9:18,19
First we have a description of what wickedness does. Wickedness is like an fire, it is out of control, and it can consume all that is around it. That is why we get such disastrous consequences when we allow evil into a system. There are the consequences of the evil itself, but there is also the wrath of the Lord. Now wrath is not a popular word, and some try to do away with the concept of the wrath of God. Such people are complete fools and demonstrate either (i) a complete lack of understanding of the wrath of God; or (ii) a complete lack of awareness of the awfulness of sin and its consequences. The wrath of God has two aspects to it: (i) it is a rationale, just and reasoned judgement on sin and those who perpetrate the sin; (ii) it involves the passionate hatred of sin. And the two go together.
9:20,21
9:19 has just finished by saying “they will not spare one another”. Earlier it said “by the wrath of the Lord ...” So how does this work? Well in Romans 1 we read that the wrath of God is being revealed against all godlessness and wickedness (Rom 1:18), then later in the chapter we read of God giving people over to their evil lusts. The worst judgement that God can bestow on us is to give us over to the sins that we desire to do, then we will “not spare one another”. Verse 20 literally came true during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. Ephraim and Manasseh would fight each other, and then fight against Judah. Evil has unlimitedly evil consequences.
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