“But God will shoot his arrow at them;
    they will be wounded suddenly.
Because of their tongue he will bring them to ruin;^[c]
    all who see them will shake with horror.
Then everyone will fear;
    they will tell what God has brought about,
    and ponder what he has done.

Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord
    and take refuge in him.
Let all the upright in heart glory.” Psalm 64:7-10

“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.” (Jonathan Edwards, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”)

We often think of G-d as a loving G-d full of Grace and mercy. Yet, within the Old Testament texts, we will hear about the other side of G-d, the G-d who, like the Psalmist proclaims, will “..shoot his arrow at them; they will be wounded suddenly…he (G-d) will bring them to ruin;… then everyone will fear (G-d).” Have you ever thought that this was your only experience – knowing only this G-d, the G-d of judgment, the one to be feared? We know Jesus expressed righteous anger, the anger he expressed in driving the money changers out of the Temple; and when Jesus reacted angrily to situations of disease and doubt.

Luther says in the Small Catechism that we are to fear AND love G-d – because G-d is such an awesome G-d that our love for G-d should include some level of, not fear, but reverence – if we want to recall the Noah story, the Jonah story, the Joseph story, the Red Sea story, the Cain and Able story, and the many encounters with Moses in the wilderness – they all knew that G-d was to be revered – not feared.

Our G-d is an awesome G-d – but not one to be feared. Instead we are to reverence the very presence of G-d in our lives and give him the honor due every day of our lives.

Pastor Dave