INTRODUCTION: This is a theme which is largely ignored, and even denied in many churches today. God is a God of love only, and the God of wrath was an OT mistake, etc. But the Bible speaks of both God's love and wrath, in both OT and NT. In this passage Isaiah the prophet tells us some important information about the wrath of God.

I. GOD IS SLOW TO ANGER.
A. The context: God's patience with Israel for hundreds of years.
The N. Kingdom fell to Assyria in 721 BC. (800 years after Moses)
The S. Kingdom fell to Babylon in 586 BC. (1000 years after Moses)
B. God is slow to anger, rich in mercy (Nehemiah 9:16-22).

II. GOD'S WRATH MAY BE SEVERE.
He brought war to Israel: death, destruction, poverty, orphans, widows, mothers losing sons, famine, disease, all accompany war.

III. GOD'S WRATH MAY BE LENGTHY.
A. See the Isaiah refrain: 9:12, 9:17, 9:21, 10:4
B. God shows His anger as long as it takes to bring repentance.
Hebrews 12:10-11 as a Father chastises his children, for their own good, not to hurt.

IV. GOD'S WRATH IS ALWAYS DESERVED.
A. He is always fair, just, righteous.
B. Sin brought His wrath on Israel (see Is. 9:13-17)

CONCLUSION: What does all this mean to us today?
1. We need to get our personal lives in order. Purity, integrity, love, faithfulness, worship
2. We need to pray for the church as a whole, and for our nation, which is ripe for God's wrath.

Prayer
*Hymn #438 "Cleanse Me"