THREE QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN YOU'RE REALLY, REALLY ANGRY
Then Abner called to Joab, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that the end will be bitter? How long will it be before you tell your people to turn from the pursuit of their brothers?” And Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely the men would not have given up the pursuit of their brothers until the morning.” So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the men stopped and pursued Israel no more, nor did they fight anymore. 2 Sam 2:26-28
Unbridled anger is dangerous and this is perhaps no more clearly portrayed anywhere else in the Bible than in the story of Abner and Joab. With his brother’s blood freshly spilled Joab pursues his kinsman, Abner—a fellow Israelite—in order to take revenge. Whether or not his statements were merely convenient and militarily expedient, we don’t know. To be sure Abner’s losses were heavy (360 to only 19 of Joab’s men). So it was certainly in his favor to stop a battle that he himself had instigated (2 Sam 2:14). Yet, the fact remains that the three questions he asked in the height of the conflict are well worth considering in our day filled with familial, ethnic, racial, class, and generational conflict both within and without the Church: 1) Will we, either the offended or offending party, not deliberately set into motion what could very well be in the end a perpetual cycle of anger or even bloodshed? 2) Don’t we all realize that this will end “bitterly”? 3) How much longer will we—the offended party or the offending party—pursue our brothers and sisters to hurt, get even, or even destroy them? For a short time Joab listened (cf. 3:27) and catastrophe was averted.
Such is the nature of an unchecked and unsurrendered anger. Let us take heed of Abner’s decidedly wise words from midst of the battle. Let us remember that vengeance belongs to the Lord so that in the end it may be rightly said of us, “…(they) all stopped…and pursued…no more, nor did they fight anymore.”
Unbridled anger is dangerous and this is perhaps no more clearly portrayed anywhere else in the Bible than in the story of Abner and Joab. With his brother’s blood freshly spilled Joab pursues his kinsman, Abner—a fellow Israelite—in order to take revenge. Whether or not his statements were merely convenient and militarily expedient, we don’t know. To be sure Abner’s losses were heavy (360 to only 19 of Joab’s men). So it was certainly in his favor to stop a battle that he himself had instigated (2 Sam 2:14). Yet, the fact remains that the three questions he asked in the height of the conflict are well worth considering in our day filled with familial, ethnic, racial, class, and generational conflict both within and without the Church: 1) Will we, either the offended or offending party, not deliberately set into motion what could very well be in the end a perpetual cycle of anger or even bloodshed? 2) Don’t we all realize that this will end “bitterly”? 3) How much longer will we—the offended party or the offending party—pursue our brothers and sisters to hurt, get even, or even destroy them? For a short time Joab listened (cf. 3:27) and catastrophe was averted.
Such is the nature of an unchecked and unsurrendered anger. Let us take heed of Abner’s decidedly wise words from midst of the battle. Let us remember that vengeance belongs to the Lord so that in the end it may be rightly said of us, “…(they) all stopped…and pursued…no more, nor did they fight anymore.”
by Craig Lester
Posted in Read Through the Bible
Recent
Archive
2022
January
February
A LEGACY OF FAITHHOW DO YOU APPROACH JESUS? GRUMBLING & COMPLAININGTHE STANDARD OF HOLINESSTHAT DOESN'T SOUND FUN!WHO IS A SINNER?JOY FROM READING THE BIBLEBETRAYING, DENYING & MEGOD'S BLESSINGSDO WE DENY KNOWING JESUS SOMETIMES?PASS THE LOCUSTS AND HONEY ...GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESSTHE UNHOLY IS MADE HOLYWHO IS A GOD LIKE HIM?!?HEALTH INSPECTOR'S PERSPECTIVETHE MASTER OF TIMINGWHO IS THE GREATEST?
March
RECEIVE THE KINGDOM OF GOD LIKE A CHILD OR DO NOT ENTER!HOW DO YOU APPROACH JESUS?STANDARD OF HOLINESSPARABLE OF THE TENANTSTHE COMPLAINTS OF CHILDRENJUSTICE AND JESUSGOOD NEWSREADING AND PRAYING THE IMPRECATORY PSALMSHIS GRACE IS ENOUGH (Num. 24-25)WAITING ON THE LORDOUR LEGACYGOD PROVIDESPSALM 65ABSURD, INCOMPREHENSIBLE EVILA LAW BREAKER MEETS HIS SAVIORLOOKING BACK GIVES HOPE FOR WHAT'S AHEADONE LINERS
April
WHOM HAVE I IN HEAVEN BUT YOU?LIVING YOUR "BLESSED" LIFE NOWTHE PERFECT POSSESSION OF DILIGENCELUKE 15: LOST AND FOUNDHALLELUJAH! WHAT A SAVIOR!SEEK GOD WHEN MAKING DECISIONSTRUSTING GOD BRINGS VICTORYHOW WOULD YOU RESPOND?JESUS RIDES INTO TOWNFAINTING WITH FEAR ... OR RAISING OUR HEADS?ANXIOUS THOUGHTSA BRIEF MEDITATION ON PROVERBS 14:5THE GREATEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME
2021
January
THE SIN OF WITHHOLDINGABRAM, THE MAN OF FAITH???HEEDING THE VOICE OF THE LORDA RELATIONSHIP OF FAITHNAMES ON A LISTREMEMBERAND THERE HE BLESSED HIM... Gen. 32:29GOD IS IN CONTROL AND WE CAN TRUST HIMROAD TO RECOVERYACCEPTING GOD'S GIFTSDOES YOUR 'BREATH' STINK?REMEMBER MY SERVANT JOBTHOUGHTS FROM JOBREAL CHRISTIANS NEVER APOLOGIZESECURE IN GOD'S HANDCOUNSELING "DON'T'S" FROM ELIHUTHE UNSEARCHABLE GREATNESS OF GOD
February
WE ARE A NEW CREATIONLORD, BE THE CENTERAS THE LORD HAS SAIDHARDENED HEARTSWHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR USJOY IN THE BELOVEDHAND-IN-HANDGIVE AS THE LORD PROMPTS YOUSACRIFICES AND OFFERINGSTHE DEATH OF NADAB AND ABIHUFLEE AND PURSUEHOLY LAMB OF GODAS A CHRISTIAN, DO THE COMMANDS IN LEVITICUS STILL APPLY TO ME TODAY?THE TITHE, HOLY TO THE LORD
No Comments