In the Bible, God's anger is an expression of his justice and his love for the world. But he's slow to anger, which means he gives people lots of time to change. Like in the story of the Exodus, when Pharaoh enslaves the Israelites and has their baby boys thrown into the waters, God sends Moses to confront Pharaoh.
Psalm 86:15
"But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness."
James 1:19-20. Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. We are warned again in James to be slow to anger.
God Hands Us Over
When humans do great evil and stop representing God's Kingdom in the world, he “hands them over” to the death and disorder they have unleashed in creation. And that phrase, “he handed them over,” is one of the most common ways that God expresses his anger in the biblical story.
Yet anger can be dangerous if it goes unchecked. The Bible says in Ephesians 4:26-27, "Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil." Allowing the seed of anger to fester within us is giving the devil a foothold in our relationships.
Anger itself is not a sin, but the strong emotion, unrestrained, can lead very quickly to sin. As God said to Cain, “It's desire is for you, but you must rule over it” (Genesis 4:7).
Ephesians 4:26
“If you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin, and do not stay angry all day.” The Good News: When we're angry, we may do something we might regret later or act in a way that could hurt those around us. Wait until the anger dissipates before making a decision or taking action.
God invites us to bring our anger to Him. The psalms (e.g. Psalm 109) teach us that in prayer, we can talk out our anger with the One who won't reject us for it. Having a safe place to process our anger helps us avoid holding it in or blasting it out. Just talking through our anger in prayer before God can help.
Anger is not a sin, but a God-given emotion
Anger is a signal that something is wrong and needs to be addressed. Sin and injustice are things we should be angry about because we serve a God that is just.
Pour out your heart to Him, expressing your frustrations and disappointments. Ask Him to help you discern the righteous and unrighteous aspects of your anger. Surrender your emotions to Him and invite Him to work in your heart. Seeking God's wisdom through His Word is essential in dealing with anger.
“The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, 'The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” Exodus 34:6 is the most repeated verse in all of the Bible.
Proverbs 16:32 Amplified Bible (AMP)
He who is slow to anger is better and more honorable than the mighty [soldier], And he who rules and controls his own spirit, than he who captures a city.
Many people are easily angered when they're already experiencing negative feelings caused by hunger, stress, nervousness, sadness, fatigue, illness, or boredom. A person is also more likely to become angry when the situation is perceived to be unfair, preventable, intentional, and someone else's fault.
As Israel's faithful celebrated again and again, God not only “was” slow to anger; he “is” slow to anger (Psalm 103:8). His patience, like his love, endures forever (Psalm 136).
Levi and Simeon angrily wipe out a city. Saul, in a rage, tries to kill David. Jonah angrily pouts when God spares Nineveh. Even Moses, who several times seems righteously angry on behalf of God's holiness, disobeys God while frustrated by the people of Israel.
Putting all that together, we find that haughty eyes are the kind of eyes that look down at other people, as if the one looking down is “higher up” than others. At the heart of this again is the problem of comparing—we don't just look down, we look down at other people as if they are lower or lesser than we are.
Anger is a normal, God-given emotion and is not necessarily sinful. As God's image bearer you can experience constructive, Christ-honoring anger. But you can also use your anger destructively and sinfully as a human being.
There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.
Although often sourced in his foreknowledge, and at times best understood in the light of his coming Passion, the way Jesus handles his anger still provides a model for Christians today. He knows how to be indignant, irate, and even furious, but without the slightest trace of derision, contempt, or abuse.
Lord, You love justice but let my anger be proportionate to the sin. It's better for me to have a loving heart towards my enemies than to hold on to bitterness and resentment. Rather I should “be patient, bearing with one another in love” as it says in Ephesians 4:2.
In Romans 12:18 and 14:19, Paul tells us that being peaceful is so important that we should pursue it if it's even remotely possible. If we're yelling or silent, but our motivation is to divide, we're likely sinning.
Anxiety is not inherently sinful. In the same way that there's a doubt that leads to faith and a doubt that leads to faithlessness, there's anxiety that leads to faith and anxiety that leads to faithlessness.
It gives us strength and energy, and motivates us to act. But for some people, anger can get out of control and cause problems with relationships, work and even the law. Long-term, unresolved anger is linked to health conditions such as high blood pressure, depression, anxiety and heart disease.
Cataclysmic Wrath: This is the wrath of God unleashed through natural disasters, hurricanes, tornados, mudslides, forest fires, sink holes, and various other disasters like that of tsunamis. The rebellion of Korah in Numbers 16:31-35 is an example of this type of wrath.
The deadly sin of anger is defined as the inordinate and uncontrolled feeling of hatred and wrath. Unlike righteous anger, the capital sin of anger is understood as the deep drive to cling to hateful feelings for others. This kind of anger often seeks revenge.