Daily Devotions
Psalms
Psalm 85:5a "Will You be angry with us forever?"
Day 260 – Psalm 85
“Will You be angry with us forever?” Psalm 85:5a
SPIRITUAL SENSITIVITY TO THE LORD
The sons of Korah had become spiritually sensitive to the Lord over the years. They were now able to sense the anger of the Lord.
“Will You be angry with us forever?
Will You prolong Your anger to all generations?”
Psalm 85:5
1. God’s Anger comprehended
a) There were overt signs of God’s anger.
b) There were also subtle (not obvious) signs of His anger.
2. Raising vital questions about God’s anger in prayer
a) Was God still angry with His people?
b) Would God retain that anger indefinitely?
c) Would He be perpetually angry?
d) Would all generations have to suffer the anger of God?
3. Learning from the Scriptures
a) The sons of Korah must have studied Moses’ spiritual sensitivity to God.
b) Moses had, on one occasion, pleaded with God to turn away His wrath.
c) The context was the worship of a golden calf in the wilderness (Exodus 32).
d) Moses succeeded in averting the fierce wrath of God that threatened to destroy the nation.
e) But Moses kept praying… for he sensed that the matter of God’s anger had not been fully settled (Exodus 33-34).
f) The sons of Korah had learned to be spiritually sensitive to the anger of God.
THE DANGER OF FRESH SINS AGAINST GOD
The old sin of idolatry had now been totally eradicated. No more would the children bow the knee in worship of Baal and other foreign gods. However, there were other sins that could have caused God to be angry all over again. The sons of Korah took it upon themselves to become intercessors of the children of Israel. They had sensed that God’s anger was only held in abeyance. They desired to pray that God’s divine anger be totally removed! This was not an easy intercessory task to undertake.