ANGER MANAGEMENT

In our last blog, we likened Moses as a prophetic picture of Jesus. Moses acted as Savior to the Israelites saving them from destruction as a result of their wicked ways. But first, he acted as deliverer to lead them out of Egypt, through the wilderness, and up to but not into the promised land. Today, I want to focus on the contrast between Moses and Jesus.
What kept Moses out of the promised land? The action which led to his exclusion from the promised land is described in Numbers chapter 20. In verse 8, God instructs Moses to speak to the rock and it will pour out water. Oh yes, Moses speaks; not to the rock, but with an attitude to the people before he strikes the rock twice with his staff. In verse 12, God is forced to deliver the bad news; Moses and Aaron will not have the honor of leading the Israelites into the promised land, nor the pleasure of abiding there themselves.
Moses had a previous experience with a rock in Exodus 17:6. At Horeb, God tells Moses to strike the rock to produce water. Therefore, could Moses have made an honest mistake when he disobeyed God by striking rather than speaking to the rock this time? After all, Moses was in the habit of striking his staff to produce results. Remember when he struck the water of the Nile to produce the plague of blood and earlier in his journey, he threw down his staff so it would transform into a snake before Pharaoh.
I feel bad for Moses and want to give him the benefit of the doubt. He had come so far and dealt with so much, only to be forbidden access to the land of promise. He was only allowed to gaze upon it. Doesn’t your heart break for Moses?
I can only guess the condition of Moses’ heart at that moment of his downfall, but God knows. Did God know Moses, in his anger, would sin if he struck the rock this time? Moses had already displayed his anger in Exodus 2:12 when he killed an Egyptian who mistreated an Israelite slave. Moses also displays anger when he throws the stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments. I believe God, in his mercy, was trying to prevent Moses from sinning again. Therefore, he was asking Moses to temper and control his rage against the Israelites by speaking to the rock so as not to strike in anger.
Jesus seemingly displayed anger when he toppled tables and drove out money changers from the temple where the gentiles worshiped. The temple intended for worship had become a smelly, loud marketplace for sacrificial animals. Jesus was restoring sanctity and John 2:17 (NIV) refers to this emotion as zeal because we know Jesus was without sin. Ephesians 4:26 tells us to not sin in our anger and Proverbs 29:22 says, “an angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins.”
Moses disobeyed God, but I believe anger caused him to disobey and kept him out of the promised land. Later, Moses pleads with the Israelites to obey all the commands because he knows the consequences of disobedience. I have had my share of temper tantrums which have come with consequences, not blessings. Giving full vent to anger can keep us wandering in a wilderness of shame and guilt with loved ones receiving our wrath. There is no promise in the land of anger.
What sin is keeping you from your land of promise? Maybe anger is not a temptation for you. Is it gossip? Is it manipulation or control or overeating? Trust and obey God in your weakness so you can cross over into the promised land.
Blessings,
Theresa Anderson