Anger: Count to Ten 7-20-25

Overview

Anger: Count to Ten

Scripture speaks plainly about the danger of a hot temper. Proverbs 15:18 tells us, "Those who are hot tempered stir up strife, but those who are slow to anger calm contention." Proverbs 14:29 commends the one who is slow to anger as having "great understanding," while Proverbs 29:11 warns that "a fool gives full vent to anger, but the wise quietly holds it back." Counting to ten is more than a folk remedy; it is a homely picture of biblical wisdom—slowing down before our anger spills into sin.

Yet Scripture does not command the silence of all anger. Moses burned with anger at the golden calf. The prophets, John the Baptist, and Paul expressed righteous anger at idolatry, hypocrisy, and false gospels. Even Jesus was angry—overturning tables in the temple ("My Father's house is to be a house of prayer; you have made it a den of robbers"), looking with anger at hardened hearts when He healed the man with the withered hand, and rebuking James and John for wanting to call down fire on a Samaritan village. Paul holds these truths together in Ephesians 4:26: "Be angry, but do not sin"—even while urging in Ephesians 4:31 that bitterness, wrath, and malice be put away.

The Hebrew Scriptures give us a wonderful image: God is "long of nostrils"—slow to anger. Exodus 34:6 and Psalm 86:15 both proclaim Him "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness." A long fuse, a gentle flow—this is the character of God. And what does provoke His anger? Wickedness Romans 1, disobedience, dishonesty, injustice, the mistreatment of the poor Proverbs 22, and the seven things listed in Proverbs 6:16-19—haughty eyes, lying tongues, hands that shed innocent blood, hearts that devise evil, feet that run to wickedness, false witnesses, and those who sow discord. Our anger ought to mirror His.

But here is the gospel comfort: even our righteous anger is often expressed in sinful ways, and we all fall short. In grace, God laid His anger over our sin upon His sinless Son. Jesus bore the wrath we deserved at the cross, and the empty tomb declares that the sacrifice has been accepted. Each day He raises us anew with His word of absolution to go forward in His service. So in a world that is very, very angry, may the church display the beauty of long nostrils—slow to speak, careful in expression, yet not silent when God's truth and God's poor cry out for our voice. And when we find we cannot do it on our own, the prayer "God, help us" is exactly the prayer He delights to answer.

Transcript

Which open your Bible's please with me for a time and God's Word to Proverbs? 4s

The 15th chapter. 9s

If you're using a few additional full-day scripture, you're going to find that on page 560 11s

in the Old Testament Proverbs, the 15th chapter. 15s

Counting. 23s

Counting. 25s

There are many forms of counting, aren't there? 27s

I think, for example, of the parental count. 32s

That famous one, two, three. 36s

When a child hears that, when a child hears the initiation of the count, one, well, it's 45s

really irrelevant, isn't it? 51s

Two, that's the decision point, right? 53s

Perhaps they've learned the parent will give a two and a half in there. 56s

But once you get to two, you're at the decision point there in that count cycle, because 61s

the launch cycle has started there. 65s

And what is that count associated with? 68s

But the count is associated with whether or not that child is going to do what the parents 72s

are asking them to do, right? 80s

Or there's laying in bed at night, in counting sheep. 85s

What's that associated with? 91s

Trying to fall asleep, right? 94s

Trying to do something monotonous that you'll just drift off into slumber. 97s

Or there's this one. 105s

Counting. 108s

To ten. 110s

Sometimes we do that in a soft voice. 114s

Sometimes we do it inwardly. 119s

But counting to ten slowly. 123s

What can that be associated with? 129s

Holding back on the expression of anger. 133s

Look at Proverbs. 144s

Chapter 15, verse 18. 145s

We read those who are hot tempered, stir up strife. 149s

But those who are slow to anger, calm, contention. 155s

I related verse over in chapter 14, verse 29, 162s

whoever is slow to anger has great understanding. 166s

And one who has a hasty temper, exalts, folly. 171s

Proverbs 29, verse 11, it says, 177s

a fool gives full vent to anger. 181s

But the wise quietly holds it back. 186s

Anger. 192s

Anger. 195s

Scripture is filled with examples of the expressions of anger. 198s

Moses got angry. 205s

Didn't really angry. 207s

He goes up to the mountain to receive the ten commandments. 208s

He doesn't come back down from the mountain in according to the timetable of the people. 212s

So they decide to take matters into their own hands and form for themselves, 217s

a God. 222s

And when Moses descends from the mountain, what is it that he sees? 223s

But he sees that people worshiping this golden idol that they had formed and dancing around it. 229s

And the Scripture says that Moses was filled with anger. 236s

With anger. 243s

Bible gives us example, that for example, of the prophets of the Lord, 246s

filled with anger, how the people of Israel had turned to idolatry. 251s

Why we read of John the Baptist, his expression of anger. 258s

When he's disgusted at the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and the scribes, 265s

Paul Scripture says, 271s

God angry, really angry, 273s

when there were those that wanted to say in order to be saved, 276s

you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and fulfill all of the law of Moses. 280s

And Paul became angry. 287s

And Jesus got angry. 293s

I think it would be hard for us sometimes to conceive of, isn't it? 297s

Just let the image of Jesus that we keep in our minds. 301s

But Scripture says that that Jesus got angry got angry. 305s

While he goes into the temple and he sees people that set it up as a marketplace 313s

that we're buying and selling and he was filled with anger. 318s

And the Scripture tells us that he overturned the tables and he says, 321s

My father's house is to be a house of prayer you've made it into a den of robbers. 327s

Jesus was angry, really angry. 333s

In our gospel text for today, 338s

there's a story of the man with a, with a withered hand. 341s

And they're watching Jesus to see whether or not Jesus will cure on the Sabbath. 346s

And Jesus turns, and he asks the question in terms of the rightness of doing good on the Sabbath. 353s

And the response of the people, the response of the people is they were silent. 362s

And the Bible says that Jesus looked at them with anger. 366s

Thank. 375s

Or there's also the story of the messengers that go ahead of Jesus. 377s

They come to a village of the Samaritans, but the messengers aren't received. 384s

In James and John get wind of it and they turn to Jesus and say, 390s

Lord, should we bid that fire just rain down and consume them? 394s

And Jesus got angry. 404s

He got angry at what they said. 406s

And the Scripture says, 409s

that he rebuked them. 411s

Moses got angry in the prophet's got anger. 417s

Paul got angry in John the Baptist got angry. 420s

Jesus got angry. 424s

Example after example after example after example in Scripture. 426s

So does that mean that we can just get angry? 432s

Does that mean that we don't have to count to ten anymore? 440s

Is that what it means? 449s

The answer to the question about anger can get rather confusing a little bit. 456s

Because we read in Ephesians the fourth chapter, Paul says this, 464s

put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slender together with all melous. 470s

Put it away. 485s

Stop it. 494s

Paul says. 495s

Look at our text. 498s

Those who are hot tempered stir up strife. 502s

But those who are slow to anger come contention. 508s

So you've got Paul saying put it away. 514s

But there you have in Proverbs verse 18, 520s

you don't have the negation of anger there. 522s

Do you? 525s

We don't have the negation of anger. 526s

The emphasis on the slowness of anger. 530s

Ephesians chapter four verse 26 then holds these truths together. 537s

And we read this. 545s

Be angry, but do not sin. 548s

Be angry. 557s

But do not sin. 561s

I think of the child's question. 570s

She asked, 574s

what does God look like? 576s

What does God look like? 580s

It's a hard question to answer, isn't it? 583s

This is the Bible doesn't tell us. 587s

But an answer to an adult? 591s

An answer to an adult would be, 595s

I know this for sure. 597s

God has long nostrils. 601s

God has long nostrils. 606s

Now that's what's called an anthropomorphism. 610s

In other words, we see in Scripture how human characteristics and qualities are sometimes attributed to God so that we understand who God is. 613s

And the Bible says that God has long nostrils. 624s

It's a Hebrew phrase that means slow to anger. 630s

The images associated with it, being long and nostrils. 638s

It takes a while then for the air to transverse the longer nostril. 643s

Or it's like a long fuser short fuses. 650s

Or or longer nostril. 653s

A longer nostril is going to have a more gentle flow of air. 657s

The Bible tells us that God is long of nose. 662s

He has long nostrils. 668s

We read for example in Exodus 34. 672s

The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious slow to anger. 676s

In abounding and steadfast love and faithfulness. 686s

Keeping steadfast love for the thousandth generations. 691s

Or Psalm 86. 697s

But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious slow to anger. 698s

Long of nostril. 708s

An abounding, instead fast love and faithfulness. 711s

For us, for us we can exhibit the exact opposite of that. 720s

Right? 727s

Instead of even counting to ten, we can rush into the expression of anger. 731s

And when we do that, sin lies close at hand. 740s

Slow down. 745s

Slow down. 753s

And if counting helps, count. 758s

But slowness to anger. 773s

Does not necessarily mean silence. 777s

Yes, we can rush into anger. 785s

But we can count to such a number that we never wind up speaking. 797s

When we should speak. 806s

The question to ask ourselves, is what is it? 813s

What is it that makes God angry? 817s

Because we see the expression of God's anger in Holy Scripture and Scripture reveals to us, 821s

what makes God angry? 827s

Why Scripture tells us in Romans the first chapter that what makes God angry? 833s

It's wickedness. 838s

It's wickedness. 840s

That makes him angry. 841s

Bible tells us in first kings. 844s

What makes God angry disobedience? 847s

That makes God angry. 851s

Proverbs 11 chapter says, 855s

What makes God angry dishonesty? 856s

Proverbs 17 chapter, 863s

What makes God angry injustice? 865s

That makes him angry. 868s

Proverbs 22 chapter, 871s

What makes God angry? 873s

Proverbs 22 says, 875s

The mistreatment of the poor, 877s

The mistreatment of the poor. 881s

That makes him angry. 884s

Proverbs 16, 889s

The sixth chapter tells us of what makes God angry. 891s

Hottie eyes, 895s

Align tongue and hands that shed innocent blood, 896s

A heart that devises wicked plans, 901s

Feet that hurry to run to evil, 904s

Align witness who testifies falsely, 907s

And one who's so discord in a family, 910s

On and on and on, 913s

We hear what makes God angry in holy Scripture. 916s

Beloved, 922s

We should be angry about what God makes. 924s

What God, what makes God angry? 932s

We should be angry about what God is saying. 935s

What makes God angry? 940s

Our anger should mirror that. 945s

But even in righteous anger, 955s

Even in righteous anger, 958s

That mirrors what makes God angry. 961s

Even in righteous anger, 966s

We must be careful, 971s

How we express it. 974s

Slow down, 984s

Slow down, 989s

Before we speak, 995s

In righteous anger. 1000s

We all fall short of this, don't we? 1009s

We all do. 1012s

We all fall short. 1014s

And so often our expression of anger, 1019s

Even if it's righteous anger, 1023s

That mirrors what makes God angry, 1026s

Can be bathed and sinfulness, 1031s

Because of how it's expressed. 1034s

But God in His grace, 1040s

God in His grace, 1043s

Takes His anger over sin. 1045s

He takes His anger over our sin, 1051s

And He lays it on His son, 1054s

The spotless, sinless lamb of God, 1057s

And Jesus goes to the cross, 1060s

And bears all of our sin. 1063s

Bears the wrath of God, 1066s

For the totality of our sin, 1068s

Winning the Word of forgiveness, 1072s

Through the blood of the Lord, Jesus Christ, 1076s

And the tomb of our Lord is empty, 1079s

That means the sacrifice for sin has been accepted. 1082s

And God in His grace raises us up a new, 1088s

Each and every day with His word of absolute, 1094s

To go forward in service of Him, 1101s

Such grace. 1109s

Beloved, we live in a world right now, 1116s

That's really, really angry, 1121s

Really angry, 1129s

Those who are hot tempered, 1138s

Stir up strife, 1141s

But those who are slow to anger, 1144s

Come, 1147s

Contention. 1149s

Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, 1153s

But one who has a hasty temper, 1156s

Exalts folly. 1159s

A fool gives full vent to anger, 1164s

But the wise, 1168s

Quietly holds it back. 1171s

May we, as the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, 1179s

Show the world the beauty of having long nostrils. 1185s

May we put on display, 1199s

What it is that we should be angry about? 1214s

And if that leads us to say, 1227s

God help us, 1229s

That's exactly exactly what God wants us to say. 1232s

Because helping us is exactly what He will do. 1241s

If God God Ан It, how will God It? 1252s