Jonathan Edwards Intentions in “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”
Are you prepared to face the Wrath of God? This is the question that Johnathan Edwards is proposing to his listeners in “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”. Edwards delivers three central ideas in his sermon: humans are sinners who belong in hell, it is only by God’s mercy that you are not already in hell, and the only way to escape hell is to accept the mercy and sacrifice of Christ. Deuteronomy 32.25 reads “Their foot shall slide in due time.” This biblical verse serves as the backbone for Edwards’ sermon in which he provides terrifying imagery to persuade the congregation to accept God and begin living for him. In the first part of his sermon, he gives four implications along with ten more observations based on the text in the Bible and the second part is an application of his preaching to their lives. Edwards used his sermon as a warning to his listeners that without the mercy of God, every living soul is destined for eternal damnation because of the sinful nature of humankind.
Edwards begins by giving us a list of four things that the verse “Their foot shall slide in due time” implies about the Israelites. First it implies that they were always exposed to destruction and he uses the metaphor that when someone walks in slippery places, they are always exposed to falling. The second thing it implies is that they were always exposed to unexpected destruction. He again goes back to the slippery slope metaphor to explain this implication. When someone falls on a slippery surface, it is unexpected—just as destruction comes unexpectedly to sinners. The third implication is that when a person falls on a slippery surface, it is their own weight that brings them down, they do not need to be pushed. Metaphorically speaking, their weight represents the sins that have committed against God. Lastly, Edwards explains that the only reason you are not in hell already is because “God’s appointed time has not come”. He changes the metaphor from a person walking on a slippery slope to a person being held up by God’s hand over a fiery pit at the bottom. This shows that God’s hand alone is the one thing keeping sinners out of hell, and when God decides to let go, the weight of their sins will drag them into hell. Edwards is trying to get listeners to realize the foolishness of someone who decides to walk on a “slippery slope” and the consequences that will follow. This warning leads Edwards into his first central conclusion: “There is nothing that keeps wicked men, at any moment, out of Hell, but the mere pleasure of God”.
Edwards then goes on to list ten observations that supports his previous conclusion. All the observations are interrelated, and their collective purpose is to persuade his listeners that God’s wrath against the wicked is terrifying, and nothing will save them from certain eternal damnation except for believing and being saved by God. He speaks in an urgent manner trying to show the congregation that God has all the power, and they could die at any given moment. His first five observations are that God has almighty power, they deserve to be cast in hell, they are already condemned to hell, God is very angry with sinners — especially those on earth, and that the devil stalks sinners ready to take their souls. Sixth, the souls of sinners contain the “seeds of hell fire” and God is the only thing keeping them from bursting into flames. Seventh, the congregation should not find false security in the fact that there are no “visible means of death at hand. Eighth, men’s “prudence and care” does not protect them from hell. Ninth, any person who hears of hell and “flatters” themselves that they will escape damnation is deluding themselves. Tenth, God has no obligation to keep any one person from hell, instead he offers salvation through Christ, the “mediator”. In all his observations, Edwards uses powerful imagery and biblical references to back up his claims. For instance, in his fifth observation he says that “the devils watch them, like greedy hungry lions that see their prey” restrained by God and that if God were to withdraw His hand, they would be swallowed up by hell. After the observations, Edwards provides a brief recap in which he says that “hell is gaping” and it is just waiting for God to cast you down. He uses vivid descriptions such as these because he wants his listeners to be terrified of God’s wrath on the wicked.
The last half of the sermon is an application where Edwards is focused on the “awakening of unconverted persons in the congregation”. It is in this section that Edwards is speaking to the heads and the hearts of the audience to ensure they understand the danger the unconverted are in. Edwards is talking directly to the unconverted people in the audience, and he gives his most striking imagery during this part of the sermon. He professes that people’s sins make them “heavy as lead”, with God being the only thing holding them up. Edwards compares God’s wrath to the pressure behind dammed waters that increase and rise until the flood breaks loose. While God withholds his wrath, the sinner’s guilt is constantly growing and accumulating more of God’s wrath. If God’s hand were to be removed, the “fiery floods” of His wrath would force you into hell. He then describes God’s wrath as a bow and arrow ready to be fired at the sinner, only being held back by the “mere pleasure” of God. Perhaps the most terrifying metaphor of all, he explains that God holds you over the pit of hell just as “one holds a spider or loathsome insect over a fire” and he is dreadfully provoked. Edwards doesn’t want his audience to take the wrath of an infinite God lightly, so he stresses that His wrath is more terrible than any human king and that it will be inflicted without pity. He references Isaiah 66.23-24 to show that God will torture you as an example to all his followers of what would happen if they chose to live a life of sin. Edwards explains to the congregation that it is everlasting wrath with no end to your misery and suffering. To show them how real the danger is, Edwards notes that some people sitting in this very congregation will be in hell before the year is up. He makes it even more real by saying that you could be there before tomorrow morning. That is why Edwards stresses the importance of accepting and dedicating your life to Christ immediately. Edwards ends the sermon by telling his listeners that they have an amazing opportunity for redemption because Christ has “thrown open the doors of mercy”. Edwards asks anyone in the congregation who is “out of Christ” to “now awake and fly from the wrath to come'.
To summarize, Edwards used terrifying imagery and metaphors to persuade his listeners to accept and follow Christ or they will suffer eternal damnation. Edwards pointed out and supported his three central ideas that all humans are sinners who belong in hell, it is only by God’s mercy that you are not already in hell, and the only way to escape hell is to accept the mercy and sacrifice of Christ. Along with imagery and metaphors, he also references biblical text to support his points. Edwards’ intention was to warn and persuade the unconverted people in the congregation of what was to come if they continued to live a life without God.
