Some people only see God as a God of wrath. They see the bad things that happen in the world or they read about the destruction and how He had to tear the people down. Other people only see God as a God of love. They think that His love covers all and there are no consequences. They think that they can live however they want because God loves them. Both of these types of people miss the point and do not understand the God of the Universe.
This was a lesson that God taught the nation of Israel throughout the Bible. He delivered them from the hands of Pharoah and out of Egypt because of His love. However, the people griped and complained when Moses led them to the wilderness. They thought God had led them there to die and they began to make their own gods and idols instead of trusting in the Lord. So a whole generation of people had to die in the wilderness before God led them to the promised land. Then, out of His love for them, He helped them defeat the people who were living there. It wasn’t long before the people disobeyed again and turned to worthless idols. God had to destroy the nation, but out of His love for them, he delivered them into the hands of their enemies. God’s ultimate act of love was sending His son to die on the cross for the people.
This is what discipline looks like. It is a combination of love and accountability. There are consequences and restoration. This is the God of our fathers and the God of Christians today.