Does God get angry? Yes. Does God get angry in the same way we do? No. The Bible is clear that God gets angry and even warns of his wrath to come, especially on those who are unbelievers, but these words can sometimes cause us to comprehend God’s anger incorrectly. When we think of anger or wrath, we often connect it to images of angry people we have known. These people are usually short-tempered, and their anger is often irrational. They are like powder kegs waiting to explode in the next situation that sets them off. This might align with how we get angry but does not align with how God gets angry.
While there are specific things that provoke God to anger, that is never his first response because the Bible teaches us he is slow to anger (Psa. 145:8). By comparison, the Bible tells us God is love, not anger. He often expresses this love through the compassion, kindness, and mercy he shows us. Yet if we are not careful, we can create an image of God as a loving marshmallow who accepts anything we say or do and never gets angry. This is not a true picture of God either. Does God get angry? Yes. Does God get angry in the same way we do? No. The Bible is clear that God gets angry and even warns of his wrath to come, especially on those who are unbelievers, but these words can sometimes cause us to comprehend God’s anger incorrectly. When we think of anger or wrath, we often connect it to images of angry people we have known. These people are usually short-tempered, and their anger is often irrational. They are like powder kegs waiting to explode in the next situation that sets them off. This might align with how we get angry but does not align with how God gets angry.
Where Does the Bible Talk about God Getting Angry?
There are numerous places in the Bible where we see God getting angry and acting in response to his anger. One example of this is in the book of Judges.
“The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs. The anger of the Lord burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim, to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years.” (Judges 3:7-8)
When God dealt with the nation of Israel during the time of the judges, there was a pattern of sin, anger, judgment, and forgiveness that repeatedly played out. The people would sin and refuse to repent. God would get angry, and because of their continued sin and lack of repentance, he would judge their sin. The judgment would eventually cause the people to repent. After they repented, God would forgive them. Unfortunately, after a while, the people would fall into sin again and this pattern would repeat itself.
What Makes God Angry?
Proverbs defines several things that can cause God to get angry.
“There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.” (Prov. 6:16-19)
Whenever God gets angry, it is always connected to sin and rebellion. However, here is one way his anger is different from ours. God’s anger over sin flows out of his holiness, righteousness, and justice. His anger is not motivated by revenge but by justice. Where sin is present, judgment is required because God is a just God. But God does not always bring judgment immediately. He is love, and he would rather see people repent first.
Does God Ever Lose His Temper?
To lose one’s temper means someone acts without self-control. Often when a person loses their temper, they behave in a manner that looks to inflict payback on another person. There is a story in the Old Testament that might indicate that God is quick-tempered and ready to act in vengeance.
“‘I have seen these people,’ the Lord said to Moses, ‘and they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.’” (Ex. 32:9-10)
In Exodus 32, the Israelites made a golden calf and began to worship it, even crediting the calf for leading them out of Egypt. This caused God to be angry. After hearing this statement from God, Moses intercedes for the Israelites, calling on God’s faithfulness and promise to Israel. The Bible then says God relented and did not destroy them. It may appear God lost his temper, but that was not the case because he was justified in his anger. The Israelites had sworn to obey everything God commanded them (Ex. 24:7-8). Here they had broken their oath. God had every right to destroy them, but he chose not to. What does this tell us about God? Here is a quote from the Cornerstone Bible Commentary that helps shed light on this.
“The wonder here is not that God became angry; the wonder is that he was so easily and quickly pacified. He was so gracious because of his own fundamental nature, the revelation of which was further confirmed in the word given to Moses in Ex. 34:6–7. He is slow to become angry and swift to forgive…Thus, we have a picture of the justice of the universe being set aside in a moment merely on the basis of one person’s calm demonstration to God that he understands who God really is.” — Allen and John N. Oswalt, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, Vol. 1, pg. 520.
God does get angry but does not stay that way for long. When one person cries out to God in repentance, his anger is quickly relented, which points back to the fact God is love and longs to forgive. I know making sense of God’s wrath can be tricky. You may find this article, ”What Is The Biblical Understanding of The Wrath of God?” helpful.
If God Gets Angry, Can We Get Angry?
There are situations in life that will cause you to get angry. You will get angry if your son takes the brand-new car without your permission and wrecks it. Anger alone is not sinful because anger is an emotion. It’s what you do with it that can become sinful. When it comes to anger, the Bible issues three types of warnings. We are warned about being hot-tempered and easily angered. We are warned about our anger leading us into sin and about anger settling into our hearts. Even if we have anger for righteous reasons, we are called to use that as a means to love others and do good works.
Consider these two scriptures.
“Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared.” (Prov. 22:24-25)
“‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” (Eph. 4:26-27)
Because we are created in God’s image, and after his likeness, if he can get angry, we can also get angry. However, because God is slow to get angry, we should be the same way. The right to be angry is not a license to live in a state of perpetual anger, nor does it give you the freedom to be easily angered. If you find yourself in this place, then you need to recognize there is a problem, and you are giving the devil a potential foothold in your life. Just as God is not known for being angry, neither should we. God is love, and if you are filled with his Spirit, then this characteristic of love, which brings patience, kindness, and forgiveness, should also be present in your life.
Will God Forgive After He Gets Angry?
We have so far established a picture of God as one who is slow to anger and full of compassion. It is his compassion and great love that makes room for his forgiveness. In Psalm 30:5, the writer declares that his anger only lasts for a moment, but his favor lasts for a lifetime. We should look at God’s anger and God’s mercy as mutually exclusive. One does not impact the other. God’s anger does not prevent him from showing mercy, and God’s mercy does not prevent God from getting angry.
Because God is slow to anger, his first response to sin is not judgment but conviction. He brings conviction by the Holy Spirit because he desires to make you aware of your sin and lead you to repentance. When you ignore conviction and refuse to repent, this stirs God’s anger. Even then, God is still patient in the face of constant and persistent rebellion because God understands what judgment means. He would rather offer forgiveness than bring judgment, but after a while, he will bring judgment when there is no repentance. The difference between God and us is God is patient and does not want anyone to perish but for all to come to the place of repentance (2 Pet. 3:9). Instead of being quick to anger, let’s follow God’s lead and be slow to anger and quick to forgive. Since God is not perpetually angry, we shouldn’t be either. When we live this way, everyone will be better off for it.
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