Moses, Called of God, Filled with Rage
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There are five levels of intensity in the emotion anger.
The first level of anger is irritation.
This is a feeling of uneasiness that is brought about by an unpleasant disturbance.
Irritation is a feeling of being annoyed or distressed.
It causes resentment.
The second level of anger is indignation.
Indignation is a reaction to something that is perceived to be unreasonable or unfair.
This is typified as righteous anger or outrage.
The third level of anger is wrath.
When anger reaches this level, it must be expressed in some way.
Wrath is belligerence aroused by a real or supposed wrong.
This is intense anger.
Wrath comes with a strong desire to avenge or defend oneself.
The fourth level of anger is fury.
Fury is usually manifested in acts of violence that are accompanied by a loss of control.
Fury is defined as a state of violent mental agitation, being wild or turbulent.
The fifth level of anger is rage.
Rage is the most hostile and dangerous stage.
Rage can overcome people with explosive acts of brutality that are devoid of any conscious awareness of their violent outburst.
Bible Characters: Moses, Part 17: The matter of anger, a moment of rage.
Bible Characters, Moses
Bible Characters: Moses, Part 17: The matter of anger, a moment of rage.
Numbers 20:1–13 (NIV84)
1In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.
2Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron.
3They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord!
4Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this desert, that we and our livestock should die here?
5Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!”
6Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.
7The Lord said to Moses,
8“Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”
9So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as he commanded him.
10He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”
11Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.
12But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”
13These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord and where he showed himself holy among them.
Acts of violence in our society are not rare.
We hear of acts of rage almost every day in the news.
Someone would not stop texting in a movie theater and rage got the best of a retired policeman and he shot the man.
A man shot 10 rounds into a car full of boys at a gas station because their music was too loud.
A pastor’s wife was killed by her husband.
A 26 year old woman started arguing with her husband of two years and ended up stabbing him to death.
Many people are living with life-long consequences for the choices they made in a moment of passion or foolishness.
In an act of intense anger Moses lashed out at a rock.
It seemed to be an insignificant and harmless act.
God dealt with Moses on this issue.
Because he disobeyed God and acted out in a rage, Moses was not able to enter the Promised Land.
How God deals with this situation will help us know how God may handle us when we behave in a similar manner.
We are all subject to make sudden choices that we regret the rest of our lives.
There are five levels of intensity in the emotion anger.
The first level of anger is irritation.
This is a feeling of uneasiness that is brought about by an unpleasant disturbance.
Irritation is a feeling of being annoyed or distressed.
It causes resentment.
The second level of anger is indignation.
Indignation is a reaction to something that is perceived to be unreasonable or unfair.
This is typified as righteous anger or outrage.
The third level of anger is wrath.
When anger reaches this level, it must be expressed in some way.
Wrath is belligerence aroused by a real or supposed wrong.
This is intense anger.
Wrath comes with a strong desire to avenge or defend oneself.
The fourth level of anger is fury.
Fury is usually manifested in acts of violence that are accompanied by a loss of control.
Fury is defined as a state of violent mental agitation, being wild or turbulent.
The fifth level of anger is rage.
Rage is the most hostile and dangerous stage.
Rage can overcome people with explosive acts of brutality that are devoid of any conscious awareness of their violent outburst.
These levels of anger demonstrate the need for self-control.
Anyone who experiences this uncontrolled escalation of anger describe a lack of self-control.
Changes in self-control are very complicated without a life changing relationship with Jesus Christ.
Unbelievers lack what believers have.
The Holy Spirit has been given to us to regulate our Christian life.
His power can bring harmful feelings of anger under control.
The Bible describes the characteristics of the believer as the Fruit of the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit working within us creates these characteristics.
Unfortunately, believers do not always draw upon the restraining power of God.
Sometimes Christians are out of control.
This is not only seen in relation to anger.
It is also demonstrated in lifestyles that are contrary to the nature of Christ.
This text is a case study in uncontrolled anger.
Look at the history of Moses’ anger.
It is said the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.
Moses had a history of getting angry.
Moses’ anger was seen in his early adult years in Egypt.
Moses became indignant when he witnessed an Egyptian beating a fellow Hebrew.
His rage lead to an act of fury.
The dead Egyptian resulted in Moses fleeing for his life, (Exodus 2:11-15; Acts 7:23-29).
The next recorded outbreak occurs forty years later.
Moses announced the coming of the tenth plague on all the Egyptians’ firstborns.
The Bible says: “He went out from Pharaoh in hot anger” (Exodus 11:8).
He was furious that Pharaoh would not let the Israelites leave.
God had told him how stubborn Pharaoh would be.
Moses was not emotionally prepared to deal with Pharaoh’s stubbornness.
The third expression of Moses anger is seen several months following this event.
Moses had just spent some extra-ordinary time in the presence of God.
He was descending Mount Sinai with the two tablets that had been inscribed by the finger of God.
He could not understand the unrighteousness of the Israelites.
The people were perversely dancing around an idolatrous golden calf.
The sight filled Moses with righteous indignation (Exodus 32:15-19).
What was wrong was the way Moses chose to express his anger.
Exodus 32:19–20 (NIV84)
19When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain.
20And he took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it.
What did God require Moses to do after this?
Look at Exodus 34:27-28.
God told Moses to write down the words of the covenant (Ten Commandments) on the tablets of stone.
Now, look at this latest example of Moses’s anger, Numbers 20:1-13.
This is Moses’ last recorded eruption of temper.
He has been Israel’s leader for about forty years.
They have been on a constant journey throughout the region.
Much of the time the Israelites have been complaining.
Their complaining was a lack of faith and an act of disobedience to God.
As a result, the people were dying off in the wilderness.
There are very few exceptions.
Joshua, Caleb, and Moses were among the few who had escaped this divine judgment.
Finally, they arrive at “the wilderness of Zin,” just south of the Promised Land (Number 20:1).
The conditions were similar to what they had found on previous occasions.
The people found no food or water to drink.
Numbers 20:3–5 (NET)
3The people contended with Moses, saying, “If only we had died when our brothers died before the Lord!
4Why have you brought up the Lord’s community into this wilderness? So that we and our cattle should die here?
5Why have you brought us up from Egypt only to bring us to this dreadful place? It is no place for grain, or figs, or vines, or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink!”
Their complaining sent Moses and Aaron to the Lord in prayer.
Moses had emptied his emotional bucket.
He was fed up with those people.
All they could do was complain.
He was carrying the frustration and scars from his past.
Deep and unresolved anger and other emotions can leave us vulnerable to impulsive choices.
The problem is not our past.
The problem is our failure to bring our past to God for perspective and healing.
So, here Moses is dealing with those same rebellious people one more time.
God could never do enough for them to be satisfied and trust Him.
God gave them a specific and grace-filled answer.
Numbers 20:8 (NKJV)
8“Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.”
God’s directions were clear.
Moses’ actions were to bring glory to God.
The last time Moses was in this position, God told him to smite the rock.
When he did that, the rock gushed out water that satisfied the need.
Now, Moses was to give honor to God by speaking to the rock.
Moses was indignant.
When people are angry and out of control it is difficult to act reasonably.
Moses’ anger was out of control.
He gathered the assembly around the designated rock where God was going to demonstrate His grace.
Listen to what he said.
Numbers 20:10–11 (NIV84)
10He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”
11Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.
God graciously by-passed Moses’ disobedience and purposefully demonstrated grace.
The miracle was intended to point to the power of God.
The miracle was designed to honor God as holy.
When Moses disobeyed God, there were consequences.
We should find and root out things in our lives that have the potential to keep us from obeying and fearing the Lord.
Moses’ anger caused him to act irrationality.
In a rage of anger he struck the rock twice.
Out of control emotions bring unwanted results to our lives.
This was the last time God would allow Moses to fail.
The consequences of his actions were painful.
Since Moses did this, God would not allow him to lead the Hebrews into the Promised Land.
God was willing to forgive Moses, but the consequences were still painful to bear.
Numbers 20:12 NIV
But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”
Living Life Under Control
Much of our society is out of control.
We see evidences of this all around.
God does not want His people to be like that.
Listed among the fruit of the Holy Spirit is self-control, Galatians 5:22-23.
The God-controlled life will manifest emotions and actions that are under control.
The remedy for the condition of the world is found in the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
The Church must exemplify a life of control.
The answer for the out of control attitudes of our world is God working in us.
We must accurately reflect the influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Philippians 2:15 NKJV
That you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.
(NASB) blameless and innocent
(NLT) clean and innocent
(GNB) innocent and pure
We must have God-controlled emotions.
God Bless and Keep You !!!!
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