God’s Delight in God’s Wrath

While reading The End for Which God Created the World by Jonathan Edwards and also studying Romans 9 a few months ago, I became more and more convinced that the basis for Israel’s rejection (considered in Romans chapters 9-11) is that God might show delight in His wrath (and even in the wisdom of all things being from Him through Him and to Him – 11:33-36). It is true that the same chapters show His delight in His mercy, as well His delight in His faithfulness through the final fulfillment of His promises to the nation (11:11-32). But they seem to primarily indicate that He is no less delighting in His wrath (esp. 9:14-26) as it communicates an excellent attribute of His. In following Edward’s thought we may argue:

• God delights in that about Himself which is excellent.
• God also delights in communicating that about Himself which is excellent.
• God also delights in our delight in His communication about Himself which is excellent.

SO we may apply the general principle to some specific attributes:

• God’s mercy is excellent in Himself

AS WELL AS (to no lesser extent or degree)

• God’s wrath is excellent in Himself

THEREFORE:

• God delights in His mercy, He delights in communicating His mercy, and He delights in our delight of His mercy.
• And God delights in His wrath, He delights in communicating His wrath, and He delights in our delight of His wrath (especially as it provides the backdrop to the display of His mercy).

Though Romans 9 does point to the ultimate highlight of the glory of His grace, His purpose in creation and redemption were planned and enacted with God’s ultimate end in view, that is, with the display of His glory in BOTH His grace in salvation AND His wrath in condemnation. This is how it could be His purpose to raise up Pharaoh, His purpose to harden whom He desires, His purpose to prepare vessels of wrath for destruction, and His purpose to reject Israel for a season.

*You are God and have the perfect right to display all of Yourself as well as the right to demand of your creatures delight in all of Yourself. Help me to learn this delight, not only in those things of Yourself that are more personally gratifying but also in those things (i.e., Your ordained wrath) that a finite and fallen being naturally protests.