103_Be angry and sin not Ex 32:25-29 And when Moses saw that the people had broken loose (for Aaron had let them break loose, to the derision of their enemies), 26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the Lord's side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him. 27 And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.’” 28 And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell. 29 And Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for the service of the Lord, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day.” As a young man, William Wilberforce lived a life of privilege and ease. But his life changed dramatically when he encountered first-hand the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade. It did not affect him in any way, yet his heart burned with righteous anger as he saw people oppressed and dehumanized, just because they were powerless and poor. Rather than leading him to bitterness or vengeance, it propelled him into a lifelong mission to abolish slavery in the British Empire. His righteous indignation was not self-serving but a reflection of God's justice and holiness. The passage in Exodus 32:25-29 reveals another instance of righteous anger on the part of Moses. As he descended from Mount Sinai, carrying the sacred tablets of God’s law, he was confronted with an appalling scene. The Israelites, having grown impatient in his absence, had abandoned their allegiance to the Lord and turned to idol worship. They were dancing in frenzied revelry around a golden calf. Moses’ anger burned as he saw the people defiling themselves and rejecting God’s holiness. Moses did not act out of uncontrolled rage or personal offense. He was not angry because the people had disrespected his authority. It was because they had violated their overwhelmingly valuable covenant with the Almighty. In his fury, he threw down the stone tablets on which the law was written, a visual symbol of what the Israelites had just done. Then he called for those who remained faithful to God to take a stand. The Levites responded and gathered to him. At Moses' command, they executed divine judgment against the ringleaders who persisted in rebellion. This was not indiscriminate slaughter but a measured act against those who continued defiant, despite every opportunity to repent. Proverbs 29:1 warns, “He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing.” This is exactly what happened to these rebels. Moses' anger was an echo of God's own response to sin. Righteous anger is very different from our personal irritation or offence. Our human anger is selfish, arising from wounded pride, frustration, or personal grievance. It seeks