He's Not Always Angry

Habakkuk 3:8

Was the LORD displeased against the rivers? was thine anger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, that thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation?

As the prophet work through this message he makes a sudden break from his description of God to ask a question, "Was the Lord displeased against the rivers?..." This is a reference to:

·       The turning of the Nile River into blood

·       The stopping of the Jordan River to allow Israel to pass on dry ground and

·       The parting of the Red Sea to allow Israel to pass over safely

The answer in every case is, "No, He was not angry at the water itself. He was not angry:

·       That the Red Sea was in its place

·       That the Nile River was the instrument of Egypt's wickedness or

·       That the Jordan River flooded its banks when Israel approached to cross it

God merely used these objects for His purpose. There is no need to read into it anger.

·       Certainly they became signs of the power of God

·       Certainly He moved them at His own whim

·       Obviously there is an air of violence implied in these acts

But these actions did not happen because God was angry at the rivers and the sea. One commentary claims that these actions were,

"...aimed at a threefold purpose.

1. The destruction of his enemies.

2. The salvation of his people.

3. The vindication of his own honor.”[1]

We have a tendency to view any overt act as an act of anger. Some people have accused me of yelling at them even though I did not raise my voice. They took it that I would tell them that they were wrong or that I would not let them have their way as that I was angry with them. That was, in fact not the case at all.

So some interpret any action of God that prevents them from having their way as an act of anger.

• If God refuses them a promotion at work God must be angry with them
• If God does not let them buy a new car He must be angry with them
• If someone in the family gets sick God must be angry with them

God isn’t always angry. This is not to say He does not get angry. I only mean that He is not always angry. God’s actions are always meant to lead men toward salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. His actions, be there ever so terrible, are always acts of ultimate love. We would do better to ask:

• “Was that illness meant to bring me closer to God’s care?”
• “Did God protect me from that promotion because He knew it would draw me away from Him?”
• “Was God watching out for me when I got turned down for that new car loan because He knew it would become a stumblingblock to my spiritual growth?”

He is not always angry. But He is always fighting for our good.

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[1] The Pulpit Commentary, Edited by the Very Rev. H. D. M. Spence, D.D., and by the Rev. Joseph S. Exell, M.A., Published in 1880-1897; public domain. Via E-Sword