We are in chapter fifteen of Exodus with our word for today. חָרוֹן anger, fury, a feeling of intense anger, burning of anger, heat, wrath. It is used 40 times in the Old Testament. Our word is used to qualify the kind of anger that is intense like a burning fire. It is often used to identify God in his response to sin. 2 Kings 23:26-27 Nevertheless, the Lord did not turn away מֵחֲר֤וֹן from the heat of his fierce anger, which חָרָ֥ה burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to arouse his anger. So the Lord said, “I will remove Judah also from my presence as I removed Israel, and I will reject Jerusalem, the city I chose, and this temple, about which I said, ‘My Name shall be there.’” Later on when God destroys Jerusalem in his fury of anger he makes it clear that it was their sin that brought it about. Lamentations 4:11, 13 The Lord has given full vent to his wrath; he has poured out his חֲר֣וֹן fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion that consumed her foundations…But it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed within her the blood of the righteous. Because of Egypt’s sin against God’s people our word is used to describe God’s attitude toward them in all the acts of judgment against Egypt. We have already looked at these in detail but notice how Psalm uses our word to look back at these events. Psalm 78:49 He unleashed against them his חֲר֬וֹן hot anger, his wrath, indignation and hostility— a band of destroying angels. This is how our word is used in our chapter today. Exodus 15:7-8 In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out חֲרֹ֣נְךָ֔ your fury; it consumes them like stubble.
Throughout the Bible we see God’s character as a holy God who cannot be in the presence of sin and must punish it. But we also see God’s character as a gracious and loving God who wants to forgive sin. Psalm 85 is a good example of God’s desire to forgive. Psalm 85:2-5 You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins. You set aside all your wrath and turned מֵחֲר֥וֹן from your fierce anger. Restore us again, God our Savior, and put away your displeasure toward us. Will you be angry with us forever? We see God’s promise to save his people if they turn from their sin. Deuteronomy 13:17 Then the Lord will turn מֵחֲר֣וֹן from his fierce anger, will show you mercy, and will have compassion on you. He will increase your numbers, as he promised on oath to your ancestors Notice the reference to God turning away from his fury of anger and instead show mercy. This is what Jesus has done for us. 1 John 2:1-2 But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. The word propitiation means to turn away wrath which is intense anger. Some versions translate this word as sacrifice of atonement. But the word simply means to turn away wrath. We also see Jesus as our sacrifice that turns away wrath in Romans. Romans 3:23-25 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. Instead of you and I getting what we deserve which is God’s anger full force experienced as his wrath or fury Jesus steps in front of us and absorbs or turns God’s anger and wrath on to himself. This is one of the ways God describes the salvation that he accomplished through Christ.
