1 Samuel 11, What gets you angry?

Here is a story about anger by Maggie Scarg in New York Times Magazine.

A lady once came to Billy Sunday and tried to rationalize her angry outbursts. “There’s nothing wrong with losing my temper,”

She said. “I blow up, and then it’s all over.”

“So does a shotgun,” Sunday replied, “and look at the damage it leaves behind!”

Getting angry can sometimes be like leaping into a wonderfully responsive sports car, gunning the motor, taking off at high speed and then discovering the brakes are out of order.

And, here is a story about a woodpecker and Ralph Milton who got angry at the bird.

One morning Ralph woke up at five o’clock to a noise that sounded like someone repairing boilers on his roof. Still in his pajamas, he went into the back yard to investigate. He found a woodpecker on the TV antenna, “pounding its little brains out on the metal pole.”

Angry at the little creature who ruined his sleep, Ralph picked up a rock and threw it. The rock sailed over the house, and he heard a distant crash as it hit the car. In utter disgust, Ralph took a vicious kick at a clod of dirt, only to remember -- too late -- that he was still in his bare feet.

Uncontrolled anger, as Ralph leaned, can sometimes be its own reward.

C. Swindoll, Growing Strong, p. 332;

This morning, our focus will be on 1 Samuel 11:6, “When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he burned with anger.” I want you to ask yourself this morning, “What gets me angry?” as you consider how Saul deal with anger.

1. Saul kept silent.

In chapter 10:1-8, if you recall, Samuel anointed Saul privately with the sacred oil to be the first king over Israel. Samuel told Saul to expect three signs that would confirm his kingship. First two signs, to be told that his donkeys were found and his father began to worry about him and to be given two loaves of bread were private confirmations for Saul. The third sign, to be among the prophets in a procession and to prophesy with them when the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, was a public sign for the Israelites to confirm in their minds indeed Saul was God’s choice to be their king. In 10:9-13, we see the fulfillment of Samuel’s third prophesy over Saul.

The rest of chapter 10 is about how Saul was chosen to be the king of Israel by casting the lot. By casting the lot, out of all the tribes of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen, then Matri’s clan, and lastly Saul son of Kish was chosen. Now, lest you think this was a random exercise of luck, casting lots in Israel had nothing to do with chance, but everything to do with God’s will. Proverbs 16:33 says, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.”

When the lot showed Saul was chosen to be the king, he was no where to be found. Now, simple yes and no answer couldn’t determine Saul’s where about. So, verse 22 says that “they inquired further of the LORD” by asking him, “Has the man come here yet?” The LORD answered them, “Yes, he has hidden himself among the baggage.”

When Saul was brought out, he was the giant among them, a head taller than anyone. When the people saw Saul and heard Samuel, they accepted Saul as their king with overwhelming shout, “Long live the king!” in 10:24.

When Saul finally went home, it says in verse 26, he was “accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had touched.” You see the formation of the Secret Service here.

But, not all responded positively to God’s choice. Verse 27 shows that there were “some troublemakers” who said, “How can this fellow save us?” This was not a question of genuine concern, but disdainful rejection of Saul. This is why it says they “brought him no gifts.”

As a king chosen by God, overwhelmingly embraced by the great prophet and the majority of the people, you would think Saul would be angry at these troublemakers who despised him and publicly scorned him. But, all that we read in verse 27 is “But Saul kept silent.”

Proverbs 12:16 says “A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.” Proverbs 17:27, “A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.” Proverbs 19:11, “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.”

McKane says about this ability to overlook offense: “the ability to shrug off insults and the absence of a brooding hypersensitivity. It is the ability to deny to an adversary the pleasure of hearing a yelp of pain even when his words have inflicted wound, of making large allowances for human frailties and keeping the lines of communication open. It contains elements of toughness and self-discipline; it is the capacity to stifle a hot, emotional rejoinder and to sleep on an insult.”[1]

The fact that Saul kept silent over these men’s disdain and their public scorn, shows his ability to overlook offense. Instead of giving into a brooding hypersensitivity, he allowed human frailties with patience. And, by not overcoming with hot tempered anger and reaction, Saul didn’t burn the bridge of communication. Proverbs 12:18 says, “A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel.” These trouble makers would have liked nothing better than to pick fights with Saul. But, Saul keeping his cool prevented the situation to go out of hand. His ability to sleep on an insult, this self-discipline was really the sign of a strong toughness and wisdom. Proverbs 16:32 says, “Better patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.” Proverbs 29:11, “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.”

2. Saul was burning with anger.

A volatile situation developed in chapter 11. The king Nahash of Ammon “went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead” and demanded, “I will make a treaty with you only on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel.”

Another translation, New Revised Standard Version, adds this background information after 10:27 that helps to clarify what was going on here; “Now Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had been grievously oppressing the Gadites and the Reubenites. He would gouge out the right eye of each of them and would not grant Israel a deliverer. No one was left of the Israelites across the Jordan whose right eye Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had not gouged out. But there were seven thousand men who had escaped from the Ammonites and had entered Jabesh-gilead.”[2]

To this threat, the elders of Jabesh asked for dispatchers to be sent out for someone to come to rescue them; if no one showed up, they would surrender to Nahash’s term. Perhaps, out of arrogant confidence, Nahash allowed the messengers to be dispatched. When people of Gibeah heard this, they wept aloud. Saul only learned of this situation when he returned from the fields.

This leads to 11:6, “When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he burned with anger.”

What got him angry? He was angry that people were weeping over the predicament of their fellow Israelites, but doing nothing about it. He was angry that the people of Jabesh, God’s people, were in such predicament. He was angry that people were not angry about this! He was angry that people were not calling out to God.

His holy burning anger would not be contained unless he acted upon it. He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces and sent each to the tribes of Israel with this message; “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel.” Saul in his anger wasn’t sitting on the sideline. He wanted everyone to arm and to fight the Ammonites. Verse 7 says that “the terror of the LORD fell on the people, and they turned out as one man.” This affirms that Saul’s anger and his action were stirred by God’s Spirit.

Your Father Loves You, by James Packer, (Harold Shaw Publishers, 1986), wrote about how Jesus was angry.

Jesus went into the synagogue on the Sabbath and saw a man with a crippled hand. He knew that the Pharisees were watching to see what he would do, and he felt angry that they were only out to put him in the wrong. They did not care a scrap for the handicapped man, nor did they want to see the power and love of God brought to bear on him.

There were other instances where Jesus showed anger or sternness. He “sternly charged” the leper whom he had healed not to tell anyone about it (Mark 1:43) because he foresaw the problems of being pursued by a huge crowd of thoughtless people who were interested only in seeing miracles and not in his teaching. But the leper disobeyed and so made things very hard for Jesus.

Jesus showed anger again when the disciples tried to send away the mothers and their children (Mark 10:13-16). He was indignant and distressed at the way the disciples were thwarting his loving purposes and giving the impression that he did not have time for ordinary people.

He showed anger once more when he drove “out those who sold and those who bought in the temple” (Mark 11:15-17). God’s house of prayer was being made into a den of thieves and God was not being glorified -- hence Jesus’ angry words and deeds.

Finally, at Lazarus’ grave Jesus showed not just sympathy and deep distress for the mourners (John 11:33-35), but also a sense of angry outrage at the monstrosity of death in God’s world. This is the meaning of “deeply moved” in John 11:38.

Warfield wrote: “A man who cannot be angry, cannot be merciful.” James Packer comments, “The person who cannot be angry at things which thwart God’s purposes and God’s love toward people is living too far away from his fellow men ever to feel anything positive towards them.”

3. Saul speaks in conciliatory and forgiving tone.

When the Israelites won decisively against the Ammonites, they wanted to make examples out of anyone who opposed the kingship of Saul. So, they demanded those who questioned Saul’s rule with disdain and scorn be put to death. They were referring to those trouble makers in chapter 10 who despised and questioned Saul, “How can this fellow save us?” and publicly scorned him by not bringing any gifts to Saul when he was made king.

To this demand, Saul replied in verse 13, “No one shall be put to death today, for this day the LORD has rescued Israel.” What you see is the humility of Saul. Instead of taking the credit of the victory, Saul gave the full credit to the LORD. This day of victory was the day of celebration for the LORD’s deliverance. So, Saul spoke with conciliatory and forgiving tone not allowing those trouble makers from being put to death.

For Saul, God’s glory was more important for him than getting even with those who insulted him. His silence earlier was not the case of stuffing his anger and letting it brew in resentment and bitterness that would have kept him awake at night. Because if his silence meant this, he would have jumped on the opportunity to get rid of these trouble makers for good.

Applications

1. What gets you angry? Do you get angry because of your perceive injustice against yourself?

2. Ask God to get you all burn with anger when you see things that thwart God’s purposes and God’s love toward people

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[1] EBCOT, Proverbs 19:11 by McKane.

[2]The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. 1989 (1 Sa 10:27). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.