyes of faith the might and power of God in judgment and in His other great acts. Knowing the awesome power of God, he cries, “In wrath remember mercy.”

The wrath of God. Not a manifestation of His emotions. It is a manifestation of His righteous nature. His wrath is judicial. When He pronounces judgment, it is not because He does not like you; it is because He does not like what you have done.

His wrath is measured and controlled. He is never carried away to do more than He had meant to do. Even as God used weapons such as the Assyrians, though it was in their plans “to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few,” (Isa. 10:7), this was not God’s plan. He would not permit the Assyrians to do more than He wanted them to do in disciplining His people.

Conclusion: This lesson is not designed to lessen our dread of the wrath of God, but to help us to be grateful that we deal with a gracious God. It is designed to help us understand that we can sustain a relationship with God, and we can go to heaven, because we deal with a God who is full of mercy.