Become Angry and Flee | Psalm 4:4–5
4 Be angry, and do not sin;
ponder in
your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah
5 Offer right sacrifices,
and put
your trust in the Lord.
Be angry! When
agitated with anger, the body shakes.
That is the expression David uses here—be agitated, be shaken in anger, yet without sin. Paul borrows the expression in Ephesians 4:26
in a similar way to speak about how Christians must treat their neighbors. To be properly angry, one must ponder in the
evening hours.
We must remember own
sins. We must learn that the “fear
of the Lord is hatred of evil” (Pv 8:13).
Perhaps you’ve even heard that you can be righteously indignant or angry
over sin (e.g., Mk 3:5), but we forget ourselves, growing sinfully angry and
committing murder of the heart (Mt 5:21–26).
Sadly, you can judge others unrighteously by ignoring your own sin (Mt
7:1–5), which David did when confronted by Nathan the prophet (2 Sm 12:1–7). Become first agitated at your sin.
Flee to the good news
of the gospel. When the Lord brings
sin to your mind, confess it and reflect upon the forgiveness offered in the
gospel (1 Jn 1:9). The gospel must be
our constant ponderings in the night hours until we are in silent awe of God’s forgiveness
and grace. If the agitation of your soul over sin proves
great, then fling yourself under the cross of Christ. Only the sacrifice of the Lamb of God is
acceptable to God. Place your full trust
in what He has provided for us in Him.
