What does the Bible say about anger?

There is a notion often that it is wrong for a Christian ever to feel displeased or angry; this and other Scriptures show it may be right. But we must take care what the source, as well as the character, of the anger is. If it is merely about something that affects self, and so takes the form of vindictiveness, this is of course beyond doubt contrary to all that is of Christ. We find in Him (Mark 3) that He looked round about upon certain persons with anger, showing clearly He had the strongest feeling about what was contrary to God… People say that if you speak strongly about the wrong of this thing or that, you are unloving. But not so; it is real love to denounce it, not to let it pass.

There is such a thing as being rightly angry, but such anger is indignation against evil, not against the evil-doer, and behind such anger there is grief on account of the evil… The anger of the flesh always has self in view; it is not grief on account of evil, but resentment against someone who has been offensive. Anger against evil will lead to grief that finds its resource in turning to God, where the soul finds rest.

There are times when the absence of it would show mere indifference, only it must not be allowed to last. In a heart that knows the grace of God, it would quickly give way to other considerations, such as what we had proved Him to be to ourselves. The sun must not go down on it, because if it lasts it degenerates into mere fleshly activity. It has no place in going into God's presence.

In Genesis 27:41, in the case of Esau, we find another instance of how anger is akin to murder, as the Lord pointed out in Matthew 5:21-22. When anger is sinful it is always the result of some previous sin. When it is righteous, it is the result of a righteous and holy feeling… In Cain's case the cause was envy; in Esau's, jealousy. In Numbers 20:10-11, we find the meekest man in all the earth betrayed into anger by his impatience, the result of his anger being disobedience.

Moses, provoked by the great ingratitude and revolt of the people, "spoke rashly with his lips." "Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?" Who asked this of him? Moses was overcome by evil instead of overcoming evil with good. He who had so long lived as the meekest of men utterly failed in this very respect at last… Moses yielded to natural resentment and asserted his own authority.

Instead of sharply disciplining His stubborn servant, the LORD graciously stooped to reason with him, "Do you do well to be angry?" … Such peevish rebelliousness as Jonah showed might have cost him his life at the hands of earthly rulers. But God always seeks to win men's hearts, both in dealing with sinners outside and with wayward saints within.

The stronger God's feeling against what destroys His own glory, the more fitting that He should be slow to act on His indignation, though we should be slow for quite different reasons. Indeed slowness to anger is usually the proof of moral greatness, though there are extreme cases where waiting would show a lack of right feeling. Scripture shows us both the rule and the exceptions.

Let him be slow to wrath, for if it be merely man's anger it accomplishes nothing that is right in God's sight. Divine anger will be made to serve His righteous cause, but not man's anger.