Short Answer
God is not “throwing a tantrum” … He is expressing righteous anger toward real sin. The dialogue with Moses is written in a human-like way (anthropomorphism) to teach important truths about mercy, mediation, and God’s justice. It ultimately points to the need for a mediator, fulfilled in Christ.
The Overview
When reading passages where God appears angry and Moses intervenes, it can seem—especially from a modern or skeptical perspective—that God is reacting emotionally or inconsistently. However, these passages are written using anthropomorphism, meaning God is described in human-like terms to help people understand deeper spiritual truths. God is not changing His mind or losing control; He is revealing His character in a way humans can grasp.
God’s anger in these situations is not irrational—it is a just response to real rebellion. The people of Israel repeatedly disobeyed, complained, and rejected God despite His provision and guidance. His indignation reflects His holiness and justice. What may appear as harshness is actually a proper response to sin.
Moses’ role in these moments is especially important. He acts as a mediator, standing between God and the people, pleading for mercy. This is not because God forgot something or needed correction, but because the passage is teaching a larger theological truth: humanity needs someone to stand in the gap between a holy God and sinful people.
Ultimately, these passages point forward to Christ. Just as Moses interceded for Israel, Jesus becomes the perfect mediator who satisfies God’s justice and extends mercy to sinners. Rather than portraying God as unstable, these texts reveal the balance of His justice and grace, and the central role of mediation in salvation.
Key Takeaways
- God’s Anger Is Righteous, Not Emotional Outburst
It reflects His holiness in response to sin. - Anthropomorphism Helps Human Understanding
God is described in human terms for teaching purposes. - Moses Acts as a Mediator
He represents the need for someone to stand between God and people. - The Passage Teaches Mercy and Grace
God shows restraint and compassion despite deserved judgment. - It Points to Christ
Jesus is the ultimate mediator who fulfills this pattern.
The Source — The Speaker Transcript
00:00:01
Hi, thank you so much, Pastor Mike. Um, I have two questions for you if it’s okay. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> Okay. My first one is in regards to the Old Testament. This is where Moses is uh speaking with God. >> Okay. Um, I’m trying to understand this and I guess in the what what is the apologetics answer in regards to why does it seem like God is throwing a tantrum um whenever he he gets angry with with the people and he says he’s going to destroy them but then Moses
00:00:35
intervenes and has to remind God’s like no wait don’t do that because from a skept a skepticist perspective um they may you know Even before Christ, I I I would look at that too and be like, “Okay, that’s kind of weird.” But um there will be a lot of people who will refuse uh to worship God or even acknowledge him because they look at that passage as in why do I want to serve a God that’s throwing a tantrum and has to be reminded of not not to do this, you know? So I that’s my first
00:01:08
question. >> Okay, let me deal with that before we ask the second one. in the scriptures I’m thinking of passages like Romans chapter 15 when it talks about the Old Testament. It says whatever is written in former days was written for our instruction. So part of what God does and what we call anthropomorphisms that’s what we call them as Bible students or teachers of the Bible uh in that is that God will present himself in a way that’s much more human than he obviously is. Of course, God never
00:01:36
changes his mind. He’s omnisient. He’s, you know, endlessly patient. is longsuffering. But here we have a passage where God is dealing with Moses in a way to instruct us all how we’re supposed to deal with situations. And and so I think the anthropomorphism of of God sitting here having a conversation where Moses says, you know, don’t do this. He’s not really asking for uh him to act justly. He’s asking him for him to act mercifully and gracious. Because frankly, if we read
00:02:05
the text of what happened from the Exodus in Exodus 12 uh all the way to the end of the penetuk, these people are rebellious. They’re complainers. They are entitled brats in so many ways. And God has every right in his indignation. And let’s call it that, right? His indignation. He’s he’s rightfully angry at them to destroy them. And instead, here’s Moses who stands in the gap and he ends up having a a prayer, if you will, a statement of of pleading for mercy. Why? How’s that written for our
00:02:37
instruction? Not only for our moral instruction that we should be open to reason, as it says in James 3, but the the reality of the fact that this is the picture of Christ. And the picture of Christ is here we are before the tribunal of God. A terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. It’s not a tantrum. It’s exactly what they deserve. They deserved to be turned in to to complete utter chaff for God’s just righteous indignation. And instead, Moses says, “Hey, what about your name?
00:03:08
What about your reputation?” He says whatever he says in that passage to try and and and stand in the gap as a mediator. Well, that’s before we even have the priesthood. Think about this. We’ve just now started something with Aaron, Moses’s brother, his older brother, to start something that is going to be set in that new place. Canaan is going to be Israel now. And it’s going to be a place where there’s a bunch of mediators, human mediators that are going to stand before God in the
00:03:34
Holy of Holies. And their whole point is God would destroy us were it not for his mercy. And so, we’re pleading for the mercy of God. Now, it may look like a tantrum as a bunch of people stand around who are falling far short of the glory of God, saying, “I’m not going to believe this book because God throws a tantrum.” Well, it’s not a tantrum. I would hate to say uh anyone’s going to call the judgment of the great white throne a tantrum. They’re not. They’re going to say, “This is what I deserve. I
00:04:00
deserve exactly where God wants to assign me.” But Christianity, right, the whole point of a mediator is that we have the ultimate mediator, the son of man, who comes and stands between God, a righteous, indignant God about our sin and pleads with us and gives us mercy. So this is a passage about mercy. I’m going to look at Romans 15 and say, “All that’s for our instruction. What can I learn from this?” And when I look at God putting himself in some kind of human dialogue and negotiation with Moses, who
00:04:29
by the way, God was angry at Moses for not even wanting to go and be the representative to say to Pharaoh, “Let my people go.” And God showed him mercy. And now he’s asking God to show mercy for the people. And I’m going to say, “That’s exactly what we need. We need some mediator to stand between us and God.” And that’s why I’m always going to go back to the critic or the skeptic and say what you deserve, you need to start getting real about. The more you get
00:04:53
real about that, the more you’re going to read the Bible looking at these kinds of themes of mediation and mercy and grace and say, “Wow, I’m hanging my whole future on on the fact that God will have his anger appeased.” The New Testament word is propitiation. That it’ll be appeased. It’ll be satisfied. And when Christ died on the cross, the ultimate mediation, the ultimate negotiation was, “Don’t punish these people of mine, these children of yours, God’s children that you should destroy,
00:05:21
but I’m going to say it’s finished. I’m going to take the mediation of all of that upon myself.” So, it’s a great instructive passage. Even though it may make God look like he’s, you know, a weak uh negotiating angry uh God, well, he he is not weak and he’s not going to negotiate with anyone, but he puts himself in that place to teach us something about the big theme of the gospel throughout the Bible. That would be my answer to the skeptic. >> Okay, thank you so much. Okay, that’s
00:05:51
beautiful. Okay, next question. Um, >> second question. Yeah.
