Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God (Isaiah 9:8-10:34)
“The bow of God’s wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart, and strains the bow, and it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being made drunk with your blood. Thus all you that never passed under a great change of heart, by the mighty power of the Spirit of God upon your souls; all you that were never born again, and made new creatures, and raised from being dead in sin, to a state of new light and life, are in the hands of an angry God.”
These sobering words are from one of the most famous sermons in history. Entitled “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, it was preached by American pastor-theologian Jonathan Edwards almost 300 years ago. He first preached the sermon to his home church, where no remarkable response was reported. Then, on July 8, 1741, Edwards preached it again at another church. This time, he didn’t get to finish preaching the sermon. As Edwards spoke, the congregation began to weep and it grew so loud that he was forced to stop. He then moved among the people to pray with them. Many came to trust in Jesus as their Saviour that day. This amazing outpouring of faith was a key event in a time of extraordinary spiritual revival known as the First Great Awakening.
But I wonder what we would make of such a sermon today. Does even the title make us uneasy? Sounds rather harsh, perhaps. If God is love, then how can he be angry? Maybe we imagine Edwards to be a stereotypical hell-fire preacher, scaring people with the threat of fire and brimstone.
We view anger as a negative emotion. Getting angry means blowing our top, flying off the handle, throwing a tantrum, or simply losing it. We associate anger with an irritable, violent, uncontrolled response. Angry people are easily triggered. Some of us may be seeking to control our own anger. Or, we may have been at the receiving end of others’ angry outbursts. The Bible warns us against sinning with our anger.
Yet, the Bible also speaks of a different kind of anger—a righteous indignation that upholds God’s holiness and takes God’s side against evil. This is the sort of anger we feel against wrongdoing or injustice. For example, we’re angry when someone threatens to harm our family. We’re indignant when the vulnerable are oppressed or exploited, when a child is abused, or when an older person loses his life savings to scammers. Such anger moves us to seek justice, to put right the wrongs. If flawed people like us are right to be morally outraged, then how much more should the holy God be angry at those who have rebelled against him? God is angry because he is good.
We are to fear God’s anger and trust God’s salvation.
Our text today is about sinners in the hands of an angry God. Last week, we heard from Isaiah 7 about how King Ahaz of the southern kingdom of Judah was troubled by an alliance between Syria and the northern kingdom of Israel. But rather than turn to God for help, Ahaz turned to the world. He looked to Assyria, the superpower of the day, to save him. In our text, Isaiah shows us the folly of fearing man instead of God. Ahaz was afraid of Israel and Assyria, but God will judge these nations in His righteous anger. And, the good news is that the LORD will save all who trust in Him. God warns us of judgement, that we might flee from His wrath and be saved. We are to fear God’s anger and trust God’s salvation.
Fear God’s anger against arrogance (Isa 9:8-10:19)
Isaiah 9 and 10 describe how the LORD will pour out His righteous anger against Israel and Assyria. God’s judgement focuses on the sinful arrogance of these two nations. They represent human pride, boasting in themselves. Like Israel and Assyria, we too are guilty of pride. We like to be first. We seek to make a name for ourselves. We want to be served more than we want to serve. We believe we’re always right. We care a lot about what others think of us. But stop and consider: Why is God so angered by human arrogance? It’s because pride prevents praise. It robs God of the glory He alone is worthy to receive. Pride is the opposite of thankfulness. We take the credit and give God none. Pride exalts self above God.
Without Jesus, we are sinners in the hands of an angry God. Unless we repent and seek the Saviour, we too will perish.
Isaiah calls out arrogant Israel in four stanzas, each highlighting how Israel has been proud. Each stanza ends with this refrain: “For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.” (Isa 9:12, 17, 21; 10:4). It’s the same refrain we heard in Isaiah 5 concerning Judah. Judah is no better than Israel. God’s judgement on Israel foreshadows what will happen to Judah, unless Judah repents. It also foreshadows God’s final judgement on the whole world. The repeated warnings of God’s anger remind us of our urgent need. Without Jesus, we are sinners in the hands of an angry God. Unless we repent and seek the Saviour, we too will perish.
(I) Arrogant self-confidence (Isa 9:8-12)
The LORD has spoken, through Isaiah the prophet, a word of judgement against Israel. Judgement will surely fall on the nation, which is also known as Ephraim and its capital Samaria (Isa 9:8-9). Israel’s problem is its “pride and arrogance of heart” (Isa 9:9). Israel is self-confident, expecting to always bounce back better from whatever happens. Indeed, under King Jeroboam II, Israel was at the peak of its power and prosperity. Sure of its own strength, Israel makes light of judgement. “If the walls fall down, we’ll build stronger walls. If the trees are cut down, we’ll plant bigger trees.”
Some of us can relate to Israel’s “can-do attitude”. When trouble comes, our natural tendency is to fix the problem ourselves. We trust our own intelligence, street-smarts or plans. We lean on our strength, abilities, or qualifications. We find security in what we can do and what we own. We take pride in being self-sufficient and self-reliant.
We’d like to think we have our lives under control. Perhaps life is going according to plan, and we feel as though we don’t need God. We listen less to His word. We pray less. We gather less with His people for worship, fellowship, and encouragement. But the best laid plans of mice and men often fail. The sovereign God can overturn and upset our schemes and dreams. In Israel’s case, the LORD raised up the Syrians and Philistines to knock Israel off its proud perch. In our case, it may be a setback in our studies, a broken relationship, a moral failure, a difficult illness, the loss of a job, or a crushing disappointment. When the LORD humbles us, may he break our arrogant self-confidence and help us see our need of Him.
(II) Arrogant unrepentance (Isa 9:13-17)
When God brings trouble and trials into our lives, we should not assume that difficulties will automatically lead us back to God. Israel remains unrepentant in the face of God’s discipline. Look at Isaiah 9:13. The people did not seek or return to the LORD “who struck them”. Although He is the LORD of hosts—the King who rules over the vast armies of heaven—Israel did not want His help. Too proud to return to God, Israel would rather listen to the lies of its leaders—unfaithful elders and prophets—who lead them astray (Isa 9:15-16). Who are we really listening to? Who or what has the most influence in our lives? Where do we turn for wisdom and help?
The LORD will remove the leaders who are harming His people. Pray for the leaders of GBC, that we would be faithful to God and His word. May we be kept from a worldly pragmatism that chooses expedience over God’s truth. Pray 1 Timothy 4:16 for the elders, that we will closely watch our life and teaching, so that we will save both ourselves and our hearers. Pray also for the husbands and fathers among us to lead our families faithfully.
God holds not only the leaders responsible, but also those who listen to them. Rather than repent, the people follow leaders who lead them astray. Look at Isaiah 9:17. Therefore, God’s judgement will fall on all, even the young, the orphans, and the widows. Sin has spread. “Everyone is godless” (Isa 8:17). No one will be spared from God’s wrath. He will judge the false teachers. He will also hold us responsible if we listen to false teaching.
(III) Arrogant greed (Isa 9:18-21)
God will judge Israel for its greed. The people have a constant craving for more: “They slice meat on the right…and they devour on the left” (Isa 9:20). But they never have enough; they are never satisfied. Have we ever considered that the reason why we’re constantly discontented and restless is because we may be greedy? Greed will consume us. Isaiah likens greed to a blazing fire that burns the whole nation into a smoking ruin. The relentless quest for more will burn us out.
Greed is arrogant because it is only concerned with serving self, not others. I make it all about me. I want more for myself. Arrogant greed destroys relationships. It makes us use people instead of serving them. Look at Isaiah 9:21. A self-serving society will tear itself apart. Sure enough, Israel descended into the chaos of civil war after the death of Jeroboam II. This is God’s judgement. Such self-seeking greed will hurt our fellowship and undermine our unity as a church. Imagine what our church life would be like if everyone showed up asking, “What’s in it for me?” May God help us repent of any attitude that hinders us from knowing, loving, and serving one another.
(IV) Arrogant complacency (Isa 10:1-4)
From Isaiah 10:1-3, we see how Israel’s rulers have made themselves rich by taking advantage of the vulnerable, poor and needy. They imagine themselves to be safe because of their money and possessions. Prosperity can make us proud and complacent. Wealth can lull us into a false sense of security. But when God’s judgement comes, Israel’s unjust rulers will realise too late that cash is not king: “To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth?” They exalted themselves, but they will be brought low, “to crouch among the prisoners or fall among the slain” (Isa 10:4).
When crisis comes, who or what will we trust? Can our prosperity save us? Hear what Jesus says: “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (Matt. 16:26). Beware of being so preoccupied with comfort and convenience that we become blind to our true spiritual need. Jesus rebuked the lukewarm Laodicean church: “You say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realising that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:17).
(V) Arrogant power (Isa 10:5-19)
Because of Israel’s arrogant self-confidence, unrepentance, greed and complacency, God’s anger has not turned away. He calls Israel “the people of my wrath” (Isa 10:6). What a sobering description! Do we realise that if we persist in our rejection of God, we remain under His wrath. God is holy. He is longsuffering to bear with our sin, but there is a limit to His patience. For Israel, God’s judgement will finally fall in the form of the invading Assyrians. They are the “rod of (God’s) anger” (Isa 10:8). At that time, Assyria terrified and terrorised the world. Their hunger for conquest was insatiable. Their war machine was unstoppable, toppling one kingdom after another.
But the point here isn’t Assyria’s might; it’s God’s absolute sovereignty over all nations, including those who do not even acknowledge Him. Assyria is but a tool in God’s hands to accomplish His plans. For its part, arrogant Assyria has no intention of serving God. All Assyria cares about is satisfying his own lust for power — “It is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few” (Isa 10:7). He boasts about the might of his military commanders (Isa 10:8). He boasts about the cities he has conquered (Isa 10:9-11). He boasts about His own power (Isa 10:13a): “By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding.”
Assyria’s boast would not sound out of place in our merit-based system, which makes the winners think they deserve it because they are stronger, smarter, and work harder. Do we believe we are where we are through our own strength and wisdom? How have we forgotten to be grateful to God, our Creator and Provider? Consider our abilities, talents, and opportunities. Have they not been entrusted to us by the God who is sovereign over our lives? What do we have that we did not receive from Him? The self-made man is a myth.
Do we realise that we are but instruments in God’s hands? Not to us, but to His name give glory. Look at Isaiah 10:15. “Shall the axe boast over him who hews with it, or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it?” Just as God judges arrogant Israel, so he will punish arrogant Assyria. “The light of Israel will become a fire, and his Holy One a flame.” (Isa 10:17a) God will humble the proud who exalt themselves, for He will not give His glory to another. Assyria’s military is no match for the King of heaven’s armies. The Lord GOD of hosts will “send wasting sickness among (Assyria’s) stout warriors” (Isa 10:16). The message to us is clear: Fear God, not man. Boast in God, not ourselves.
See here the two complementary truths of divine sovereignty and human responsibility. The sovereign God uses Assyria as His instrument of judgement. At the same time, God holds arrogant Assyria responsible for its sinful pride and actions. God is sovereign. We are responsible. How exactly do these two truths fit together? I don’t know. The inner workings are a mystery that God has chosen not to reveal to us. But what we do know is that since Scripture holds these two truths together, so must we. Both truths help us understand the cross: God sovereignly sent His Son to die for sinners; we are responsible for our sins, which nailed Jesus to the cross.
God’s anger is against the arrogant. As God’s people, do we share his righteous indignation against evil? Do we love God by hating our own sin?
God’s anger is against the arrogant. As God’s people, do we share His righteous indignation against evil? Do we love God by hating our own sin? As John Stott said: “There is a great need in the contemporary world for more Christian anger. We human beings compromise with sin in a way in which God never does. In the face of blatant evil we should be indignant not tolerant, angry not apathetic. If God hates sin, His people should hate it too. If evil arouses His anger, it should arouse ours also.”
Trust God’s promise to save (Isa 10:20-34)
Praise God that His anger isn’t like ours. And even in wrath, God remembers mercy. He is still faithful, gracious, and compassionate. God will not wipe out His people but will preserve a remnant by His grace, just as he has promised. Look at Isaiah 10:20 — There will be a “remnant of Israel and survivors of the house of Jacob”. God will discipline, not destroy. God’s people will learn to lean on the LORD, not Assyria. Trials wean us off false hopes and false confidence. Trials train us to trust God, who uses the difficult things in our lives to teach us about ourselves and Himself: He is the LORD, the faithful, covenant-keeping God whose word never fails. He is the Holy One, glorious in His perfections and purity. He is the Holy One of Israel — He is our God and we are His people, if we have believed in His Son to save us.
Indeed, the LORD saves! Isaiah 10:21 resounds with amazing grace and hope: “A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God”. This is the promise of repentance and redemption that the LORD held out to Ahaz in chapter 7, summed up in the name of Isaiah’s son, “Shear-jashub”, which means “a remnant shall return”. Don’t be like Ahaz, who pretended to be pious and refused to believe God.
Isaiah 10:22 reminds us to not presume on God’s grace: Only a remnant will return. God’s judgement is righteous and just. God has promised to save, but we must trust Him. The people of Israel were many, but only a remnant had true faith in God. Don’t assume we are spiritually safe just because we attend church or are surrounded by Christian family and friends. Only those who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Trust in the LORD who saves. In Christ, we are God’s people.
So, trust in the LORD who saves. God encourages Judah to not be afraid of the Assyrians. In Isaiah 10:24, He calls them my people. They dwell in Zion, where the LORD is present with His people. He is Immanuel, God with us. God reminds His people of His faithfulness in the past, when He rescued them from Egypt. Beloved, when trials come, speak these truths to ourselves and one another: In Christ, we are God’s people. He will never leave us nor forsake us. If Jesus saves us from our greatest enemies of sin and death, then how will he not also deliver us from our earthly troubles? We have an unshakeable hope in Christ. If in God we trust, we shall not be afraid. What can man do to us? So, do not live for man’s approval. Live for God and for His glory. So, fear God, not man.
After the repeated warnings of God’s anger, how comforting to hear the reassuring words of Isaiah 10:25: “For in a very little while my fury will come to an end.” God, in His righteous anger, will use Assyria to discipline and purify His people. But He will “not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever” (Ps 103:9). “He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love” (Mic 7:18). When God’s sanctifying work is done, His anger will be redirected against the arrogant Assyrians “to their destruction”. God will defeat Assyria, just as He defeated Midian and Egypt in the past (Isa 10:26-27). He will remove the Assyrian yoke from His people’s neck. God uses oppression, opposition, and persecution to purify His church. For a while, it may seem as though the wicked prosper. But God will one day punish those who seek to harm His people. So, don’t grow weary though we suffer now.
Assyria’s is God’s tool to discipline and purify His people. Isaiah 10:28-31 describe Assyria campaign of terror as it conquers place after place in Judah. But remember that God, not Assyria, is in control. God sets the limits of Assyria’s advance. He will draw the line and say to the Assyrians, “You shall not pass.” See Isaiah 10:32: “This very day he will halt at Nob (a town near Jerusalem).” But God will not allow Assyria to go any further. Assyria can only shake his fist at Zion. Isaiah 10:18-19, 33-34 liken Assyria to a mighty forest made up of towering trees. But God will chop it all down. God will bring low lofty Assyria. The arrogant axe will be axed. The mighty will fall. Spoiler alert: God will do as he promised and destroy the Assyrian army outside Jerusalem. Isaiah 37:36 says, “And the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.”
In graciously preserving a remnant, God shows His faithfulness to the promises He made to Abraham and David. From this remnant, God will raise up a promised king from the line of Abraham and David who will establish God’s kingdom and bless the world (Isa 9:6-7). So, fear God, not man. Trust God’s promise to save.
He has ultimately kept his word by sending his Son, Jesus Christ, to save sinners like us.
He has ultimately kept His word by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to save sinners like us. Though God made us to glorify Him, we have all fallen short of His glory. Without the Saviour, we are sinners in the hands of an angry God. But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners and His enemies, Christ died on the cross for all would trust in Him. Jesus took on Himself the full weight of God’s wrath against our sin, so that we might be forgiven and reconciled to God through faith in Christ. He rose from the dead to give us new life. Jesus has defeated our worst enemies: Satan, sin and death. This is the good news: If we believe in Jesus, then He has fully satisfied God’s righteous anger against us for our sins. There is now no condemnation for us in Christ. In Christ, God is no longer angry with us. He saves us from being the people of His wrath to being adopted as His beloved children. While we will still experience trials, we can take heart knowing these are not punishment but the loving discipline of our Heavenly Father who seeks our good.
Jonathan Edwards didn’t just proclaim hell-fire. He preached about the judgement of an angry God to awaken sinners to their need of the only Saviour, Jesus Christ. In the same sermon, Edwards pleads with sinners to run to Jesus: “Now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has thrown the door of mercy wide open and stands in calling and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners… Let everyone that is out of Christ now awake and fly from the wrath to come.” So, fear God’s anger, and trust in God’s salvation. Do we sense our need for Jesus? Turn to Him today without delay. He will save you. Lean on the LORD. Live by faith in Him.