We cannot fully understand the love of God until we truly understand his wrath

Ex 32:11  And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?

12  Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.

13  Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.

14  And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.

15  And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.

16  And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.

17  And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp.

18  And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear.

19  And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.

20  And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.

21   And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?

22  And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief.

23  For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

24  And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.

25  And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:)

26  Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD’S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

27  And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.

28  And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.

29  For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the LORD, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.

Introduction:

 Pr 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Pr 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

We learn more in the path of sorrow than we do in the path of joy

Re 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

II Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

1. The wrath of God will drive us to our knees in prayer

Lam 1:18  The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.

Lu 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

1. The wrath will cause us to confess our sins

II Sa 12:13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

III. The wrath of God will cause us to seek God’s will

Isa 61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

1. The wrath of God will make us soul winners

Ro 9:1   I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,

2  That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.

3  For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

Ro 10:1    Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved

Ex 32:31  And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.

32  Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.

Conclusion: The wrath of God is Hell

He went to hell for us and took the wrath that is true love

Eph 4:7  But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

9  (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

10  He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)