Text: Exodus 2:11-15
Memory text:
“for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”
James 1:20 NKJV
Let us still go further in our study of Numbers 20:2-12. Like Moses, anyone may have reasons to justify his or her uncontrolled anger and loss of patience. Moses was frustrated by the frequent murmurings of the people. Secondly, the people continued to pass blame for everything on him. Thirdly, Moses was under emotional stress from the loss of his sister, Miriam, whom they just buried. Lastly, Moses might have been disappointed with God’s response to make provision for the murmuring Israelites. As strong as the reasons were, they couldn’t make God excuse his foolish anger and justify unrighteousness.
Moses had had this problem of anger before now and had not considered it as an issue. According to our text, he once killed an Egyptian in trying to defend his people, which led to his fleeing to the wilderness. He eventually spent the next forty years herding sheep in the wilderness. Also, during one of his discussions on freedom with Pharaoh, he pronounced the plague judgment on the firstborn and walked out of the presence of Pharaoh in anger (Exo 11:8). On another occasion, having returned from forty days on the mountain with God and found the people worshiping the golden calf which they made from their earrings, Moses lost his temper so much that he smashed the tablet which was handwritten by God on the ground and broke it (Exo 32).
It cost him forty years sojourn in the wilderness when he killed the Egyptian in the fist of rage. It cost him the loss of the original tablet and a return journey to the mountain to get a copy when he lost his temper at Mount Sinai. Now, this anger with his disrespectful behaviour to God cost him the opportunity to enter the promised land, which he had been looking forward to for years.
Friends, as great, kind, zealous, godly, and hardworking as Moses was, his problem was anger. It was a ‘But’ in his life which he didn’t ‘bury’! What about you? Even if you don’t realize that you have it, don’t your spouse, parents, children, friends, colleagues, bosses, brethren or relatives also say, “He or she is so nice, kind, hardworking, humble and godly but the problem is just this anger”? Don’t take it lightly or justify your anger, for God will never justify unrighteousness. Rather, acknowledge it and ask for the help of God to stop this self enemy before it stops you and endanger your eternity.
Prayer points
1. Father, I need help, please deliver me from this internal enemy of anger now, in Jesus’ name.
2. I curse the root of anger in me, and I refuse to allow it to stop me and to endanger my eternity, in Jesus’ name.
Today’s declarations
1. I will no longer justify or excuse my anger, knowing that human anger does not achieve God’s righteous purpose.
2. I realize that God has been pointing my problem of anger to me through the people around me, and I am determined now, by God’s grace, to stop it lest it stop me and endanger my eternity.
Contact: pastor@thf.org.ng