Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, dear ones.

The little boys are here this weekend. They’ll be returned this afternoon. To add some complication this morning, Thano received an early call from Safeway calling him to work as soon as possible to help with an emergency they were facing. So while Becki did her shower routine, I took the little boys on a walk with the dog. We visited the creek upstream and they had fun throwing rocks, etc. Bimbo had an absolute blast. We’ll take them to an 11am service where they offer great Sunday School attention.

I hope this composition doesn’t make you angry. The wrong kind of angry, that is.

It’s a pretty day out there right now—cold and clear. May you have a good time in it.

Love, Dad/Ray

What if Saul had merely burned with pity at the news of the Ammonites besieging Jabesh Gilead? “It sure is too bad for those people. I feel so bad that they are so abused and suffering by those bullies.” What if he had burned with apathy?—if that’s possible. “Well, whatever. This has happened before. History keeps repeating itself. You win some, lose some.” What if he heard the news of this campaign of evil and only prayed about it? “Oh Lord, please have mercy on these people and deliver them from the hands of their enemies.” While we don’t normally associate the Spirit of God with anger, the two were definitely linked here. This is a case where the genuine infilling of the Spirit of God erupted in an explosion of anger—enough to prompt action. It wasn’t stupid anger where he just went into an uncontrollable rage, punching holes in walls, breaking stuff, and hurting even those he loved—it was focused, organized, and intentional anger—holy anger.

When I behold the arch-enemy of men’s souls, along with his diabolical troops, wielding such an aggressive bullying campaign of deception, abuse, and bondage against ignorant people who need help, what is my response? It seems that all that rotten kingdom wants to do is “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10). Perhaps a better question is this: What should my response be? I reason that it is not only permissible to be filled with this kind of holy anger, it is actually required for engagement.

Have you ever heard a sermon where the text was read, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, and anger?” Probably not. But think about it. And while you’re thinking, be careful of a version of Bible belief that ignores the proper place for holy anger—the “wrath of God” (Romans 2:5-11). Let’s lay aside any burning apathy and be reminded that “God’s wrath”—His holy anger—is behind the word “perish” in the famous text of John 3:16 (John 3:36). Let’s be reminded that the most compatible way to do life is to love what God loves, hate what God hates, and be angry about what angers Him.