Righteous Anger

         Back when I was in Bible College, we had various guest chapel speakers. One man told a story about his father who was a minister back in the 40's. One Sunday morning, a small group of bikers had parked their motorcycles right at the entrance of his small Church. The bikers were harassing people and swearing at them as they tried to enter the building. So, the preacher decided to go out and speak with the bikers to see if they wouldn't mind moving.

As he approached their gang leader, the biker started yelling at the preacher. So he did what any minister would do - he punched the man right in the nose and knocked him off his bike. Apparently he didn't get the chance to explain that before he was a preacher he was a golden gloves boxer.

That's not really something I ever see myself doing and not something that I would ever recommend, but we kind of enjoy hearing a story like that, don't we? In movies - back when we saw them in theaters (remember that...?) - audiences used to cheer when the 'bad guy' would finally get what was coming to them! We have this inner sense of justice when the villain gets what they deserve - or what we feel they deserve...

Have you ever felt that sense of anger when you see 'bad things'? Have you ever felt like you just wanted to explode, you wanted to jump up and do whatever it took to make things right? We've seen many people take to the streets in various cities and protest - but we've also seen people turn to violence, smashing windows, burning buildings and looting.

Do you ever get really mad at the world? When Godly values are mocked, when religious freedoms are threatened, when innocent babies are killed in the name of 'women's rights' - have you ever contemplated, ever felt like maybe... you wanted to respond in anger? I want us to look at a phrase found in scripture that we don't use much anymore...

I. The zeal of the Lord

'Zeal' or 'zealous' are not words we use much anymore. Modern definitions explain zeal as 'great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or objective'. But when used in the Bible, there's also this idea of this response to someone or something intentionally provoking jealousy, in this case righteous jealousy. It encompasses the meaning that God truly and rightly deserves honor and obedience and awe - and when rejected - it leads to this feeling of righteous anger.

That's the idea I want us to have in our minds as we look at a passage from Numbers chapter 25. It's not a story I've preached on before and it's not a regular staple for kid's Sunday school class and you'll see why. Let's jump right in...

(Numbers 25:1-15 NIV)

While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, (2) who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods. (3) So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor. And the Lord's anger burned against them. (4) The LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the Lord's fierce anger may turn away from Israel."

(5) So Moses said to Israel's judges, "Each of you must put to death those of your men who have joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor." (6) Then an Israelite man brought to his family a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. (7) When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand (8) and followed the Israelite into the tent.

He drove the spear through both of them - through the Israelite and into the woman's body. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped; (9) but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000. (10) The LORD said to Moses, (11) "Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites; for he was as zealous as I am for my honor among them, so that in my zeal I did not put an end to them. (12) Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him.

(13) He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites." (14) The name of the Israelite who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite family. (15) And the name of the Midianite woman who was put to death was Cozbi daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family.

It's not really a pleasant story and in order to understand things a bit more requires a bit of...

A. Context

This is an awful account that seems pretty drastic at face value - God ordering executions and people getting run through. This story was originally recorded for people who knew the circumstances, details and peoples involved here. The lesson here isn't that God wants us to go out and run a spear through people. Just want to make that clear...

But in order for us to have a more complete picture, we need to look at the rest of scripture to get the context and details that aren't included in this passage. First, we need to remember the specific situation here. This involves the nation of Israel, the Jewish people who were under a covenant relationship with God. God had made some specific promises to them if they obeyed and gave some specific warnings if they rejected Him. And they had made promises to God. Everyone was aware of the laws and the consequences for breaking the laws.

We also find - this account was a part of a larger 'battle' going on. In the previous chapters, we see the Moabites trying to attack the Israelites and trying to curse them. In failing to do so, they decided on more of a 'cultural sneak attack' - lure them into rejecting their relationship with God so they could then be defeated.

The Moabite leaders used their women to target Israel's men on the outskirts of town. They invited them to feasts and their worship of their 'god' Baal. And their worship was completely foreign to what the Jewish people had experienced. It involved vile acts, sex with temple prostitutes and even child sacrifice. It wasn't just another harmless 'alternate belief system'. We see details recounted in Psalms 106:37-39 (NIV)...

They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. (38) They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was desecrated by their blood. (39) They defiled themselves by what they did; by their deeds they prostituted themselves.

This was completely evil behavior. And when we pick up the story in Numbers 25 - this has been going on for some time. Men were bringing back diseases from this foreign culture and immoral behavior. We're not told much about this plague - whether it was specifically from God or God allowed the natural progression of disease. Either way, it killed 24,000 people.

And apparently this idolatry and sacrifices and sex acts were being committed by the leaders or by members of the leaders' families targeted by the Moabites - and most people were just looking the other way. So God told Moses to execute the leaders as punishment to prevent the people from being taken over by their enemies. But before the sentence can even be carried out - while the people are at God's tabernacle mourning all of their dead and the evil that was corrupting them - Zimri, an Israelite, a 'prince' of a chief house in the tribe of Simeon walks right by all the people with Cozbi, a daughter of a chief house in Midian.

They go into a tent together - and everyone there understands that they are going there to perform a sexual ritual in worship of Baal right there next to God's tabernacle. Zimri, a Jewish leader's son is so arrogant that he walks by a crowd of those worshiping God, ignores the plague effecting the community, and flaunts his unfaithfulness right at the entrance of the most holy place in all of Israel!

So - Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, the brother of Moses, the 'heir-apparent' to the high-priesthood - he decides he's going to do something for this affront to God! Moses - on God's direct command - had already ordered the execution of those who joined in worshiping Baal. So Phinehas drove a spear through both Zimri and Cozbi in the middle of their act. And God then ended the plague against His people.

So kind of an awful story - but there's definitely one thing that can be seen here...

B. God hates sin

Because God is a Holy, righteous God - He cannot and does not tolerate sin. And the sin in this account, the people's rebellion and idolatry and evil - their sin was punished in a dramatic way. And Phinehas, because he was zealous for God's honor, the sin against God - not only did God allow Phinehas to act in righteous anger, but God even honored Phinehas for it. God even allowed this act to serve as an atonement for the people's sins and ended the plague.

Because God is The Creator and The Authority and The perfect Judge - His punishment for sin is just. God knew the devastation that was occurring among the families of His people, the unfaithfulness, the horrific sacrifices of their sons and daughters - and He wouldn't tolerate it any longer. And Phinehas, as God's priest, could stand it no longer, either - and he took action.

- Now, there are times when I find myself... almost hoping for someone like Phinehas to come along now. - Someone who will fight back, someone who won't put up with the garbage of this world and say 'enough!' - However, I need to remind myself, Israel was under the Old Covenant of the Law - we are under...

II. A New Covenant

And the New Covenant is far superior to the Old. The way God approaches the issue of sin is far different. Certainly in the New Testament, we still find this hated of evil...

(Romans 12:9 NIV)

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

But anytime we get angry over evil or injustice - we have to be very careful in how we respond. There's a difference between proper 'righteous anger in the zeal of the Lord' and 'self righteous indignation' - which is probably more common than not.

Before we go 'grab a spear' and go after someone - we need to look at the honest source of our anger. Why am I angry? Whose rights are being violated, mine or am I truly defending another's? Is God's truth, a principle of God, being violated? If only your rights are injured it may be wiser to keep our anger under control. But if the truth is at stake, anger can be justified - however, this Biblical command also still applies...

(Ephesians 4:26-27 NIV)

"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, (27) and do not give the devil a foothold.

Anger in itself isn't sin. But the motive behind our anger and the reaction in our anger might be. Under the Old Covenant, Phinehas was justified in his violent response, even honored - but under the New Covenant, God wants us to respond differently. Paul wrote in Romans 12:19-21 (NIV)...

Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. (20) On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." (21) Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

I remember hearing Rich Mullins in a concert years ago. He said, "'Vengeance is mine' says the Lord' - "but sometimes I just really want to be about the Lord's business." And I can relate. But - the Old Covenant was based on the Law. The New superior Covenant in Jesus is based on...

A. Grace

While it's very tempting at times to wish those 'bad guys' out in the world get what they deserve - I'm glad I don't get what I deserve. The Bible says the wages of sin is death... But it also says, in John 1:14-17 (NIV)...

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (15) John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'" (16) From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. (17) For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

God hated sin in the Old Testament and God still hates sin in the New. But the Law couldn't atone for people's sins. The Law always required the shedding of blood to pay for those sins. But as The perfect sacrifice - Jesus paid for our sins once and for all. So while I deserve death for my sin - I receive grace through Christ.

Under this New superior Covenant, this new way in Jesus - it's really not our job to punish sin. Yes, we are to discern sin and call it what it is - but our job now, rather than to punish is to...

B. Persuade

I find it interesting that the very same God who is seen as a 'God of Wrath' in the Old Testament still reveals this about Himself in Ezekiel 18:23 (NIV)...

Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?

Even under the Old Testament Law - God still desired to show compassion to those who rejected Him. How can we do any less?

One minister wrote, "As much as America has driven God out of its life and waged war against His ways, as much as America has sacrificed millions of its unborn children, as much as it has called evil 'good' and good 'evil,' as much as it has celebrated sexual immorality, and as much as it has persecuted the righteous - it is following after the god Baal, animated by the spirit of Baal."

We live in a world of people blinded by evil. They are chasing idols, whether they know it or not. They are rejecting their only hope of salvation; they are committing all sorts of offenses against God. While the natural response might be zealous anger on behalf of God, a righteous anger - under the New Covenant, God's response... was Jesus.

So What?

It's not hard to get angry at people and things in this world - showing grace, that's hard. We need to choose to see people the way God sees them and if we can learn to love our enemies it'll become a lot easier.

'Oh, okay - I'll just not get mad and love everybody.'

On our own - yeah, it's too idealistic to work. But we're not called to do it on our own. We need to continually rely on God's Holy Spirit in us to change us, to make us more like Jesus so that we can live in a way that feels contrary to our very nature. We can become just as zealous for the Lord as Phinehas. But our zeal can be directed into showing grace to people who need Jesus!