Throughout the Scriptures, we can plainly see that God?s anger against nations, and sometimes even to Israel, was from His fierce love for righteousness and his hatred for sin.

He called His people to be holy as He is holy, and also warned them if they had gone astray that they would lose the land that He gave them. You see the Lord requires faithfulness. So when the Israelites turn away from Him and sinned, He sent them into exile. Then God called Ezekiel, a prophet, who was a captive in Babylon, to speak to the people about God?s judgement as well as His mercy. The first part of the book of Ezekiel is about why God must punish the people left in Judah. For instance:

Ezekiel 14:7-8:

7 For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the Lord will answer him by myself:

8 And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.?

God required that the people should turn to Him in repentance:

Ezekiel 14:6

?6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.? The judgment of the Lord is righteous, holy, and good. The Lord has said: ?...ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord God (Ezekiel 14:23).?

The judgment that the Lord has brought upon the people was not without reason, but it was for a cause, the Lord?s will, that those who are lost might return to Him, and that those who sin might repent from their wickedness.

Then the second half of Ezekiel 14 was God?s word about the judgment that would come upon the people, and that it was inescapable. The Lord said that even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the midst of this judgment, they could only save themselves by their righteousness. It was an inescapable judgment from Him. But something wonderful happens after this judgment that God had set in place. The Lord said that He would bring out of the judgment a remnant:

Ezekiel 14:22:

?Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it.?

From what we can see, God took a remnant out of the judgment to be an example to those in exile, that they may know that the Lord has done nothing without cause! This remnant people that God took out of the judgment were considered bad people, however, God still spared their lives, and through His love and mercy, He shared His own plans with the exiles in Babylon so that they would know that the Lord does all things for a purpose, He wanted to comfort them with this truth. Reconciliation is His purpose for His people:

Ezekiel 14:11:

?That the house of Israel may go no more astray from me, neither be polluted any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, saith the Lord God.?

But we would not draw near to Him, or follow His ways. For since the beginning, we were rebellious, turning away from God because of our sin. We died because of it. We were captives.

But God had a plan. He sent Jesus into the world. Christ showed us the way, the truth, and the life, and less than 2000 years ago, He gave His life for us, freeing us from the clutches of sin and death. The punishment that we deserved He took upon Himself and cleansed us from our unrighteousness.

Isaiah 53:5:

?But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.?

Although we deserved this judgment, because of our sin, God?s mercy for us was shown through our Lord Jesus Christ. Now there is no condemnation for the believer, but peace:

Romans 8:1:

?There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.?

And

John 3:16-18:

?16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.?

For those who accept Him, He promises life eternal with Him, but for those who do not accept Him, there is judgment. Call upon the Name of the Lord! Believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead!

Romans 10:9-10:

?9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.?

1 Thessalonians 5:23 :

?May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.?