Esther 5 - Anger

Anger is an emotion we see expressed many times in the book of Esther. The king became angry when his wife, Vashti, did not obey him and he divorced her. Haman became angry when Mordecai refused to bow down to him and plotted not only to kill Mordecai, but to wipe out all the Jews. The king became angry at Haman when Esther exposed Haman’s plot to kill all the Jews.

It is an emotion that we all have and one that can cause us harm. There is also a proper time for anger. Ephesians 4:26 says “Be angry and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.” Probably the most famous example of righteous anger is expressed by Christ in Matt. 21:12. He became very upset at some things that were being done in God’s temple and “cast out all who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the table of the moneychangers and the seats of those who were selling doves.”

It is important that you not stay angry because it is an emotion that can be more destructive to you than to anyone else. While it may hurt others, it tears you up inside. Forgiveness cleanses you and makes you feel better inside. If you become angry with someone, it is usually best to forgive them quickly and also to ask God to forgive you.

The book of Proverbs gives us some good cautions about anger:
Proverbs 14:17 A quick-tempered man acts foolishly…
Proverbs 14:29 He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.
Proverbs 19:19 A man of great anger shall bear the penalty, for if you rescue him, you will only have to do it again.
Proverbs 25:11 A fool always loses his temper, but a wise man holds it back
Proverbs 30:33 The churning of anger produces strife

Anger is an emotion we all express. It may be directed toward many sources including friends, relatives, our government, or a stranger in a traffic situation.

You may get mad at God, because your life isn’t going the way you want it to. Remember that God loves you and desires the best for you and “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).”

My caution is that you not let anger become a dominant character trait in your life. When you do get angry take definite action to get over it quickly.