“Talk not to me of blasphemy, man; I’d strike the sun if it insulted me”

~ Captain Ahab from Moby Dick by Herman Melville

Human wrath is a cunning and volatile phenomena. Hate is repressed, shaped, molded, and loaded within the tongue like a cannon ball moments from ignition (James 3:1-9).

There is a classic novel known to many titled Moby Dick. It is a novel told from the perspective a sailor named Ishmael who boards a whaling ship under the command of a vengeful man named Captain Ahab. The tale follows Ahab’s quest for vengeful quest against a notorious whale who made a meal of his leg.

Following the tale we find many morals within the story but one shows the vanity of pursuing wrath. In the end, the pure in heart survived, Ishmael, and Ahab was consumed.

Unbridled and unrighteous anger leads to demise in the present and for the unbeliever can lead to the wrong side of eternity. What injustice committed against you, know that vengeance is the Lord’s and the Lord’s only. Vengeance in the hands of humanity is a messy landslide.

Paul speaks to a culture permeated with glorified vengeance (The Romans), when he teaches,

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” ~ Romans 12:19-21

Relinquish pride and the lust of the flesh and take hold to the fruit of the Spirit, which builds you up in righteousness. Do not carry a harpoon like Ahab, waiting for your ship to go down to throw it (Galatians 5). Allow the Spirit to take hold of you and live (1 John 4:13)!

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