BiblicalEz7

    The first aspect of God�s wrath that gives us insight into the prophet�s perception of divine wrath is motivation. Essentially, Why is God�s wrath upon the people? Ezekiel proclaims the end is coming (v. 2). He does not simply leave it at this, though. God has given him the reason for this end: judgment and repayment (v. 3, NIV). God is not acting on a whim or succumbing to emotion. God has a reason. The wrath of God will bring judgment upon the people, and what befalls the people will be repayment for their deeds. In fact, in verse 6 God declares �It [the end] has roused itself against you.� There seems to be an element of inevitability to the impending judgment, brought upon by the people themselves. It is important to emphasize that the wrath of God is in response to the conduct of the people. God is reacting to the �detestable practices� (v. 4), and God is not simply bringing down punishment from out of nowhere onto the people, but is repaying the conduct of the people, declaring and mediating what the people have brought upon themselves. The divine wrath and judgment seems to have a cause and effect relationship to the people�s sins, coming as a consequence of the people�s actions.
     A second aspect of wrath which proves insightful is its timing. Ezekiel 7 points to a teleological element in the coming of the wrath. Repeatedly throughout the passage, God�s wrath is talked of as an end (v. 2, 3, 6). Other verses talk of the arrival of the time or day of judgment (v. 7, 10, 12). The question then turns to the nature of this telos: What is being completed or ended? Numerous options exist, such as the end of an era or a way of life. Also important to note here is the parallels between this passage and Amos 5 and 8, with talk of the day of the LORD(See Blenkinsopp, 45-6). This could point the day of the LORD as the telos in view. Another possible telos, which would tie in other elements of the chapter, would be a telos of God�s patience. Twice God declares that there will be no divine mercy or pity on this occasion (v. 4, 9). There is a sense that a time for God�s wrath to be poured out has arrived. God�s patience is at an end. �The time has come, the day is near� (v. 7, 12). Whatever the telos is (a more complete discussion will not occur here), this idea of teleology is insightful with regard to thinking of God�s wrath. Timing is an important element. This is not a whimsical emotion, which just popped up out of nowhere. God is patient and slow to anger (Ex. 34:6), but will be patient no more; the time for judgment has finally arrived. This serves to instruct us that not all destruction is necessarily God�s judgment, for God acts when the time has come. Thus, we do not need to think of God solely in terms of wrath. Wrath is not an attribute of God, being always expressed, nor is it an immediate result of sin. God�s wrath is still real and awesome, and gives us a fearful image of God, but there is a strong element of divine self-restraint which accompanies it. God�s wrath coincides with God�s timing.
A final aspect of God�s wrath that gives us insight into the prophet�s understanding is agency. It seems clear from the passage that God is the judge, and God is an actor in the coming doom. Yet, as we discussed above, the coming destruction is not disconnected from the people�s actions, but is a repayment for the people�s sins. The effect (the destruction) follows after the cause (the detestable practices of the people). Thus it seems that God is mediating a consequence of the people�s actions. This dichotomy of divine action and natural consequence is seen in verse 9: �I will repay you in accordance with your conduct and the detestable practices among you. Then you will know that it is I the LORD who strikes the blow.� As is very clear from this last sentence, God is an agent of this judgment, one who �strikes the blow.� Yet, the first half of the verse also makes clear that the resulting destruction follows from the people�s action.
     God is clearly angry with the people, and is bringing wrath upon them. But God is not the only agent of the wrath. The people and their land will become plunder to foreigners (v. 21). Verse 15 seems to describe the fate of a people besieged by a foreign army, with those outside the walls killed by the sword, those inside the city will be succomb to famine and sickness, as though surrounded by an army. God will mediate judgment through the use of a foreign conqueror, which will act as God�s arm of judgment. Ezekiel proclaims wrath in which God mediates the consequences of the people�s sins, and uses the armies of foreign peoples as instruments of this judgment. Thus, God is clearly an actor in the judgment of the people, but God�s action is not whimsical, and neither is God the only agent of the destruction.
     Having analyzed these three elements of wrath in Ezekiel 7, we shall now turn to the applicability of this type of understanding for our world today. We will begin by seeking to analyze the function of this prophecy of wrath, and then look at these purposes within the modern world.
     There seem to be four functions of the prophecy of Ezekiel 7:
1) Ezekiel 7 functions to reveal the wrath of God and announce the impending judgment. This passage explains to the people what will be happening to them, and gives notice that God is angry and has judged the people.
2) It functions to explain the motivation for this wrath. Ezekiel 7 not only declares God�s anger, but explains it. God gives them the reasons for the judgment. In so doing, God points out for them that they are acting detestably, and have turned from God. This in turn can lead to a reform on the other side of judgment, where the people can correct their ways. People will be led to ask, �How, then, shall we live?� (Ez. 33:10; Blenkinsopp, 50)
3) It calls for a shift of focus. Ezekiel 7 speaks of the undoing of the social orders. Blenkinsopp writes that this passage is �a reminder of the fragility and impermanence of an order of things which we have to take for granted in order to function� (p. 49). This seems to be a call to shift focus from money, jewels and land to God, for God, not other things, is enduring.
4) It calls the people to recognize that God is LORD. Verse 4 announces near the beginning of the prophecy that the purpose is so that � you will know that I am the LORD.� This same idea is reiterated at the end of the prophecy in verse 27. The people apparently do not acknowledge that God is the LORD, and verse 20 implies they have turned to idols. This judgment will serve to bring them back to God, recognizing anew that God is the ground of their existence.

     In this passage, God is a God of wrath. Judgment is poured out on the people. This is not a comfortable image for us to deal with today. But as Blenkinsopp points out, people in Ezekiel�s time doubted or sought to reinterpret this type of image as well (p. 50). Images can be abused, and it is true that images of violence within the Bible, and especially images of God as violent, can be grossly misused to oppress family members or whole peoples. This type of critique must not be dismissed lightly. Thus, caution and discernment are imperative, but this does not in turn mean that the images are not valid for today. Just as the people in Ezekiel�s day acted improperly, focused on the wrong things, and forgot about God, people in our day do the same. Are we to assume that God is used to this type of action by now, or that God doesn�t care anymore? No! God�s anger may still burn against us just as it burned then. This is not a comfortable word to hear or to proclaim. It will not win us friends, and will often make enemies. But offense, as Kierkegaard so strongly emphasizes in Practice in Christianity, is an important part of the Christian message. The God-man and forgiveness of sins are offensive, just as anger, even righteous anger, on the part of God can be offensive. The realization of offense must not be a call to desert these doctrines, but instead to proclaim them to a world that is all too comfortable.
     Does this mean that we are to go around pointing to disaster after disaster as the wrath of God? This is an exceedingly difficult question. The abuse of this type of language would seem to obscure, not proclaim, the gospel. The constant cry of �Doom! Doom!� would cloud the Christian message. The discussion of teleology above also points to the fact that God�s wrath is not an ongoing or constant part of the divine life, but comes within God�s timing. Yet, we must proclaim that our sins have consequences. This is a proclamation that must be made, but made carefully. Discernment and prayer are the keys. We must seek God, and seek the will of God for our world, and declare it to the nations.
     Ezekiel proclaimed the wrath of God, resulting from the sin of the people, coming in God�s timing, and mediated through surrounding peoples. This declaration both informed of the coming doom and provided grounds for renewal on the part of the people. It would seem entirely possible that God would have the same message to declare today. We must not dismiss too readily the wrath of God in our world, for our sins are legion, and God has been pushed to the side.

     I will surely repay you for your conduct and the detestable practices among you.
     Then you will know that I am the LORD.
     Ezekiel 7:4

Ezekiel 7 and
The Wrath of God

The Wrath of God is a topic that many find troublesome today, and Ezekiel 7 contains a stunning declaration of the wrath of God upon the people and land of Israel. The images portray vast devastation resulting from God�s judgment. We will seek to analyze the prophet Ezekiel�s understanding of God�s wrath, specifically as it concerns the motivation, timing, and agency of this wrath. We shall then turn to the relevance of this type of understanding for today through analysis of the purposes of this passage and their application in today�s world.