Righteous Indignation

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Righteous indignation in the Bible refers to a just and moral anger in response to sin and injustice. It is characterized as a reflection of God's own character, where believers are called to align their anger with God's purposes.

Ephesians 4:26

Be angry, yet do not sin.

This type of indignation arises from a commitment to uphold truth and justice, distinguishing it from selfish anger. It is often expressed for the sake of others, as exemplified by Jesus in various biblical accounts. Overall, righteous indignation is a biblically grounded response that seeks to address moral wrongdoing while maintaining a spirit of love and reconciliation. Bible Hub

Jesus casting out all of them and the moneychangers in the temple of God.

Matthew 21:10-13

10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?

11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all of them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,

13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Moses had righteous indignation when he cast the tablets after witnessing the Israelites worshipping a golden calf. 

Read Exodus 32 for the full story of Moses and the casting of the tablets and the worshipping of the golden calf..

Exodus 32:7-10,19-20 

7 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:

8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

9 And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen these people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:

10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.

19 And it came to pass, as soon as he came near unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Mose's anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and broke them beneath the mount.

20 And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.

Righteous indignation is a biblically grounded response that seeks to address moral wrongdoing while maintaining a spirit of love and reconciliation. 

All of the commandments of God give his people the knowledge of how God wants us to live in this sinful and corrupt world.

If you want the blessings of God then do it God's way. God knows best and sees the consequences of not obeying his commandments. God is still merciful to those who love him and keep his commandments. Living a sinful life brings tragedy, emptiness, and death.

Ephesians 4:26-27

26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

27 Neither give place to the devil.

Be familiar with the commandments of God so you can respond with righteous indignation without sinning.

Matthew 22:36-40

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

The Ten Commandments

Exodus 20:1-17

1 And God spoke all these words, saying,

2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9 Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work:

10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

12 Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

13 Thou shalt not kill.

14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

15 Thou shalt not steal.

16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's.

Mark 14:3-5

3 And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she broke the box, and poured it on his head.

4 And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?

5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.

Answer: this is an example of self-righteous anger.

Why? Because they wanted to sell the oil and give the proceeds to the poor rather than honor Jesus before he was to be crucified. The poor was always with them but Jesus was leaving soon and she wanted to anoint his body with the expensive ointment for the burying of Jesus.

Mark 14:6-9

6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.

7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.

8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.

9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/evolution-the-self/202101/righteous-vs-self-righteous

Referencing  Psychology Today - Righteousness vs. Self-righteousness is explained as follows:

Biblically speaking, righteousness is about being in right standing with God vs. self-righteousness, recognized as giving final authority for one’s decisions not to God but to one’s self. So self-righteousness becomes, paradoxically, a kind of self-trusting sacrilege: The person isn’t serving God’s will but profaning God by serving, or taking final direction from themselves.

Lamentations 3:40-41

40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.

41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.

Proverbs 15:1

A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

Romans 12:16

Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

James 1:19-20 advises, "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for man's anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires." 

Words of Wisdom

Be the best you can be and align yourself with the Word of God. Respond appropriately using the Word of God in your trials and tribulations of this world. Unfortunately, the deceiver is coming and we must be ready for him. 

Remember righteous indignation is a biblically grounded response that seeks to address moral wrongdoing while maintaining a spirit of love and reconciliation. Bible Hub

Ecclesiastes 12:14

For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.