God’s Wrath is Real (Jeremiah 50:25)

“The Lord has opened his armory and brought out the weapons of his wrath. For the Lord God of hosts has a work to do in the land of the Chaldeans.”
-Jeremiah 50:25

This is a frightening verse. The Lord has opened his armory? God has an armory that is full of weapons, and they’re described here in Jeremiah 50:25 as weapons of his wrath. And he has work to do among sinners. And this is not a picture we often have of God, yet this is a picture we see in Scripture, that God himself has given us in his Word, and we see it in different ways. You read the book of Revelation and you will see this on full display.

The wrath of God is real and it’s right. So it’s right. God is holy. He’s just. He must judge sin in the same way that … picture a murderer put on trial before a judge. It’s clear that that murderer is guilty. That judge, if he’s going to be a good and just judge, is not gonna say, “No big deal. No consequences here. Just go free.” We’d have that judge off the bench in a heartbeat. It’s not good. It’s not just. We expect wrong to be condemned, right to be praised. That’s what a judge does.

We need a right view of God’s wrath. Jesus has endured the wrath due sinners. God’s wrath is real but He has provided a substitute for those who trust in Him.

And so this is what God, the holy, just judge of the universe, does. Jeremiah 50:25 reminds us there are consequences to sin before a holy God. Eternal consequences, frightful consequences, the wrath. The just wrath of God is right and it’s real. It’s real. You can’t believe the Bible and not realize this. Know that we’re not just playing a game here. Eternal life and death are at stake here. So much is at stake here.

Sin has caused havoc in our lives and in the world around us and in our families, so we need to turn from it, to trust in Jesus, and to realize that this is the beauty of the gospel. God is not just a God who is holy and just with right wrath. He’s also a God of love and mercy who shows grace. He has sent his son Jesus to endure wrath on our behalf, to take the full weaponry of wrath from the Father upon himself so that we might be saved from our sin. All glory be to Jesus’ name for the salvation he gives, the salvation he makes possible, for people around us and peoples around the world.

God Has Paved A Path Of Salvation From His Wrath

So God, we pray, help us not to have a limited view of you. Help us to have a right view of you, including a right view of your real wrath. Help us to know how much you hate sin, and how harmful it is. And help us to know at the same time how much you love sinners, how much you seek after sinners. You desire to save sinners. You’ve made the way for the salvation of sinners. You draw sinners to yourself. So God, please do that more and more and more around us.

God, we pray for the spread of your love among people who are under your wrath. And God, we pray that you would use our lives to that end. Lord, please, please, please help us to share the gospel today and to lead someone to your love today who is right now under your wrath. I pray this for people around us, and God, we pray this for peoples around the world who have yet to hear of the good news of your love. God, help us to not be content with unreached people in the world. People have not yet been reached with the good news of your grace. Over 6000 people groups like that, 2.8 billion people. God, change that, we pray, through us.

Help us to live, our lives, our families, our churches. Help us to live for the spread of your grace to those who right now are under your wrath. God, please may it be so. We pray in Jesus’ name, in the name of the one who has taken the wrath we deserve and made your love known to us. In his name we pray, lead. Amen.

Get Pray the Word daily by subscribing here.