Bible Study--Anger

Eve of Ascension Sunday

"A soft answer turns away wrath,

    but a harsh word stirs up anger."

                                            --Proverbs 15:1

It's Bible Study day. This is the second in our series, "Bible Verses You've Never Studied."

The Book of Proverbs is in a classification of scripture scholars call wisdom literature. It includes the Old Testament books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job. It also includes two books of the Apocrypha, The Wisdom of Ben Sira (a.k.a. Sirach, a.k.a. Ecclesiasticus), and the Wisdom of Solomon. 

Wisdom literature is quite different from the other types of Biblical literature. It is usually short, pithy common sense sayings that make a clear point and express a human truth. The American master of the wisdom saying was Benjamin Franklin, i.e. "A penny saved is a penny earned," and many others. The New Testament master of the wisdom saying was Jesus, i.e. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," and many others. 

The best way to describe wisdom sayings is that they are common sense put into few words. Often they are common sense that we just haven't thought of before, but that the author of the saying has. When we hear a wisdom saying for the first time, we often find ourselves saying, "Why didn't I think of that?"

I can distinctly remember the first time I heard Proverbs 15:1. It was in a TV ad for some church. Not only did I say to myself, "That makes perfect sense," I also said to myself, "I think I'll try it." I did. The next time my father yelled at me, I did not give my usual angrily defensive retort. I simply said, "Okay, Dad," in a soft tone. My father's anger was completely disarmed. It's hard to keep on expressing anger to someone who expresses no anger back. 

We live in an unusually angry time. Coronavirus seems to have ignited anger in many, "Open America," vs. "Shelter in Place." "Don't come in here without a mask," vs. "I'm not wearing a mask." People are yelling at each other over things they shouldn't be angry about.

Back in the late '60's and '70's there was a lot of emphasis in pop-psychology on the value of anger. Get it out. Don't hold it in. Express your anger, or your anger will eat you up. Find constructive ways to express your anger. TV shows, be they cop shows, lawyer shows, hospital shows, even comedies are full of angry people.

I think anger is overrated. Sometimes it's necessary, but not nearly as often as its expressed. Sometimes its ok. My yelling at a referee at a football game on TV doesn't hurt. Yelling at the referee at your child's soccer game does hurt, not only the referee but also your child, as well as you.

"A soft answer turns away wrath." It really does. Try it.

Faithfully,

Christian