RESTRAIN

Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals – Numbers 20:8

Certain negative attitudes have been the undoing of the great and mighty. Anger is major among such. The opposite attitude to anger is RESTRAIN. The Bible says: “he who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city” (Pro.16:32). And concerning Restrain: “the discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and it is to his glory to overlook a transgression” (Pro.19:11); “A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back” (Pro.29:11). The congregation of Israel in the wilderness had no water to drink, and the people gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron. Complaining and whining echoed all around and God told Moses to take his rod and "speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water" (Num.20:8). In great frustration and anger, however, Moses shouted, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?”

Here, Moses committed three grave errors in one tragic moment of unrestrained anger! First, he called the people what even their God did not call them – Rebels! Second, he ascribed to himself the ability that belonged only to the Rock. God had said the Rock will “yield its water”. Moses boasted, “Must WE bring water for you…”  Worst of all, Moses struck the rock twice; whereas he was to simply “Speak to the rock.” Of course, a miracle happened; water poured from the rock, enough to meet the need of the people and all their livestock (vv.. 10-11). But this momentarily angry leader had missed the mark and failed the test of destiny. In part because of Moses' rotten attitude at this point, God denied him entry into the Promised Land (vs. 12). Aaron also was included in this judgement (vs. 24). What a blow this must have been to these two great leaders! All of it as a result of allowing a wrong attitude to provoke them to anger! This speaks volumes of the Power of Attitude.

Concerning the Attitude of Anger, the Bible exhorts variously:

• “He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, but he who is impulsive exalts folly” (Pro.14:29).
• “A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back” (Pro.29:11).
• “Cease from ANGER, and forsake wrath; do not fret – it only causes harm” (Psa.37:8).
• “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath” (Eph.4:26)
• “Let all bitterness, and wrath, ANGER, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice” (Eph.4:31).
• “But now you must also put off all these: ANGER, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth” (Col.3:8).

Someone might say, “But God also gets angry; so why not me?” The righteous indignation of the thrice-holy God cannot be compared with the carnal anger of mortal beings (Jam.1:20). James gives a recipe to help us keep our attitudes in check: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (Jam.1:19-20). Being “slow to wrath” is learning to restrain carnal tempers and wrong attitudes. Those who allow anger to trouble them tend to break the law of righteousness rather than keep it and to cause conflict among brethren. When you allow wrath or anger into your thinking, deviations from divine instructions creep in, and disobedience often results. The wrath of man will not produce the right course of life and love that God requires.

Never speak from a place or heart of hate, bitterness or anger. Pause to weigh your words before you let them leave your lips. Sometimes it’s best to be quiet. And never let anger drive your hands, lest you irreversibly strike the Rock!