Wrath ?!

The working title for the thinking in my head is "What makes God really mad?" but it's not necessarily the best summary of the topic, just my starting point.

I had a problem with "wrath". I've read the bible through several times and my eyes sort of jump the nastiest bits. I finally decided I had to face it and so set myself a question. Why would the God is Love get that mad ? What on earth could make him act like that ? I picked a prophet at random and worked through the "because" verses. What an eye opener. Amos turned out to have been a good choice cos of the way it's laid out. I'd been put off cos of the odd (to me) imagery but in fact the "because" clauses are really clear ! and it turns out it's some of the things that I'm passionate about too so the answers please me rather ! I went on to Isaiah (link)- well the first half - the you naughty kids half . Same again. 

The needy, the poor, the fatherless and widow, aliens (I just love to use that word just to be naughty - like Sting, "I'm a legal alien, I'm an Englishman in New York) ok, foreigners, false weights and measures and rigged or biased 'justice'. 

Then there is the immorality and the false gods/idolatry etc. But I'd expected to find just that, and more of it. So God is not just concerned about private morality and his own public image and following. He gets so cross at how the weaker members of society are treated he's prepared to let bullies fall into the hands of even bigger bullies to get a taste of their own medicine. He gives them loads of warning in the hope they'll stop of course. 

Of course Amos and Isaiah were talking to particular situations but I've found it in many of the other prophecies too.

My lack of understanding about this had affected all sorts of things including feeling overly sorry for the Hebrew people being taken on off into exile. Yes they have been appallingly treated since and there is absolutely no excuse for that persecution plain and simple. However the second half of Isaiah is not comforting because God has to pay them to make up for the horrid Babylonians, it's just reassuring them that now they're on the receiving end it wont last for ever, they're not abandoned. They still deserved it. That isn't taken away !

This led on to thinking about what does God really like, what makes him happy ? Of course there are lots of things but the simplest answer has become even more clear to me. To love the Lord my God with all my heart, mind soul and strength and to love my neighbour as myself. The Westminster confession has not done us a service. Only worshiping God is half the story and if I only do that without the second half the first half is completely wasted. It's only paper roses (do you remember the song by Marie Osmond ? "paper roses, like your imitation love for me"). which leads on to James - Faith AND Works. 

It has so many practical out workings. Like how we treat employees. Do we pay our bills straight away ? I have a friend who is a decorator and can't live by it cos people don't pay for work until he's virtually taken them to court. Do we make sure our employees get a living wage ? the farmer who takes on ppl and pays the same what ever time of day they start - K Bailey says the wage was just enough to feed one family for a day - the crazy employer made sure that no family in that village went hungry that day. My home helps don't get enough to live on from the wage the social security gives them for my care so I top up their wage - I don't give it as a gift but as a right so they're not put in the position of keeping on thanking me. 

My baptism verse is in Isaiah 58 but it's a bit rich wanting the blessing of being a well watered garden without applying the first part of the chapter - this is the fast that I chose ... It's an "if" blessing like so many others. Same with Hebrews 13 - how many times have I sung we bring a sacrifice of praise - I led worship for many years and feel passionately about praising God (in all sorts of ways aswell as music) but it's a 2 halved verse : sacrifice of praise AND good works!

I'm sorry The Poor is not a "sexy" subject but the NT is so riddled with it. I reread early Acts again and there it is like Skegness through rock. What did the first ever Christian "Full Timers" do ? They thought that caring for the starving old ladies was important enough to not be able to get on with prayer and study !! The Jews, even the Pharisees who supposedly kept the law were letting them suffer. The first appointments in the early church were to take over. Not just one but SEVEN !! Cornelius was heard by God cos of his prayer AND his care for the poor. Paul went to see the brothers to check out he'd got his doctrine right - and they said fine but don't forget the poor. Galations 2

I did a little study on giving in the NT (link) - It's clear, no need for inferences from OT ideas. Relatives, leaders, brothers and the poor. The 4 areas of giving in the NT. No ambiguity. The Jesus mandate.