Surely the wrath of man shall praise You; with the remainder of wrath You shall gird Yourself. (Psalm 76:10)
This verse, at first glance, is quite puzzling; how can man’s wrath produce praise for God? Our Jewish friends offer some insight to this which, in my view, not only makes sense but is quite profound to consider. To begin, Scripture makes it clear that God places a premium on humility. Case in point: the man God chose to lead His people out of bondage and to give instructions in how to live, according to the Creator, was regarded as the most humble man alive in his day. On the other hand, God despises pride and is determined to break those who wear it like a garment.
Because God opposes the proud (James 4:6), the proud respond with anger and wrath, desperately striving to oppose and overcome the will and purpose of the Almighty. For a season, God will allow these people to fulfill their desire in this regard, that is until He says, “Enough,” and rises up to call them to account. When the proud are cut down, the righteous are provoked to praise God for justice. But in some cases, even the recipients of God’s anger are moved to give Him honor. For instance, when Nebuchadnezzar saw the deliverance of Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego, he was moved to acknowledge the Almighty’s might and power. In the end, the rage of a wicked man was turned to homage of God.
So let us consider this: perhaps there are times when God’s anger against someone is not necessarily intended to destroy them but to test that person’s ability to recognize God’s sovereignty. In addition to rebuking their errant deeds, maybe His anger is meant to reveal whether or not that person’s heart can actually appreciate God’s rebuke. Though I did not enjoy it at the time, I am incredibly thankful that my parents corrected me as a child, even when it was painful. Likewise, though I have never enjoyed God’s rebuke, I am thankful for it because it is evidence that He loves me enough to set me straight when needed.
There have been times when, in fits of self-absorption and resistance to His Will, I was angry and rebellious. Thankfully, His correction brought me to my senses, and provoked me to realize that He chastens those He loves — and I thank Him for it. So it is that there are situations when God’s anger is intended to bring us to this point of realization; that God’s correction is to be desired and appreciated, thus allowing our wrath to be transformed to praise.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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