The view many have of God as being one whose very nature is anger and judgment is so perverted. They fail to see the truth in those Old Testament stories. “All these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition…” (1 Cor. 10:11). “Whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we…might have hope” (Rom. 15:4). Those who read them and reach a perverted understanding of God should read them again. It is in these stories we learn how our holy God responds to the evil in our world.
To see this truth, we should see how all mankind should discover the nature of God in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. Those who lived in these two cities were given over to the pleasures of sin. Engraved about the gates into those cities should have been the words: Whatever Happens in This City Stays in This City. They were so given over to sin that when those heavenly guests entered the city, they demanded that His messengers be given to them to force on them their selfish pleasure.
What is overlooked in this event is the nature of God described by Ezekiel. “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live” (Ezek. 33:11). Is there any evidence of this in the account of Genesis? Absolutely! He would have spared the entire sinful city had there been just ten righteous people in it. God came down; He entered the city; He came to verify that they had done all the great and very grave sin had come up to Him (Gen. 18:20-21). This event is recorded as an example of the vengeance of our holy God sending eternal fire against fornication (Judg. 1:7).
Jesus believed this and added a further truth to those who have been saved from His judgment when He said,
“Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32). These words, like all the other words about this event, were written for learning that we might have hope.
His holiness demands judgment. Think about how a family would respond who finds great pleasure with that cuddly puppy they just got. Now imagine that as it grew it became viscous attacking every guest and roaming the neighborhood creating fear. Imagine how the parents would feel if that dog then violently attacked and actually killed their children. If you understand this reaction, you have begun to comprehend how God feel and deals with evil.
Those who see Jesus different from God fail to understand that Jesus is God. He turned over the tables of evil men and announced the coming of the worst tribulation ever. God longs for the world to be saved, but He does not force them to obey. Understand His holiness. He longs for your salvation!