The Genesis of Righteous Anger - 1 Samuel 11:6

   
And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled. - 1 Samuel 11:6

    We often hear of people becoming angry at everything from a simply uncouth personal insult to a cultural rip current that tears across the grain of civilized decorum. We get angry at instances of injustice, criminal anarchy, and perceived government intrusion into our daily lives. But most times we display a fit of self-righteous anger and the Bible often cautions against such anger. “. . .  for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” - James 1:20.
    The Bible also suggests that there are times of righteous anger. “Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.” - Psalm 4:4. The caveat here is to avoid sinful anger. Perhaps we can say that for there to be righteous anger there must be
1) a wrong-doing, and
2) a feeling of compassion or empathy for the subject or victim of the wrongdoing. Certainly, we can be assured that God will not censure us for anger at an injustice any more than He would demand that we quench our compassion for a suffering human being. Again, the cautions of Holy Scripture relate not to the mere presence of anger but to the irrational and heated response it often brings.
    In Saul’s case, he was responding to the horrific threat of the Ammonites to the men of Jabesh-gilead. And it is said that “the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul.”  Even so, Saul didn’t have carte blanc to do to the Ammonites as he wished. The response from Saul and his gathered troops was measured and limited. “And the next day Saul put the people in three companies. And they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.” - 1 Samuel 11: 11. Notice there was no command from God to completely annihilate the Ammonites as per Joshua 6:21. Mind you, the goal of any battle is to win. A stalemate is often as bad, if not worse than a loss. In a fight, we must be ‘in it to win it’.
    So what are God’s criteria for righteous anger? Again, there must be a wrong-doing in the first place, a sense of compassion on the part of the ‘defender-protector’, and a pressing need for a halt of the wrongdoing at the least and a resolution on behalf of the victim at the best. As for injustices against ourselves, we may not engage in acts of revenge but we have every right to defend ourselves against evil and all its tentacles. We are sanctioned by God to stop sinful aggression and cruel violations of humanity. “Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain  is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.” - Proverbs 25:26.
    What I have written shall certainly offend many, if not most people simply because we see any affront to our well-being as a direct assault upon us. And it usually is. But as God-fearing Christians, we cannot "Cry 'Havoc!,' and let slip the dogs of war, "using Shakspeare’s words. You see, God is a jealous God and He takes very seriously any assault upon people made in His image. He is also jealous of His exclusive right to avenge. “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’”- Romans 12:19. We would do well to remember that before we entertain the idea of striking out with violence against anyone.  Our motive must depend upon clear and convincing evidence that they have placed others in physical danger such as an unruly crowd attempting to beat and rob a man or one country’s criminal aggression against another. God will forgive the sin of violence when engaged in the defense of the innocent. Perhaps we should all remember the words of the English Baptist minister and evangelist, F.B. Meyer- “Each of us must fight our fight against heredity, environment, and habit; against self within and Satan without. The measure of our success will be the measure of our ability to help others.”
    Clearly, we should do our utmost to avoid anger and the trappings which accompany it. But if we must get angry let us always recall,  “Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.” - Psalms 37:8.