In this Sabbath lesson from Israel Church of the Firstborn in Indianapolis, Brother Obadiah teaches on the spirit of anger versus the spirit of humility. He pulled the lesson out of the archives, he says, because no matter how many times you teach on anger, you cannot teach enough. Anger, he says, is a spirit, and if you do not get control of it, it will get control of you, break up your family, and shut you out of the kingdom. The Lord requires the opposite spirit, a humble and contrite one, and that is the spirit that lets God use you. The lesson works from the anger of God in the Psalms, through the men whose anger cost them everything, and out to the meek and lowly example of the Master himself. Every passage is read in the King James Version.
Watch the full Sabbath lesson on YouTube.
1.Anger Is a Spirit You Have to Control
He opens by naming anger for what it is, a spirit, and then shows that even God gets angry, in Psalm the ninetieth chapter. But God does not hold his anger forever, and that is the pattern the believer has to follow.
Psalm 90:7-11 KJV7For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.
8Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
9For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.
10The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
11Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
"Anger is a spirit, sisters and brothers. But we going to show you that you got to know how to control it. If you don't get control of your anger, your anger is going to get control of you. And most families are broken up because you do not know how to control your anger. I was a firecracker running wild when I was young. Stayed in fights, stayed into it with people that I love. I didn't know how to control what was inside of me. So in order for God to use you, you got to have control of your spirit."
"Even the Lord gets angry. Why do you think all of these atrocities are going on in the world right now? God is looking down on the spirit of man and he's seeing what's dwelling in him and it makes him angry. He said, for we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled. So being that you are created in his image, you are going to get angry as well. But what do you have to do? You got to control it, or you going to find yourself shut out of the kingdom because God could not use you."
2.Do Not Judge, Do Not Be Contentious
In Romans the second chapter, Paul calls the angry, judging man inexcusable, a hypocrite who condemns himself doing the same things he judges. And to the contentious the Lord renders tribulation and anguish.
Romans 2:5-9 KJV5But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
6Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
7To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
8But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
9Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
"Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest. You have no right to throw nobody in the lake of fire. Just like we said last week, you can hate the sin, but you can't hate the person, because you got to let the Lord do that. You tell people to get right, but you not right. That's being a hypocrite."
"But unto them that are contentious, those that are overly angry, and do not obey the truth, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish. God is no respecter of persons. The only thing that God sees is if you are being obedient unto his word."
3.Vengeance Belongeth Unto the Lord
Because anger drives a man to take vengeance, he stops at Hebrews the tenth chapter to say plainly whose vengeance it is. And he warns what willful sin brings after a man has known the truth.
Hebrews 10:26-31 KJV26For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
28He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
29Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, where with he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
30For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
31It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
"Somebody do something to you and you go out and take vengeance on that person. But the Lord said vengeance belongs to him. There is nothing that you can do to anybody worse than the Lord can, when they be off in that lake of fire and you look up millions of years later and they still burning. Leave it to the Lord. Let the Lord handle it."
"If we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins. God will accept your sin if you did it in ignorance. But if you out here sinning on purpose after you have received the knowledge of the truth, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. He ain't dead on the cross no more. He rose with all power and he is sitting on the right hand of the Father."
4.God Dwells With the Humble and Contrite
Now the lesson turns to the other spirit. In Isaiah the fifty-seventh chapter, the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity says who he dwells with, and he says he will not contend forever.
Isaiah 57:15-18 KJV15For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
16For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.
17For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.
18I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.
"The Lord had to instill humility in me, because I wasn't a humble person. I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit. That's the kind of spirit that you need to have. How can you say that you are a child of the Most High and you don't have a contrite and a humble spirit just like your Master?"
"For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth. That means God got control over his anger. He said if I was angry for ever, there wouldn't be a soul left alive on this earth, because all of us have fallen short of the glory of the Lord. For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth. But I have seen his ways, and will heal him. That means you came back and repented to him."
To show the humble spirit at its highest, he points to the Master himself. In Philippians the second chapter, the One who was in the form of God humbled himself and became obedient unto death. (He read John the first chapter along the way, that the Word was God made flesh, and set the fuller lesson on the godhead aside for another time.)
Philippians 2:5-11 KJV5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant. The one that created the sun and the moon and the stars, he made himself to be a servant, and sat down and washed the saints' feet."
"And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. He allowed people to spit on him, to pierce his hands and his feet. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow."
5.Cease From Anger, and the Meek Shall Inherit the Earth
David gives the plain command in Psalm the thirty-seventh chapter: cease from anger, forsake wrath. The evildoers who prosper will be cut off, and it is the meek who inherit the earth.
Psalm 37:7-11 KJV7Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
8Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
9For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
10For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
11But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
"Cease from anger, this is what the lesson is about. Cease from it. Quit flying off the handle so much. And forsake wrath. Basically what God is telling you, don't take vengeance when somebody do you wrong. Not too long ago I saw a wife all up in her husband's face, they all yelling outside at one another. It's time out for that. When you love somebody, don't let all that break up because your anger."
"But the meek shall inherit the earth. That's who is going to inherit the earth, sisters and brothers, the meek, the humble. And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. When the Lord come back, it's going to be peace on earth and good will toward men."
6.What Anger Did to Them: Simeon, Levi, and King Uzziah
He brings two examples of men whose anger got the best of them. First Simeon and Levi, in Genesis the thirty-fourth chapter, who deceived and killed a whole village of men over their sister Dinah. When Jacob blessed his sons in Genesis the forty-ninth chapter, their anger was cursed.
Genesis 49:5-7 KJV5Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.
6O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.
7Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.
"Simeon and Levi let their anger get so much out of control that they killed an entire village of people. I'm not saying they didn't have a reason to be mad. But they slew this guy in their anger. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce, and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel."
"Simeon was one of the biggest tribes, but the Lord cut them all the way down and gave them a little spot in Judah. And Levi he scattered all over in the cities, and made them to serve as the priests. That was their punishment for what they did in their anger."
Then King Uzziah, in Second Chronicles the twenty-sixth chapter. A righteous king, but once he was strong his heart was lifted up, and when the priests stopped him from burning incense his anger cost him everything.
2 Chronicles 26:16-21 KJV16But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
17And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the LORD, that were valiant men:
18And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the LORD God.
19Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incense altar.
20And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the LORD had smitten him.
21And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD: and Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.
"King Uzziah was a righteous king, he reigned fifty-two years, and as long as he sought the Lord God made him to prosper. But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction, and he went into the temple to burn incense, which was not his job, that was the Levites."
"Then Uzziah was wroth. He was angry. And while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead. He was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, cut off from the house of the Lord. Not only will your anger get you in trouble with the Lord, it will also get you in trouble with man."
7.Put Off the Old Man, Put On Humbleness
Back in the New Testament, Ephesians the fourth chapter tells the believer to be angry and sin not, to let no corrupt communication out of his mouth, and to put all bitterness and wrath away.
Ephesians 4:26-32 KJV26Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
27Neither give place to the devil.
28Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
29Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
30And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
"Be ye angry, and sin not. You going to get mad about some things, but I'm not going to sin about it. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath, don't let the next day start when you still angry. Neither give place to the devil, because once you are overly angry you going to say something wrong."
"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth. Quit all of the cussing. A soft answer turns away wrath. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
Proverbs the sixteenth chapter puts it as wisdom: pride goes before destruction, and the man slow to anger is better than the mighty.
Proverbs 16:18-19 KJV18Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
19Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.
Proverbs 16:32 KJV32He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Think about King Uzziah, how he was lifted up. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. We just read what Simeon and Levi divided, and you see where it got them."
"He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. That's why we say the spirit of anger versus the spirit of humility. It's a spirit, and you got to be able to control it."
And Proverbs the twenty-second chapter gives a plain warning about the company you keep.
Proverbs 22:24-25 KJV24Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:
25Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.
"The Bible is not plain when it tell you this. Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man thou shalt not go, lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul. You got somebody mad all the time, mad about everything, the Lord said don't even make no friendship with these people, because you might turn around and start doing it."
Colossians the third chapter gathers it all up: put off anger, wrath, and malice, and put on humbleness of mind and charity.
Colossians 3:8-14 KJV8But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
9Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
10And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
11Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
12Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
14And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
"But now ye also put off all these, anger, wrath, malice, and filthy communication out of your mouth. How can you have salt water and fresh water in your mouth at the same time? Seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds. But now you got to put on the new man, which is renewed after the image of him that created him."
"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering. Humble yourself, sometimes you got to bring your expectations down. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. Charity is love, and that's the super glue that holds it all together."
8.What the Lord Requires: Walk Humbly
He sums up the whole requirement in one verse, Micah the sixth chapter.
Micah 6:8 KJV8He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
"If you want to know what God requires of you, here it is. He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? That's the only thing that God requires other than to obey him. If you do this, you farewell."
And the Master taught the same thing in Saint Matthew the eighteenth chapter, that you have to become as a little child to enter the kingdom.
St. Matthew 18:1-4 KJV1At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
2And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
3And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
4Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
"Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. You take some candy away from the little girls in the back, they going to cry, because they humble, ain't nothing they can really do about it. That's the way the Lord want you to be. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
James the fourth chapter traces the wars and fightings among men back to their own lusts, and gives the promise: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
James 4:6-10 KJV6But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
9Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
"God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. When you say get thee behind me, Satan, you got to believe it, and them devils got to go. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up."
And Peter says the same in First Peter the fifth chapter, be clothed with humility.
1 Peter 5:5-6 KJV5Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
6Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
"Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility. Be clothed with it. For God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time."
9.The Reward of the Humble
Being humble is one of the fruits of the spirit, and he shows what God beautifies the humble with. In Psalm the hundred and forty-ninth chapter, the Lord beautifies the meek with salvation.
Psalm 149:4-5 KJV4For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.
5Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.
"One of the fruits of the spirit is humility, and when you get it, God is going to beautify you with something. For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people, he will beautify the meek with salvation. A beautiful body that don't die, don't catch cancer, don't have no wrinkles in your face at all. That's what God going to give you for just being humble."
Isaiah the sixty-first chapter, the very words the Master read on the Sabbath, are good tidings preached to the meek.
Isaiah 61:1-3 KJV1The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
3To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek. Don't you get tired of bad tidings all the time? This is the good news right here. To give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. The garment of praise is the white raiment the Lord going to give you."
And the Master offers his own spirit to the weary, in Saint Matthew the eleventh chapter.
St. Matthew 11:28-30 KJV28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart. My yoke is easy, and my burden is light. All I'm asking you to be is meek and humble. That's it. But you got to apply it to your life, sisters and brothers."
10.Stephen, and the Lowest Room
He closes with two pictures of the humble spirit. First Stephen, in Acts the seventh chapter, one of the meekest men in the Bible, stoned to death for the word of God, praying for the men who killed him.
Acts 7:59-60 KJV59And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
"They took him out of the city and stoned him to death, all because of the word of God. And Stephen, calling upon God, said, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. He asked God not to lay their sin to their charge while they were killing him. Sisters and brothers, that's a humble spirit."
And the parable in Saint Luke the fourteenth chapter, where the humble are told to take the lowest room.
St. Luke 14:8-11 KJV8When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;
9And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.
10But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.
11For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
"When thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room, that he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. And that is the spirit of anger versus the spirit of humility."
Closing Word
"For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. And that is the spirit of anger versus the spirit of humility. I hope you got some understanding of Jesus right there."
Brother Obadiah carried one thing all the way through the lesson: anger is a spirit, and if you do not rule it, it will rule you and cost you what it cost Simeon, Levi, and King Uzziah. The Lord requires the other spirit, a humble and contrite one, the spirit the Master himself put on when he made himself of no reputation. Cease from anger, put on humbleness of mind, and walk humbly with your God, and he will exalt you in due time.
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This lesson was taught at our Sabbath service at Israel Church of the Firstborn in Indianapolis, IN. Join us every Saturday at 12PM, or watch the Sabbath live online.