GOD’S NOT ANGRY WITH YOU!
Isa 54:9-10 “For as I have sworn that the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you,” says the Lord, who has mercy on you. (NKJV)
Under the Old Covenant, God may have been slow to anger, but when He was angry, He was very angry! Why? He was angry because Israel had chosen to live by the law. Subsequently they had to live with the consequences when they broke it!
Ps 103:8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in loving-kindness.
(NASU)
Ps 106:29 Thus they provoked Him to anger with their deeds, and the plague broke out among them. (NASU)
Under the New Covenant however, Jesus chose to take upon Himself the punishment of God’s anger for the sin of the whole world. This appeasing of God’s anger enabled God to substitute His anger for His love, making the cross the greatest demonstration of His love for mankind!
1 Jn 4:10 In this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the sacrifice for our sins. (AMP)
The removal of God’s anger paved the way for God’s acceptance! Hence, no matter the depth of sin, repeated failure or the many mistakes we make, we are still accepted by the Father. His welcoming arms are always open towards us!
Eph 1:6 To the praise of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
AN OATH ATTACHED TO A PROMISE
Isa 54:9-10 ”For as I have sworn that the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you,” says the Lord.
In Hebrew culture, to make a promise was a declaration of intent by the person who made it, but they were not legally bound to keep that promise.
In order to make a promise legal and binding, an oath would be added! An oath meant to call on a higher or divine being to execute sanctions or curses against that person if they reneged on their promise. The Hebrews would invoke the name of Jehovah.
In Isa 54:9,10 God is promising to not be angry with the forthcoming people of the New Covenant. To enforce His promise He swears an oath to bind the promise. Because there is no one higher to call on, He swears by Himself!
Heb 6:13-18 For example, there was God’s promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in His own name, saying: “I will certainly bless you, and I will multiply your descendants beyond number.” Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised. Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. God also bound Himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that He would never change His mind. So God has given both His promise and His oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. (NLT)
To add an oath was a cast iron declaration that the promise would be fulfilled! God loves us so much, He is determined to convince us that He means what He says and He says what He means: I will not be angry with you, nor rebuke you!
The next time you are tempted to believe that God is angry with you, for whatever reason, use this promise with God’s oath attached to remind yourself and the devil, that God keeps His word under all circumstances.
Meditation Point: God’s promise with an oath attached is my cast iron guarantee that God will never again be angry with me. I am always accepted by Him because I am ‘In Christ!’
Phil 4:8 Meditate (think) on these things.
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