The Heart of the Matter
Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools. Ecclesiastes 7:9 ESV
Lodges – This is not modern psychology. If you went to the therapist to deal with your quick temper or your deepest anger, he would not greet you by remarking that you are a fool. But the biblical writer didn’t get a Ph.D. in psychology. He got a message from God and in God’s book, anger is kesilut (stupidity). It is the characteristic of a fool, kesil. “Three words are rendered fool, kĕsîl referring to the dull or obstinate one, referring not to mental deficiency, but to a propensity to make wrong choices. ʾewîl refers to moral insolence, and nābāl to the boorish man of mean disposition.”[1]
This is not what we expect. In our worldview, anger is often considered an emotional disposition brought about by annoyance, hostility or displeasure. The cause of anger is located in the actions of others or the injustice of circumstances. But kesil locates the heart of the problem in wrong choices. In biblical terms, I am accountable for my anger no matter what the external circumstances. Why is the biblical idea at odds with our culture’s psychology? The answer is sovereignty. If God is sovereign, then no circumstances arise in life that He has not engineered for His purposes. No matter what the conditions, all things work together for the good, not for my good, and the good is the execution of His will on earth as it is in heaven. Therefore, anger is ultimately disdain for what God is doing. It effectively says, “God, You really don’t know what You are doing here. I am complaining because You have not brought about the conditions that I believe are right.” Do you now recognize why anger resides in the heart of a fool?
We often talk about trust in God. We extol His goodness and expect His blessings. But are we prepared to echo Job, “YHWH gives and YHWH takes away”? If our trust in YHWH really depends on His favor as we define it, then we are not His servants and He is not our God. He is the genie in the “give-me” bottle. And that makes us fools. Faithfulness in YHWH does not depend on what He does for me. It depends only on His character and I determine His character from what He has done in the history of His people.
With that history in mind, anger is impossible. I know my God and I know that whatever He does will bring about His kingdom on earth. I will make my choices based entirely on His word, the record of His past interaction with the people I choose to be my own. “Your people will be my people and your God will be my God,” is the basis of my decisions. If anger is the result of wrong choices, then I will make right choices guided by His instructions and anger will not reside in my heart.
Topical Index: anger, kesil, fool, Ecclesiastes 7:9
[1] Goldberg, L. (1999). 1011 כָסַל. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, p. 449.
recognize why anger resides in the heart of a fool
Hmmm
That’s a good point, I’ll try to remember that the next time I get angry
Thank you for this. This is an area I struggle in quite often. I completely understand about making stupid choices. When I have gotten angry and afterward thought about what I have said or done during that time I say to myself that was just stupid! Need to keep in mind that it is his will being done in my life and my anger is an objection to it. Like a foolish child throwing a temper tantrum.
Hi Skip
This is timely for me. However to use one scripture to discuss the topic of anger is to limit the many interpretations of anger – rage of anger, simmering anger, righteous anger, Yah’s Anger etc. I have not done research on the word anger in scripture (sadly dont have the tools or good access to internet very often where I am currently based) but would be grateful of a list if anyone has done it on the various definitions of the word anger and the hebrew translations.
I have been very angry recently because of lies, corruption and false attitudes. How I have handled it as it directly involved me is definately in question -I can be head strong and stubborn! – I need to go to Yah.
However in these situations my recourse to anger was after countless efforts of requests/gentle nuddging/veiled threats etc. The result is that only after anger did the situation change or the person/affiliation endeavour to do something to rectify the situation. Had I just left it nothing would have been done to rectify the matter – a serious matter. I hasten to add none of the situations involved believers.
Where do we draw the line?
If you see injustice like a child being abused right in front of your eyes are you not going to hasten in anger to stop it – having already begged them to stop it?
Or if you see animals being treated in the most inhuman manner (as I do on a daily basis) is it wrong for me to go up to that person and say why are you doing that to the animal – ony to be laughed at – only when I got very angry with that person did they even bother to listen.
When the prophets spoke in anger on behalf of Yah – were they wrong?
What does be angry and sin not mean really mean?
To be angry with Yah that is clearly wrong – Job clearly shows that…but even he showed in my view some form of annoyance/mild anger??….. at his friends counsel.
Is it wrong to be angry with the world and its system and show that anger?
As I have internet access this afternoon I printed off some scriptures on anger – most seem to refer to believer vs believer but the ones in Proverbs really make the point of how destructive anger can be….hmmmmmmmmm!
I welcome comments from other people’s experience directly related to anger/frustration/etc. particularly in connection with the world!
Christine
Christine
I agree with your point on the interpretations of anger. I think that rage is very different from zeal. A while back I was confronted by a stranger who was blaspheming our Heavenly Father. It made me so angry and I shouted back at him, “Shut Your Face!” He did, and the people I was with thanked me for having the courage to speak against him.
There are things that I think should drive us to anger. It makes me angry when I hear pastors preaching misguided, un-biblical sermons. It makes me angry when I hear of children being abused. It makes me angry when people speak wrongly of my Heavenly Father, whom I love and revere. If we don’t feel anger, do we really care? Obviously the main thing is how we react and what actions follow. But even in that, I think of the story of Phinehas and the Heresy of Peor, who turned back a plague by driving a spear through an antagonizing, sinning couple. It was zeal for YHWH and likely his concern for the people of Yisrael that drove Phinehas to do what he did. I’m sure he was full of anger when he saw the Israelite waltzing into his tent with the Midianite woman; righteous anger.
I’m not saying that we should take it upon ourselves to deal with sinners. That is the work of our Messiah Yeshua.
Skip, I disagree that anger is disdain for what God is doing. Was Yeshua calm when He saw the temple being used as a marketplace? Did he accept that if it was happening then it must be the will of God? No, he reacted in anger and drove them out. He took a stand for righteousness.
I think with wisdom and the Holy Spirit, we are able to discern when reacting in anger is sinful/foolish/unnecessary and when it is necessary for a righteous cause.
What do you make of Ephesians 4:26?
Ah, but as you pointed out, there is a difference between anger and zeal. And that difference is reflected in the original languages. Phinehas is a good example. He was ZEALOUS for there Lord. Anger (epithumia) is boiling over emotional lack of control fueled by yetzer ha’ra.
The text does not say that anger is impossible. It warns against anger lodging in your heart. If the text was supposed to convey the idea that one should never be angry, why did it say “be not quick/hasty to be angry”? It could have plainly said that one should not be angry. But the text says that it should not lodge in your bosom.
If being angry makes one a fool, than logically speaking God is the biggest one [forgive me]:
Isa 10:4 Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand [is] stretched out still. 5 O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.
But the idea is the same as Eph 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
Therefore the emphasis should be on the lodging of anger. Anger is not always wrong. There is such a thing as righteous indignation.
Sticks and Stones and Broken Bones
~ But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips ~ (Colossians 3.8)
Numero uno on this list? Anger! Grrrr.. – it “feels so good” to be angry! Say it again! Grrrr. Just brings out the animal in the human, -doesn’t it? And this is exactly what we are- “animals”- apart from God.
Were it not for God and were it not for grace, we ALL would be less human (and less humane) and more animalistic in our beliefs and behavior.
It has been said, “our words should be ‘weighed’ and not counted.” It is amazing what can pour forth from our lips and what enters into our minds when we are angry. There is such a thing however as “righteous wrath!” ~ Be angry and sin not! Let not the sun go down upon your wrath! ~ Is it possible to be angry and not sin? ~ Does sin anger God? Yes, it does.
Our LORD Jesus (Himself) was “angry enough” to make a small scourge and to overturn some tables in the Temple!! As He “never sinned,”- was He righteous in His actions? What was His motivation? Why did He do what He did? Why do we do what we do? Why are we angry? Why have we reached “the boiling point?” How long has this heated “issue” been boiling within?
What to do with our “anger?” First and foremost is to realize and recognize this: “I” have a problem. It is the sin of anger! Is it ever wrong to be angry? We may become angry when we see an animal being abused but far, far and away- when we see humans being abused and when we see injustice happening in our own families, neighborhoods and nation- what are we to do? Roil and boil and seethe inside? No.
There is an answer. It is time to pray. ~ Unto Thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul! ~ The “all” of me, including this anger inside. Cleanse me and make me whole. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my Strength and my Redeemer.”
~ When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle ~ (1 Samuel 17:28)
I too, get angry- just thinking about this! Poor David! Oh friend, I will reveal a “chink” in my armor! This is my “weak spot” also! When my integrity is called into question, -I am (too) quick to respond in anger. (confess your faults one to another and pray for one another that you may be healed!)
EVERY failure in life is a prayer failure. We have (ALL) failed to pray about it. ~ The battle is the LORD’s ~ And what a battle it is!! ~ Goliath is only one of many! Our conquest of Canaan, the land of promise, includes many “giants!”
So, I might be angry, (concerning this, that or the other thing) but what to do about it? It’s time to get dresse! . A battle is about to happen. Don’t go in there naked! ~ Put off and put on.. ~ The weapons of our warfare are NOT carnal! ~ We do NOT fight fire with fire!!
http://www.gatewaybiblicalcounseling.org/resources/putoffputonlist.htm
~ A soft answer. ~ A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare ~ Again, “words are to be ‘weighed,’ not counted.” (O Carl) Think before speaking! (Selah!,- mr./m’am) Oh, the evil I am capable of!! With my words I can destroy and with my lips I can give life!! According to James 3.8 ~ no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison ~ wOw! – Is there no hope? Are we destined to “flame on”- and destroy each other?
Friend, no man can tame the tongue, but God can!! ~ for with God, all things are possible! ~ “What’s down in the well, will come up in the bucket.” ~ The heart of the righteous studies how to answer: but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things ~ A gentle tongue can break a bone ~ (Proverbs 25.15)
🙂
I am a fool…
…too often.
Lord, bless my wife by helping me step out of Foolville.
I must realize those that design indestructible plastic to wrap products, that people who use machines that tighten lids on jars entirely too tight and tape that is designed to stick to everything except what you intend it to are all part of His plan to give me opportunity to relinquish control of the universe to Him.
I am not qualified to do that. He is.
Again, Lord, bless my wife.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for this, Skip. Fabulous topic/hard study requiring deep introspection…. pointed right at me! My husband, being “cute,” asked me whether this reading really ticked me off! hahahahahaha!
This issue is and always has been a huge one in my life. My mouth is quicker, faster and stings smarter than any bull whip. Here are some points in Scripture that I’ve found to help me realize that the tongue (spoken word) should be used for YHVH’s purposes (I certainly don’t get an “A+” in practicum but I have made progress, PRAISE YHVH!); Genesis is full of instruction regarding using the tongue> to create, to covenant, to converse, to plead, to bless, to direct, to awaken, to rebut, to explain, to inquire, to rejoice, to rebuke, to reply, to intercede, to confess, to investigate, to discipline, to encourage, to exclaim, to declare, to proclaim, to inform, to guide, to promise, to warn, to identify, to protect, to command, to name, to exalt, to compromise, to swear, to petition,to prophesy.
Scripture instructs me, too, that the tongue is also set on fire by hell to accomplish evil tasks. Here are a few: to confuse, to lie, to blame, to avoid, to whine, to deface, to brag, to deceive, to interrogate, to plot, to curse, to deny, to bargain, to bully, to argue, to scheme, to reject.
I have so very much to learn and live by.
Michael C, beautiful, simple, to-the-point post. Thanks for “putting shoe leather” to this post in the most elementary, common, every-day things in life. (I blushed as I envisioned myself standing in my pantry at our “jar lid loosener” and blowing a gasket because the loosener, not the lid, comes loose! what a fool am I!!!) P.S. How is your dad? Please give me some specific things (of course PRAISE TO OUR GOD for your wife will be one!) to pray about on your behalf this week.
Daria,
It is difficult to know what to pray for in this situation. Thank you for asking. I am weary all over. My wife and I joke about my Dad out living both of us! Except it’s not really funny any more.
He arrives, several times so far, with one full foot inside deaths door and then, after a rough time, simply bounces back to ‘normal’ as if nothing happened! It’s an amazing sight to witness over and over.
Without going into a lot of ‘stuff,’ please just pray for endurance on our part. Stamina for me mentally, emotionally and physically and also for my wife having to endure me going through the care-giving aspect of it all. (I could tell you horror stories, but I will refrain.)
This certainly isn’t Hollywood’s rendition of the last days of someone dying in bed. You just can’t pretty this up. It is a miserable experience from all sides. I’ve actually prayed for death to come to my Dad, for all our sakes. I don’t even try to understand it all anymore, really. It makes no sense at all.
It’s at a point that nothing touches it. It does NOT matter what philosophy you have or theology you adhere to or quaint sayings you lean on or what comforting words people say. It is just THERE. Raw. Explicit. Palpable. In your face.
It is a real odor of death playing out in the next room, always there. It follows wherever I go, whatever I do. It’s inescapable, ever present, always weighing on me. There is no break.
My Dad has never expressed ANY desire for God in his life. I think this has a lot to do with his prolonged dying. God giving my Dad time to turn to him? God thoroughly demonstrating to my Dad that he isn’t as in control of life as my Dad has always projected? God teaching me the extended limits I can deal with?
I just don’t know.
It seems all I know is that I can’t get the lid off that jar, I can’t open that thing I want that’s wrapped in indestructible plastic and tape is stuck to everything except on what I want it to. Nothing looks like the American Dream, I rarely get a good nights sleep, that ‘new and improved’ thing I just bought really isn’t.
What I do know . . . is Yeshua IS in charge, and for right now, this is what that looks like. I can only offer educated opinions and guesses in answer. What I’ve learned of Gods faithfulness in the past is sufficient to seek rest from today’s foibles.
If you find something to pray for out of this, you truly have my gratitude. Thank you much.
Michael,
You speak of “odor of death” that lingers… follows you around. I took that in a literal sense. For those of us who have dealt with a slowly-dying patient or Loved One day in and day out, we KNOW that smell. We can’t shower it, shampoo it, perfume it away. It seeps into the walls of the building and, seemingly, under our very skins. I’m not sure if I told you this already but my mother died of cancer when I was 15; my older sister and I were her sole caregivers in my sister’s house until around 3 weeks before her death. I also used to work on a cancer ward and also was a Home Care Nurse for end-stage patients. I’ve seen/smelled/witnessed/agonized with a lot of death. I truly wish I was there to give you some respite. I think you might be DOING TOO MUCH. If you have come to know for sure that your father is, indeed, dying, slow down. Breathe. Let go of a lot of stuff that you THINK you have to do. Do you have Hospice in there to help out?
I have sent out a plea to an Internet Prayer Team that I facilitate for them to step in… to intercede for you. Get ready to witness AND TO FEEL RELIEF in the power of God, Michael. You are loved.
Oh Father,
I plead with You now, as You allow this dying man to breathe and remain coherent, that You bring to him EVERY opportunity left RIGHT NOW to recognize You as THE God so that he can turn his wretched soul over to You. (If he doesn’t, he doesn’t. Let Michael rest in the fact that we ALL have a choice.) GIVE ALL INVOLVED the supernatural strength and increased FAITH IN YOU that it will take to hang on… to just hang on, showing YOU and YOUR LOVE in action. Comfort Michael with Your pleasure in Him, LORD God. Remind him that he does this FOR YOU.
In the Name of Yeshua HaMashiach, Amen
Like the rest of you I’m sure, I’ve come across multiple situations in life that have left me asking, “Why?” Situations like childhood cancer, adult cancer for that matter, and all manner of human suffering one comes across as a nurse. Other areas in life that are difficult to understand, such as divorce or abuse of helpless individuals, have caused me to struggle for a way to understand their existence and reconcile their presence with my Christian upbringing and world view.
One of the verses that has helped me is “all things work together for the good….” Trust in Gods ability to work every situation to bring about His will is definitely a growth process. And yet, I find myself more often than not angry with every day “normal” circumstances. Seems like it’s worse to be foolish over the “little” things than the catastrophic.
Thanks for sharing that. I can relate.
Tracy,
In all the horror I’ve seen in my life, I really don’t ask “why” but “why not?” Why not me? Why shouldn’t every single person who doesn’t serve God be demonically possessed?
My question is more along the lines of, “Ok, LORD, what do you want ME to do with this? HOW do I glorify YOU in this craphole WE’VE MADE of this earth?”
When I think of anger I think of a man I met at UCSD many years ago
Who told a small group of us in passing that if we were angry with someone
We might want to ask that person for permission to share our feelings
Then after getting permission to share the reason for our anger
In a non confrontational way
Let the anger go
Because if you want to hold on to your negative emotion
You will just make yourself miserable
He did not add that only a fool wants to be miserable
Or that the wise [wo]man seeks shalom
Here’s my problem with anger: I direct it toward myself MUCH more than I direct it toward God or other people. It appears in the form of destructive behavior and negative thoughts and actions, mostly affecting only me directly, but also others indirectly. Many of my problems are consequences of my own bad decisions and sinful behavior, and I have no one to blame but myself. That’s not to say that it is somehow less harmful…it’s STILL anger, and it’s STILL “ultimately disdain for what God is doing,” as Skip said…and it STILL makes me a fool.