Gregory G. Nichols is one of the pastors of Reformed Baptist Church, Grand Rapids, MI. Before relocating to Michigan, he taught Systematic Theology at Trinity Ministerial Academy, Montville, NJ.
Jesus teaches us that God is a spiritual being, the supreme Spirit (Jn. 4:24). Scripture teaches that all spiritual beings are endowed with three primary metaphysical capabilities: the faculties of mind, will, and affection. We must not think of these faculties as separate compartments, as though one part of a spirit thinks, another part wills, and yet another part feels. The whole spirit thinks, wills, and feels. Nor must we conceive of a spirit as thinking without willing and feeling, or as feeling without thinking and willing, or as willing without feeling and thinking. Rather, a spirit exercises each faculty simultaneously with the others, and in conjunction with the others. Still, the Bible distinguishes these various faculties. It employs distinct terminology for them, and presents them in distinct relations. Thus, when we distinguish them, we neither impose man-made categories on the Bible, nor import foreign concepts. Both Charles Hodge and John Gill confirm this perspective:
As power of some kind belongs to every substance, the power which belongs to spirit, to the substance itself, is that of thought, feeling, and volition. We are not more certain that we exist, than that we think, feel, and will. We know ourselves only as thus thinking, feeling, and willing, and we therefore are sure that these powers or faculties are the essential attributes of a spirit, and must belong to every spirit... As all this is involved in our consciousness of ourselves as spirit, it must all be true of God, or, God is of a lower order of being than man... It need hardly be remarked that the Scriptures everywhere represent God as possessing all the above-mentioned attributes of a spirit. On this foundation all religion rests; all intercourse with God, all worship, all prayer, all confidence in God as preserver, benefactor, and redeemer [emphasis added].[1]
But as God is defined a Spirit in Scripture, as has been observed, I shall endeavor to sort the perfections and attributes of God in agreement with that...with respect to it [his nature] as active, and operative, the life of God, and his omnipotence: and with respect to the faculties, as a rational spirit, particularly the understanding, to which may belong his omniscience, and manifold wisdom; and the will, under which may be considered the acts of that, and the sovereignty of it; and the affections, to which may be reduced, the love, grace, mercy, hatred, anger, patience, and longsuffering of God: and lastly, under the notions of qualities and virtues, may be considered, his goodness, holiness, justice, truth, and faithfulness; and, as a compliment to the whole, his perfection or all-sufficiency, glory, and blessedness: and in this order I shall consider them [emphasis added].[2]
Having considered such attributes of God which belong to him as an active and operative Spirit; as the life of God, and his Power, or Omnipotence; I proceed to consider such perfections which may be ascribed to him as an intelligent Spirit; to which rational spirits, endowed with understanding, will, and affections bear some similarity. God is said to have a mind and understanding... [emphasis added].[3]
Having considered the attributes of God which belong to his understanding, as an intelligent Spirit, his knowledge and wisdom, I now proceed to consider his Will, and the sovereignty of it... [emphasis added].[4]
Next to the attributes which belong to God, as an intelligent Spirit, to his understanding and will, may be considered, those which may be called Affections... [emphasis added].[5]
Having considered those attributes which bear a likeness to affections in men, I proceed to consider those which in them may be called virtues; as holiness, justice, or righteousness, truth, or faithfulness [emphasis added].[6]All spirits have the faculty of intellect or mind: “I commune with mine own heart; and my spirit makes diligent search” (Ps. 77:6); “the spirit of man is the lamp of Jehovah, searching all his innermost parts” (Prov. 20:27); “Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned” (Mk. 2:8); “for who among men knows the things of a man, save the spirit of the man, which is in him? even so the things of God none knows, save the Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 2:11); “the devil is gone down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time” (Rev. 12:12). A dead body, though it has a brain, doesn’t know anything, understand anything, or perceive anything. A spirit, however, thinks, understands, knows, discerns, and perceives. These texts clearly establish that the human spirit thinks, knows, understands, and perceives. They establish that angelic spirits think, know, and understand. They establish that God too has the faculty of mind. They establish a true analogy between God’s and man’s capacity to think and know. Thus, all spirits, human, angelic, and the supreme Spirit, have a mind.
All spirits have the faculty of will: “every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing” (Exo. 35:21); “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mt. 26:41); “the devil said unto him, To you will I give all this authority, and the glory of them: for it has been delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it” (Lk. 4:6); “the will of the Lord be done” (Rom. 9:18); “so then he has mercy on whom he will, and whom he will he hardens” (Acts 21:14); “all these works the one and the same Spirit, dividing to each one severally even as he will” (1 Cor. 12:11); “God has set the members each one of them in the body, even as it pleased him” (1 Cor. 12:18); “according to the good pleasure of his will” (Eph. 1:5); “according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own will” (Eph. 1:11); “you ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall both live and do this or that” (Jam. 4:15). Scripture pictures the faculty of will with a rich variety of terms, such as, choice, desire, purpose, decision, counsel, and good pleasure. I only aim to demonstrate that willing is a capacity of every spiritual being. These texts clearly show that the human spirit exercises the faculty of will and that angelic spirits have a will. The last seven assert with irrefutable force that God also has a will. Thus, all spirits have the faculty of will, also called spontaneity. In its exercise, they choose, desire, purpose, decide, counsel, and have pleasure in persons and things. This is true of men, angels, and God.
All spirits have the faculty of affection: “but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage”(Exo. 6:9); “for I Jehovah your God am a jealous God” (Exo. 20:5); “when the spirit of jealousy comes upon a man, and he is jealous for his wife” (Num. 5:30); “the vine said unto them, Should I leave my new wine, which cheers God and man” (Jdg. 9:13); “and they put away the foreign gods from among them, and served Jehovah; and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel” (Jdg. 10:16); “Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine or strong drink” (1 Sam. 1:15); “all the sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:7); “who knows the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear that is due unto you?” (Ps. 90:11); “but a broken spirit who can bear” (Prov. 18:14); “behold my servant whom I uphold; my chosen, in whom my soul delights” (Is. 42:1); “and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior” (Lk. 1:47); “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents” (Lk. 15:10); “when Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping who came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled” (Jn. 11:33); “for you loved me before the foundation of the world” (Jn. 17:24); “for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven” (Rom. 1:18); “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated” (Rom. 9:13); “grieve not the Holy Spirit of God” (Eph. 4:30); “and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall guard your hearts” (Phil. 4:7); “a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God” (Phil. 4:18); “the devil is gone down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time” (Rev. 12:12). Scripture describes the faculty of affection with a variety of terms and phrases. It depicts the feelings associated with this capacity as love or delight, as hate or detestation, as joy or cheer, as sorrow or grief, as anger or wrath, as being satisfied or well-pleased, as being at peace or afraid, as feeling proud or ashamed. I cannot now develop a theology of feeling, or expound the distinctions between human emotions and divine affections. I only aim to establish from Scripture that all spirits feel in a manner consistent with their nature. These texts clearly show that the human spirit feels affections, whether in grief and sorrow, or in joy, or in jealousy and anger. They also clearly assert that angelic spirits feel affections, whether joy, or fear, or wrath. Finally, they confirm that God can and does feel affections, whether joy, or grief, or love and delight, or hate, or anger and wrath, or jealousy, or peace.
Yet, in spite of this compelling testimony, God’s emotivity has been denied and has more often, though not universally, been neglected. Those who deny God’s emotivity say that the capacity to feel is incompatible with God’s purity, immutability, and sovereignty. In their estimation, God is an intellect without real or true feelings. These dismiss many of the texts we have cited as figurative language, mere “anthropopathisms.” They say that these texts are like those that ascribe to him the members of a material body. Scripture, using anthropomorphisms, speaks of “the arm of the Lord” and “the eyes of the Lord” (Is. 53:1; Prov. 15:3). Arms and eyes are members of the human body. God has no body. Clearly then, “the arm of the Lord” is a figure of speech designed to picture an important truth about God. However, the capacity to feel is not an aspect or function of a material body, but a faculty of a spirit. Scripture predicates emotive capacity to all spirits. When Jesus says, “God is Spirit,” he isn’t speaking figuratively. He means that God in fact possesses all the distinguishing traits of a spirit. One such trait is the capacity to feel. Thus, there are no scriptural grounds whatever to deny the emotivity of the supreme Spirit. Therefore, the error of those who deny God’s emotivity is evident.
Men’s denial or neglect of God’s capacity to feel does not honor God or his Word. It does not grow from careful exegesis, but often comes from self-justification and prejudice. This prejudice comes mainly from the jaundiced attitude toward human emotion and crippled emotional life that typify many men in Western and Northern European culture. These have remade God in their own image, rather than conform their doctrine and practice of emotion to God’s Word. If we say that God has no affection, no feeling, we coddle a tendency to regard all expression of affection as effeminate. We promote a tendency to think that the suppression of all emotion is a masculine virtue to be cultivated, rather than to see it for what it really is, an ungodlike vice. Further, we then drift toward thinking that the expression of emotion is unsuitable for communion with God. This tends to its suppression in praying and in preaching. It tends to a cerebral and formal worship devoid of zeal and the joy of the Lord. Further, because man is the image of God, this denial of God’s emotivity tends to undermine the dignity of human emotion, which in turn tends to undermine the cultivation of a godlike emotional life by God’s people. Similarly, the neglect of God’s affection tends to the minimizing and neglect of human feeling. This in turn leaves the church vulnerable to look to the world for teaching about emotion. When truth is neglected, error fills the void. When the servants of God forfeit the day by silence and neglect, the servants of the devil lead God’s people away from the truth with false doctrine. Therefore, we must be careful to assert and expound this emotive faculty of spirits. All spirits feel. This is true of human spirits, of angelic spirits, and of the supreme Spirit.
We now will examine God’s absolute capacity to feel, his emotivity. As we call the infinite mind of God, his omniscience, and his unlimited will, his sovereignty, so we refer to his absolute affection as his emotivity.[7] Our approach will be as follows: first, we will state and briefly explain the concept of God’s emotivity; second, uncover its biblical and theological foundation; third, survey its manifold display; and fourth, summarize its practical application.
The Concept Of God’s Emotivity
When we define God’s supreme capacity to feel, we are in uncharted waters. Though Reformed theologians acknowledge that God feels, they do not pay as much attention to this faculty as to his mind or will. Defining God’s emotivity precisely involves greater difficulty. Thus, I offer my definition with fear and trembling: God’s emotivity is his supreme capacity to act responsively and sensationally; to feel pure and principled affections of love and hate, joy and grief, pleasure and anger, and peace; in accord with his supreme, spiritual, and simple Being and impeccable virtue.
This definition features (1) the general nature, (2) specific expressions, and (3) distinguishing traits of God’s emotivity. We now briefly explain and elucidate this definition.
1. The General Nature Of God’s Emotivity
In its general nature, God’s emotivity is “his supreme capacity to act responsively and sensationally.” God feels spiritual sensation. He is not the “unmoved mover” of Greek philosophy. He reacts and interacts with genuine concern. In eternity, he responds emotively to inter-Trinitarian reality; upon creation, to created reality; upon the fall into sin, to immorality and its baneful fruits; upon the exercise of grace, to redemptive reality. Persons and things leave their impress upon him. Events influence, stir, stimulate, and move him to action. He lives, not a life of apathy, but of concern. The true God has, not merely a mind and will, but a heart. In his heart he feels “pure and principled affections.” I call God’s feelings “affections,” rather than “emotions,” to avoid misconception. Webster (New Collegiate Dictionary, 369) defines an emotion as, “a psychic and physiological reaction (as anger or fear), subjectively experienced as strong feeling and physiologically involving changes that prepare the body for immediate action.” Divine affections, like human emotions, are “reactions” and “sensations.” Yet human emotions involve the body (physiological) as well as the soul (psychic). We see a face “blanched with fear” or “flushed with anger.” Since God has no body, he does not experience the physiological aspects of an emotion. Thus, I don’t explicitly define his emotivity with the word “emotions.” Further, Webster (New Collegiate Dictionary, 19) defines an affection as “the feeling aspect of consciousness” or as “a mild feeling.” Since “affection” describes only the psychic (spiritual) aspect of an emotion, not its physiological (material) aspect, it is a far superior term for God’s feelings. It probably also refers to a mild human emotion because a mild feeling, unlike a strong feeling, does not involve a noticeable degree of bodily change. Yet, by using the term, I do not mean to imply that God only has mild feelings. Further, divine affections are “pure and principled affections.” “Pure” distinguishes divine feeling from carnal impulsiveness and evil passions, such as a fit of “blind” rage; “principled” from sentimentality. Webster (New Collegiate Dictionary, 1048) defines sentimental as “marked or governed by feeling,” “resulting from feeling rather than reason or thought.” His affections are not unprincipled sentiments.
2. The Specific Expressions Of God’s Emotivity
The specific expressions of his emotivity are: “love and hate, joy and grief, pleasure and anger, and peace.” God responds emotively to beauty, beneficiality, propriety, and security. Beauty and beneficiality evoke delight and joy; moral propriety, delight, joy, and pleasure; supreme security and invulnerability, absolute peace. Conversely, disarray and harm arouse detestation and grief. Moral wrong provokes anger, hate, and grief in his heart.
3. The Distinguishing Traits Of God’s Emotivity
Its distinguishing traits spring from the fact that his being and virtue regulate it. First, he feels “in accord with his supreme, spiritual, and simple Being.” God’s spirituality insures that his affections, unlike human emotions, lack a physiological aspect. His simplicity demands that he feels with his whole being. His supremacy (infinity, eternity, immutability, ideality, and aseity) guarantees that his affections do not render him dependent or vulnerable, mar his infinite perfection, or make him mutable. For example, God feels nothing akin to the fear which vulnerable creatures often feel. One of my students once observed that Scripture predicates an aspect of fear to God, in the sense that God perceived a threat to his reputation, and responded out of concern to surmount it. Though God does have such concern, yet he is never in danger, but invulnerable. He can’t be startled, or overthrown, or even assaulted. No calamity can touch or hurt him. Nor can he feel anxiety about unfulfilled need, for he has no need of creatures or support. Further, he calms our fears by assuring us that he is with us. What comfort is it if he too is vulnerable and afraid? Again, immutability and aseity imply that God’s emotive capacity is independent of his creatures and unalterable. Nevertheless, God responds differently to saints and sinners (Ps. 5:5). When man sins, God’s relation and response to him change accordingly. He is not the untouchable and apathetic “absolute” that enters no relations. Though Greek philosophy venerates such a “god,” Scripture does not know him. Louis Berkhof corrects this false notion:
The divine immutability should not be understood as implying immobility; as if there were no movement in God... The Bible teaches us that God enters into manifold relations with man, and as it were, lives their life with them. There is change round about Him, change in the relations of men to Him, but there is no change in His Being, His attributes, His purpose, His motives of action, or His promises.[8]Second, he feels in accord with his “impeccable virtue.” Every divine affection is holy, good, just, and faithful. Thus, we see similarity between human emotion and divine affection, because man is the image of God. Yet, we also see a profound difference between them. God does not feel human emotion, for he is the exalted, impeccable Creator; man is but a lowly, flawed creature.
The Foundation Of God’s Emotivity
The concept of God’s emotivity is supported by Scripture and Reformed theology.
1. The Biblical Support For God’s Emotivity
We have already seen that the capacity to feel is an essential property of every spirit and that God’s emotive faculty is supreme and spiritual. We now collate support around our definition.
God’s emotivity is his supreme capacity to act responsively and sensationally1; to feel pure and principled affections of love2 and hate3, joy4 and grief5, pleasure6 and anger7, and peace8; in accord with his supreme9, spiritual10, and simple11 Being and impeccable virtue12.
- Gen. 6:6; Jdg. 10:16; Is. 1:14
- Dt. 7:13; 10:15; Ps. 18:19, Prov. 11:1; 12:22; 15:8; Is. 42:1; 61:8; Jer. 9:24; Jn. 17:24
- Ps. 5:5; 11:5; Prov. 6:16; Is. 1:14; 61:8
- Dt. 28:63; 30:9; Jdg. 9:13; Neh. 8:10; Ps. 16:11; 60:6; 104:31; Is. 62:5; 65:19; Jer. 32:41; Zeph.3:17; Lk. 15:7, 10; Jn. 15:11; 17:13
- Gen. 6:6; Jdg. 10:16; Ps. 78:40; 95:10; Is. 63:10; Eph. 4:30; Heb. 3:10, 17
- Num. 23:27; 24:1; 1 Kings 3:10; Ps. 69:3; 149:4; Prov. 16:7; Eccl. 7:26; Ezra 10:11; Rom. 8:8; Phil. 4:18; Col. 3:20; 1 Thess. 4:1; Heb. 11:5, 6; 13:16, 21
- Num. 11:10; 22:22; Dt. 4:25; 6:15; 7:4; 9:18, 19; 13:17; 29:20; Josh. 7:1; Jdg. 2:12, 14, 20; 3:8; 10:7; Ps. 2:12; 7:11; 78:49; 85:3; 90:11; 103:8; 145:8; Jer. 4:8; Rom. 1:18; 2:5, 9; 9:22; 12:19; Eph. 2:3; 5:6; Col. 3:6; 1 Thess. 1:10; 2:16; 5:9; Heb. 3:11; Rev. 6:16, 17; 14:10, 19; 15:1, 7; 16:1, 19; 19:15
- Ps. 23:4; Jn. 14:27; Rom. 15:33; Phil. 4:7, 9; 1 Thess. 5:23; 2 Thess. 3:16; Heb. 13:20
- Ps. 90:11; Jn. 17:24; Eph. 3:19
- Is. 31:3; Lk. 24:37–39; Jn. 4:24; Col. 1:15
- 1 Jn. 4:8, 16
- Jer. 9:24; Jam. 1:13
Some may think that this teaching smacks of theological novelty. Since Scripture is so plain on this topic, even if it were novel, the fault would not lie with us. Yet other teachers of Reformed theology do not completely miss or deny what Scripture so clearly teaches. Rather, they repudiate the erroneous idea that God is unfeeling, unresponsive, heartless, and apathetic. Consider five witnesses.
Charles Hodge
As power of some kind belongs to every substance, the power which belongs to spirit, to the substance itself, is that of thought, feeling and volition... We are not more certain than we exist, than that we think, feel and will. We know ourselves only as thus thinking, feeling, and willing, and we therefore are sure that these powers or faculties are the essential attributes of a spirit, and must belong to every spirit... As all this is involved in our consciousness of ourselves as spirit, it must all be true of God, or God is of a lower order of being than man [emphasis added].[9]
If this be understood to mean that the divine perfections are really what the Bible declares them to be; that God truly thinks, feels, and acts; that He is truly wise, just, and good; that He is truly omnipotent, and voluntary, acting or not acting, as He sees fit; that He can hear and answer prayer; then it may be admitted [emphasis added].[10]
The schoolmen, and often the philosophical theologians, tell us that there is no feeling in God. This, they say, would imply passivity, or susceptibility of impression from without, which it is assumed is incompatible with the nature of God… Here again we have to choose between a mere philosophical speculation and the clear teaching of the Bible, and of our own moral and religious nature. Love of necessity involves feeling, and if there be no feeling in God, there can be no love [emphasis added].[11]Though he doesn’t expound God’s emotivity, Hodge affirms and defends it in the plainest possible terms. He says that God “truly feels,” and opposes all speculation to the contrary.
Morton Smith
Smith uniquely classifies the attributes of God. He expounds first, “the essential attributes,” spirituality, immutability, and infinity;[12] second, “attributes that are chiefly intellectual,” omniscience, wisdom and freedom;[13] third, “attributes that are chiefly moral,” holiness and righteousness;[14] fourth, “attributes that are chiefly emotive,” primarily love, but also grace, mercy, and long-suffering.[15] Of love he says, “It should be observed that love is emotive in character.” He then cites Warfield for support.
B.B. Warfield
Now the text tells us of...God...that He loves. In itself, before we proceed a step further, this is a marvelous declaration. The metaphysicians have not yet plumbed it and still protest inability to construe the Absolute in terms of love. We shall not stop to dwell upon this somewhat abstract discussion. Enough for us that a God without an emotional life would be a God without all that lends its highest dignity to personal spirit, whose very being is movement; and that is as much as to say no God at all [emphasis added].[16]In his sermon on Jn. 3:16, entitled “God’s Immeasurable Love,” Warfield explicitly denounces the false doctrine that God is the unmoved absolute, with no emotional life. He says bluntly that such a “god” would be “no God at all.” Further, in “The Emotional Life of our Lord,” he says:
The moral sense is not a mere faculty of discrimination between the qualities which we call right and wrong, which exhausts itself in their perception as different. The judgments it passes are not merely intellectual but what we call moral judgments; that is to say, they involve approval and disapproval according to the qualities perceived. It would be impossible, therefore, for a moral being to stand in the presence of perceived wrong indifferent and unmoved. The emotions of indignation and anger belong therefore to the very self-expression of a moral being as such and cannot be lacking to him in the presence of wrong [emphasis added].[17]Warfield uncovers precisely why God’s emotivity is so crucial. If God really were an “unmoved mover,” he would at best be “amoral,” totally oblivious to moral good and evil. Yet God does know good and evil (Gen. 3:5, 22), and when a being who knows good and evil stands apathetic in the presence of evil, he behaves wretchedly. An unmoved “god,” who doesn’t feel, wouldn’t be holy or just, but ungodly. Such indifference would make him immoral! Divine emotivity doesn’t contradict immutability, but divine apathy would contradict impeccability. When a moral being responds to wrong with anger, he doesn’t change his essential nature. Rather, his essential nature causes him to react appropriately to right and wrong. Any who oppose divine emotivity unwittingly attack his impeccability.
Finally, in his article, “God,” Warfield refers to God’s emotive life as “sensibility.” He says, “Thus we come to know God as a personal Spirit, infinite, eternal and illimitable, alike in his being, and in the intelligence, sensibility and will, which belong to him as personal spirit” [emphasis added].[18] Webster (New Collegiate Dictionary, 1047) defines “sensibility” as “the ability to receive sensations,” and “sensation” as “excited interest or feeling.” Thus Warfield explicitly asserts that God experiences spiritual sensations, that is, that he feels.
Leon Morris
Morris says, “There is a consistency about the wrath of God in the Old Testament. It is no capricious passion, but the stern reaction of the divine nature to evil in man. It is aroused only and inevitably by sin” [emphasis added].[19] “Where the term ‘wrath’ does not occur, we find strong expressions for the divine hostility to all that is evil” [emphasis added].[20] Morris, explaining propitiation, expounds the display of God’s wrath in the Old and New Testaments. He says that God “reacts” to evil. His reaction involves “hostility.” Yet, God has pure anger, not blind rage, or capricious passion.
John Gill
Gill groups God’s faculties together as his organizing principle.[21] Among Reformed theologians, he presents the most detailed exposition of God’s affections. He expounds God’s love, grace, mercy, long-suffering, goodness, anger and wrath, hatred, and joy. He introduces and concludes his exposition as follows:
Next to the attributes which belong to God, as an intelligent Spirit, to his understanding and will, may be considered those which may be called Affections; for though, properly speaking, there are none in God, he being a most pure and simple act, free from all commotion and perturbation, yet there being some things said and done by him, which are similar to affections in intelligent beings, they are ascribed to him; as love, pity, hatred, anger, &c., from which must be removed everything that is carnal, sensual, or has any degree of imperfection in it [emphasis added].[22]
Having considered those attributes of God which bear a likeness to affections in men, I proceed to consider those which in them may be called virtues; as holiness, justice, or righteousness, truth, or faithfulness [emphasis added].[23]Gill expounds divine emotivity with due qualification. Since man is the image of God, human emotions picture divine affections. Yet, God, the supreme Spirit, does not feel human emotions or sinful affections. Accordingly, Gill depicts divine affections as, “those attributes of God which bear a likeness to affections in men.” He explicitly denies that God feels human emotion: “for though, properly speaking, there are none in God.” He also explains why God cannot feel human emotion: “he being a most pure and simple act, free from all commotion and perturbation.” What is “perturbation”? Webster (New Collegiate Dictionary, 849) says that “perturb” means “to throw into confusion.” Similarly, Webster (225) defines “commotion” as “noisy confusion,” or “mental confusion.” Thus, Gill means that God does not feel unprincipled sentiment, or become confused. In the vernacular, God never “looses it” or “goes nuts.” Again, Gill delineates how divine affection differs from human emotion: “similar to affections in intelligent beings...from which must be removed everything that is carnal, sensual, or has any degree of imperfection in it.” Unlike human emotions, divine affections never display anything “carnal,” or “sensual,” or “imperfect.” Gill correctly guards against attributing sinful passions or the bodily aspects of human emotion to God. Again, while expounding God’s long-suffering, he speaks of “the very nature and essence of God, which is free from all passion and perturbation, from all suffering, grief, and pain.”[24] God’s affections do not involve carnal passions, or mental confusion, or the grief of bodily suffering. Finally, Gill defends the notion that God feels anger:
Anger belongs to God, or may be predicated of him. This is denied by some philosophers of the Cynic and Stoic sects, because it is a passion; they allow grace, good-will, and beneficence in God toward men, but not anger; this they suppose to be a weakness, and even a sort of madness... The Epicureans deny that either is in God; neither favour and good-will, nor anger and wrath; for they imagine he has no concern in the affairs of men...and so is neither pleased or displeased with them; and is neither kind and favorable to them, nor is angry with them, nor resents what is done by them. But the Scriptures everywhere ascribe anger to God.[25]The Display Of God’s Emotivity
Having uncovered the solid foundation laid by the Bible and our fathers in the Reformed faith, we now build on it. We unfold how Scripture displays each of God’s seven primary affections: love, hate, joy, grief, pleasure, anger, and peace. We introduce this display with two general observations. First, Scripture displays distinct and contrasting pairs of divine affections. “I Jehovah love justice, I hate robbery with iniquity” (Is. 61:8). It also contrasts joy with grief, and anger with gratification. Only Divine peace stands alone, since its counterpart would be fear.
Second, Scripture displays divine affections absolutely and relatively. We could distinguish “absolute affections,” experienced when only God existed, from “relative affections,” experienced in relation to creation, fall, and redemption. This would be very similar to the distinction between infinity and omnipresence. Thus, like infinity, emotivity is an absolute attribute. He did not need to create or save to have the capacity to experience spiritual sensation. This distinction helps us to think clearly about such affections as God’s anger. Is anger an attribute of God? Yes, in the same sense that omnipresence is an attribute. Anger is not an absolute, but a relative divine affection. Though God never changes, he did not feel anger in eternity, before there was sin. Nor did God feel grief before there was suffering, or hate before there was evil. Nevertheless, anger is necessary in consequence of sin. God could no more cease to respond to sin in anger than he could cease to be omnipresent in space. Thus, before the world was, God experienced only delight, joy, pleasure, and peace, in inter-Trinitarian fellowship. The Father, Son, and Spirit, in contemplation of divine beauty, felt pure delight; of divine beneficiality and blessedness, unmingled joy; of divine virtue, perfect gratification; of divine security and stability, absolute peace. Yet, upon the occurrence of sin, God experienced spiritual sensations of anger, grief, and detestation, in relation to fallen creatures. Thus, Scripture places priority on the positive affections of delight, joy, pleasure, and peace. Thus, we first survey each positive affection, then its negative counterpart. We conclude with God’s peace.
1. The Biblical Display Of God’s Delight And Love
Love often denotes a sensation of delight, experienced from contact with someone or something that the soul regards as beautiful, pleasant, or attractive. In this emotive sense, it describes Isaac’s delight in savory meat (Gen. 27:4) and Amnon’s delight in Tamar (2 Sam. 13:4, 15). Sometimes, it depicts voluntary attachment and loyalty, as opposed to rejection. Thus, Leah, hoping Jacob would dwell with her, said, “now will my husband love me” (Gen. 29:32–34). Thus the Lord calls voluntary cleaving to a master love. “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other” (Matt. 6:24). Sometimes, with a moral connotation, it refers to the virtue of goodwill and unselfish giving, in contrast to malice and evil doing. In this sense Scripture commands us to love the Lord (Dt. 6:5), our neighbor (Lev. 19:18), and even our enemies (Lk. 6:27). Our duty to love our enemies discloses that goodwill does not always coalesce with delight. Nor does the feeling of love necessarily imply the virtue of goodwill, as Amnon’s mistreatment of Tamar confirms. Yet in some relations love combines the emotional, volitional, and moral. In godly, conjugal love, a husband and wife feel delight in, voluntarily cleave to, and display goodwill for each other. Similarly, God delights in his people, cleaves to them, and has goodwill toward them. Therefore, God’s love illustrates the inherent weakness in my arrangement of God’s attributes. In one respect, God’s love for his saints is a feeling; in another, a virtue. Gill also sensed the difficulty this poses for our approach. Though he lists goodness as a virtue, he never distinctly expounds it as such, but blends it with his treatment of God’s affection.[26] How do we proceed? We focus here on God’s feeling of delight. We include those texts in which love stresses that feeling. Since love bridges God’s feeling and virtue, we suffer some overlap. We collate this testimony to God’s delight around its five primary objects: Christ, his creative genius, his justice and mercy, moral virtue and righteous men, and the society of his people.
Scripture Features God’s Delight In And Love For Christ
- Ps. 22:8, “Let him rescue him, seeing he delights in him.”
- Is. 42:1, “Behold my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen in whom my soul delights.”
- Jn. 17:24, “for you loved me before the foundation of the world.”
These delights of the Father and the Son in one another knew not a moment’s interruption, or diminution: thus did these great and glorious persons mutually let forth their fullest pleasure and delight, each into the heart of the other; they lay as it were embosomed in one another, entertaining themselves with delights and pleasures ineffable, and unconceivable. Hence we observe,
Doct. That the condition and state of Jesus Christ before his incarnation, was a state of the highest and most unspeakable delight and pleasure, in the enjoyment of his Father.[27]This underscores Christ’s unfathomable goodwill toward us. For our benefit, he lays aside, for a while, the glorious sensation of divine delight, to endure the despicable experience of human hatred, bodily suffering, and divine abandonment.
Scripture Features God’s Delight In His Creative Genius And Wisdom
Prov. 8:30, “Then I was by him, as a master workman; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him.”
The word translated “delight” is shashua, which means “enjoyment,” “pleasure,” or “delight.” It comes from the verb shaa, which means “to look upon with complacency,” “to dandle,” “to delight in.” This shows us the close connection between divine delight and joy. This text personifies wisdom. Wisdom speaks as the subject, in the first person. The text views divine wisdom in its creative genius, designing, forming, and establishing the universe. When the Lord contemplates his wisdom displayed in his creation, he experiences a sensation of delight. Some[28] regard this passage as a reference to God the Son prior to his incarnation.
Clearly, the Son mediates creation (Jn. 1:3, 4), and Paul calls him “the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:24, 30). Thus, even if this text does not refer to him explicitly, it at least implies that God rejoices in Christ, the Word, as “the wisdom of God” through whom all things were made.
Scripture Features God’s Delight In His Justness And Mercy
- Jer. 9:24, “I am Jehovah who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness in the earth: for in these things I delight, says Jehovah.”
- Mic. 7:18, “Who is a God like unto you, that pardons iniquity...he retains not his anger for ever, because he delights in lovingkindness.”
Scripture Features God Delight In Moral Virtue And In Righteous Men
- 1 Sam. 15:22, “Has Jehovah as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Jehovah?”
- Ps. 11:7, “Jehovah is righteous; he loves righteousness.”
- Ps. 18:19, “He delivered me, because he delighted in me.”
- Ps. 33:5, “He loves righteousness and justice.”
- Ps. 37:23, 24, “A man’s goings are established of Jehovah; And he delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down.”
- Ps. 37:28, “Jehovah loves justice, and forsakes not his saints.”
- Prov. 11:1, “A false balance is an abomination to Jehovah; but a just weight is his delight.”
- Prov. 12:22, “Lying lips are an abomination to Jehovah; but they that deal truly are his delight.”
- Prov. 15:8, “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to Jehovah; but the prayer of the upright is his delight.”
- Is. 61:8, “I Jehovah love justice, I hate robbery with iniquity.”
Scripture Features God’s Delight In The Society Of His People, In Their Fathers, In Their Obedience, And In Their Capital, Zion
- Num. 14:8, “If Jehovah delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it unto us.”
- Dt. 7:12, 13, “because you hearken to these ordinances, and keep and do them, that Jehovah your God will...love you, and bless you, and multiply you.”
- Dt. 10:15, “Only Jehovah had a delight in your fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them.”
- Ps. 87:2, “Jehovah loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.”
- Is. 62:4, “You shall no more be termed Forsaken...but you shall be called Hephzibah...for Jehovah delights in you.”
2. The Biblical Display Of God’s Detestation And Hate
The Bible displays God’s feelings of detestation, loathing, disgust, abhorrence, and hate with a variety of terms and expressions. It often contrasts his detestation with his delight and love: “I Jehovah love justice, I hate robbery with iniquity” (Is. 61:8); “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will take no delight in your solemn assemblies” (Amos 5:21). Further, whatever the Lord hates and loathes is called an abomination to him: “for every abomination to Jehovah, which he hates, have they done unto their gods” (Dt. 12:31). Scripture also displays divine detestation merely by negating his delight: “you did that which was evil in mine eyes, and chose that wherein I delighted not” (Is. 65:12). Sometimes, Scripture asserts that God rejects and detests specific persons or things: “But you have cast us off and rejected, you have been wroth with your anointed. You have abhorred the covenant of your servant” (Ps. 89:38, 39); “I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces; therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein” (Amos 6:8); “Esau I hated, and made his mountain a desolation...the people against whom Jehovah has indignation forever” (Mal. 1:3, 4). In these instances, God’s hatred has a broader connotation, which includes both rejection, an act of the will, and detestation, an affection. Notice the primary terms for God’s feeling of revulsion. The Hebrew word translated “hate” is sane, sometimes rendered “odious.” In the passages listed below it occurs ten times: Dt. 12:31; 16:22; Ps. 11:5; Prov. 6:16; Is. 1:14; 61:8; Jer. 44:4; Amos 5:21; Zech. 8:17; and Mal. 2:16. Its New Testament counterpart, miseo, depicts God’s hate in Rom. 9:13. The term for “abomination” in the New Testament is bdelugma, found in Lk. 16:15. Its Old Testament counterpart is toebah, “something disgusting.” It occurs twenty times in the passages listed below: Dt. 7:25; 12:31; 17:1; 18:10–12 (2); 23:18; 24:4; 32:16; Prov. 6:16; 11:1, 20; 12:22; 15:8, 9, 26; 16:5; 17:15; 20:10; Is. 1:13; and Jer. 44:4. It comes from taab, “to loathe” or “to detest.” This word occurs in Ps. 5:6, where it is translated “abhors.” Three other terms are rendered “abhors” in the passages below: gaal, “to detest,” in Lev. 26:30; naats, “to scorn,” in Dt. 32:19; and maas, “to spurn,” in Ps. 78:59. Scripture dwells on two objects of his hatred: false religion, and the wicked with their deeds. We now focus on each of these.
Scripture Emphasizes That God Hates False, Vain, And Hypocritical Religion
- Lev. 26:30, “And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your sun-images, and cast your dead bodies upon the bodies of your idols; and my soul shall abhor you.”
- Dt. 7:25, “the graven images of their gods you shall burn with fire...for it is an abomination to Jehovah your God.”
- Dt. 12:31, “for every abomination to Jehovah, which he hates, have they done unto their gods.”
- Dt. 16:22, “Neither shall you set up a pillar, which Jehovah your God hates.”
- Dt. 17:1, “You shall not sacrifice unto Jehovah...a sheep wherein is a blemish, or anything evil; for that is an abomination unto Jehovah your God.”
- Dt. 18:10-12, “There shall not be found with you any one that makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one that uses divination, one that practices augury, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or a consulter with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For whosoever does these things is an abomination unto Jehovah: and because of these abominations Jehovah your God drives them out from before you.”
- Dt. 23:18, “You shall not bring the hire of a harlot, or the wages of a dog, into the house of Jehovah your God for any vow, for even both these are an abomination unto Jehovah your God.”
- Dt. 32:16, 19, “they moved him to jealousy with strange gods; with abominations they provoked him to anger...Jehovah saw it, and abhorred them.”
- Ps. 78:58, 59, “and moved him to jealousy with their graven images. When God heard this he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel.”
- Prov. 15:8, “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to Jehovah; but the prayer of the upright is his delight.”
- Is. 1:13, 14, “Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me...Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they are a trouble unto me; I am weary of bearing them.”
- Is. 66:4, “they did that which was evil in mine eyes, and chose that wherein I delighted not.”
- Jer. 44:4, 5, “Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense unto other gods.”
- Amos 5:21, “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will take no delight in your solemn assemblies.”
- Lk. 16:15, “You are they that justify yourselves in the sight of men; but God knows your hearts: for that which is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.”
Scripture Emphasizes That God Hates Moral Wickedness And Its Perpetrators
- Prov. 6:16, “There are six things which Jehovah hates; yea, seven which are an abomination unto him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood; a heart that devises wicked purposes, feet that are swift in running to mischief, a false witness that utters lies, and he that sows discord among brethren.”
- Dt. 24:4, “her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before Jehovah.”
- Ps. 5:5, “The arrogant shall not stand in your sight: you hate all the workers of iniquity.”
- Ps. 11:5, 6, “the wicked and him that loves violence his soul hates...Jehovah abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.”
- Prov. 11:1, “A false balance is an abomination to Jehovah; but a just weight is his delight.”
- Prov. 11:20, “They that are perverse in heart are an abomination to Jehovah; but such as are perfect are his delight.”
- Prov. 12:22, “Lying lips are an abomination to Jehovah; but they that deal truly are his delight.”
- Prov. 15:9, “The way of the wicked is an abomination to Jehovah; but he loves him that follows after righteousness.”
- Prov. 15:26, “Evil devices are an abomination to Jehovah.”
- Prov. 16:5, “Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to Jehovah.”
- Prov. 17:15, “He that justifies the wicked, and he that condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to Jehovah.”
- Prov. 20:10, “Diverse weights, and diverse measures, both of them alike are an abomination to Jehovah.”
- Is. 61:8, “I Jehovah love justice, I hate robbery with iniquity.”
- Zech. 8:17, “let none of you devise evil in your hearts against your neighbor; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, says Jehovah.”
- Mal. 2:16, “I hate putting away, says Jehovah, the God of Israel, and him that covers his garment with violence, says Jehovah of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that you deal not treacherously.”
3. The Biblical Display Of God’s Joy
- Dt. 28:63, “And it shall come to pass, that, as Jehovah rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you, so Jehovah will rejoice over you to cause you to perish, and to destroy you, and you shall be plucked from the land whither you go in to possess it.”
- Dt. 30:9, 10, “And Jehovah your God will make you plenteous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your cattle, and in the fruit of your ground, for good: for Jehovah will again rejoice over you for good, as he rejoiced over your fathers; if you shall obey the voice of Jehovah.”
- Jdg. 9:13, “And the vine said to them, Should I leave my new wine, which cheers God and man, and go to wave to and fro over the trees?”
- Ps. 60:6, “God has spoken in his holiness: I will exult; I will divide Shechem.”
- Ps. 104:31, “Let the glory of Jehovah endure forever; Let Jehovah rejoice in his works.”
- Is. 62:5, “as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.”
- Is. 65:19, “I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people; and there shall be heard in her no more the voice of weeping and the voice of crying.”
- Jer. 32:40, 41, “I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from following them, to do them good; and I will put my fear in their hearts, that they may not depart from me. Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good.”
- Zeph. 3:16, 17, “Fear not; O Zion, let not your hands be slack. Jehovah your God is in the midst of you, a mighty one who will save; and he will rejoice over you with joy; he will rest in his love; he will joy over you with singing.”
- Lk. 15:7, 10, “I say to you, that even so there shall be joy in heaven over one sinner that repents, more than over ninety and nine righteous persons, who need no repentance...Even so, I say, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents.”
God’s Joy In His Creation
This joy is like the sensation of satisfaction, exuberance, and fulfillment men feel when they do a job well: “Wherefore I saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion” (Eccl. 3:22). Again, when Scripture asserts that wine “cheers” both the creature and the Creator, it evidently doesn’t mean that the Lord occasionally takes a drink of alcohol. Rather, the point is that the Creator rejoices when his creatures enjoy the good gifts that he has richly bestowed on them. Though drunkenness grieves the Lord (Eph. 4:17, 18), he rejoices when men enjoy alcohol in moderation. We must not think that God is a “spoil sport,” or ascetic, or caustic, or grim, or oppressive. He does not frown even at men’s most meager enjoyment, but to the contrary, experiences a sensation of joy when he sees men enjoy creation to the full.
God’s Joy In The Society Of His People
Under the Old Covenant, his rejoicing over his people cuts two ways. When the society of his people walk in obedience to his law, he rejoices in blessing them. If, on the other hand, his people, as a society, break his covenant and serve other gods, then he rejoices in their punishment (Dt. 28:63). This indicates that God experiences joy in being faithful to covenantal commitments, whether that faithfulness involves inflicting its curses or bestowing its blessings. Yet, he promises them that a better day will come, in which he morally transforms his people, so that, under a New Covenant, he forever rejoices over them to do them good (Dt. 30:9, 10; Jer. 32:41). Scripture foretells the glory of that joy. It likens it to the intense sensation of exuberance, exhilaration, and satisfaction which a groom feels when he weds his bride: “as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you” (Is. 62:5). On the basis of God’s joy, Scripture encourages God’s people to confidence and diligence: “Fear not; O Zion, let not your hands be slack. Jehovah your God is in the midst of you, a mighty one who will save; and he will rejoice over you with joy” (Zeph. 3:17). Further, Scripture even says that the Lord conveys his own joy, in some measure, to his people: “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full;” “that they may have my joy made full in themselves” (Jn. 15:11; 17:13). The Lord closely associates his joy with his personal and inter-Trinitarian relationship with his Father (Jn. 17:23, 24, 26). Scripture also closely associates Christian joy with the presence and ministry of the Holy Spirit: “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17). Thus, by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, God enables Christians to experience some measure of that spiritual sensation of blessedness which the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have always felt. Though the explicit disclosure of this marvelous truth awaited the coming of the Son and Spirit, yet even the Old Testament points us in this direction: “the joy of Jehovah is your strength;” “you will show me the path of life: in your presence is fullness of joy; in your right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Neh. 8:10; Ps. 16:11).
God’s Joy Over Penitent Sinners
The Lord affirms that when a sinner repents, joy is experienced in heaven: “I say, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents” (Lk. 15:10). The Lord does not explicitly name the one who rejoices. Possibly, he means to say that the angels themselves rejoice when a sinner repents. Let us assume, for the sake of argument, that this is so. What then? Shall we conceive of angels brimming with a sensation of exuberance over God’s redemptive work while the Redeemer himself, who performed the work, who gave the sinner repentance unto life, sits on his throne glum and morbid, unmoved, experiencing no sensation of exhilaration and satisfaction? Preposterous! Outrageous! To the contrary, God’s joy over a penitent sinner surpasses the exuberance he feels when he beholds one hundred righteous men.
God’s Joy In Himself
Finally, Prov. 8:30 deserves special mention because it points, at least implicitly, to the eternal joy of the Trinity: “I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him.” I’m not comfortable either with Flavel’s explanation of the text, or with completely disregarding it (see above). Nor does Gill ignore the text.[30] This text pictures divine wisdom as a person, and describes his eternal experience. Even if this is a literary device, it is an inspired one, which points implicitly to Christ. Christ is a Person, called God’s Wisdom and Word, who always existed. He was the object of God’s eternal delight, that very delight of which wisdom, speaking as a person, claims to be the object. Are we careless exegetes because we see some correspondence between the eternal joy actually felt by Christ and the eternal joy which wisdom, speaking as a person, claims to have felt? The text describes wisdom’s eternal rejoicing with the word sachaq, which means “to laugh.” It depicts a wonderful combination of delight and exuberance. It is translated “to rejoice,” or “to sport.” It pictures a child playing and having fun in front of its father, while the father looks on with intense delight. If you have children, you can probably remember blessed occasions when they frolicked around you as you watched with delight. Thus, Scripture uses domestic bliss to portray the intense sensation of exhilaration and satisfaction that the triune God felt from all eternity. What a privilege that we, in Christ, should to some degree enter into that joy.
4. The Biblical Display Of God’s Grief
- Gen. 6:5, 6, “And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented Jehovah that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.”
- Jdg. 10:16, “And they put away the foreign gods from among them, and served Jehovah; and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.”
- Ps. 78:40, “How oft did they rebel against him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!”
- Ps. 95:10, “Forty years long was I grieved with that generation.”
- Is. 63:10, “But they rebelled, and grieved his Holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and himself fought against them.”
- Eph. 4:30, “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed unto the day of redemption.”
- Heb. 3:10, “I was displeased with that generation, and said, They do always err in their heart.”
- Heb. 3:17, “And with whom was he displeased forty years? was it not with them that sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?”
God’s Grief Over Incessant Human Wickedness
This grief is so intense that before the flood God actually felt sorry that he made man: “And it repented Jehovah that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart” (Gen. 6:6). When God watched sin spread like cancer through the human race, he felt an intense sensation of spiritual dissatisfaction and anguish. What caused God to feel such regret? Incessant human wickedness: “And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5). In God’s holy sight, wicked men do nothing morally good. Everything they think, feel, purpose, say, and do is wicked and evil. Day after day, month after month, year after year, he sustains and provides for creatures who cause him to feel incessant moral revulsion. Thus, after centuries of provocation, God says in the days of Noah: “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the ground” (Gen. 6:7). He determines to redress his constant sensation of anguish and dissatisfaction. Yet, in his mercy, he shows favor to Noah and his family (Gen. 6:8ff). We owe our very existence to that favor. Note the close connection between God’s feeling of grief and his virtue of long-suffering. God, displaying his goodness and long-suffering, endures anguish while Noah prepares the ark (1 Pet. 3:20). Again, after the flood, he covenants that he will never again destroy the earth with water. Even now he waits, “enduring with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath,” for he is “not willing that any should perish” whom he has selected for glory (Rom. 9:22; 2 Pet. 3:9). Even now, while he forestalls the final conflagration and judgment, we behold his great goodness as he endures his sensation of anguish and dissatisfaction over human sin.
God’s Grief Over The Suffering And Affliction Of His People
Jdg. 10:16 says that “his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.” When God beholds their suffering and hardship, he feels a sensation of anguish over their misery. This grief moves him, not to destroy his people, but to deliver them from their misery. God himself sent this very affliction and misery upon his people for their sin. When they provoke him to anger by serving other gods, he afflicts and punishes them. When they sincerely humble themselves, put away their false gods, and plead with the Lord for help, then his heart feels anguish for them. Then he grants their request and rescues them from their enemies.
God’s Grief Over The Aggravated Rebellion Of The Wilderness Generation
The wilderness generation stands as the chief biblical monument to God’s grief over the rebellion of his people. Five of our texts mention this rebellion (Ps. 78:40; 95:10; Is. 63:10; Heb. 3:10, 17). The word “aggravated” best characterizes their notorious behavior. They rebelled against God repeatedly, “these ten times” (Num. 14:22), and in the face of numerous and stupendous miracles, both in Egypt and in the wilderness: “How long will this people despise me? and how long will they not believe in me, for all the signs which I have wrought among them?” (Num. 14:11). Scripture posts their unbelief and its punishment as a warning for us: “Now these things happened unto them by way of example; and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come” (1 Cor. 10:11). The writer of Hebrews also presses this admonition upon the consciences of Christians (Heb. 3:7–4:1). Therefore brethren, let us take heed. Let us keep a tender conscience. Let us not reject light from God’s Word. Let us learn the lesson of the wilderness generation.
God’s Grief Over Unmortified Carnality In A Temple Of The Holy Spirit
Scripture says plainly, “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed unto the day of redemption” (Eph. 4:30). In the context, Paul exhorts the church to mortify vices that grieve the Holy Spirit and to cultivate their opposing virtues. He calls on them to put away dishonesty and cultivate transparency (4:25), to resolve their grievances quickly (4:26), to put away thievery and cultivate considerateness (4:27), to put away unprofitable talk and cultivate edifying speech (4:29), and to put away malice and bitterness and cultivate goodwill and kindness (4:31, 32). He then calls the church to conduct their fellowship in a climate of holy love, not in sexual lust (5:1–14). We should take this to heart. If we grieve him, we will know less of his presence and power as Comforter, Sanctifier, Spirit of truth, and Spirit of adoption. If we grieve him, our sins grow strong, our graces weak; our prayer turns feeble, the heavens turn to brass; our Bible closes; our peace and joy shrivel. Brethren, let us not grieve the Holy Spirit.
In closing this section, I fully realize some may think that this teaching is incompatible with God’s immutability and transcendence, or with his infinite perfection. We should not think that we may wrap God’s emotive life into neat packages. We must not deny either God’s infinite joy and blessedness or his incessant grief over human sin. Someone may object that these texts just contain a figure of speech, since God can’t really feel sensations of anguish. If so, why does Scripture ascribe this feeling to God? What truth does it actually tell us about him? All such objections fly in the face of the clear and emphatic teaching of Scripture.
5. The Biblical Display Of God’s Gratification Or Pleasure
- 1 Kings 3:10-12, “And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life, neither have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice; behold I have done according to your word.”
- Ps. 51:19, “then you will delight in the sacrifices of righteousness.”
- Ps. 69:30, 31, “I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. And it will please Jehovah better than an ox.”
- Prov. 16:7, “When a man’s ways please Jehovah, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”
- Eccl. 7:26, “And I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are bands: whoso pleases God shall escape from her.”
- Lk. 3:22, “You are my beloved Son; in you I am well-pleased.”
- Rom. 8:8, “and they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwells in you.”
- Phil. 4:18, “But I have all things and abound: I am filled, having received from Epaphroditus the things that came from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God.”
- Col. 3:20, “Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing in the Lord.”
- 1 Thess. 2:4, “so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God who proves our hearts.”
- 1 Thess. 4:1, “Finally then, brethren, we beseech and exhort you in the Lord, that, as you received of us how you ought to walk and to please God, even as you do walk, that you abound more and more.”
- Heb. 11:5, 6, “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God translated him: for he has had witness born to him that before his translation he had been well-pleasing to God, and without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing unto him.”
- Heb. 13:16, “to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well-pleased.”
- Heb. 13:20, 21, “That now the God of peace...make you perfect in every good thing to do his will, working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ.”
- 1 Jn. 3:22, “and whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.”
First, Scripture uses the verb euaresteo, the adjective euarestos, and the adverb euarestos. The verb, which means “gratify entirely,” is translated “please,” or “be well-pleasing” (Heb. 11:5, 6; 13:16). The adjective, which means “fully agreeable,” is translated “acceptable” (Rom. 12:1; 14:18; 2 Cor. 5:9; Eph. 5:10) or “well-pleasing” (Phil. 4:18; Col. 3:20; Heb. 13:21). The adverb, used only in Heb. 12:28, is translated “acceptably.” Second, Scripture uses the verb aresko, its cognate noun areskeia, and the adjective arestos. The verb, which means “to be agreeable,” is translated “please” (Rom. 8:8; 1 Thess. 2:4; 4:1). The noun, which means, “complaisance,” “that which pleases,” is translated “pleasing,” “to walk worthily of the Lord unto all pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:10). The adjective, which means “agreeable,” is translated “things that please” or “are pleasing” (Jn. 8:29; 1 Jn. 3:22). In addition, Scripture occasionally uses the verb eudokeo, which means to “seem good,” to describe this feeling. In this connection, it is translated “be well-pleased” (Matt. 3:17; 12:18; 17:5; Lk. 3:22). This underscores the connection between the good-pleasure of God’s will and his sensation of satisfaction with moral good. These passages teach that no wicked man can ever please God (Rom. 8:8). Even their benevolent deeds or acts of devotion don’t please him because “without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing unto him” (Heb. 13:6). Thus, it is possible for believers, even in this life, to please the Lord. Scripture stresses that God is pleased both with the impeccable virtue of his incarnate Son, Jesus Christ, and with the evangelical virtue of those who believe in him.
God’s Gratification Over The Impeccable Virtue Of His Son
God foretells being pleased with Christ (Matt. 12:18). After the Son’s incarnation, the Father himself, with an audible voice from heaven, says at his baptism (Matt. 3:17; Lk. 3:22) and his transfiguration (Matt. 17:5) that Jesus pleases him. Jesus, aware of his sinless perfection, also asserts that he always pleases God (Jn. 8:29). Paul calls Christ’s impeccable virtue in God’s eyes “the righteousness of God” (Rom. 1:17; 3:21, 22; 5:18, 19; 10:3; 2 Cor. 5:21). Christ’s virtue stems from his perfect obedience to God’s will in his moral law (Ps. 40:7, 8) and in his messianic commandment concerning the cross (Matt. 26:39, 42; Heb. 10:7–10).
God’s Gratification Over The Evangelical Virtue Of Those In Christ
Although no Christian can ever attain sinless perfection in this life, or ever perform even one completely sinless act, nevertheless, Scripture boldly declares that all Christians please God when they obey God’s commandments evangelically (Phil. 4:18; Heb. 13:16, 21; 1 Thess. 4:1; 1 Jn. 3:22). Think of it! When God sees our sincere and Spirit-wrought efforts to obey him, even though our remaining corruption clings like leaches to them, he feels, not revulsion or anger, but gratification. Our evangelical obedience moves him, not to chide and avenge, but to commend and reward. God himself enables his people thus to obey and please him (Heb. 13:21). Thus he deserves all the glory and credit. When we thus please God, he protects us (Eccl. 7:26) and grants us the desires of our hearts (1 Jn. 3:22). Again, though God feels revulsion when he beholds the worship of the wicked, he is gratified with the sincere and godly worship of believers (Ps. 51:19; 69:30, 31; Phil. 4:18; Heb. 12:28; 13:15, 16). Again, though our ministries fall far short of the whole-hearted devotion and loyalty he deserves, God feels satisfaction, not revulsion and anger, over the faithful ministries of righteous men (1 Kings 3:10; 1 Thess. 2:4). Finally, Scripture even asserts that when little children who believe in Christ obey their parents with evangelical obedience, God is pleased (Col. 3:20). Therefore brethren, take heart. Pleasing God is not impossible. In whatever we do, let us make it our aim to be well-pleasing to him (2 Cor. 5:9).
6. The Biblical Display Of God’s Anger, Wrath, And Displeasure
In this fallen world, God responds emotively not merely to moral good, but also to moral evil. Webster defines “anger” as “a strong feeling of displeasure and usually of antagonism” (New Collegiate Dictionary, 43). Accordingly, God’s anger is the intense sensation of dissatisfaction and indignity, or affront, which he experiences when he beholds moral wrong. Scripture closely associates God’s wrath and anger (Rom. 2:8). Webster defines wrath as “strong vengeful anger and indignation” (New Collegiate Dictionary, 1343). Webster also observes that “wrath may imply either rage or indignation but is likely to suggest a desire or intent to revenge or punish” (New Collegiate Dictionary, 43). Thus, God’s wrath is his vengeful anger. God’s settled intention to avenge and punish sin accompanies his intense displeasure and affront at sin.
I now will list the major terms for God’s anger and wrath in the Old and New Testaments. Since the Old Testament terminology is so extensive, I list the major terms alphabetically, along with their basic meaning, and the texts in which they clearly and explicitly describe God’s anger. I list 24 Old Testament terms, 20 of which sometimes depict God’s anger. I have recorded at least 433 clear references to God’s anger in the Old Testament, 26 in the New, for a total of 459. I have not included several somewhat obscure passages which could possibly also refer to God’s anger. Nor have I even catalogued the use of important secondary terms closely associated with God’s affection of anger, such as “jealousy,” or “vengeance.” Nor have I listed idiomatic expressions. Leon Morris confirms the mammoth proportions of this material:
There are more than 20 words used to express the wrath conception as it applies to Yahweh (in addition to a number of other words which occur with only reference to human anger). These are used so frequently that there are over 580 occurrences to be taken into consideration. Now, this constitutes such a formidable body of evidence that we cannot hope to deal with it fully, and can only indicate in general terms the result of a detailed examination.[31]
I hope that even this list of terms and their uses gives you a sense of how seriously God takes sin.
Major Old Testament Terms
anaph, literally, “to breathe hard,” “be enraged,” from the rapid breathing associated with anger, translated, “be angry,” “displeased”; used of God’s anger 14 times: Dt. 1:37; 4:21; 9:8, 20; 1 Kings 8:46; 11:9; 2 Kings 17:18; 2 Chron. 6:36; Ezra 9:14; Ps. 2:12; 60:1; 79:5; 85:5; Is. 12:1
aph, the term most frequently translated “anger” in the OT; In Exo. 34:6; Num. 14:18; Ps. 86:15; Jer. 15:15 translated “longsuffering”; derived from anaph; literally “nose,” “nostril” (Gen. 2:7); used of God’s anger at least these 168 times: Exo. 4:14; 22:24; 32:10–12; Num. 11:1, 10, 33; 12:9; 22:22; 25:3, 4; 32:10, 13, 14; Dt. 6:15; 7:4; 9:19; 11:17; 13:17; 29:20, 23, 24, 27, 28; 31:17; 32:22; Josh. 7:1, 26; 23:16; Jdg. 2:14, 20; 3:8; 6:39; 10:7; 1 Sam. 28:18; 2 Sam. 6:7, 24:1; 2 Kings 13:3; 23:26; 24:20; 1 Chron. 13:10; 2 Chron. 12:12; 25:15; 28:11, 13; 29:10; 30:8; Ezra 8:22; 10:14; Neh. 9:17; Job 9:13; 14:13; 16:9; 19:11; 20:23, 28; 21:17; 35:15; 42:7; Ps. 2:5, 12; 6:1; 7:6; 21:9; 27:9; 30:5; 56:7; 69:24; 74:1; 76:7; 77:9; 78:21, 31, 38, 49, 50; 85:3, 5; 90:7, 11; 95:11; 103:8; 106:40; 110:5; 145:8; Prov. 24:18; Is. 5:25(2); 9:12, 17, 21; 10:4–5, 25; 12:1; 13:3, 9, 13; 30:27, 30; 42:25; 48:9; 63:3, 6; 66:15; Jer. 2:35; 4:8, 26; 7:20; 10:24; 12:13; 15:14; 17:4; 18:23; 21:5; 23:20; 25:37, 38; 30:24; 32:31, 37; 33:5; 36:7; 42:18; 44:6; 49:37; 51:45; 52:3; Lam. 1:12; 2:1(2), 3, 6, 21, 22; 3:43, 66; 4:11; Ezek. 5:13, 15; 7:3, 8; 13:13; 20:8, 21; 22:20; 25:14; 43:8; Dan. 9:16; Hos. 8:5; 11:9; 13:11; 14:4; Joel 2:13; Jon. 3:9; 4:2; Mic. 5:15; 7:18; Nah. 1:3, 6; Hab. 3:8, 12; Zeph. 2:2(2), 3; 3:8; Zech. 10:3
zaam (verb), “to foam at the mouth”; translated “be angry,” “have indignation”; in Num. 23:8, translated “denounce”; used of God’s anger 5 times: Ps. 7:11; Prov. 22:14; Is. 66:14; Zech. 1:12; Mal. 1:4
zaam (noun), “froth”; translated, “anger,” “indignation,” “rage”; used of God’s anger at least these 16 times: Ps. 38:3; 69:24; 78:49; 102:10; Is. 10:5, 25; 13:5; 30:27; Jer. 10:10, 50:25; Lam. 2:6; Ezek. 21:31; 22:31; Nah. 1:6; Hab. 3:12; Zeph. 3:8
zaaph (verb), “to boil up,” translated, “be wroth”; used only of men’s anger; 2 Chron. 26:19
zaeph (adj.), translated “displeased”; used only of men’s anger: 1 Kings 20:43; 21:4
zaaph (noun), “anger”; translated, “indignation,” “rage,” “wrath”; derived from the verb zaaph; used twice of God’s anger: Is. 30:30; Mic. 7:9
chemah, “heat”; translated, “hot displeasure,” “fury,” “rage,” “wrath”; used of God’s anger at least these 85 times: Lev. 26:28; Num. 25:11; Dt. 9:19; 29:23, 28; 2 Kings 22:13, 17; 2 Chron. 12:7; 28:9; 34:21, 25; 36:16; Job 21:20; Ps. 6:1; 38:1; 59:13; 78:38; 79:6; 88:7; 89:46; 90:7; 106:23; Is. 27:4; 34:2; 42:25; 51:17, 20, 22; 59:18; 63:3, 5, 6; 66:15; Jer. 4:4; 6:11; 7:20; 10:25; 18:20; 21:5, 12; 23:19; 25:15; 30:23; 32:31, 37; 33:5; 36:7; 42:18(2); 44:6; Lam. 2:4; 4:11; Ezek. 5:13(2), 15; 6:12; 7:8; 8:18; 9:8; 13:13(2), 15; 14:19; 16:38, 42; 20:8, 13, 21, 33, 34; 21:17; 22:20, 22; 24:8, 13; 25:14, 17; 30:15; 36:6, 18; 38:18; Dan. 9:16; Mic. 5:15; Nah. 1:2, 6; Zech. 8:2
charah, “to glow, blaze”; translated, “be angry,” “be incensed,” “be wroth”; often used with a word for God’s anger and translated “be kindled” or “wax hot,” “my wrath shall wax hot” (Exo. 22:24), “so will the anger of Jehovah be kindled” (Dt. 7:4), etc.; used by itself of God’s anger 5 times: Gen. 18:30, 32; 2 Sam. 22:8; Ps. 18:7; Hab. 3:8
charon, “a burning”; derived from charah; translated “displeasure,” “fury,” “wrath”; often used with a word for God’s anger and translated “fierce,” or “fierceness,” “the fierce anger of Jehovah” (Num. 25:3), “the fierceness of his anger” (Dt. 13:17), etc.; used by itself of God’s anger at least these 6 times: Exo. 15:7; Neh. 13:18; Ps. 2:5; 88:16; Ezek. 7:12, 14
charar, “to glow”; translated “be angry,” “burn”; only of man’s anger, Song 1:6
kaas (verb), “to trouble”; translated, “provoke to anger,” “be angry,” “grieve,” “enrage,” “vex,” “have indignation”; used of God’s anger 43 times: Dt. 4:25; 9:18; 31:29; 32:16, 21; Jdg. 2:12; 1 Kings 14:9, 15; 15:30; 16:2, 7, 13, 26, 33; 21:22; 22:53; 2 Kings 17:11, 17; 21:6, 15; 22:17; 23:19, 26; 2 Chron. 28:25; 33:6; 34:25; Ps. 78:58; 106:29; Is. 65:3; Jer. 7:18–19; 8:19; 11:17; 25:6, 7; 32:29, 30, 32; 44:3, 8; Ezek. 8:17; 16:26; Hos. 12:14
kaas (noun), “vexation”; derived from the verb kaas; translated “anger,” “provocation,” “wrath”; used of God’s anger 6 times: Dt. 32:19; 1 Kings 15:30; 21:22; 2 Kings 23:26; Ps. 85:4; Ezek. 20:28
kaas (noun), “vexation”; also derived from the verb kaas; form used only in Job; translated “wrath,” “indignation,” used once of God’s anger: Job 10:17
abar, “to cross over”; used of a transition; in the hithpael theme translated, “provoke to anger,” “rage,” “be wroth”; used of God’s anger 5 times: Dt. 3:26; Ps. 78:21, 59, 62; 89:38
eberah, “outburst”; derived from abar; translated, “anger,” “rage,” “wrath”; used of God’s anger at least these 25 times: Job 21:30, (40:11, by implication); Ps. 78:49; 85:3; 90:9, 11; Prov. 11:4, 23 (at least implicitly); Is. 9:19; 10:6; 13:9, 13; Jer. 7:29; Lam. 2:2; 3:1; Ezek. 7:19; 21:31; 22:21, 31; 38:19; Hos. 5:10; 13:11; Hab. 3:8; Zeph. 1:15, 18
ashan, “to smoke”; translated, “be angry”; twice used with a word for God’s anger and translated “smoke,” “his jealousy shall smoke against that man” (Dt. 29:20), “why does your anger smoke” (Ps. 74:1); used by itself of God’s anger once: Ps. 80:4
qatsaph, “to break off,” “to burst forth”; translated, “be angry,” “be displeased,” “be wroth”; used of God’s anger 22 times: Lev. 10:6; Nu. 16:22; Dt. 9:7, 8, 19, 22; Josh. 22:18; Ps. 38:1; 106:32; Eccl. 5:6; Is. 47:6; 54:9; 57:16, 17(2); 64:5, 9; Lam. 5:22; Zech. 1:2, 15(2); 8:14
qetseph, “a splinter,” as broken off; derived from qatsaph; translated “wrath,” “indignation”; used with a word for God’s displeasure and translated “sore,” or “very sore,” “Jehovah has been sore displeased” (Zech. 1:2); “I am very sore displeased” (Zech. 1:15); used by itself of God’s anger 23 times: Num. 1:53; 16:46; 18:5; Dt. 29:28; Josh. 9:20; 22:20; 1 Chron. 27:24; 2 Chron. 19:2, 10; 24:18; 29:8; 32:25, 26; Ps. 38:1; 102:10; Is. 34:2; 54:8; 60:10; Jer. 10:10; 21:5; 32:37; 50:13; Zech. 7:12
qetsaph (verb), Aramaic word which corresponds to Hebrew word qatsaph; translated “be furious”; used only of man’s anger: Dan. 2:12
qetsaph (noun), Aramaic word derived from verb qetsaph; translated “wrath”; used once of God’s anger: Ezra 7:23
ragaz, “to quiver”; translated “be wroth,” “rage”; used 3 times of God’s anger: Job 12:6; Is. 28:21; Ezek. 16:43
rogez, “restlessness”; derived from ragaz; translated, “rage,” “wrath”; used of thunder in Job 37:2; used once of God’s anger in Hab. 3:2
regaz (verb), Aramaic word which corresponds to ragaz; translated “provoked to wrath”; used once of God’s anger in Ezra 5:12Ot Collation:
The following table summarizes this Old Testament usage:
WORD
|
USES
|
WORD
|
USES
|
ANAPH
|
14
|
ABAR
|
5
|
APH
|
168
|
EBeRAH
|
25
|
ZAAM (vb)
|
5
|
ASHAN
|
1
|
ZAAM (n)
|
16
|
QATSAPH
|
22
|
ZAAPH
|
2
|
QETSEPH
|
23
|
CHEMAH
|
85
|
QeTSAPH
|
1
|
CHARAH
|
5
|
RAGAZ
|
3
|
CHARON
|
6
|
ROGEZ
|
1
|
KAAS (vb)
|
43
|
ReGAZ
|
|
KAAS (n)
|
6
|
||
KAAS (n)
|
1
|
||
TOTAL
|
443
|
orge, “excitement”; translated, “anger,” “indignation,” “vengeance,” “wrath”; used 19 times of God’s anger: Matt. 3:7; Jn. 3:36; Rom. 1:18; 2:5, 8; 9:22; 12:19; Eph. 2:3; 5:6; Col. 3:6; 1 Thess. 1:10; 2:16; 5:9; Heb. 3:11; Rev. 6:16; 11:18; 14:10; 16:19; 19:15
thumos, “breathing hard”; translated “fierceness,” “indignation,” “wrath”; used 7 times of God’s anger: Rev. 14:10, 19; 15:1, 7; 16:1, 19; 19:15The New Testament adds 26 witnesses, bringing the total to 459. Space obviously forbids an exhaustive survey of these 459 texts. No other divine affection even begins to approach this massive testimony. Why this striking emphasis? At the least, this assures us that God takes sin very personally and stands resolutely determined to punish it. Sin not only grieves and repulses him, he regards it as a personal affront which he must avenge: “Vengeance belongs unto me; I will recompense, says the Lord” (Rom. 12:19). Scripture, pursuing one of its chief ends, warns men to face this truth before it’s too late: “who knows the power of your anger, and of your wrath according to the fear that is due unto you?” (Ps. 90:11).
Yet ironically, what Scripture stresses most about God’s affections, many seem to value the least. Even in evangelical Christian churches, God’s anger and wrath usually receive little if any mention. Though many greatly dislike this truth, try to avoid it, and don’t even want to hear it, yet, few things would do the people and churches of this land as much good as paying careful and honest attention to God’s vengeful anger. Further, the Old Testament pictures God’s anger using the physiological changes and bodily traits associated with human anger. For example, its describes an angry God as “breathing rapidly” (168 times, Exo. 4:14; etc.); “heated” (85 times, Lev. 26:28; etc.); “agitated” (43 times, Dt. 4:25; etc.); and even as “frothing at the mouth” (21 times, Ps. 7:11; 38:3; etc.). These expressions are “anthropopathisms” which portray his spiritual sensation of anger in terms of the physical aspects of human anger.
Though there are many plausible ways to outline this testimony, I collate it in two major categories. First, the Old Testament places special stress on God’s wrath upon his own people. Second, the New Testament especially features God’s wrath upon all mankind.
God’s Anger Toward His Own People
Scripture testifies to God’s anger toward: (1) the entire society of his people; (2) the notorious sinners among his people, and (3) the true saints among his people.
Consider God’s anger toward the society of his people. Here we focus on three questions that Scripture highlights. What especially causes and provokes his anger? What curses does he inflict in his anger? What placates, appeases, and pacifies his anger toward his people? First, the provocation of God’s anger toward the society of his people: “You shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. If you afflict them at all, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; and my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless” (Exo. 22:22–24); “And Jehovah’s anger was kindled in that day, and he sware, saying, Surely none of the men that came out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware to Abraham... And Jehovah’s anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander to and fro in the wilderness forty years” (Num. 32:10, 13); “When Jehovah your God shall deliver them [the Canaanites] up before you...you shall make no covenant with them, nor show mercy unto them; neither shall you make marriages with them... For he will turn away your son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of Jehovah be kindled against you, and he will destroy you quickly” (Dt. 7:2–4); “But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the devoted thing... and the anger of Jehovah was kindled against the children of Israel... Therefore the children of Israel can not stand before their enemies... because they are become accursed: I will not be with you any more, except you destroy the devoted thing from among you” (Josh. 7:1, 12); “and the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and forgat Jehovah their God, and served Baalim and the Asheroth. Therefore the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia” (Jdg. 3:7, 8); “Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen stumbled.
And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God” (2 Sam. 6:6, 7); “Go tell Jeroboam...you...have done evil above all that were before you, and have gone and made you other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and have cast me behind your back: therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every man-child” (1 Kings 14:7–10); “Jehovah will smite Israel...and he will root up Israel out of this good land which he gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the River, because they have made their Asherim, provoking Jehovah to anger. And he will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he sinned, and wherewith he made Israel to sin” (1 Kings 14:15); “And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger. Therefore Jehovah was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight” (2 Kings 17:17, 18). Scripture identifies three primary provocations: false religion, worldliness, and flagrant immorality. The number one provocation is false religion, serving other gods, and profaning God’s appointed worship. The Lord responds in vengeful anger with jealousy like that of a husband. When God’s people love and attach themselves to the world, he responds in vengeful anger. His people provoke him when they flagrantly disregard the Decalogue, oppress their fellow men, and repeatedly disbelieve him and spurn his messengers.
Second, the infliction of God’s anger on the society of his people: “While the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the anger of Jehovah was kindled against the people, and Jehovah smote the people with a very great plague” (Num. 11:33); “And Jehovah’s anger was kindled in that day, and he sware, saying, Surely none of the men that came out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware to Abraham... And Jehovah’s anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander to and fro in the wilderness forty years” (Num. 32:10, 13); “Thus were they defiled with their works, and played the harlot in their doings. Therefore was the wrath of Jehovah kindled against his people, and he abhorred his inheritance. And he gave them into the hand of the nations” (Ps. 106:39, 40); “they forsook the covenant of Jehovah...and served other gods and worshipped them...therefore the anger of Jehovah was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curse that is written in this book; and Jehovah rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as at this day” (Dt. 29:25–28); “They moved him to jealousy with strange gods; with abominations they provoked him to anger... They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those that are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and burns unto the lowest Sheol” (Dt. 32:16, 21, 22); “the Jews; who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and please not God, and are contrary to all men; forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved; to fill up their sins always: but the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost” (1 Thess. 2:14–16). The curses of the covenant, with which he inflicts his anger upon the society of his people, include: the plagues in the wilderness; the 40 years wanderings; servitude to their enemies; eviction from Canaan, the land of their inheritance; scattering among the nations; and the ultimate rejection of the unbelieving Jewish nation as his people. In their final judgment, inflicted when they rejected and killed their God incarnate, the Lord took his kingdom away from them, and gave it “to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof” (Matt. 21:43).
Third, the cessation of God’s anger toward the society of his people: “And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them up unto Jehovah before the sun, that the fierce anger of Jehovah may turn away from Israel” (Num. 25:3, 4); “I fell down before Jehovah...because of all your sin which you sinned, in doing evil in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger. For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure, wherewith Jehovah was wroth against you to destroy you. But Jehovah hearkened unto me” (Dt. 9:18, 19); “You have brought back the captivity of Jacob. You have forgiven the iniquity of your people; you have covered all their sin. You have taken away all your wrath; you have turned from the fierceness of your anger” (Ps. 85:3); “In overflowing wrath I hid my face from you for a moment; but with everlasting lovingkindness will I have mercy on you, says Jehovah your Redeemer” (Is. 54:8). In Num. 25:34, civil punishment pacifies his temporal judgment and vengeance. In Dt. 9:18, 19, intercessory prayer by God’s appointed mediator placates and turns away God’s vengeful anger. Ps. 85:3 reveals that God himself takes the initiative to turn his wrath away from his people. He turns their hearts to seek him. In Is. 54:8, we learn that Christ’s ministry ultimately turns God’s vengeful anger away from his people. This involves both Christ making atonement for their sin (Is. 53:10–12) and his moral transformation of their society (Is. 54:10, 13, 14). Under the New Covenant, their distinguishing traits as a society are that they know the Lord and have his law written on their heart (Jer. 31:31–34). Thus, under the New Covenant, the society of God’s people enjoys the benefit of Christ’s propitiation of God’s anger through his shed blood (Rom. 3:25).
Consider God’s anger upon the notorious sinner among his people: “lest there should be among you a man...saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart...Jehovah will not pardon him, but the anger of Jehovah and his jealousy will smoke against that man, and all the curse that is written in this book shall lie upon him, and Jehovah will blot out his name from under heaven” (Dt. 29:18–20). Under the Old Covenant, those who sinned with a high hand became the special objects of God’s anger and curse. Their ruin was so striking that they became monuments and warnings to all. Under the New Covenant also, the Lord warns his people about flagrant sinning. The notorious and scandalous experience discipline, punishment, and vengeance (2 Cor. 2:6; 1 Thess. 4:6). Those who fall away from their profession of faith become the special objects of divine vengeance (Heb. 10:26–31).
Consider God’s anger toward the true saint among his people: “Jehovah, rebuke me not in your wrath; neither chasten me in your hot displeasure. For your arrows stick fast in me... There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; neither is there any health in my bones because of my sin” (Ps. 38:1–3). This is not the prayer of the wicked, but of the righteous. Do not misunderstand. God’s anger toward the righteous is the parental anger of a loving Father, not the judicial wrath of a Judge. The text addresses God’s parental rebuke and chastening of his beloved children for their sins. He does this “for our profit,” to make us holy (Heb. 12:10, 11). He chastens his children when we grieve or quench his Holy Spirit. Our protracted unbelief of his word and promises provokes his parental anger (Exo. 4:14). Any unmortified worldliness or immorality provokes his parental reproof and rod. Sometimes, as with Job, he afflicts us and withdraws his comforts to prove us, and show the genuineness of our religion. He at times chastens his children, not only with bodily afflictions, but also by dwindling our spiritual comforts and graces, as the tragic declension of David so clearly displays (Ps. 51). God restores the sense of his favor and nearness, when he renews our hearts unto repentance (Job. 42:6; Ps. 51; Rev. 3:19, 20).
God’s Wrath Upon All Mankind
By “all mankind,” I mean, all in Adam, whether Jew or Gentile. We consider, more simply the provocation, infliction, and culmination of God’s wrath upon every wicked man.
Consider how all mankind provoke God’s wrath: “for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hinder the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom. 1:18); “after your hardness and impenitent heart you treasure up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every man according to his works...unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, shall be wrath and indignation, tribulation and anguish” (Rom. 2:5, 6, 8); “no fornicator, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of God and Christ. Let no man deceive you with empty words: for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience” (Eph. 5:6); “He that believes on the Son has eternal life; but he that obeys not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (Jn. 3:36). Wicked men provoke God when they suppress what they know to be true about him from creation and conscience (Rom. 1:18, 19; 2:14, 15). They provoke him when they hypocritically condemn others for what they themselves do (Rom. 2:2–5). They provoke him when they stubbornly harden their hearts in a life of rebellion (Rom. 2:5). They provoke him when they live in flagrant violation of his moral law (Eph. 5:6) and in open rejection of the gospel of Jesus Christ (Jn. 3:36).
Consider how God inflicts his wrath on all mankind: “like the overthrow of Sodom and Gommorah...which Jehovah overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath” (Dt. 29:23); “He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, a band of angels of evil. He made a path for his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence, and smote all the first-born in Egypt” (Ps. 78:49–51); “hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of their wrath is come; and who is able to stand?” (Rev. 6:16, 17); “If any man worships the beast...he also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment goes up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day and night” (Rev. 14:9–11). In this life and age, he inflicts his wrath on wicked men with temporal judgments, as he did to Sodom and to Egypt, and by giving them up to their sins (Rom. 1:24–31). In the age to come, however, he pours out all his fury on the wicked. They suffer eternal condemnation and damnation. At their death, their spirits suffer in hell. At Christ’s return, they suffer unending torment of body and soul, in the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:31–46; Rev. 6:16, 17; 14:9–11).
Consider the culmination of God’s wrath on all mankind: “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said unto them, You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come” (Matt. 3:7); “kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath will soon be kindled. Blessed are all they that take refuge in him” (Ps. 2:12); “God is a righteous judge, yea, a God that has indignation every day. If a man turn not, he will whet his sword” (Ps. 7:11, 12); “Behold, the tempest of Jehovah, even his wrath, is gone forth, yea, a whirling tempest: it shall burst upon the head of the wicked” (Jer. 23:19). Once God inflicts his eternal wrath, it has no end. If men live and die in their sin, without ever turning to God, he will forever punish them. Men must either take refuge in Christ, or suffer that wrath forever.
As we close our study of God’s anger and wrath, I want briefly to summarize three practical lessons which God’s anger teaches all men in general, and three additional lessons which it teaches to Christians in particular. Three lessons for all men: (1) All men should honestly face God’s wrath (Rom. 2:4, 5; Eph. 5:6); (2) All men should immediately flee from God’s wrath (Matt. 3:7); (3) No man should ever provoke God’s wrath (Ps. 90:11). Three additional lessons for Christians: Christians should (1) gratefully praise God for refuge from his wrath in Christ (Ps. 2:12; Rom. 3:25; 1 Jn. 4:9, 10); (2) always defer to God’s wrath (Rom. 12:19); and (3) earnestly pray regarding God’s wrath, both by intercession (Dt. 29:18, 19) and imprecation (Ps. 69:21, 24, 26).
7. The Biblical Display Of God’s Peace
- Jer. 16:5, “I have taken away my peace from this people says Jehovah, even lovingkindness and tender mercies.”Jn. 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you: not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.”
- Phil. 4:6, 7, 9, “In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus...the things which you both learned and received and heard and saw in me, these things do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”
- 2 Thess. 3:16, “The Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with you all.”
- Heb. 13:20, 21, “Now the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, even our Lord Jesus, make you perfect in every good thing to do his will, working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ.”
The dual significance of peace in Scripture makes it difficult to identify and isolate texts that refer to God’s supreme tranquility. For example the expression, “the God of peace,” sometimes describes his conciliatory influence upon his people. When Paul says, “the God of peace be with you” (Rom. 15:33), he may be expressing primarily the hope that God’s conciliatory presence will check division and controversy in the church. Again, when he says, “the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly” (Rom. 16:20), he may mean primarily that God will soon bring our spiritual conflict to an end by vanquishing our enemy, Satan. Thus, “the God of peace,” sometimes means “the God who ends hostility,” rather than, “the God who experiences absolute tranquility.” Still, in some contexts Scripture explicitly describes God’s supreme tranquility with phrases such as “my peace,” “the God of peace,” and “the peace of God.” The expression, “my peace,” refers to God’s supreme tranquility in Jer. 16:5 and Jn. 14:27. In Phil. 4:7, 9, the expressions “the God of peace” and “the peace of God” convey this idea. In several other passages, the phrase “the God of peace,” or the related phrase, “the Lord of peace” probably include God’s tranquility (1 Thess. 5:23; 2 Thess. 3:16; Heb. 13:20). Again, Scripture implicitly discloses God’s supreme tranquility with expressions such as, “Fear not, I am with you” (Is. 43:5), and “I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (Ps. 23:4). These expressions indicate that God’s tranquil presence calms his people’s fear. Again, Scripture implies God’s supreme tranquility when it teaches that God, by his Spirit, personally imparts a spiritual sensation of calmness to his people: “the kingdom of God is...righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17); “the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 15:13). These texts indicate that the Holy Spirit, by his powerful influence and special presence, fills his people’s hearts with some measure of his own infinite sensation of tranquility and joy.
Under the Old Covenant, the Lord removes the blessed influence of his supreme tranquility from the society of his people because of their aggravated rebellion, breaking his covenant, and serving other gods (Jer. 16:5). When God removes his peace from Judah and Jerusalem, he severely judges them for their sins. Thus, we see the close relation between the departure of divine tranquility from his people and his infliction of hostility, enmity, and punishment upon his people. Yet, even then, he shelters the godly among his people and continues to be with them (Ps. 23:4). Under the New Covenant, he incessantly gives and imparts, in some measure, his own sensation of tranquility and calm to the society of his people (Jn. 14:27; Phil. 4:7; 2 Thess. 3:16). For this reason the Lord exhorts his disciples not to be fearful or troubled, even in the midst of danger and foes (Jn. 14:27). God’s people experience this blessed tranquility in the way of prayer and holiness. When we seek him, and with gratitude cast all our worries on him, then his incomprehensible tranquility guards our hearts (Phil. 4:6, 7). When, by his grace, Christians do his will, then the God of peace conveys his blessed tranquility to us (Heb. 13:20, 21). Therefore brethren, let us be diligent in prayer and obedience, that the “Lord of peace” may continue with us, and impart ever increasing measures of his supreme tranquility to our hearts.
We now summarize the display of God’s affections in eternity, creation, fall, salvation, and the consummation. In eternity past, God felt only inter-Trinitarian joy, delight, pleasure, and peace in contemplation of his own infinite beauty, virtue, blessedness, and security. When he creates all things, both material and spiritual, he feels delight, joy, and pleasure in his work. When his creatures sin, he feels detestation, grief, and vengeful anger. The miseries that their sin brings upon them also grieve him. In conjunction with redemption, the Lord feels something akin to what men call “mixed emotions.” His soul is grieved for the affliction of his people, yet he rejoices over them. He delights in his people and is well-pleased with their evangelical obedience, yet he detests their sins and is displeased with their remaining corruption. In the consummation, when his people no longer have remaining sin or affliction, his anger at their remaining sin and grief at their present affliction pass away. Throughout all eternity, in the new heavens and earth, he will feel unmingled delight, joy, and pleasure in his people. Yet, throughout all eternity, he will incessantly detest the wicked and pacify his vengeful anger with their unending punishment. Finally, from eternity to eternity, he feels uninterrupted and absolute tranquility.
The Applications Of God’s Emotivity
We briefly summarize three applications of God’s emotivity. Each of God’s affections inspires ardent devotion, warrants careful imitation, and demands diligent attention.
1. God’s Affections Inspire Our Ardent Devotion.
We must bless and praise God for his delight in right and in the righteous, and for his detestation of wickedness and of the wicked. We must magnify both his anger over sin and his pleasure at the impeccable virtue of Christ and evangelical virtue of his people. We must bless him for caring so much about us that he grieves over our afflictions. We must praise him for imparting his joy and peace.
2. God’s Affections Warrant Careful Imitation.
God himself furnishes a flawless example of wholesome emotive life after which we should pattern our own feelings. We should love what he loves, and hate what he hates. We too should detest sinners and their sin, and delight in the righteous and their godly ways (Ps. 139:21). We should never delight in wickedness or in the company of the world (1 Jn. 2:15). We should never detest Christians or Christian churches in which the Lord delights. We too should grieve over the sufferings of God’s people, and rejoice with them in their spiritual blessings (Rom. 12:15). We too should rejoice with the Lord over one sinner that repents, not grumble with pharisaic anger (Lk. 15:7, 10). We too should be displeased with sin, and pleased with the evangelical obedience of the saints. Finally, when we are afraid, we should trust in the Lord, cast all our anxiety on him, and strive to know ever-increasing measures of his incomprehensible peace (Phil. 4:6, 7).
3. God’s Affections Demand Diligent Attention.
We must pay careful attention to how God feels. We must live in such a way that he feels delight, joy, and pleasure in us. We must never do what he detests, or grieve him, or provoke him to anger and jealousy (Eph. 4:30). We should fear his anger and flee from it. We should never take our own revenge, but always defer to his vengeful anger (Rom. 12:19). We should plead with him to turn his anger away from his people and inflict it on the wicked (Rev. 6:10). We should plead with him swiftly to usher in the new heavens and earth, in which he himself shall wipe away every tear from our eyes. We must not deny or neglect God’s affections. We should embrace this truth wholeheartedly, live conscientiously in its light, and proclaim it faithfully and courageously.
Notes
- Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology (reprinted., Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1986), 1:378, 379, 380.
- John Gill, Body of Divinity (reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1978), 51.
- Ibid., 84.
- Ibid., 101.
- Ibid., 112.
- Ibid., 148.
- In one respect, each of these faculties is “communicable,” in another, “incommunicable.” Men have the capacity to think, choose, and feel. Yet, no man has omniscience, a sovereign will, or divine emotivity. Thus, using this venerable distinction as our organizing principle, we would first have to consider the biblical witness to God’s communicable mind, will, and affection, then to his incommunicable omniscience, sovereignty, and emotivity. This would pose a nearly impossible task. When we distinguish between God’s “existential” and “spiritual” attributes, we retain what is true in that distinction, and yet, hopefully, avoid what is impractical.
- Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1986), 59.
- Hodge, 1:378, 379.
- Ibid., 1:373, 374.
- Ibid., 1:428, 429.
- Morton Smith, Systematic Theology (Greenville, SC: Greenville Seminary Press, 1994), 1:130–138.
- Ibid., 1:138–140.
- Ibid., 1:140, 141.
- Ibid., 1:141–143.
- Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield, Biblical and Theological Studies (Philadelphia: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1968), 513, 514.
- Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield, The Person and Work of Christ, ed. Samuel G. Craig (Philadelphia: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1970), 107.
- Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield, The Works of Benjamin B. Warfield, vol. IX, Studies in Theology (reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1991), 111.
- Leon Morris, The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross (reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1983), 131.
- Ibid., 163.
- Gill, Body, 112–148.
- Ibid., 112.
- Ibid., 148.
- Ibid., 128.
- Ibid., 137.
- Ibid., 51, 136.
- John Flavel, The Works of John Flavel (reprint ed., Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1982), 1:43, 44.
- Ibid.
- Gill, Body, 146–148.
- Ibid., 148.
- Morris, Apostolic Preaching, 131.
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