Psalm 2:5

“Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.” Psalm 2:5 KJV

            In the preceding verse we saw God totally unaffected by the rebellion of men. In our present verse we see the flip side of the same coin. While not affected by their scheming, God is still personally affronted by their sinning. God’s sovereign rule remains undisturbed by men’s plotting, but God Himself, in His holiness, is roused to anger by men’s evil intentions. Though men’s schemes do not reach heaven, their wickedness does (Gen. 18:20-21, Jonah 1:2, Rev. 18:15). This verse speaks of the day in which God will demonstrate His righteous wrath in judging the wicked.

One day God will speak to the wicked in His wrath. The word “wrath” here is translated from the Hebrew word “aph” (H639 in Strong’s) which refers to the nose and heavy, passionate breathing. The pronunciation of the word even sounds like the snorting of flared nostrils. One day God will vex the wicked in His sore displeasure. The word vex here means to trouble or terrify. The Hebrew word translated “sore displeasure” comes from a root word which means to glow warm or blaze up. So, we could paraphrase the latter half of the verse as follows, “…He will terrify them in His burning anger.” This verse teaches us that God is personally angered by sin and sinners.

The word “then” is very important in this verse. Then is not now. Right now, the cup of man’s iniquity is filling up (Gen. 15:16), and the cup of God’s wrath is filling also (Ps. 75:8, Is. 51:17, Jer. 25:17, Rev. 14:10, 16:19). Right now, God’s patience and longsuffering are being exercised toward sinners (Rom. 2:4-5). Right now, the Holy Spirit is striving with men’s hearts (Gen. 6:3). Right now, God silently laughs (vs4), but one day God will break silence. Sinners must not mistake God’s present silence for His approval or indifference toward their sin (Ps. 50:21-22). Many sinners are presumptuous and think that God will not judge them. Like Israel they say, “Is not the LORD among us? None evil can come upon us.” (Mic. 3:11-12), but one day, if they turn not, God will whet his glittering sword (Ps. 7:12, Deut. 32:39-41). In the words of William Gurnall, “Nothing smoother than the sea, yet when stirred into a tempest, nothing rageth more. Nothing so sweet as the patience and goodness of God, and nothing so terrible as His wrath when it takes fire.”

Many say that God’s wrath is incompatible with His love, holiness and other such attributes, but this is not true. So far from being incompatible with His holiness, God’s wrath is His, “holiness…stirred into activity against sin” (A.W. Pink). To not abhor sin is a mark of moral corruption (Ps. 36:4). God’s love is also perfectly compatible with His wrath. Because He loves righteousness He hates all wickedness. God’s love and grace also caused His wrath to fall upon His own Son on the cross so that we could escape the wrath to come. At the cross, “mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other” (Ps. 85:10). Other of God’s attributes, like His mercy and longsuffering, would be void of meaning apart from His wrath toward sin.

“Till on that cross as Jesus died

The wrath of God was satisfied

For every sin on Him was laid

Here in the death of Christ I live”

(In Christ Alone, Hymn)

For further study see: Is. 11:4; Rom. 1:18, 9:22; 2Cor. 5:11; Rev. 6:16, 19:15