Articles
The Wrath of Man
The wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (James 1:20)
Note first that the above maxim does not speak of wrath in an unqualified sense. The kind of wrath mentioned is the “wrath of man.” That is, wrath generated by carnal considerations is often vengeful, damaging and disproportionate. Such wrath impelled David on his mission to murder Nabal, a fellow Israelite who had insulted him and his men. But David was halted by Abigail’s wise words: “[When God] has appointed you ruler over Israel … this will be no grief to you, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself” (1 Samuel 25:30-31).
But the same David had earlier killed a man and received accolades from both God and men. David eagerly engaged Goliath saying, “I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand …” (1 Samuel 17:45-46).
What was the difference? In the case of Goliath, David sought to defend God’s honor and do His will. In the case of Nabal, David sought only his personal vengeance. Wrath is a deceptive, powerful emotion. We can easily mistake our own hurt feelings for a violation of righteous principle. When we do, our wrath will often lead us to violate God’s will.
