Understanding Our Anger
Exodus Chapter 17-
Have you ever been so angry you lashed out and hit another person? Understanding our anger can be a challenge. My sister and I got a thorough lesson in a boy’s need to wrestle, banter, and fight growing up with an older brother. Throughout our childhood, he picked at us until we lost our cool and retaliated… or cried and complained to mom.
Now that I have six grandsons and see they cannot keep their battling hands to themselves, I understand why. God’s way of protecting the family and preparing men for battle starts very young. It is instilled in a boy’s DNA, because God knows there will be bigger battles ahead.
Israel’s Anger
We see this for Moses today in Exodus chapter 17, as his battle in the wilderness intensifies. Please take a moment to read this chapter before the discussion below.
“All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for them to drink. Therefore, the people quarreled with Moses and said, ‘Give us water to drink’. And Moses said to them, ‘Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?“
Exodus 17:1-2)
The dry, uninhabitable land has smacked around Israel as they wander from the bitter water of Marah to the 12 Springs of Elim, and set out for Rephidim. They’re angry, and the target of their anger is Moses. The quarreling begins because they are not getting what they want.
Once again, the weakness of their flesh has caused them to forget the Lord’s hand of provision. His power in parting the Red Sea, the (dead) water of Marah made sweet, and the 12 springs of living water at Elim is fading in their eyes as thirst invades their tongues. However, with their bellies full of manna from the morning provision, they have energy to quarrel with Moses to the point of stoning him (vs 4).
Moses says, “Why do you test the Lord?” (vs.2)
Testing the Lord in Our Anger
In the matter of anger, we too, test the Lord every day. It is evident in our sarcasm, sins of omission (knowing we need to talk to someone and we don’t), in our attitudes and tone of voice, and most of all in our lack of praying for Him to take it away.
James, the brother of Jesus, says, “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.” (James 4:1-2)
Picture this, a million people on their knees humbling asking God for water in a dry and parched land. He smiles regarding their reverence and need, as every rock in the wilderness begins to spray water for their parched tongues to be saturated.
But that is not what happens, is it? No. Much like you and I, the Israelites are ready to go to war and start blaming the closest person within proximity. However, the better response is to get down on our knees and ask God for help.
Brian S. Borgman, in his book, “Feelings and Faith, Cultivating Godly Emotions in the Christian Life” talks about sinful anger. He asks this powerful question, “What am I not getting that I am elevating to idol status and willing to go to war over?” (2009).
I’ll admit, it takes courage to ask and find the answer to this question. But, my friend, how wonderful would it be to finally put it to rest? Borgman suggest an anger journal to record times of struggle, and placing scripture beside it to pray through the process. Please take heart, God’s compassion and mercy is available to you and I, the same as it was to Israel. Let’s see what happens next.
“Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink’ And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.” (Exodus 17:6).
I have such an appreciation for the completeness of scripture and God’s plan! We honor God and draw closer to Him knowing and understanding the books of the Old Testament, just like the writers of the New Testament did. Paul says,
“For I do not want you to be unaware; brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. “ (1 Corinthians 10:1-4).
Do you see the mercy of God in scripture? God did not strike Israel in their anger and unbelief any more than he does us in ours. Instead, he struck the rock. The rock of Christ, as Paul describes it in Corinthians. He, who took our thirst upon his shoulders in the wilderness, just as he took our wrath on the cross. He who satisfies the physical thirst of our bodies is the only one who can quench the ever-longing thirst of our souls. And He has no problem understanding anger.
Consequently, being God, he also gives Israel an outlet for their aggression. We see them flex their physical muscles against the Amalekites in verses 8-16. If Moses holds up his hands, Israel is victorious, if his arms fall, defeat sets in. Wilkin attributes this posture as a picture of Christ on the cross (Lifeway, 2021).
Furthermore, it’s a picture for us. We can stand with our hands outstretched to God in confidence of victory over the sin of anger or we can put our hands down and be defeated by it. The choice is ours. Bold faith is a picture of humble remorse and repentance for anger to those who we have wronged, and more powerfully, forgiveness to those who have wronged us.
In the meantime, let your little boys battle out their aggression on one another. They need an outlet for energy and training for being the protectors God designed them to be. The girls can go cry to momma.
Love you, all. God bless you all as you too begin understanding anger. If you need further assistance working through anger, consider Christian Wellness Coaching with me.
References:
Lifeway.com, Exodus 1-18, God of Deliverance by Jen Wilken (2021) Video Session 9.
