"A LITTLE WRATH FOR A MOMENT" (Pastor Tom Henry) ~ 6/2/26

“In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.” (Isaiah 54:8)

Whatever is promised in this chapter belongs to all who are true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. The prophet concludes the chapter by saying, “This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.” (Vs. 17) The matchless promises, assurance, and blessings are the property of all who are sons and servants of the living God. “This is the heritage,” the portion obtained through heirship, which implies sonship. Believers are sons by birth, and servants by choice. We are also described as clothed in Christ’s righteousness.

This heritage involves things that we do not ordinarily think of as blessings. They are here referred to as “A little wrath.” Included in this “little wrath” are such things as trials, tribulation, chastisements, and afflictions. These make up a necessary part of our heritage, and they are not to be despised. In fact, this passage coincides perfectly with what we have in Peter’s first Epistle. In the fourth chapter he says, “Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you… For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God!” Peter uses the word “judgement” instead of “wrath,” but the meaning is the same. Either way, both Isaiah and Peter are speaking of temporal providences that pertain to this present life only.

God’s people are often tried and afflicted, and sometimes very severely. They are tried by providence. Peter said, “For a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations.” Believers, like Lot in Sodom, experience the daily vexing of soul because of the wickedness going on around them. As the text suggests, they can at times feel forsaken of the Lord, though it is never true. Asaph came to the place where he felt that his lot was less desirable than that of the ungodly. (Psa. 73:3)

Where is comfort to be found when we are in such a case? First, comfort is found in being aware of the Divine purpose. “For a small moment have I forsaken thee;” (Vs. 7) “I have hid my face.” (Vs. 8) Second, we take comfort in the knowledge that it is but for a moment and compared to what awaits the ungodly it is very light. Paul testified: “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” (II Cor. 4:17) Peter noted, “If judgement first begin at us…where shall the ungodly and sinners appear?”

This reminds us of our greatest source of comfort. Whatever little wrath, judgement, chastisements, afflictions, etc., that Providence may necessarily send our way, we shall never experience one drop of judicial punishment. Isaiah goes on to declare God’s sworn oath: “For as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee.” As seen already “This is the heritage of the servant of the Lord, and their righteousness is of Me, saith the Lord.” He bore our sin, that we should be clothed in His righteousness.

“A little wrath for a moment,” even “a small moment” (Vs. 7) is part of the believer’s heritage, but against that great and terrible and unmitigated wrath of God he is ever secure. Isaiah offers two reasons why this is so. For one, God will never break His oath which He has sworn. For two, God’s wrath can never break out against us, because it has already broken out against us in our Substitute. Agustus Toplady wrote, “Payment God cannot twice demand, first at my bleeding Savior’s hand, and then again at mine.”

Let us therefore bear with patience whatever trials Divine Providence brings us, knowing that God’s covenant promise is irrevocable: “For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.” (Vs. 10)