Dear readers, here we are again for the third installment of our reading series dedicated to studying the character of God, as described in Exodus 34:6: “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.” In this edition, I would like to delve deeper with you into the profound meaning of the attribute “long-suffering,” which is translated as “slow to anger” in the Italian, Japanese, and Korean Bible. Many, especially the more skeptical, form an incorrect idea of the God of the Bible, considering Him a tyrant, devoid of compassion, always ready to judge and curse people because of their sin. However, in this reading, we will see that the very manifestation of God’s anger is irrefutable evidence of His holy, just, and good character.

The phrase “slow to anger” is pronounced in Hebrew as “erek apayim,” and it is literally translated as “long of nostrils” or “long-nosed.” But what does God’s patience have to do with having a long nose? The answer is quite interesting: in Hebrew, when a person becomes angry, it is said that their nose gets heated or burns. Think about it: when we lose our patience, our whole body seems to heat up; our chest swells, and our nostrils flare as we utter hasty words against our unfortunate interlocutor. For this reason, in Hebrew, the semantic field of anger includes the words “hot” and “nose,” which effectively recalls the common imagination. In other words, a person with a long nose will take longer to heat up and will show more patience for a longer time. As the proverb says, “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.” Proverbs 16:32. The anger of the Lord is an expression of His justice and love for humanity, and since He defines Himself as “slow to anger,” He is often willing to wait for us to change.

An example of this patience is found in the story of the Exodus, when Pharaoh decided to exterminate the Jewish people by throwing all the newborn male children into the dangerous waters of the Nile River. The Lord sends Moses to confront the ruler, who is given ten opportunities to redeem himself and change his mind, freeing God’s people. But after the tenth refusal, Pharaoh launches himself with fury against the people of Israel crossing the Red Sea, and in response, God destroys him in those waters. A superficial understanding might make it seem that God was ruthless with Pharaoh, but if we reflect more deeply, we see that the Lord would not be a God of justice if Pharaoh’s wickedness had not provoked and angered Him. Notice how the expression of His anger is nothing more than abandoning Pharaoh to the consequences of his own actions. In other words, the evil done by Pharaoh turned back on him. Exodus 15:7 says: “In the greatness of Thine excellency Thou hast overthrown them that rose up against Thee: Thou sentest forth Thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.” The Lord is slow to anger.

All the nations mentioned in the Bible had enough time to become familiar with Him and to know His character. But they rejected His light and chose their own ways instead of the Lord’s. There was a reason God did not immediately drive out the Canaanites: the iniquity of the Amorites had not yet reached its full measure. Their wickedness had to reach a point where God’s patience would run out, and consequently, the time for their extermination would come. Those who rejected God’s law sank deeper and deeper into evil. The children inherited the rebellious spirit of their parents and behaved even worse than they did, until God’s anger reached them. The punishment, though delayed, was not less. The Apostle Paul writes to the Romans: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.” Romans 1:18

The apostle goes on to explain how God’s anger manifests in people’s lives simply by abandoning them to the consequences of their perverse desires and destructive actions. However, he also affirms that the Lord is a patient God, offering men the time necessary for them to realize their mistakes and change course. This was the case with the people of Israel, who, over the centuries, repeatedly renounced the God who had redeemed them from slavery. Despite the Lord giving them more than one opportunity to redeem themselves, the Jews continued to worship the gods of the pagan nations. Every time God’s anger reaches its peak, it is expressed in the same way: by leaving the unrepentant in the hands of their enemies. Since Israel desired to serve the gods of other nations, God, in His righteous anger, gave them what they wanted. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

I am amazed at how God can bear with the perversity of His children, their disobedience, the abuse of His mercy, and the false testimony against Him for so long. But the ways and methods of the Lord are not like ours, so we should not be surprised at His tolerance, tender mercy, and infinite compassion, for He has given irrefutable evidence of His character, which is slow to anger, merciful towards all who love Him and observe His commandments.

How thankful we should be to the Lord that He is slow to anger! How wonderful is the thought of the Almighty who places a limit on His great power. The clearest and most solemn manifestation of divine holy anger is undoubtedly the episode of Jesus’ cleansing of the temple, as recorded in the Gospels. Sister White describes the scene as follows: “Slowly descending the steps, and raising the scourge of cords gathered up on entering the enclosure, He bids the bargaining company depart from the precincts of the temple. With a zeal and severity He has never before manifested, He overthrows the tables of the money-changers. The coin falls, ringing sharply upon the marble pavement. None presume to question His authority. None dare stop to gather up their ill-gotten gain. Jesus does not smite them with the whip of cords, but in His hand that simple scourge seems terrible as a flaming sword. Officers of the temple, speculating priests, brokers and cattle traders, with their sheep and oxen, rush from the place, with the one thought of escaping from the condemnation of His presence.”–The Desire of Ages, p. 158. This is the anger of the Lamb. Which man, in his state of sin, can resist Him?

“It is a fearful thing for the unrepenting sinner to fall into the hands of the living God. This is proved by the history of the destruction of the old world by a flood, by the record of the fire which fell from heaven and destroyed the inhabitants of Sodom. But never was this proved to so great an extent as in the agony of Christ, . . . when He bore the wrath of God for a sinful world.” –That I May Know Him, p. 64

How many times have we profaned God’s law, trampled on His principles, and made His house of prayer a den of commerce? How many times have we allowed Satan to tempt us, and have we yielded once again, disappointing our heavenly Father? But we should not despair because of this. God’s ultimate act of love is this: we are spared from suffering the terrible wrath of God, caused by our sins, because Jesus took the punishment upon Himself, in our place. “The love of God now reaches out to embrace the lowest, vilest sinner that will come to Christ with contrition. It reaches out to transform the sinner into an obedient, faithful child of God.” –Selected Messages, bk. 1, p. 313

The rainbow of the promise is a guarantee for every humble, contrite, and believing soul, because their life is united with that of Christ, who is One with God. The wrath of God will not fall on a single soul that takes refuge in Him. Thank You, Lord, because You are a God slow to anger, and because we can take refuge in Your promise: “When I see the blood, I will pass over.” Exodus 12:13

Amen. To be continued.

By Ylenia Gallo