The Wrath of Man

"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. " (James 1: 19, 20 KJV)

"He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city." (Proverbs 16: 32 KJV)

"He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated." (Proverbs 14: 17 KJV)

These verses speak of the "wrath of man," of his unrighteous anger. A number of important lessons on anger are given in these inspired verses.

First, anger is viewed as most generally a sin among men. It is nearly always unrighteous and evil anger. Second, to be "slow to anger" and to be able to control anger, especially unrighteous anger, is highly commended and viewed as a means of preservation from many ills in life. Third, a person who is slow to wrath and who controls his anger is viewed as a "wise" and a "strong" man, and one who is holy and righteous.

"And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil." (Joel 2: 13 KJV)

There are many verses in scripture that repeat the affirmation that Lord God is "slow to anger." Yes, Lord God does get angry, anthropomorphically speaking, and even "furious" and "full of wrath," and one who "renders vengeance," but it is only after long suffering, patience, and forbearance with rebellious sinners. Lord God is never "soon angry," and we ought to follow his example. We also need to learn to be angry against what HE is angry against.

Notice in the above verse how the Lord's slowness to anger is connected with his being kind, merciful, and gracious. Where one finds a spirit that is "slow to anger," you generally find a kind, merciful, gracious, and forgiving spirit.

"O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel." (Genesis 49: 6,7 KJV)

Notice how anger, in the above verse, led to murder and that it is associated with "selfwill," and with "fierceness" and "cruelty."

"Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?" (Proverbs 27: 4 KJV)

How cruel, vengeful, fierce, unjust, unholy, outrageous, is the anger and wrath of sinful man!

"Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools." (Ecclesiastes 7: 9 KJV)

"For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one." (Job 5: 2 KJV)

"An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression." (Proverbs 29: 22 KJV)

"He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly." (Proverbs 14: 29 KJV)

Again, these verses connect self control over anger with being righteous and godly, and with being wise and strong. But they also speak of the end or destiny of people who are given over to anger, who are controlled by anger, rather than them controlling it.

How many times has a man's uncontrolled anger made him kill someone else or made himself the object of,or provoked, another's superior wrath? Angry men will kill other angry men. Such men of anger will "kill themselves" if they do not repent and seek help from the Lord. Where one finds great wrath and intense anger, he will also find one who "abounds in sin."

"Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But 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: 21 KJV)

Every time a person has been unjustly or unduly angry with his neighbor he has violated the command that says "do not kill (or murder)." Every time one curses in unjust anger a fellow human being he sins and manifests the spirit and heart of a murderer.

"Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil." (Psalm 37: 8 KJV)

"Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath." (Proverbs 21: 24 KJV)

"A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both." (Proverbs 27: 3 KJV)

Warnings against the perils of unrighteous anger are in these verses. There is the imperative to cease being angry. Go to work on it! Get help to overcome it! Do so or it will destroy you. That is the wisdom of Solomon, the wisdom of God, about this matter. He understands human emotion and thinking better than any human psychologist. Oh the weight and burden that those have to bear who live with angry and vengeful people!

"It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman." (Proverbs 21: 19 KJV)

"Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul." (Proverbs 22: 24, 25 KJV)

We should not keep regular company with those who are angry people. We may, however, be in a family or group where full escape from these kinds of people is not possible. In such cases, the person is called to escape the presence of those people as much as possible and to bear up under the rest. Of course too, the angry person should always be carefully warned of the evil of his sin, and of his disease. If one "keeps company with" angry people, he will likely become such himself.

"But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth." (Colossians 3: 8 KJV)

"For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults." (II Corinthians 12: 20 KJV)

"Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies." (Galatians 5: 20 KJV)

These verses continue to stress the importance of seeing the evil in human anger. It is called a "work of the sinful nature (flesh)," and is associated with companion sins, as enumerated above.

"Dearly 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 KJV)

"Give place to wrath." Once we realize the evil of human wrath and anger, the next thing to realize is the way to deal with it, and how to overcome it, rather being overcome by it. There are many verses in the bible that not only describe the evil nature of human anger, and of its consequences, but also many that tell one how to control it. The verses earlier simply said "cease from anger." In other words, "just stop it!" But, such a command does not imply that man can save himself, apart from God, in this matter. The verses state what men ought to do, not what they are able to do. A man who is given over to anger is like one addicted to drugs, and who will not be delivered without powerful help.

"Scornful men bring a city into a snare: but wise men turn away wrath." (Proverbs 29: 8 KJV)

"Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife." (Proverbs 30: 33 KJV)

Wise men are peacemakers and are gifted with being able to "diffuse" anger in others. Thank God for these people! How many lives have been saved by those who were able to assuage one's heated anger?

On the other hand, how many others have been provocateers, people who's anger creates strife and division and all kinds of evil and calamity. One ought not to ever allow his unjust anger to provoke others to the same, nor to prokoke to other ills.

"Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged." (Colossians 3: 21 KJV)

Rather than provoking to anger, we ought to be appeasing it!

"Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath...Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice." (Ephesians 4: 26, 31 KJV)

If sinful anger and wrath were not of any great concern to Christians in their lives, then why is there so much apostolic warning of them about it? Christians are not above anger, and some often fall into spells of it, and need forgiveness and further experience of salvation to overcome it, but they are all called to be working on it daily in the fear of the Lord. Notice again, in the above verse, the associated words around the words anger and wrath.

"And 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 KJV)

Here is righteous anger! Here is "righteous indignation"! All anger is not evil nor unjust! We need wisdom to discriminate between the two. Jesus is our example.

"The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue." (Proverbs 25: 23 KJV)

Here is reference to the good use of just and righteous anger. How many adults are able to "drive away" rebellion and disobedience from their "sassy" and "backbiting" children? It is a social good when citizens are able to control wrath in others by their angry and disapproving faces? But, it often takes courage, and that is a quality lacking today.

"A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger...A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife." (Proverbs 15: 1, 18 KJV)

But oh how many first return angry words to angry words given! It is a case of trying to overcome evil with evil, rather than with good. A case of "fueling the fires" of ignited anger.

"The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression." (Proverbs 19: 11 KJV)

"A gift in secret pacifieth anger: and a reward in the bosom strong wrath." (Proverbs 21: 14 KJV)

"The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: but a wise man will pacify it." (Proverbs 16: 14 KJV)

All these give one the method for dealing with anger. Oh that more today were taught anger management in early childhood! More too who would not only teach anger management by imparting the wisdom of the above words of scripture, but by their example! An angry home environment often produces other ones, sociologically speaking.

"A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again." (Proverbs 19: 19 KJV)

Yes, many have tried, in their own strength, and in the remedies that the world offers, but who have nevertheless regularly fallen back into the same spirit. They find self reformation impossible as regards their being delivered from a bitter and angry spirit. They certainly do need divine power to deliver them. We all do.

"But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God." (Romans 2: 5 KJV)

Wrathful people who persist in their vicious spirit do not realize that they are just heaping up to themselves the just wrath of God against their unjust wrath.

"Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain." (Psalm 76: 10 KJV)

Were the first part of this verse not true, Lord God would have created our world where no wrath of man could ever be known, as is the world above, and as is our world after Jesus returns. In the end, it will be seen why the Lord God allowed all the evil and anger that he has in fact suffered. Were the second part of the verse not true, we would live in fear and hopelessness from day to day!

"For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre." (Titus 1: 7 KJV)

God help those churches who ordain pastors and leaders who are men who are "soon angry"! A curse to the churches! Give your candidates for pastor an anger test!

Friend, do you need deliverance from your bitter and angry spirit? Then I urge you to come to Christ and receive him into your heart (afresh if need be), and seek from him deliverance from it. He will surely help and save you.