#1. The Bible teaches that anger breeds revenge.
After Jacob had tricked his father, Isaac, into blessing him instead of Esau, the latter plotted to kill Jacob in revenge. He planned to execute the plot after the demise of their father. This incident is recorded in Genesis 27:41-45. The Bible says:
“So Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him, and Esau said in his heart, ‘The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob.’ And the words of Esau, her older son, were told to Rebecca. So she sent for and called Jacob, her younger son, and said to him, ‘Surely your brother Esau comforts himself concerning you by intending to kill you. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice, arise, and flee to my brother Laban in Haran. And stay with him a few days, until your brother’s fury turns away. Until your brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him, then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereaved also of you both in one day?”
In your course of life, how many times has anger driven you to take revenge on someone who short-changed you? Repent and humbly ask God to forgive you.
#2. The Bible teaches that anger can trigger a rift between husband and wife.
When Rachel failed to conceive, she resorted to blaming Jacob for her misfortune, an act that greatly angered her husband. This is recorded in Genesis 30:1-2. The scriptures say:
“Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister and said to Jacob, ‘Give me children, or else I die!’ And Jacob’s anger was aroused against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”
Have you ever become angry at your spouse for blaming you over things you have no control over? Repent and humbly ask God to forgive you.
#3. The Bible teaches that anger breeds murder.
In Genesis 49:5-7, we learn that two sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, were overtaken by anger and ended up killing a man. This act did not go down well with their father. The scripture says:
“Simeon and Levi are brothers; instruments of cruelty are in their habitation. Let not my soul enter their counsel; let not my honor be united to their assembly; for in their anger, they slew a man, and in their self-will, they hamstrung an ox. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.”
Has someone ever angered you so much that you went ahead and hatched a plot to kill them in order to get even? Repent and humbly ask God to forgive you.
#4. The Bible teaches that we can provoke God to anger when we refuse to heed His call.
When God appeared to Moses at Mount Horeb in order to send him to Egypt to rescue the children of Israel from slavery, he gave all manner of excuses as to why he was the wrong man for the task. This behavior provoked God to anger so much so that Aaron had to be included in the task in order for Moses to agree to go. We read this account in Exodus 4:13-14. The scripture says:
“But he (Moses) said, ‘O my LORD, please send by the hand of whomever else you may send.’ So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, ‘Is Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.’”
Have you ever provoked God to anger by refusing to heed his call? Repent and humbly ask Him to forgive you.
#5. The Bible teaches that unchecked anger can drive us to damage precious, valuable items.
When Moses climbed down from Mount Sinai and found the children of Israel worshipping an idol—the Golden Calf—he became so angry, so much so that he cast the tablets that had the 10 commandments to the ground and broke them. Remember that the ‘tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets’ (Exodus 32:16).
We read about the anger of Moses in Exodus 32:19. The scriptures say:
“So it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses’ anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.”
Notice that because of Moses’ anger, he forgot about the value of the tablets in his hands. Therefore, instead of just setting them aside in a safe place and then dealing with the children of Israel separately, both the tablets and the offenders bore the brunt of his wrath.
Have you ever destroyed a valuable item because of uncontrolled anger? Repent and humbly ask God to forgive you.
#6. The Bible teaches that murmuring and complaining provoke God to anger.
When we keep murmuring and complaining about our circumstances, it is usually an expression of lack of faith in God. This behavior greatly displeases God and provokes Him to anger to the extent that He may end up punishing us. We learn this from Numbers 11:1-2, which says:
“Now when the people complained, it displeased the LORD; for the LORD heard it, and his anger was aroused. So the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp. Then the people cried out to Moses, and when Moses prayed to the LORD, the fire was quenched.”
Do you complain and murmur whenever things don’t turn out the way you anticipated or expected? If you persist with such behavior, you may be setting yourself up as a candidate for God’s wrath; repent and humbly ask God to forgive you.
#7. The Bible teaches that we provoke God to anger by disobeying His instructions.
If God tells you not to do something and you disobey, He will definitely punish your disobedience. When the children of Israel were headed for Canaan, they destroyed every kingdom that crossed their path. Now it so happened that the Moabites became very afraid of them, and consequently, their king, by the name of Balak, saw it wise to enlist the services of a seer called Balaam to curse Israel for him.
However, God appeared to Balaam and warned him against cursing the children of Israel because they were a blessed people (Numbers 22:12). So Balaam told King Balak that he could not go against God’s command. Nevertheless, due to King Balak’s persistence, Balaam changed his mind and embarked on a mission that God had initially warned him not to undertake. For this reason, God sent His angel to intercept Balaam on the way as he embarked on the mission to curse the children of Israel. We read these accounts in Numbers 22:22 and Numbers 22:32-33. The scriptures say:
“Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, and the Angel of the LORD took his stand in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.”
“And the Angel of the LORD said to him, ‘Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before me.’ The donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, surely I would also have killed you by now and let her live.”
How many times have we ignored God’s voice when He instructed us not to do something, and then we ended up suffering the consequences of our actions? Let us repent and humbly ask God to forgive and restore us.
#8. The Bible teaches that idolatry provokes God’s anger.
When man directs his worship to other things besides God, His anger is aroused, and the result is usually death. When the things of this world take up God’s position in your heart and life, your usefulness to Him ceases. If this state of affairs does not change, death and later, judgment, await the offender.
In Numbers 25:1-5, the children of Israel committed idolatry and thereby provoked God to anger. Consequently, some got killed in order to diffuse God’s anger. The scripture says:
“Then Israel remained in Shittim, and the people began to commit prostitution with the women of Moab. They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the LORD, out in the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.”
Is there something in your life that means more to you than God does? Or is there someone in your life who means more to you than God does? If there is, you are guilty of committing idolatry! Repent and humbly ask God to forgive you.
#9. The Bible teaches that the actions and behavior of parents can provoke their children to anger.
God commands children to obey their parents in all things so that they may live a long, fruitful life. On the other hand, the same Bible warns parents against provoking their children to wrath, lest they end up discouraging them (Colossians 3:20-21). However, many are the instances when angry parents provoke their children to wrath with no apparent reason, leading to strained relationships to the detriment of both parties.
In the Bible, we read about King Saul, who provoked his son Jonathan to wrath for his apparent love for David. Jonathan loved David so much because of the latter’s good heart and the fact that he had taken away the shame of Israel by killing the giant Goliath. However, David’s popularity with the people of Israel did not sit well with King Saul, who saw David as a threat to his kingdom. He therefore sought every opportunity to kill David in order to ensure that he does not become the next king of Israel. This is the point at which Jonathan did not agree with his father, King Saul.
In 1 Samuel 20:30-34, the scripture says:
“Then Saul’s anger was aroused against Jonathan, and he said to him, ‘You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness? For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you shall not be established, nor your kingdom. Now therefore, send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die.’
And Jonathan answered Saul, his father, and said to him, ‘Why should he be killed? What has he done?’ Then Saul cast a spear at him to kill him, by which Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to kill David. So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David because his father had treated him shamefully.”
As a parent, have you ever acted or behaved in a manner that has provoked your child or children to wrath? If so, repent and humbly ask God to forgive you and be reconciled to your child or children for the good of your family. May the LORD God help you as you obey.
#10. The Bible teaches that using divination and enchantments provokes God to anger.
When people resort to astrology, divination, enchantments, sorcery, and witchcraft, they end up provoking God to anger, causing Him to unleash judgment upon them. In 2 Kings 17:17-18, the Bible says:
“And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger. Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them from His sight; there was none left but the tribe of Judah alone.”
These were among the many sins committed by King Manasseh of Judah as recorded in 2 Kings 21:6. The scriptures say:
“Also he made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft, and consulted spiritists and mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.”
Do you consult astrologers, diviners, spiritists, witches, or wizards? If so, repent and humbly ask God to forgive you before he executes judgment upon you.
#11. The Bible teaches that God’s anger endures for a moment.
According to scriptures, God’s anger against us does not last for a lifetime, only if we repent. He is merciful and willing to forgive us the moment we turn to Him with our whole heart. This is recorded in Psalm 30:4-5. The scriptures say:
“Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holy name. For his anger is for a moment, his favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”
Anytime you fall short of the glory of God, remember to confess your sin and ask Him for forgiveness. For “the steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and he delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the LORD upholds him with his hand” (Psalm 37:23-24).
#12. The Bible teaches that God is slow to anger.
God is long-suffering and usually puts up with us in order to give us time to change our ways for the better. The Bible teaches that He is not quick to wrath because it is His desire that all men should be saved. This is captured in Psalm 103:8-9 as follows:
“The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep his anger forever.”
Similar sentiments are echoed in Psalm 145:8 as follows:
“The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy.”
#13. The Bible teaches that when we get angry, we should use soft words to avoid provoking others.
This is recorded in Proverbs 15:1 as follows:
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
This means that whenever you engage in an argument with somebody and you realize that the situation is escalating, avoid using harsh words against them. This will help calm things down, and no one will end up getting offended at the end of the day.
#14. The Bible teaches that we should not be quick to anger.
This instruction is found in Proverbs 15:18 as follows:
“A wrathful man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger allays contention.”
The same teaching is found in Proverbs 16:32. The scriptures say:
“He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”
Also, Proverbs 19:11 touches on the same subject by stating as follows:
“The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and it is to his glory to overlook a transgression.”
Similar instruction is repeated in Ecclesiastes 7:9, which says:
“Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.”
In other words, according to the Bible, one definition of a fool is ‘a person who easily gets angry!’
I hope this is helpful. God bless you.
Source: https://www.biblegateway.com/
Related Post: Which scripture talks about anger and wrath?
Also Read: What are the Bible verses for forgiveness
Prayer to get born again
Are you willing to become born again? Say the following prayer sincerely:
“Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner and hereby ask for your forgiveness.
I believe in my heart and confess with my mouth that you are the only begotten Son of the living God.
I believe that you were sent by your Father to the earth to save sinners like me.
I believe that you died and resurrected in order for me to receive eternal life.
I now accept you as my personal Lord and Savior.
Come into my heart and baptize me with the Holy Spirit.
Thank you for saving me.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
Amen!”
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My name is Nicodemus. I'm a Kenyan by birth. I got saved over 30 years ago while in high school.
I love studying scriptures in order to enhance my comprehension of God and His plan for mankind.
I have an MBA degree in strategic management and a BSc degree in botany and zoology.
I’m married to a loving lady called Leah. God has gifted us three sons: Wayne, Salem, and Michael.
(cellphone no.: +254 723 753820 or email: nolilo76@gmail.com)
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