Last night in our LIFE Group study, we pondered Isaiah 34:2, “For the LORD is enraged against all the nations, and furious against all their host; he has devoted them to destruction, has given them over for slaughter (ESV).” The question that naturally comes is, “Why would God be so angry?” There are several ways to answer that question from the pages of Scripture. One of them is in Psalm 115.
The reasons found there are the mocking and belittleing of God by the nations (which by the way includes all people, including myself before my conversion). Verse 2 asks, “Why do the nations say, ‘Where, now, is their God?'” This not honestly asking for information. This is mocking, jeering at God’s people and God, Himself. The most high God will punish those who mock Him.
Verses 5-7 enumerate the ways in which the nations belittle God when they refuse to worship Him and bow down to idols.
They have mouths, but they cannot speak;
They have eyes, but they cannot see;
They have ears, but they cannot hear;
They have noses, but they cannot smell;
They have hands, but they cannot feel;
They have feet, but they cannot walk;
They cannot make a sound with their throat.
God is enraged with the masses of humanity who call Him nothing and fall down praying to false gods who can do nothing. This is saying “a nothing” is better than God. Or I’d prefer to have what “a nothing” can give me over what God can give me. It makes sense that God is enraged by this.
But, thankfully, God isn’t only enraged by this. He is also moved to compassion so that He sent His Son and called the nations to salvation in Jesus. And all of us idolators who repent and trust Jesus no longer are under the fury of an enraged God but receive all the blessings of Isaiah 35. Thank God for the gospel and Isaiah 35!
