xxvii. 4, 5. _Fury is not in me, &c._
The figurative language in ver. 1 sets forth some powerful and
terrible enemies of Israel--cruel, crafty, and bloodthirsty
oppressors. But, terrible as they were to Israel, they were no more
than "briers and thorns" in the way of Israel's God. He would "march
against them and go through them," just as soldiers on their march
tread down and crush so frail a barrier as these would be against
them. His own people the while should be the object of His special
and necessary care (vers. 2, 3). And if they should so offend as to
draw down His judgments upon them, still He would not deal with them
as adversaries. He would be ready to make peace with them again on
their humbling themselves before Him. The solemn disclaimer of our
text should be borne in mind by us when we study--
I. GOD'S THREATENINGS AGAINST THE WICKED. Many of these are very
terrible, and a certain class of religionists would have us believe
that these alarming texts of Holy Scripture are metaphors that mean
nothing, and that we dishonour "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ" if we associate His name with anything that savours of wrath,
vengeance, and severity. But this is taking a meagre and one-sided
view of the Divine Character. In God there is not only love, but also
holiness, which "cannot look upon iniquity;" justice, which "will by
no means clear the guilty;" and truth, which forewarns and will not
fail to punish the transgressors of law and order. Let us not mistake
the character of such punishment. A furious man acts on the
passionate impulse of the moment. He strikes blindly and without
consideration; does many things which, when the excitement is over,
he will be sorry for and try to undo. But nothing like this is there
with God. His threatenings are not uttered in blind and inconsiderate
wrath, but in awful calmness of judgment, and in vindication of His
essential and eternal holiness; and thus, too, they will be executed.
This it is that will make the judgment-day so awful, and that then
will reduce the condemned to despair. The son who sees his father's
anger so stirred against him, that vain attempt were it to reason
with him, vain to offer a word of explanation or excuse, does well to
keep out of his father's way, and hope for a better time to stand
before him and ask to be forgiven. But no such hope is there, when
the offender sees that his aggrieved parent--not furiously, but "out
of very faithfulness"--is about to administer a threatened
punishment; ay, and that his heart is heavy, and his eye dim with
tears, even while he punishes! And this, allowing for the inevitable
weakness of any illustration of such a matter, may serve to convey
the idea which I would impress upon you. "The Father of mercies and
God of all comfort" will certainly execute His threatenings against
impenitent transgressors. Not in passionate haste, and on sudden
impulse of which He might afterwards repent, will the Lord make "a
way for His anger" against sin.
II. THE DOCTRINE OF THE ATONEMENT. Not a few earnest men becloud and
all but explain away this fundamental doctrine, because (they tell
us) they cannot endure the thought of sin being punished in the
person of the Sinless One. They do not like to hear of the Father's
"wrath" being averted and (as it is said) "appeased" by the death of
His Son; of God looking out (as it were) for a victim, and fastening
upon the One found guiltless as a substitute for the guilty mass! But
this mistaken representation arises from attributing to God a passion
which in men would be indignation and wrath. But what does our text
say? "_Fury_ is not in _Me._" We may not think of our heavenly Father
as an angry Being, furiously raging against those whom the devil has
proved too strong for, and not to be appeased till He found a victim
on which to wreak His vengeance! But no unwillingness on our part to
hear it can alter that which is written (2 Cor. v. 21; 1 Pet. iv. 18;
Isa. liii. 5, 6). If we study this great subject aright, we shall
find in the Atonement the result of the co-working of the calmest
(and therefore most inflexible) justice and the tenderest
love.--_T. W. Peile, D.D.: Sermons,_ pp. 101-112.
The text expresses the preference of God for forgiveness rather than
for punishment, and the conditions of that forgiveness; but, at the
same time, the utter overthrow of all who continue in opposition to
His will. It suggests--
+I. A blessed absence in the nature of God.+ "Fury is not in me."
Fury seems to be _uncontrolled_ and _uncontrollable_ anger, such as
that with which the storm seems to beat upon the dismasted, helpless
vessel; such as that which inspires the hungry lion that has been for
some hours disappointed of its prey. When a man is so under the
influence of anger that no consideration from within or intercession
from without can pacify him, he is in a state of _fury._ But no such
state is possible to our God. His anger is always under control, He
is always the Lord God, abundant in goodness and truth; and we have
also plentiful evidence that, in the height of His displeasure, He is
accessible to intercession on behalf of His creatures. See how the
Son of God ends His woes against "Scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites,"
with "O Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered," &c. Recall the
effect of Abram's pleading for Sodom, and that of Moses for
unbelieving Israel (Num. xiv.) The declaration of the text has been
abundantly verified in all ages. Nevertheless,
+II. This blessed absence in the nature of God is compatible with
contention with the unrepenting.+ "Who would set the briers," &c.
Imagine a father and a son at variance, the father being in the
right, and son in the wrong. There are two ways of reconciliation;
either the son must comply with the conditions of the father, or the
father must lower his standard to the level of the son. But what a
wrong would the father do himself, his family, and society, if he
were to adopt this course! He ought not, will not. If the son
resolves to fight it out, reconciliation is impossible. This is the
relative position of God and the ungodly man. God says, "I am
Jehovah, I change not." It is a blessed impossibility. But the
unrepentant man ought, can, must! If no, the fire of goodness must be
set against the briers of wickedness, a contest as hopeless, and of
which the issue is as certain, as that of the devouring flame with
briers and thorns.
_Conclusion._--The absence of fury in God leads Him to prefer pardon
to punishment, and to provide means for the former. "Let him take
hold of my strength," &c. Men, churches, and nations are lovers of
peace in proportion as they are righteous (Ps. lxxii. 3). The
preference of God for peace depends upon the very attribute of which
the ungodly would rob Him, His righteousness. What is God's strength?
How take hold of it? When a man falls overboard at sea, the appointed
means of rescue is the life-belt which is thrown to him. Seizing
that, he lays hold of the strength of the vessel to save him. When
the man-slayer, fleeing from the avenger of blood, entered the city
of refuge, he took hold of God's appointed means of shelter. God's
strength is His pardoning prerogative, exercises to us through
Christ, the "arm" or "strength" of the Lord. See how Moses takes hold
of it (Num. xiv. 19). And the prodigal (Luke xv. 21; Rom.
v. 1).--_Horace Bushnell, D.D._