Last Sunday, Josh Jones preached the sermon “Stepping In and Living Out” from Daniel 6. We were reminded that God is our faithful deliverer who is always in control. Armed with this knowledge and belief, we must boldly step into our context and faithfully live for the glory of God and the advancement of the gospel no matter what circumstances may arise.

Read: Daniel 7:1-12

For the next two Sundays, Pastor Ken will preach from Daniel 7, where we will see our hope in the promise that God will judge the kingdoms of this world, bring them to an end, and replace them with His everlasting kingdom. This Sunday, we will focus on verses 1-12 where God, the Ancient of Days, is seen as the all-powerful Judge who judges all kingdoms with righteousness, wisdom, and authority. As you prepare your heart for our corporate gathering, let these thoughts from Arthur W. Pink be a sobering reminder of God’s righteous wrath against sin and lead you to fervent praise that we are delivered from God’s wrath through Jesus Christ.

Reflect: “Divine Wrath”

The wrath of God is as much a Divine perfection as is his faithfulness, power, or mercy. It must be so, for there is no blemish whatever, not the slightest defect in the character of God; yet there would be if “wrath” were absent from him! Indifference to sin is a moral blemish, and he who hates it not is a moral leper. How could he who is the Sum of all excellency look with equal satisfaction upon virtue and vice, wisdom and folly? How could he who is infinitely holy disregard sin and refuse to manifest his “severity” (Rom. 9:22) toward it? How could he, who delights only in that which is pure and lovely, not loathe and hate that which is impure and vile? The very nature of God makes Hell as real a necessity, as imperatively and eternally requisite, as Heaven is. Not only is there no imperfection in God, but there is no perfection in him that is less perfect than another.

The wrath of God is his eternal detestation of all unrighteousness. It is the displeasure and indignation of Divine equity against evil. It is the holiness of God stirred into activity against sin. It is the moving cause of that just sentence which he passes upon evildoers. God is angry against sin because it is a rebelling against his authority, a wrong done to his inviolable sovereignty. Insurrectionists against God’s government shall be made to know that God is the Lord. They shall be made to feel how great that Majesty is which they despise, and how dreadful is that threatened wrath which they so little regarded. Not that God’s anger is a malignant and malicious retaliation, inflicting injury for the sake of it, or in return for injury received. No, though God will vindicate his dominion as the Governor of the universe, he will not be vindictive . . . .

. . . . The wrath of God is a perfection of the Divine character upon which we need to frequently meditate. First, that our hearts may be duly impressed by God’s detestation of sin. We are ever prone to regard sin lightly, to gloss over its hideousness, to make excuses for it. But the more we study and ponder God’s abhorrence of sin and his frightful vengeance upon it, the more likely are we to realize its heinousness. Secondly, to beget a true fear in our souls for God: “Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: for our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:28–29). We cannot serve him “acceptably” unless there is due “reverence” for his awful Majesty and “godly fear” of his righteous anger; and these are best promoted by frequently calling to mind that “our God is a consuming fire.” Thirdly, to draw out our souls in fervent praise for our having been delivered from “the wrath to come” (1 Thess. 1:10).

Adapted from The Attributes of God, by Arthur W. Pink

Sing: Song List for Sunday

1. “Exalted Over All,” by Vertical Worship
2. “Jesus Messiah,” by Chris Tomlin
3. “Before the Throne,” arr. Shane & Shane
4. “King of Kings,” by Hillsong Worship