Understanding "the LORD Who Gets Angry Slowly" A Little Bit Better

Honestly, I do not recall ever preaching a sermon focused on the "anger" of the LORD, even if it was focused on "slow to anger."  So as we began to organize our What's In A Name sermon series based on the LORD's revelation of Himself to Moses in Exodus 34:6-7 for Winter of 2025, I knew I would get the chance to learn and share more on something I had managed to avoid for a good while.

Wow!  Has it ever been enlightening for me.  I've learned more than I will be able to speak to on Sunday, but at the heart of my preparation has been several wonderful resources produced by the BibleProject.com.  They are linked below, but let me get to a marvelous 3 paragraph summary that I have been pondering all week.  It is from page 21 of their Character of God: Slow to Anger Study Notes. (Link Below)

Conclusions from the Portrait of God’s Anger and Judgment in the Torah (Old Testament)

• God’s anger is his just and measured response to the covenant betrayal of his own people. It is not a volatile or unpredictable explosion of abusive violence.
• The most consistent response of God’s anger is to give people what they have chosen, even if it leads to self-destruction. This anger is expressed either as exile from God’s presence or in the hiding of God’s face and the removal of his protective and order-creating power.
• God is slow to anger, which means:
• God will put up with people’s betrayal for much longer than is reasonable.
• God will always accept people who turn to him with soft hearts and genuine humility no matter what they’ve done.

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There is a lot in those paragraphs to consider and probably on a topic that most - like me - often want to NOT consider and avoid.  Below are some additional resources from my week.

CLICK HERE to download the entire 33-page document.  Sure it will take some time and reflection, but I'm glad I took the time.  I'm hoping you will as well.

CLICK HERE for a 5-minute YouTube summary of key texts on this topic in a visual format.

CLICK HERE for an Amazon.com link to the book God Has A Name: What You Believe About God Will Shape Who You Will Become by John Mark Comer.  It is another VERY helpful parallel resource for our sermon series.