In Psalm 76, the poet proclaimed of Jehovah, “You, Yourself, are to be feared; And who may stand in Your presence when once you are angry? You caused judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared and was still, when God arose to judgment, to deliver all the oppressed of the earth” (7-9).
An angry God is a truly awful sight. When you consider His power, and that it is “a righteous thing with God” to take vengeance on those who do not obey Him (cf. 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9), it makes clear that we should seek rather to please Him.
Lest any take from this the idea that God is hateful or capricious, we emphasize that the Lord is “longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). He loves us, and desires the salvation of all. Alas, not all will come to Him. Jesus lamented, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Matthew 23:37).
In short, God is always ready to bless those who serve Him. But, there is reason to dread the awesomeness of our God if we choose rather to disobey. Fear Him!
