Wrath & mercy

One mention of God punishing mankind (let alone that four letter word H***) and people object, 'I thought God was supposed to be loving.'

Hosea 11 paints a delightful picture of God's wrath & mercy in perfect harmony:

¹ "When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.

² But the more I called Israel,
the further they went from me. ...

³ It was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
taking them by the arms;
but they did not realize
it was I who healed them.

⁴ I led them with cords of human kindness,
with ties of love;
I lifted the yoke from their neck
and bent down to feed them....

⁷ My people are determined to turn from me. ...

⁸ "How can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, Israel? ...
My heart is changed within me;
all my compassion is aroused.

⁹ I will not carry out my fierce anger,
nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim.
For I am God, and not man—
the Holy One among you.
I will not come in wrath.

¹⁰ They will follow the LORD;
he will roar like a lion.
When he roars,
his children will come trembling from the west.

¹¹ They will come trembling
like birds from Egypt,
like doves from Assyria.
I will settle them in their homes,"
declares the LORD.

God simply cannot give up on his people - his son.

Ultimately, of course, v1 is applied to Jesus in Matthew 2:15. He is God's faithful, obedient Son. What Israel could not do, Jesus does. But not only is Jesus what we're not, he removes both our failure and God's wrath.

The cross is indeed the place where wrath and mercy meet.