Right and Wrong Anger

Narrator: Chris Genthree
Duration: 2min
 •  1 min. read  •  grade level: 10
Listen from:
• BibleTruthPublishers.com
Anger is spoken of in two ways in Scripture the one a wrong fleshly response and the other a right and righteous reaction to sin.
In Cain (Gen. 4:66And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? (Genesis 4:6)) and Esau (Gen. 27:4141And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob. (Genesis 27:41)) we see fleshly anger resulting from envy and jealousy. Both Moses (Num. 20:10-1110And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? 11And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. (Numbers 20:10‑11)) and Jonah (Jonah 4:11But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. (Jonah 4:1)) became impatient, which in turn caused them to become angry. Naaman’s anger (2 Kings 5:1111But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. (2 Kings 5:11)) was caused by pride, while Asa (2 Chron. 16:1010Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time. (2 Chronicles 16:10)) and Uzziah (2 Chron. 26:1919Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, from beside the incense altar. (2 Chronicles 26:19)) were angered because of their own troubled consciences.
What sad, tragic consequences resulted from these fleshly displays of anger! The treatment, by man, of the Lord Jesus is the supreme example of such results. Envy, hatred and disbelief caused wicked men to murder the only perfect, spotless man who ever walked through this world!
Romans 12:1919Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. (Romans 12:19) and Matthew 5:2222But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. (Matthew 5:22) forbid such anger. It is a characteristic of the flesh (Gal. 5:2020Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, (Galatians 5:20)) and of fools (Prov. 12:16; 27:316A fool's wrath is presently known: but a prudent man covereth shame. (Proverbs 12:16)
3A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both. (Proverbs 27:3)). It brings its own punishment (Job 5:22For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one. (Job 5:2); Prov. 19:1919A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again. (Proverbs 19:19)) and bad words often stir it up (2 Sam. 19:4343And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more right in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel. (2 Samuel 19:43)).
Ephesians 4:2626Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: (Ephesians 4:26) exhorts us to “be ye angry, and sin not” do not treasure up anger and malice in the heart. The Lord Jesus gives a perfect example of righteous anger in Mark 3:55And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. (Mark 3:5). He was angry, “being grieved for the hardness of their hearts.” Desire for God’s glory is the foundation of righteous anger.
The Young Christian (adapted)