In Hebrew 12:15, “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;” (ESV)
The Holy Spirit of God cautions us through the word of God, that if we allow the root of bitterness to get embedded in our hearts, we are in peril of failing to obtain the grace of God which He has lavishly bestowed on us. It is that unfathomable grace of God that protects us, preserves us and keeps us well and alive.
We will study in detail on the basis of the word of God, these two important aspects mentioned in Hebrews 12:15 namely; obtaining the grace of God, and uprooting bitterness from our hearts.
The Grace of God
• Noah found grace in the eyes of God
We read in Genesis 6:8, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” (KJV)
The times in which Noah lived was one where wickedness filled the earth. People in Noah’s day, sought after their own affairs, and had no inclination to seek after God. It was in such a chaotic period that Noah found grace in the sight of the Lord.
Sadly, we too are living in a day and age when so many are caught up with the busyness of the mundane, having no time whatsoever for things pertaining to God. Today the word ‘grace’ is widely misunderstood and misrepresented. Many refer to the term grace of God nonchalantly, not fully comprehending the meaning and depth of this word. The grace of God has become a license to many to lead sinful, and unrepentant lives. If we can truly apprehend the meaning of the grace of God, only then will we live, and do exactly as Noah did.
• Noah obeyed God implicitly
God’s commanded Noah to construct an ark, because of a great flood that was impending. Noah did not take the grace of God that was showered on him for granted, but immediately went forth to obey God, and began to build the ark.
In Genesis 6:22, we read, “Noah did everything that God commanded.” (GNB)
We read in Hebrews 11:7, “By faith Noah, being moved by the fear of God, made ready an ark for the salvation of his family, because God had given him news of things which were not seen at the time; and through it the world was judged by him, and he got for his heritage the righteousness which is by faith (BBE)
Noah not only had faith in God and revered him, he willingly obeyed all that God commanded him to do by building the ark, thereby saving himself and his family. Noah obeyed the Lord implicitly in every detail, just as God instructed him.
As believers we are all recipients of the grace of God, but the question is how many of us like Noah are walking in obedience to God in every area our lives? There are areas in our lives where the Spirit of God is constantly prompting us to change, but we turn a deaf ear, and continue in sin, simply because we have taken God’s grace for granted. Though salvation is the gift of God received by the grace of God, it is only when we walk in obedience, are we assured of entry into the kingdom of God.
Salvation is to be saved from the bondage of sin, death, grip of the devil, hell and destruction and to be transferred into the kingdom of God. This salvation is experienced right here and now, to help us live a life of freedom from every temptation and sin. However, if we continue in disobedience, and expect that we will be saved, we are deceiving ourselves.
Just like God warned Noah in his days, in these last days the Lord is cautioning us that His second coming is close at hand. He is coming again as the King of Kings to take with Him, those who by faith believe in Him, walk in obedience to His word, and lead lives that are pleasing to Him in every way.
Don’t shipwreck your faith
Just imagine if while Noah floated on the ark, after a month or so, he decided to make a hole at the bottom of the ark; sounds preposterous, but guess what would have happened? He and all who were with him would have drowned in the floods. But, there is a way that one can actually shipwreck their faith that Paul talks about.
We read in 1 Timothy 1:19, “Some have refused to let their faith guide their conscience and their faith has been destroyed like a wrecked ship.” (GW)
In the above mentioned verse, Paul refers to those who by not letting their faith guide their conscience have ship wrecked their faith. Noah built to ark to save himself and his family, he entered the ark, kept up the faith and continued until the day the Lord brought him out onto dry land. Many people in have entered this faith ship, but have failed to walk in obedience to God thereby being in danger of wrecking this journey of faith that they have embarked on. Paul even goes on to mention a couple of names of those who ship wrecked their faith.
Lessons from the Israelites
We read in 1 Corinthians 10:12, “So, people who think they are standing firmly should be careful that they don't fall.” (GW)
Paul is writing this letter to the believers in Corinth, and exhorts them to take heed to stand firm in their faith, lest they fall. If we read the background to this verse, Paul is writing about the journey of the people of Israel through the wilderness, after their deliverance from slavery and the cruel hands of Pharaoh. The Israelites did nothing to gain their freedom, the only thing that they had to do was obey the Lord, observe the Passover, sacrifice the Passover lamb, smear the blood on the door posts and lentils of their homes. As the angel of the Lord passed by and struck all the first born in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh and all the people of Egypt were so terrified that they willingly let go of the people of Israel. As the people of Israel journeyed towards their freedom, the first hindrance that they encountered was the Red Sea ahead of them and Pharaoh’s army behind them in hot pursuit. The Lord parted the Red Sea, and led the people through to the other side to triumphant victory, while all of the Egyptian army was destroyed at sea.
While the journey of the Israelites through wilderness is a picture of our faith walk, their deliverance from Egyptian bondage is an analogy to the salvation we received through Jesus, and the passing through the Red Sea signifies to the waters of baptism that we are instructed to go through as a sign of obedience and witness.
We read in 1 Corinthians 10:5, But even then God was not pleased with most of them, and so their dead bodies were scattered over the desert. (GNB)
Paul gives an example of how the Israelites who after having been delivered from Egypt, having gone through the Red Sea, and experiencing all God’s mighty wonders, still led lives that were not pleasing to God. They displeased God with their idolatry, covetousness, immorality and murmuring that He destroyed them so that most of them died in the desert. They never got to see the promise land that God had prepared for them.
It is therefore possible that we can be those who have experienced salvation, have gone through the waters of baptism, but are still not walking in obedience to God and His word. There are others who have been saved, but are hesitant to obey God, and take baptism. When Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, came to Jesus, He clearly admonished him in John 3:5, ‘that unless one is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.’
By entering the waters of baptism it symbolizes that our old man is dead and buried with Christ, and the coming out of the waters signifies that we are now a new person, rising up with the resurrected power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Baptism is not a tradition, but it is a decision to take a stand to live a life of obedience to the Lord Jesus. God has done everything we need for our salvation, but if after having received it, we do not obey but walk in rebellion like the Israelites, we too are in danger of death, and eternal separation from the presence of the Lord.
Paul exhorts the church at Rome in Romans 8:12-13, So then, my brothers, we are in debt, not to the flesh to be living in the way of the flesh: For if you go in the way of the flesh, death will come on you; but if by the Spirit you put to death the works of the body, you will have life. (BBE)
Here we are admonished by Paul that if we continue to live according to the way of the flesh, that death will be inevitable. However when the Holy Spirit of God indwells us, we will be able to put to death the works of the flesh, and be recipients of the eternal life that God has prepared for us. When Paul enlists the deeds of the flesh that one must be rid of in Ephesians, he mentions bitterness as one of them.
Uprooting Bitterness
Many will not want to accept the fact that they harbor bitterness in their hearts towards others. But the fact of the matter is that there are many struggling with bitterness, and we read in Hebrews 12:15 that the root of bitterness can cause us to lose out on obtaining the grace of God. Bitterness is associated with being angry or unhappy, because of unfair treatment that causes painful emotions felt or experienced in a strong and unpleasant way. When a person is bitter the thing that they tend to do is spread their thoughts and feelings of hate to others.
Saul’s bitterness towards David
Saul was searching for his father’s donkeys, when the Lord chose him, and anointed him to become the very first king over Israel. Saul was elated that the Lord chose an ordinary person like him for the extraordinary position of king. However, when God shunned Saul for his disobedience and chose David, He used David to win the mighty victory over Goliath and the Philistines.
When the people of Israel saw that the Lord was with David, we read in 1 Samuel 18:7-9, And the women sang to one another as they made merry, "Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands." Saul was very angry, for this saying displeased him. He said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands; what more can he have but the kingdom?" So Saul eyed David from that day on. (NRSV)
As Saul and David went in procession, the women sang songs comparing both of them, and acclaimed David achievement over Saul’s, saying that Saul slain thousands, but David ten thousands. Saul was the king of Israel, and David just a commander in the army, but when Saul heard this refrain, he was displeased and turned bitter. Saul was still the king of Israel, and had his position in place, but just the fact that he heard the women laud David over him, made Saul bitter and angry. He now presumed that the only thing that was withheld from David was the throne to the kingdom, and from that day on Saul started to eye David with envy and irritation.
Earlier when the Israelites and Saul ran and hid from the mighty Goliath, it was David who willingly took the risk to challenge the giant. Saul had no issues then and rejoiced when David won the mighty victory over the Philistines, but now, when he heard the accolades of the women, he was unable to contain his emotions, and was filled with a deep sense of hatred towards David.
When there is a root of bitterness in our hearts, and we do not overcome it with thankfulness for all that the Lord has bestowed on us, it will begin to manifest itself in improper ways. The Bible warns against the root of bitterness, because like a root of a plant, bitterness is deep seated and not visible on the outside.
We also read in 1 Samuel 26:2, Saul went at once with three thousand of the best soldiers in Israel to the wilderness of Ziph to look for David, (GNT)
Saul still had the kingdom, his palace and throne all intact, but when the root of bitterness took over, his only aim was to put an end to David. He left all that God had given to him, and took three thousand of his best soldiers just to pursue after David in the wilderness.
There are many who been bequeathed with so much from God, and yet are bitter and envious of others, who they think are doing better than they are. Let us be grateful to the Lord for all His blessings on our lives, and not lose out on what we have by coveting what others have.
We read in 1 Samuel 22:19, Saul also had all the other inhabitants of Nob, the city of priests, put to death: men and women, children and babies, cattle, donkeys, and sheep---they were all killed. (GNB)
Saul was so overcome with hatred and bitterness that in his pursuit of David, he also killed the inhabitants of Nob, which was a city of priests, just because he assumed that Ahimelech the priest had helped David escape from him. Saul was so overcome with bitterness, suspicion and anger that he not only killed the priests who were God’s chosen men, but also innocent, women, children, babies and all the livestock that was in that land.
We read in 1 Samuel 15:26, "I will not go back with you," Samuel answered. "You rejected the LORD's command, and he has rejected you as king of Israel." (GNB)
It was indeed sad that God who chose Saul to be king, had to reject him because of his disobedience, and He chose David to rule in His stead.
It is a reality that when bitterness takes over, the outcome is that it will unnecessarily overflow onto others who are innocent, and not related to the issue in any way. Let us be cautious to not let the root of bitterness make us forfeit the grace of God that He has so lovingly showered on us. As long as we live on this earth, we will be the targets of unjust treatment, and assertion of people, but we should never allow those things to make us bitter on the inside.
Let us decide to consciously uproot every root of bitterness from our hearts. We are called to be like Jesus who taught us to bless those who curse us, do good to those who hate us, and pray for those who despitefully use us and persecute us. Our example is the Lord Jesus who loved us, forgave us, and accepted us while we were still sinners and at enmity with Him. May God enable us to have a heart of love, and be rid of every kind of bitterness from deep within.
Rev. F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
Transcribed by: Sis. Esther Collins
