Wrath
Inconceivably, I don’t think this word, wrath, means what you think it means.
I have come to consider, more often than not, God’s wrath is about him removing himself from a situation rather than God opening the ground to swallow the rebellious, Him striking someone down blind, or covering them in leprosy.
Romans 1:18
There is an unrighteousness that denies the truth so they can indulge the self.
Then there is an unrighteousness that suppresses the truth, so they can indulge the self, and where they also seek to lead others into the same and praises them for such.
This person is given over to their lust, Romans 1:24, to their passions, Romans 1:26, to their own minds, Romans 1:28.
This is kind of terrible, as it covers things like gossips, enviousness, being unmerciful.
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Romans 2:8
So, the wrath of God is less about an action from God and more a removal of Himself from the disobedient.
The selfishly ambitious find themselves given over to their unrighteousness. God is not contending with them anymore; they are now less restrained in their unrighteousness and have been given over to what they forcefully want to pursue.
Again, this is scary.
Is this why we could have the rise of such evil in Hitler, Genghis Khan, Stalin, Mao, Napoleon, and the corrupt sheriff or politician, or radical transgender activist promoting drag queen story hours?
God gave them over to their unrighteousness, and so did a young Joseph become an evil Stalin. An emotionally unstable Aldoph became a Hitler? And the dupped student activist became the queen theory professor?
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Standing in the Gap
When the unrighteous have been given over to their unrighteousness, it is up to the righteous to stand up, stand in the gap, and find proactive solutions to overcome these unrighteous agendas. In that, there is the possibility to stem the tide of unrighteousness and maybe turn the unrighteous back to god.
However, we need to remember that our fight is not against flesh and blood, the student, the professor, the protestor, the indoctrinated nephew, or even the dictator. We fight the ideas and the actions, not the person.
We have to be careful in our actions as look at what rose out of a very righteous need to defeat Hitler and Stalin. Not all the actions coming against Stalin or Hitler were righteous. And one out come that still plagues us today is the industrial military complex that rose from WW2. We are now burdened with a new unrighteousness.
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Standup
For today, though, The act of standing up, standing in the gap empowers us; in that empowerment, we need to learn to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God; otherwise, we will take this power to ourselves, to our harm, to becoming what we sort to defeat.
Remember, when you stand against rising unrighteousness, your reaction to the unrighteousness is often the action they were after in the first place.
They don’t care about the drag queen story hour or even the drag queen; they are after your reaction to it; that is their true action.
Don’t become their pawn that they are moving around the board for a bigger game you do not see.
Proactive
So how do you divine actions to rising unrighteousness and not be a mere reaction?
You must enter the battle now before there is even an action to react against. Instead of protesting against a drag queen story hour, why don’t you already have your own reading time?
You could be a little clandestine and have a reading time in libraries on the last four thousand years of books. Read from Aesop’s Fables, a story from the Iliad and the Odyssey, then insert a story from the Book of Judges. See where I am going on this? Get ahead of the game. Get them to react to you.
What could you be proactively doing in your place now? It is said for evil to succeed it only requires good people to do nothing.
We need to be proactive in our communities long before there is a problem. Each one of us needs to ask God, where can I serve my community, and start doing something about it.
Romans 1:18
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth [a]in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident [b]within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not [c]honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and [d]crawling creatures.
The Eagle and the Fox
AN EAGLE and a Fox formed an intimate friendship and decided to
live near each other. The Eagle built her nest in the branches
of a tall tree, while the Fox crept into the underwood and there
produced her young. Not long after they had agreed upon this
plan, the Eagle, being in want of provision for her young ones,
swooped down while the Fox was out, seized upon one of the little
cubs, and feasted herself and her brood. The Fox on her return,
discovered what had happened, but was less grieved for the death
of her young than for her inability to avenge them. A just
retribution, however, quickly fell upon the Eagle. While
hovering near an altar, on which some villagers were sacrificing
a goat, she suddenly seized a piece of the flesh, and carried it,
along with a burning cinder, to her nest. A strong breeze soon
fanned the spark into a flame, and the eaglets, as yet unfledged
and helpless, were roasted in their nest and dropped down dead at
the bottom of the tree. There, in the sight of the Eagle, the
Fox gobbled them up.
The Gibeonite Deception
9 Now when all the kings west of the Jordan heard about these things—the kings in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea as far as Lebanon (the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites)— 2 they came together to wage war against Joshua and Israel.
3 However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4 they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded[a] with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. 5 They put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy. 6 Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the Israelites, “We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us.”
7 The Israelites said to the Hivites, “But perhaps you live near us, so how can we make a treaty with you?”
8 “We are your servants,” they said to Joshua.
But Joshua asked, “Who are you and where do you come from?”
9 They answered: “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the Lord your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt, 10 and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan—Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. 11 And our elders and all those living in our country said to us, ‘Take provisions for your journey; go and meet them and say to them, “We are your servants; make a treaty with us.”’ 12 This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is. 13 And these wineskins that we filled were new, but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey.”
14 The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord. 15 Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.
16 Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbors, living near them. 17 So the Israelites set out and on the third day came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim. 18 But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel.
The whole assembly grumbled against the leaders, 19 but all the leaders answered, “We have given them our oath by the Lord, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now. 20 This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that God’s wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them.” 21 They continued, “Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers in the service of the whole assembly.” So the leaders’ promise to them was kept.
22 Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you deceive us by saying, ‘We live a long way from you,’ while actually you live near us? 23 You are now under a curse: You will never be released from service as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”
24 They answered Joshua, “Your servants were clearly told how the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to wipe out all its inhabitants from before you. So we feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this. 25 We are now in your hands. Do to us whatever seems good and right to you.”
26 So Joshua saved them from the Israelites, and they did not kill them. 27 That day he made the Gibeonites woodcutters and water carriers for the assembly, to provide for the needs of the altar of the Lord at the place the Lord would choose. And that is what they are to this day.
Ephesians 6:10
The Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against [e]flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 [f]in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 [g]With all prayer and petition [h]pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, [i]be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in [j]chains; that [k]in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Micah 6:8
What God Requires of Man
6 With what shall I come to the Lord
And bow myself before the God on high?
Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings,
With yearling calves?
7 Does the Lord take delight in thousands of rams,
In ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love [c]kindness,
And to walk [d]humbly with your God?