"...hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast." Isaiah 26:20b
God's judgments are often a favorite subject of most people, especially critics of God's character, those unhappy few who cannot understand why we just can't all get along. An answer to them is for another time. Here we will note what most people miss; indeed, you could say most people miss the forest for the trees, or in this case, the mercy for the judgment, the ark for the flood. "Hide thyself...for a little moment." A little moment? That should take the wind out of your sails. All our talks about how just or vindictive God is, and yet Isaiah speaks of His judgments like they were summer rains: arising in an instant, unleashing what they have, and then disappearing in an instant. In fact, His anger appears to be almost an interjection to our lives rather than a hallmark of them.
That is the really curious thing about this whole matter, that when it comes to our lives God's anger seems to be the exception and not the rule. "His anger endureth but a moment," they are but passing storms that come and go, "in His favor is life," (Psalm 30:5a) our lives are founded on His favor, and if you need to know exactly how much God favors us, see Romans 5:8. His anger is not the norm for our lives; His love is. One almost feels like His anger is (in a sense) a necessary evil, needed because sin is rampant, and it must be dealt with. In the end, however, when sin is no longer apart of our lives, His anger will no longer be a part either.
"Weeping endures for the Night.
But at your eternal Dawn,
There will be no more tears
And no more Night..."
-Jon Vowell
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