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.

*     *     *     *     *

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.

A Memorial Memoir - Siegfried Michaelis

I had the opportunity to get to know Sieg and Arlene Michaelis when I moved to Holland to lead the Celebration Community of Harderwyk Ministries in 2018.  After Arllene passed away in October of 2023, I would see Sieg on Sundays at worship, and occasionally visit and share conversation with him.

He was quiet, gentle and over time let me piece together the amazing story of his early life and personal faith.  He had written out that story several decades ago as he made public profession of his faith while joining a new church.  It was read by his son Eric at Sieg's memorial this month.  I'm thanful for their permission to share it with the body of Christ at Celebration-Harderwyk in this way.

A Memorial Memoir by Siegfried Michaelis

The time is World War II and the place is Berlin, Germany, and I was born. My father, a Jew, and mother, the gentile both of my parents became Christians early on in their marriage, through my father's brother, who was a believer.

My father, a tailor, was forced to close his shop and was used as a forced laborer in a factory and later on tearing down buildings that were bombed out. My father lost all his civil rights. He was arrested for several days and then released, while others were not released. We could not own a radio. His ID card read Herbert Israel Michaelis, adding the name Israel because he was a jew.

As a child I took a lot of abuse from other children and adults.

The last two years of the war, Berlin was bombed day and night, allowing for little sleep, and spending many hours in a bomb shelter.

We experienced many close calls that today I recognize as God's grace and protection. One time a bomb hit right next to the bunker and we were not harmed.

Another time the air raid warning was late and in the panic that followed, 27 people were trampled to death. We were already safe inside the shelter. Our building was bombed and my father repaired what he could for our living.

By the end of the war, my father lost three brothers, one sister, a mother, and many cousins in concentration camps.

The end of the war brought many hardships. No food, no water, no utilities. My father raised rabbits in the basement for food, traded cloth for food. Many times I went to bed hungry. Yet God provided even the few things that we had.

In 1947, I spent three months in Norway with a family. The churches had provided families for children from Berlin, with the new with the same background that I had. It was quite an experience. These families opening their homes to us. They fed us and clothed us.

I remember in 1948 the Soviet Union imposed a land blockade on Berlin. Allied forces had to airlift food and coal for almost a year. All food and coal was rationed. God provided again in that my aunt sent us care packages from America.

In 1949, my parents and I were able to emigrate to America, and came to Chicago. One thing that I remember when we were in camp, awaiting to be set on a ship - some men were having a discussion, which included my father, how they wanted revenge of what they did to them. I remember my father saying we need to forgive them.

During my high school days, I realized I had to accept Christ as Lord and savior. On my own, I had to make it my faith, and not my parents' faith.

I was involved in a youth group at the church I was attending. There I met a wonderful girl. We've been married for 30 years.

We had four wonderful sons. Kevin, our first child, had Down syndrome. He went home to be with the Lord at the age of 6. The others are all married and have wonderful wives.

There are many things I don't understand.

-- Why did my relatives die in concentration camps?

-- Why did I have to go hungry to bed?

-- Why did Kevin have Down syndrome and die?

All that I know is that God is a loving God, and his plans are not always our plans. But, he is the Master Planner.

I want to leave you with two verses.

Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

The other verse has meant a lot to me over many years:

Psalm 37:5 - Commit yourself to the LORD, trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass.

A New View of Humanity - From Bullies & Saints by John Dickson

In his book Bullies & Saints, Professor John Dickson provides insightful historical information for comparing conflicting views regarding the value of a person.  I hope this extensive quotation will stimulate your interest in the book.

A New View of Humanity

From: Bullies & Saints by John Dickson - pp. 33-35

There is value in comparing this Judeo-Christian view of the human being with the “pagan” or Greco-Roman view at the time of Christianity’s birth. The comparison highlights something that is often difficult to see today. In the contemporary world there is no practical difference between the Christian estimation of humanity and the secular humanist estimation—the two ideas are historically related. It is easy for us to assume that such a high view of the person, regardless of their talents or contributions, is the default view through every age. That simply is not the case. 

Consider the following letter, dated 17 June 1 BC. A Roman soldier named Hilarion is stationed in the Egyptian port city of Alexandria. He writes home to his wife Alis, promising to send her some of his pay soon, asking her to look after their child, and, poignantly, reassuring her that he has not forgotten her. Some aspects of family life have not changed. In passing, though, Hilarion tells Alis that, if she happens to be pregnant, she should discard the baby when it comes: 

Hilarion to his sister Alis, many greetings, also to my lady Berous and Apollonarion. Know that I am still in Alexandria; and do not worry if they [the army] wholly set out, I am staying in Alexandria. I ask you and entreat you, take care of the child, and if I receive my pay soon, I will send it up to you. Above all, if you bear a child and it is male, let it be; if it is female, cast it out. You have told Aphrodisias, “Do not forget me.” But how can I forget you? Thus I’m asking you not to worry. The 29th year of Caesar, Pauni 23 [17 June 1 BC].

Talk of casting out a child at birth—in a throw-away line in an otherwise normal family letter—is shocking to modern readers. I have read this letter to many audiences over the years, and the feeling in the room is palpable. But in ancient times, this was neither shocking nor illegal. It was not even immoral. Disposing of newborns was regarded as a method of family planning. Throughout the Greek and Roman world, excess children were frequently discarded, especially if the parents felt they could not afford another mouth, or if the child was deformed or disabled, or as in the above case, if it was a girl.

Sometimes removing a child involved direct “infanticide,” killing and disposing of the newborn. More commonly, it involved a practice known euphemistically as expositio or “exposure.” The greatest of ancient Greek philosophers, Aristotle (384–322 BC), had advised, “As to exposing or rearing the children born, let there be a law that no deformed child shall be reared.” The child was simply left outside, whether on a street corner, in the marketplace, or even at the rubbish dump. The child might, of course, be picked up by other parents who would raise it as their own. Sadly, it could also be taken by professional traffickers, killed by an animal, or simply fall victim to the elements. 

Hilarion would be arrested on the spot today. But in his context he was not a moral “monster.” He held the widespread rational view that a child’s value depended not on some intrinsic, ineffable worth but on its capacities or usefulness to the family. The outrage we feel toward the practice of exposing infants just illustrates the very different assumptions we work with today. In the ancient Greek and Roman world there was little ethical reflection on this practice. Jews of the time spoke out against it, of course. In fact, we know of one high-profile Jewish critic of expositio, a teacher named Philo, who happened to be living in Alexandria at exactly the time Hilarion was stationed there. Christians were likewise vocal about it, preaching and writing against the practice, and even collecting abandoned infants and caring for them as their own. (Hundreds of thousands of people are alive today—descendants of rescued foundlings—as a result of this ancient Christian practice. More about all this in chapters 7 and 10.)

In public lectures on these themes I have occasionally asked audiences to imagine being the friend of Hilarion in 1 BC and trying to convince him why it is wrong to “cast out” a newborn simply because the parents do not want it. We might instinctively start talking about equality and inalienable rights. But Hilarion would probably look at us, bemused. In cool-headed fashion, assuming he had read some Greek philosophy, he might turn it back on us: On what basis can you claim that a barely self-aware newborn is equal to other humans? Isn’t that just an arbitrary doctrine? Would you say that all animals are equal? Does all art have the same worth? Are all tools equally valuable? Hilarion might press us further: For what other dimension of life would we argue that items with obviously different capacities and utility all share the same worth? Nature herself has made some people smarter, stronger, better, and, therefore, more useful. The more usefulness, the greater the value. The logic is inescapable. We should prefer the strong and beneficial, and let Nature take care of the rest.

Ancient Jews and Christians had no difficulty explaining why every man, woman, and child was inherently and equally valuable. Human beings, they said, bear the image of God. The Creator regards them as his offspring. The church did not consistently live out this conviction, as we will see, but the doctrine did lead to some remarkable historical developments, including—after three hundred years of trying to persuade Rome—a complete ban on killing infants in a law of AD 374.

Taken from:

Dickson, John. Bullies and Saints: An Honest Look at the Good and Evil of Christian History (p. 33-35). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.  Please note: footnotes and references have been removed in my quotation of John Dickson.

See Also: The Christian Compassion Revolution (Part 1) by Greg Soderberg - I found this to be an interesting post related to God's compassion applied to a very contemporary issue.  CLICK HERE for entire post.

The Great Isaiah Scroll: A Visual Introduction

I don't often point people to information on YouTube because when you let anyone say anything about everything you end up with a lot of .  .  .  .  YouTube.

But while preparing an Advent sermon series focused on Isaiah 61, I wanted to spend about 5-10 minutes on the Great Isaiah Scroll unearthed from Qumran.  It is an amazing story with tremendous impact on our understanding and confidence in the texts of the Bible.  Along the way I found two very worthwhile YouTube videos that I am happy to pass along.

Book Minute: The Great Isaiah Scroll

Under lock and key for over 40 years, the Great Isaiah Scroll was stored underground in Jerusalem until being displayed in 2008 for just a few months. 

In 1947, seven scrolls were found in caves at Qumran, the “original” Dead Sea Scrolls. They’re considered one of the greatest “finds” of the modern era, and the 2,000-year-old Great Isaiah Scroll is the most famous. It contains over 25 percent of all the biblical text among the scrolls. Nearly every part of the 66 chapters of Isaiah are intact. Its fragile condition requires it be kept in a temperature-controlled underground fault. 

Produced by the Museum of the Bible, this one minute video is a great introduction to the discovery of the Great Isaiah Scroll.  CLICK HERE or on image.

Is This the Most Complete Version of the Isaiah Scroll in Existence? The Shrine of the Book Museum

This 16-minute video is a tour of the Shrine of the Book Museum in Jerusalem with interview and explanation by Dr Randall Price.  More detail of course, but very understandable and can serve as a first encounter with the fields of archaelogy and biblical studies.  CLICK HERE or on image.

My Previous Blog Post On This: The Isaiah Scroll of Qumran: The Message Is Reliable

CLICK HERE for that post.

Picking a Daily Devotional for 2025

This is the time of year to start thinking about Spiritual Formation resources for the coming New Year.  Something that can help you take some time every day to dive into the Bible and connect to Jesus in prayer helps cultivate a deep, intentional life with Jesus.  This goal is at the center of our focus on the PracticingTheWay.org material by John Mark Comer here at Harderwyk.  CLICK HERE for the book or on the previous weblink to learn more about that.

I'll have to admit, my reflexes move away from the typical daily devotional format: one page per day with a Bible verse and some commentary.  I am more inclined to look for a straight Bible-reading plan that connects me directly to the Bible itself.  I can read and then meditate using the SOAPS format (CLICK HERE), or the classic Lectio Devina (CLICK HERE) or a simple study Bible with notes.  

But for many people the daily devotional is a regular habit.  There are also a good number of new, very well done resources in this format that I've used and benefitted from.  Let me give you a quick rundown of great ones that I have used and recommend.

God’s Wisdom for Navigating Life: A Year of Daily Devotions in the Book of Proverbs – Tim & Kathy Keller - CLICK HERE for Amazon link

• I first used this devotional by Tim & Kathy Keller in my own practice in 2019.  It was so transformative that I did in 2020 as well.  And guess what I used again in 2020?  Yes friends, it was that good.  The Kellers helped me see the Proverbs in light of the Gospel of God Grace that pursues wisdom for living through relationship with God.  Before, Proverbs had been more like a collection of moralistic aphorisms that I read like laws to obey.  If you only ever have one daily devotional, this is the one.

New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional – Paul David Tripp CLICK HERE for Amazon link.

• I've appreciated Paul David Tripp as a conference speaker for years.  Solid Reformed theology, pastoral counseling depth and great communicator.  After you are done with the Kellers, or if you only read one book by Tripp, make this the one.

Everyday Gospel: A Daily Devotional Connecting Scripture to All of Life – Paul David Tripp  CLICK HERE for Amazon link or HERE for ChristianBook.com and compare prices

• This new devotional by Paul David Tripp - see above - is a daily Bible reading schedule that gets you through the entire Bible in the year.  With that are daily reflections by Tripp that seem brimming with Gospel insight.  I'm using this and regularly meeting with a group of men throughout 2025 to talk, pray and "what did you underline" together.  I'll update next December.

Mockingbird Devotional: Good New for Today (and Every Day)  CLICK HERE for Amazon link.

• MockingBird is a website/podcast/magazine/ministry of Gospel-centered, mostly-Anglican, artsy-millenials from Charlottesville associate with David Zahl.  CLICK HERE for their website and give them a look.  

This devotional was great for me: gospel-centered, lots of movie and music illustrations, younger perspective and very well written.  Broaden your gospel vocabulary and give the devotional or website a try.

One Story that Leads to Jesus by the Bible Project

This is primarily a Bible-reading program - entire Bible in 365 days - that I am using on my ipad through the YouVersion Bible app.  Basically systematic Bible reading - see above for how I dig into the text - interspersed with teaching videos by the Bible Project that give great visual overviews to Bible books, keywords, practices and history.  For a change-up, I listen to the psalm for each day audible by a tap in the app.  Nice experience.

Gathering The Facts Before I Decide: The Tragic Death of Amber Thurman In Pursuit of an Abortion

The death on August 19, 2022 of Amber Thurman is a tragedy that any of us would want to have prevented.

But make no mistake: If we don't gather the facts and identify the actual causes of her death, we will find deaths like hers more common, not less.

So, what were the causes of this young woman's death in the ER of Piedmont Henry hospital in suburban Atlanta, GA?

Here Are Some Facts To Consider

In the summer of 2022, Amber Nicole Thurman was a 28-year old single-mother with one son, living in suburban Atlana, GA who discovered that she was pregnant with twins.

Because Georgia restricts abortions after six weeks, she was quickly unable to get one locally.  Now nine weeks pregnant, she made an appointment at a clinic some 4 hours away in North Carolina.  Unfortunatley, she was late arriving and missed her appointment by 15 minutes.

That clinic gave her the medication mifepristone, which she took there.  She was then given the second drug in the chemical abortion regimen, misoprosto, and told to take it on her own—no doctor required.  She did that at home in Atlanta.

Within days, Thurman was in pain and bleeding heavily.  Apparently, there was still "fetal tissue with no heartbeat" in her body and she needed medical care: a routine dilation and curettage procedure that is explicity allowed by GA law.  (See Resources Below)

Amber Thurman went to nearby Piedmont Henry Hospital, but waited 20 hours before doctors operated.  Though it is not clear from the records available why the doctors waited, Amber Thurman died there.

There is no denying the fact that Georgia has a tight restriction on abortion procedures - 6 weeks.  But there is also no denying the fact that the medical care Amber Thurman needed when she arrived at Piedmont Henry was explicitly allowed by Georgia law. (Again, a link to that law is in Resources below.  See for yourself.) One cause that contributed to her death was medical malpractice.  The hospital is currently being sued for that.

The cause that sent Amber Thurman to the hospital in the first place though, was the chemical abortion drugs mifepristone and misoprosto.  Let me bullet list some facts gathered about this medication:

• In 2016, the FDA eliminated safeguards on abortion medication in three significant ways:
• by reducing the number of required office visits for women taking abortion drugs from three to one
• by no longer requiring that a doctor prescribe the drugs
• by eliminating the requirement that prescribers report non-lethal adverse events from the drugs
• In 2021, the FDA removed the requirement for women seeking abortion drugs to have any in-person appointments.  From: What the FDA Hasn’t Told You About Mifepristone
• According to the FDA’s own label, roughly one in 25 women who use abortion drugs end up in the emergency room.  From: Abortion Drugs, Not Georgia’s Pro-Life Laws, Killed AmberThurman
• Pills are available by mail in all states, even in states that ban clinic-based abortion care. This is possible because some states have “shield laws” that protect clinicians when they provide telehealth care to someone in another state.  From "PlanCPills.org"  I'm not making this link available.
• Abortions at home (with mifepristone and misoprosto) were banned in the Netherlands (one of the most pro-abortion countries in the world) because even the abortion clinics themselves said it was too medically risky.  From: Abortion Advocates Are Lying about the Tragic Deaths in Georgia

There is room to have the discussion about the wisdom and consequences of restricting access to surgical abortions, whether at 6 weeks like GA and 3 other states, or the 24 states that restrict after 20-22 weeks or the 9 states with no time restrictions at all.  

But self-administered, mail-order chemical abortions intersected by medical malpractice???  That sounds dangerous to me.  I'm sure that is not how I want to extend support to women with crisis pregnancies any more than I think using shame or rejection moves someone in a healthy direction. 

How about you?  What would it look for a gospel-centered community of Christ-followers to walk over time with someone experiencing a crisis pregnancy?  That is the question I find myself wrestling with.

And, am I missing something in my considerations?  If so, I'd be willing to find a time to listen, face-to-face.  Just call the Harderwyk office and let's find a way to set up a conversation.

Finally, if you or someone you know is facing a crisis or unexpected pregnancy, know that I will talk, pray and support you regardless of your choice.  

Resources

CLICK HERE to read the actual Georgia law.  The entire document is 10 pages, but you can read lines 88 through 108 - they are marked in the left-hand margin - and see for yourself how the bill defines abortion, as well as medical procedures that are allowed.

CLICK HERE for the article Abortion Advocates Are Lying about the Tragic Deaths in Georgia.  The Title Sums it all up.

CLICK HERE for the article Abortion Drugs, Not Georgia’s Pro-Life Laws, Killed Amber Thurman produced by the Alliance Defending Freedom -  an educational, advocacy and legal group.

CLICK HERE for What the FDA Hasn’t Told You About Mifepristone by the Alliance Defending Freedom

CLICK HERE for the website of Positive Options in Holland, MI.  These friends have resources that lead to life and support people in crisis pregnancy situations.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer - How The Moravian "WatchWords" Equipped Him To Stand Against Nazism

Since my college years, I've wondered, "How was it that Dietrich Bonhoeffer came to take his stand against Nazism?  What was it that set him apart from so many of his fellow clergy in that regard?  Where did the discernment and the gumption come from?"

While not claiming any expertise, I'm happy to share what has emerged in answer to those questions as I have learned more about him.  Simply put: I think it was the Moravians!

Moravian Influences Growing Up

As it turns out, Dietrich - with his twin Sabine, the youngest of nine children - grew up with two devout Christian nannies that been trained in the Moravian community of Herrnhut.  The children's mother Paula had spent time at Herrnhut as well.  It is hard to imagine Dietrich NOT observing and learning the Moravian spiritual discipline of Bible Meditation using the Losungen - "WatchWords."  

With a history of over 200 years by Dietrich's time, the "Daily Texts" are gathered and assigned each year by Moravian leadership and then published to their churches, communities and missions worldwide as a resource for consciously placing their lives in the context of God’s Word each day.

CLICK HERE to learn more from the Moravian website about the history of the Moravian Losungen and HERE for direction and access to them for your own practice.

Taken Into Seminary Curriculum at Finkenwalde

Years later, in 1935, when Bonhoeffer gathered students at Finkenwalde for the underground seminary of the Confessing Church movement, the Losungen became central to their training - more central it seems than the usual disciplines of theological reflection and biblical exegesis.  Training there was structured more like a monastery - communal life and spiritual disciplines - than an academic seminary of the time.  

One student wrote about their morning routine.  After breakfast .  .  .

came half an hour of meditation. Then everybody went to his room and thought about the Scripture until he knew what it meant for him today, on that day. During this time there had to be absolute quiet; the telephone couldn’t ring, nobody could walk around. We were supposed to concentrate completely on whatever it was that God had to say to us. (Metaxas. Bonhoeffer, 268)

CLICK HERE to learn more about life and training at Finkenwalde.  

A Call To Return

The Finkenwalde seminary was disbanded by the Gestapo in 1937 and Bonhoeffer eventually found his way to New York City and a faculty position.  But his practice of Bible meditation with the Losungen continued.

The Losungen for the day on June 26, 1939 was from 2 Timothy 4:21 "Do your best to come before winter."  Exegetically, this verse is Paul asking Timothy to travel and join him where he was imprisoned, making the trip before the hard weather of winter delayed travel.  

But as Bonhoeffer meditated and prayed on the text in his regular practice, he began to hear more clearly a call from Jesus to return to Germany as a pastor of the Gospel for the coming storm.  Two weeks after his arrival in the city, Bonhoeffer would turn around and take passage on what we now know to be the last vessel to leave New York and arrive in Germany until after World War II.  He would say to his friend in New York, Reinhold Niebuhr, “I will have no right to participate in the reconstruction of Christian life in Germany after the war if I do not share the trials of this time with my people.” 

Looking back on this decisive moment and the Losungen, Bonhoeffer would write: "It is not a misuse of Scripture if I let that be said to me."

A Final Reflection

Michael Hayes offers wise perspective on Bonhoeffer and his practice of meditation on the Losungen.

Such meditation on Scripture, listening for the voice of the living Spirit, is dangerous. It allows a great deal of room for us to claim to have found anything we like in a Bible verse. And many, many people over the centuries have abused Scripture in this way. But Dietrich Bonhoeffer was very familiar with the broad sweep and intent of the Bible and was a meticulous student of the Book. He had therefore a spiritual and biblical foundation which protected him from merely mistaking his own inner voice for that of the Spirit.

CLICK HERE for the entire post.  It is well worth your time.

My Sheep Listen To My Voice - John 10:27

I think it is this thread - Bible meditation learned from Moravian influences and the Losungen, brought by him to seminary curriculum and directing him at decisive moments - that shapes and directs Bonhoeffer to stand apart from the crowd in his moment.  It is immersion in God's written word and reflection on it with a community of faith, but it is also more than just those things alone: it is learning to listen for and to the Voice of the Good Shepherd.

Nothing is at any time to be added to the Bible, either from new revelations of the Spirit or from traditions of men. Nevertheless we do recognize that the inward illumination of the Spirit of God is necessary for a saving understanding of the things which are revealed in the word. (WCF 1:6)