Day 3

Mark and Shelly Nelson, authors

Becoming “Fool Proof” won’t happen overnight.  Removing anger and quick-tempered behavior from our lives won’t magically disappear either without God’s help or our commitment to better understanding. 

As we’ve been reading these proverbs – that at times feel like they should be unfolded from a fortune cookie – we have to commit ourselves to understanding their style also.  We can apply basic principles of Bible study to a single verse just as we would if studying another entire book of scripture.

Read

Proverbs 15:1 (ESV)

A soft answer turns away wrath,

but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 16:32 (ESV)

Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty,

and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

Ask Yourself

• What does it mean to be “slow to anger”?
• Do you view God as loving or angry?

Explore on your own

Reading Biblical wisdom literature can be like reading Shakespeare in junior high or understanding a figure of speech in a foreign language. The Proverbs are not rules per se like the ten commandments, and as we’ve said in prior weeks, they are not if-then lines of programming for God to follow. These are meant to be memorable, practical words of wisdom to guide us into a godly life.

In our two verses today we can see how each couplet emphasizes its point by either giving a comparison (soft answer vs. harsh word) or restating the same idea, like when we say “in other words.” But understanding these passages also requires understanding the word meanings at the time it was written.  Forms of the Hebrew word aph are often translated anger or angry, but the real meaning is “nose” – like the snorting sound we make when we hear or see something we don’t really care for. You know you’ve done it.

The Bible project has an entertaining, animated five-minute video to help us understand the language behind being “slow to anger” and how God has demonstrated what this means throughout scripture. Be sure to watch this and find someone with whom you can talk about it this week. (Seriously, watch it. It’s helpful!)

Pray

• Reflect on times in your life when God has been slow to anger with you. Confess what is sin and thank him specifically for giving you another chance…and another.
• Think about times in your life when you’ve had a “hot nose.” Ask God to help you rule your spirit and demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit through self-control.

Talk about it

• If you are unfamiliar with any of the Bible stories mentioned in the video, read through them. Discuss how God was slow to anger yet acted within his character to display anger.
• Think about the items on your list you started on Day 1. How do you recognize when you feel a “hot nose” coming on? What are the triggers to your anger?
• On a scale of zero to ten, where is your self-control? What needs to happen in your life to move up that scale in order to rule your spirit?