Dragging It Out
He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty. Proverbs 16:32 NASB
Anger – The Hebrew for “slow to anger” is erek apayim. Behind this is the word ap, a word that describes the nostrils in breathing. This part of the body is important in Hebrew thought. Remember that God breathed life into Adam through the nostrils. Because the nose is part of the context of breathing, it is considered vital to life. Ap is also used to express the idea of anger. Flared nostrils are a sign of emotional disturbance. This sign is metaphorically attributed to God’s anger. Sin causes God’s anger to flare since sin is a violation and an affront to His love and holiness and an attack upon life. Sin is the opposite of what God did in breathing His breath into Adam. No wonder this causes God to be angry.
Proverbs paints a wonderful image of God’s decision to withhold His anger. This Hebrew phrase gives us an image of God taking in a long, deep breath through the nose before letting out His wrath. God breathes deeply, letting His anger pass. God counts to ten. He considers our guilt and decides to wait before releasing His punishment. Because God delays His judgment, we are called to do the same thing. Just as we have been given a reprieve, we are to restrain our anger toward others.
This verse in Proverbs directs attention to the personal quality that models God’s character. Those of us who know God’s grace, who have experienced what it means to have God withhold His anger, should show this behavior in our actions toward others. We have every reason to do so, for we have experienced the long, slow inhale of God.
My wife and I have struggled recently over issues with children. I doubt we are the exception to the rule. The stress of child rearing often brings parents to that rough edge of anger. But God is reminding me that my anger accomplishes nothing. He knew my sins and still He delayed in order to allow me time to repent and come back to Him. I am eternally grateful for His grace. Why do I have such a hard time extending the same grace toward those who are so close to me? It is so easy for me to forget the price of my redemption. I focus on “not fair” instead of remembering what it cost for me to be set free. God teaches by example. He waited for me. I must learn to wait too.
“Father, forgive me for rushing to judgment in my own cause. I run right by your lesson in my life. Help me to be a man of discernment, slow to anger and ready to overlook a transgression. Let me model my Savior who waited for me from all eternity.”
Topical Index: anger, forgiveness, erek apayim, Proverbs 16:32
read the book ” Love and respect”. Men and women do not speak the same language. This book helps with our mates and understanding them. Children of the acid test for relationships, but what would we do without them.
Another interesting aspect of “nostril breathing” is that breathing through your nose stimulates your brain! One normally breathes through one nostril at a time and the breathing patterns switches off through out the day. You can tell which nostril you are breathing through if you pay attention.
Nostril breathing also affects your thinking. The right nostril stimulates the left side of your brain, your emotions, the left nostril your right side, logic. If you find yourself getting overly emotional plug the right nostril and breath through your left, you may find that it is easier to get your emotions under control. If nothing else it is an interesting experiment.
Must be why you can’t think clearly when having a blocked nose either due to the flue or too much crying! Didn’t you by accident switch the characteristics of the 2 sides?left=logic,structured, right=emotions and if so I am definitely putting a plug into my left nostril!!
I’m not sure if I confused them…I know each nostril operates the opposite brain side..does that make sense? You are right about not being able to think when your nose is blocked!
Jill, where would one find such interesting information about the nostrils and the breathing through one or the other ?
Here is an interesting article Nostril breathing You can also google nostril breathing. You will see a lot related to meditation. As with most things I believe, it all started out about YHWH, some where along the line it started down a different path. There is also the Bible point that YHWH breathed into Adam’s nostril, specifically, not just into Adam in general.
Today as my wife celebrate our one year anniversary of our ‘arraigned marriage’ we too struggle over the issue of children… although we don’t have any. What I really mean is her struggle with me when I behave like a six year old child-like last night and into today. Yes Gail, “men and women do not speak the same language.” While I have made great progress this past year (I was then a 5 year old and acted like it) there is seemingly no end to my fleshly outbursts, tantrums, pouting and demanding my own way. But YHWH is faithful and gives her the grace to bear with me, even while His nostrils are continually exercised by my “affront to His love and holiness”. And I’m thankful for both. Perhaps this second year of marriage will be the year where I become “a man of discernment, slow to anger and ready to overlook a transgression … and “model my Savior who waited for me from all eternity.” While I don’t think I’ve ever asked for prayer from this group (or from anyone for a long, long time-pride perhaps) I do covet your prayers to not only strengthen our marriage, but that the cross be applied effectively in my life so I can do so as well. Thank you, Shalom from Jamaica. Michael
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:
Marriage is hard because it is opposed. The devil hates your marriage; he hates the beautiful picture of Jesus and His Bride that it represents. (if any reject that picture, just take what you can from this and go on).
He hates love and life and beauty in all its forms. The world, the flesh, and the devil all hates marriage. It hates unity and faithfulness. Our flesh is marriage’s second enemy–it doesn’t like when we put others before ourselves.
But God loves marriage, intimacy, friendship, unity, self-sacrifice, laughter, pleasure, joy, and the picture of the Sacred Romance that you have the opportunity to present to the watching world. God is with you.
With God all things are possible. Not easy, but possible. Marriage asks everything of you, and that is why you must have a vision for it…. We need each other—desperately. We have been entrusted with the heart of another human being. Our loving will prove to the world that love is real. We will play out before watching eyes the Great Love Story of the ages.
(pieces of the above from John and Stasi Eldredge’s book)
The only answer is for each person in the marriage to draw closer and closer to God. As you do, you rise up toward a Single Point. No matter how far apart you are on the ground, –or the floor of your home, — as you draw nearer that Single Point, look how close you get to each other! Almost there, you can reach out and touch, all the way there, embrace!
I once heard a lovely story. True story, I heard, but I have forgotten who. Even if it were only a story, the idea works.
An explorer and his men land on the shores of the new world. Far from where they came from. Months go on and it becomes difficult. Newness and excitement had worn off. The men began to talk of returning home. The Captain, overhearing the discontent, trying talking to his men about their pledges and goals. It did nothing to stifle the murmuring. So one night he went down and torched the ships. Burned them to the waterline. Then he told the men, “Here we are for the rest of our lives,– no going back, — so lets get on with life.”
Some people use this symbol at a marriage or an anniversary (in a manageable way) with a dish of water, and 2 little paper ships, they re-new their vows, and touch a match to the little ships, and say, “Together inside our new world, not only us, but with God, lets go into our future hand in hand, as friends and helpers of each other.”
My qualifications to speak on this topic: I have been married for 50 years, 48 of them happy. Lol.
So if inhaling through the nostrils is anger what happens when He exhales?? As I sit in a hotel room watching Isaac pass over my home.
Matt,
I am not holding my breath on this one, while trying to breath through both sides of my nose.
(by the way, for anyone who does not know, we are in the same boat as Matt).
–Children are the acid test for relationships, but what would we do without them?–
Someone said our children are “God’s little spies!” – perhaps rightly so. They will often bring out the “best” and the “worst” of us- but “verily”- what would we do without them?
~ At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? ~ (aren’t we-and our children- always “jockeying” for position? – we are to complete one another, not to compete with one another!..)
He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And He said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes Me. ~ (Matthew 18.1-5)
Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find, to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He Whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best—
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.
Every day, the LORD Himself is near me
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear, and cheer me,
He Whose Name is Counselor and Power;
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
“As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,”
This the pledge to me He made.
Help me then in every tribulation
So to trust Thy promises, O LORD,
That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation
Offered me within Thy holy Word.
Help me, LORD, when toil and trouble meeting,
Ever to take, as from a Father’s hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till I reach the promised land.
(Karolina W. Sandell-Berg, 1865)
~there is a Sabbath-Rest (sabbatismos) that remains to the people(laos-laity-“ordinary folks!”) of God ~
~ therefore be imitators of G✡d, as His beloved children ~ (Ephesians 5.1)
~ Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, -a pleasing aroma to God ~ (Ephesians 5.2)
~ when you pray, say “Our Father..” ~ (Luke 11.2)
~ If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea ~
(Matthew 18.6)
Don’t be messin’ with God’s kids.. (Our Father is very protective- He ever loves and cares for His own)
~ Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us, that we should be called the children of God; and such we are! For this cause the world does not know us, because it knew (knew/ginóskó: come to know, learn, realize, recognize especially through personal experience) Him not ~ (Hebrews 4.9)
Beautifully said Carl again. I look forward to Skip’s postings with great wonder as to what will be shared and what will be commented on. I am very thankful for you whoever you are and I just want to say that we are one day closer to the coming of the LORD: The Prince of peace, Lord Jesus Christ