The Root Of Bitterness

Mr. M · Mar 21, 2021

Hebrews 12:
14 Pursue peace with all and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of
bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.

The exhortations in these verses include:
falling short of God's Grace, and
many becoming defiled.
What reference is being made with the term "root of bitterness?

2BeholdHisGlory · Mar 21, 2021

Minister Monardo said:
Hebrews 12:
14 Pursue peace with all and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of
bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.

The exhortations in these verses include:
falling short of God's Grace, and
many becoming defiled.
What reference is being made with the term "root of bitterness?

Wormwood makes bitter and similarly this speaks of bearing gall and wormwood

Duet 29:18 Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations;lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;

Just like in Revelation where a star named Wormwood which fell upon the fountains and the waters were made bitter James asks likewise,

James 3:11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?

Which on that account was blessing and cursing, and here it says,

Romans 3:14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness

Its what comes out of the mouth that defiles a man, so it seems like these in someway connect too.

Landon Caeli · Mar 22, 2021

Minister Monardo said:
Hebrews 12:
14 Pursue peace with all and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of
bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.

The exhortations in these verses include:
falling short of God's Grace, and
many becoming defiled.
What reference is being made with the term "root of bitterness?

I'm going to say actually it's cold weather and lack of sunshine... As an Arizonan, you may or may not have experienced much of that. I used to live in Chandler BTW.

royal priest · Mar 22, 2021

Minister Monardo said:
Hebrews 12:
14 Pursue peace with all and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of
bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.

The exhortations in these verses include:
falling short of God's Grace, and
many becoming defiled.
What reference is being made with the term "root of bitterness?

Many commentators believe there is an allusion to Deuteronomy 29:18
that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood;
Bitterness is extremely infectious and leads many astray. While there is sweetness in serving Christ, bitterness easily poisons the heart and spreads to others with potentially devestating effects. Many who abstain themselves from public church gatherings, when questioned, reveal bitterness and resentment.

Landon Caeli · Mar 22, 2021

royal priest said:
Many who abstain themselves from public church gatherings, when questioned, reveal bitterness and resentment.

I think people naturally don't like to be questioned like that. Even if it's for their own best interest.

Mr. M · Mar 22, 2021

Landon Caeli said:
I'm going to say actually it's cold weather and lack of sunshine... As an Arizonan, you may or may not have experienced much of that. I used to live in Chandler BTW.

Ah yes, the "bitter cold" as on Lake Michigan. I have lived in Great Lakes, Ill., upstate NY, Colorado, Seattle, N. Cal. Must be why I took to AZ. Chandler was a fine city for my children in their teen years.
The bitterness in scripture often relates to the drinking water, as in posts #2 and 4.
I am going to put this out now from Exodus 15:
Bitter Waters Made Sweet
22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. 24 And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet.
There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them, 26 and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.”
27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters.

Mr. M · Mar 22, 2021

royal priest said:
Many commentators believe there is an allusion to Deuteronomy 29:18
that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood;
Bitterness is extremely infectious and leads many astray. While there is sweetness in serving Christ, bitterness easily poisons the heart and spreads to others with potentially devestating effects. Many who abstain themselves from public church gatherings, when questioned, reveal bitterness and resentment.

I used to tell my children, "Life will either make you bitter or make you sweet." Sounds so overly simplistic, yet I hope to hear some day said of me "he's a sweet old man."

Nathan@work · Mar 22, 2021

Minister Monardo said:
Hebrews 12:
14 Pursue peace with all and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of
bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.

The exhortations in these verses include:
falling short of God's Grace, and
many becoming defiled.
What reference is being made with the term "root of bitterness?

When looking at what is said, we can get a pretty good idea of what is referenced by the following verses;

[Heb 12:16-17 ESV] that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

Bitterness turns away - it makes a person hesitant to continue. As it relates to food, it is a safety mechanism our body uses to distinguish good food from bad. Ever bit into an unripe persimmon, how was the second bite?

Bitterness is a result of sin. It stops us from continuing down the right path. Esau was bitter toward his brother, it was so much so that he did not even fully comprehend what he had done wrong. He found no chance to repent because bitterness focused his attention on what his brother did instead of what he had done.

[Pro 27:7 ESV] One who is full loathes honey, but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet.

One who is full of himself cannot accept the sweetness of the grace of God, but the one who is empty of himself accepts the discipline(which can seem bitter to some) of God that shows us His grace.

Mr. M · Mar 22, 2021

Nathan@work said:
Bitterness is a result of sin.

Come to the healing waters!
Revelation 22:
1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.

Victor in Christ · Mar 22, 2021

2BeholdHisGlory said:
Wormwood makes bitter and similarly this speaks of bearing gall and wormwood

Duet 29:18 Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations;lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;

Just like in Revelation where a star named Wormwood which fell upon the fountains and the waters were made bitter James asks likewise,

James 3:11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?

Which on that account was blessing and cursing, and here it says,

Romans 3:14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness

Its what comes out of the mouth that defiles a man, so it seems like these in someway connect too.

James is talking to believers (the Hebrews scattered abroad) which tells us we have to bridle our tongue, not just the sinner.

James 3:10

Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?

Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

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The Root Of Bitterness

Mr. M

Well-Known Member

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2BeholdHisGlory

Still on vacation!

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Landon Caeli

God is perfect - Nothing is an accident

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royal priest

debtor to grace

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Landon Caeli

God is perfect - Nothing is an accident

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Mr. M

Well-Known Member

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Mr. M

Well-Known Member

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Nathan@work

Always ready :)

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Mr. M

Well-Known Member

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Victor in Christ

Jehovah Tsidkenu

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