Psalm 90:11

Psalm 90:11

God’s wrath is as great as the fear that He is due

Presumably, most people would not want to know the full power and extent of the anger of the Lord! Psalm 10 relates the stupidity of the wicked who give no thought to God and live evil lives oppressing others and looking after themselves. They use any means to accumulate worldly wealth and prestige, and in so doing make the lives of the poor and the downtrodden, utterly miserable. In God’s eyes all men are equal, why should some use their few years on this planet to promote themselves at the expense of others?  Why should they live in luxury whilst others grovel for crumbs? This has nothing to do with politics, it is a great injustice in God’s eyes, and it kindles His anger. The wicked are labelled as arrogant and foolish and they will feel the full extent of the wrath of our God.And how do we measure this anger? Well, Moses the psalm-writer has come up with an equation, God’s wrath is as great as the fear that He is due! The fear of God here does not refer to the terror and fright of a trembling mortal who dare not approach the Holy One. It speaks of reverent fear, of awe and wonder and a real sense of place. God is God and you and I are but mere mortals, we will live to honour and obey Him out of a deep loving respect for who He is. So, the equation offers two scenarios that balance each other, the respectful believer who lives to please Almighty God is compared with the fool who never measures the few days that they have on the earth, or considers their impending death, or their accountability to God. The fear of the believer contrasts so powerfully with the careless lack of consideration that He is given by the wicked. His anger will correspond exactly with their disregard of others and of Him. 

 

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