Homesick: A Study of Psalm 90Sýnishorn

Wrath

Parts of this psalm are uncomfortable. A loving God is easier on our brains, but when He’s described as wrathful, things feel dicey. How are we supposed to understand God’s wrath, and how does wrath contribute to our biblical understanding of the concept of home?

Let’s start by seeing God’s wrath in connection with sin. In the passage we referenced yesterday (when God proclaimed His name before Moses), God described His relationship with sin: He loves to forgive it, and He must punish it. (It’s kind of confusing how those can both be true, but hang with me!)

God is the author of life, so when we step outside of His design, that’s sin. Sin is always destructive and deadly, and God’s character demands that He punish it! The divisions and pain we experience in our earthly homes always find their root in sin. In fact, you may feel anger about this. Something in your soul may cry out, “It shouldn’t be this way!” So, think of it this way: If you heard someone was coming to destroy your home, wouldn’t you feel some kind of wrath toward that destroyer?

This is why a wrathful God is actually good news for us. God hates sin and will never ignore it. He does not look at the way sin has destroyed our homes and shrug. God’s very name assures us that He will punish this destroyer.

And yet, we have to face this truth, too: Sin is present within us. That’s why God the Father sent God the Son to earth. Jesus lived a perfect life no one could live and died a punishing death that sinners deserve, enduring God’s wrath on our behalf. Because of Jesus, sin is punished and sin is forgiven.

But that’s not the end of the story: Jesus came back to life and now reigns in heaven. One day, He’ll return, setting up a new heaven and a new earth—the perfect home we’ve always longed for, and one that sin can never destroy because it’s conquered forever.

READ: Read Psalm 90 and look for anything about wrath. Read John 3:36 in the same way. Then, take a moment to journal about these questions:

1. In Psalm 90, what connections do you see between God’s wrath and man’s sin?
2. What impact did God’s wrath have on Moses?
3. Are there sins in your life that you need to acknowledge as destructive?