Root of Bitterness

Introduction

We should consistently read the Word of God for a number of reasons. One of those reasons is how much we can learn. The Bible is a large book, and we can all learn new lessons from God’s Word and gain more correct understanding of things we have learned.

The above passage is a good example of this. After years of reading it one way, I noticed that the term “root of bitterness” has a broader meaning than I had previously thought. For years, whenever I read it, I thought “root of bitterness” meant unforgiveness. That is an easy conclusion to make. After all, in America, if we call a person “bitter,” we mean they are angry at people because of events that occurred the past. They are holding grudges and refuse to forgive others. Since I have college and seminary degrees in psychology and counseling, I enjoyed having such a “psychological” passage in one of my favorite books of the Bible. However, my personal interests do not determine the meaning of Scriptural passages; neither does majority opinion. The message of God’s Word is determined by God Himself. We must study His Word to find out what He means; we may not slap our own opinions on His Word.

Before proceeding, I would like to remind you of some guidelines for interpreting and understanding God’s Word:

1. First, Scripture is the best interpreter of Scripture. When we read the Word of God, we should see how one writer quoted, applied and interpreted earlier passages of Scripture. Also, we should realize that one biblical author may sometimes quote earlier biblical authors. If you are familiar with the Book of Hebrews, you realize the author quotes the Old Testament frequently, to show how Jesus fulfilled the Law and the Prophets.
2. Second, we must realize that God’s Word is timeless, not bound by our cultural standards and presuppositions. Hebrews was written by a first-century Christian, probably a Jewish Christian from a Greek-speaking area. It was not written by a twentieth-century pop psychologist. Therefore, whenever we read any passage in the Bible, we should:
   1. try to understand it in its cultural context (what that author meant to say, and how it would have been understood by his first listeners or readers);
   2. try to determine the most obvious meaning to the original readers and hearers;
   3. then, we can draw out the eternal, timeless principles that are presented within that passage;
   4. finally, we can apply those principles to our own lives.

I would like to apply these principles as we examine the root of bitterness mentioned in this passage.

I would like to add one more point before I proceed. I am not rejecting everything you may have heard in the past about this passage. Many preachers use this passage to preach about sins like unforgiveness. Such messages are not really wrong; they are just incomplete applications of this passage. Unforgiveness is a sin. Holding grudges is a sin. Such bad attitudes will spread like cancer. I can prove these statements from other verses of Scripture. In fact, Jesus even said that God will not forgive us if we do not forgive others (Matt. 6:15)! Unforgiveness is a serious sin. In a little while, I will show that unforgiveness is one manifestation of the root of bitterness and, at times, grows out of it.

Defining the Root of Bitterness

So, what is the root of bitterness? I mentioned that the writer of Hebrews frequently quotes the Old Testament. When he refers to a root of bitterness, he seems to be alluding to Deut. 29:18 (ESV):

“Beware lest there be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe whose heart is turning away today from the LORD our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.’ This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike.”

Notice that phrase: “a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit.” It sounds alot like “a root of bitterness.” Throughout Scripture, we see that the nature of a root is revealed in its fruit. Plants grow from the roots upwards. The roots draw water and nutrients from the soil that allow a plant to grow. If the roots are healthy, there is a good chance that the plant will be healthy. A plant with healthy roots is better equipped to resist blight. However, a plant with unhealthy roots is doomed to decay.

Looking at these passages, we can see what constitutes a bitter spiritual root. Most basically, this root is manifested by any person who presumes he is protected by God’s grace in spite of his stubbornness or rebellion. Some Bible-believing churches actually teach a root of bitterness within their scheme of salvation.

One of my seminary professors once told a story of a Catholic lady that he knew. One evening, some students from another Bible college in Springfield knocked on her door to share the Gospel with her. She told them she was too busy to talk at the time.

“That’s OK,” they said. “We don’t need too much of your time for you to get saved. Just pray this prayer with us, and you will be assured of your place in heaven no matter what you do afterwards.”

“Wait a minute,” the lady replied. “Are you telling me that all I have to do to go to heaven is say one prayer?”

“That’s right, once you ask Jesus in your heart you are guaranteed a place in heaven no matter what you do afterwards,” the students answered.

The woman replied again: “So, I can say this prayer, and then no matter how badly I sin afterwards, I can still go to heaven.” The young men assured her that she understood what they were saying.

As the woman began to close the door, she said, “No thanks. If your salvation is that cheap, I don’t want anything to do with it.”

Salvation is not cheap, and God is not an intergalactic geek who will do anything to make a few friends. These guys basically told the woman that she could say her “sinner’s prayer,” and then declare, “I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.”

God’s grace is perfect. He will forgive all our sins. He is more eager to forgive us than we are to be forgiven. But, He will not be mocked. Yes, He understands that we struggle with addictions and bad habits that we accumulate during our wilderness wanderings. Are we willing to surrender those habits, though? We cannot cling to sin and God at the same time. We might cling to God and have sin keep jumping on our backs. But if we truly love God, sin is a nuisance, not a hobby.

The root of bitterness also entails worldliness. Notice that Deuteronomy mentions those “whose heart is turning away today from the LORD our God to go and serve the gods of those nations.”

Most of us do not worship pagan deities like Ba'al, Chemosh, or the three million or so deities of Hinduism. We do worship American “gods,” though. America cherishes freedom, so we worship gods of self, comfort, pleasure, and money. We worship at the altars of television, Wall Street, sports arenas, and concert halls. Many of the things Americans worship are not bad in themselves: it is just that we set these idols between us and God.

Take a look at your life. When you neglect prayer, what else do you end up doing? Are you too tired to pray, so you turn on the television? Do you avoid mentioning your faith at work because you are more concerned with opportunities for promotion? Do you skip worship services because you would rather take a nap or go fishing? Guess what: each of these things can be an idol.

A Biblical Example of the Root of Bitterness

Hebrews gives a great example of someone who had a root of bitterness. Esau was basically a worldly man with little regard for his family’s covenant relationship with God. He was Isaac’s firstborn son, and therefore was first in line for the promises of God. But one day, he came home from a hard afternoon of hunting and craved some of Jacob’s lentil stew. Jacob agreed to give his brother a bowl of stew in exchange for the family birthright. Esau replied with one of the most ridiculous statements in Scripture: “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” (Gen. 25:32).

Talk about exaggeration! The man was nowhere near death. Yes, he was hungry, thirsty, and exhausted. A hard day in the field chasing deer around will do that to anybody. As long as he could walk and talk after a day of hunting, he was not about to die.

Sometimes we react to life with an absurd perspective. We think we have to take matters into our own hands, because we think they are worse than they really are. We think our problems are too big for God to handle or too small for Him to care about, so we step outside His will to solve them on our own.

Some people fall into sexual sin because they think God does not understand how frustrated they are; or they think they need to take action to make certain someone will love them; or, they think God does not care enough to provide a spouse.

Some people cheat on their tax returns because they think God cannot provide for their financial needs.

Some people will lie to others for any number of reasons. Sometimes, people lie to cover up their own failures or inadequacies. They do not believe that God can work all things, even their personal failures, for their good, if they love God and are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).

Esau exaggerated his situation and did not trust God. Years later, Jacob was able to succeed with one of the most hare-brained schemes in history, and obtained the paternal blessing that should have gone to Esau (Gen. 27:1–40). Because Esau did not trust God and despised his birthright, he was outside of God’s protection.

His carelessness about the covenant led to years of heartache for the family. Esau married two Canaanite women, partially to seek revenge against his parents. He grew angry toward Jacob, and the family was torn apart for years. Esau later reconciled with Jacob, but what he lost was worth far more than a bowl of soup.

Personal Application

So, how can we stop the root of bitterness from springing up in our own lives? I would like to provide the following suggestions.

First, let us consider our habits of prayer, worship, Bible reading, and so on. Does anything get in the way? Do we find it easier to vegetate in front of the TV than to read the Bible or pray? Perhaps you should seriously look at those hindrances and take action against them. Make a strict rule, for yourself, that you watch no TV until you have achieved a certain personal quota of prayer and Bible reading (say, an hour or so). If that does not work, maybe you can sell the TV at your next garage sale.

Do you continue to fall into the same sins over and over again? Maybe you can keep a journal indicating when you fall into those sins: What happened before; what you were feeling just before you gave in; how you felt afterwards. You might discover that there is a genuine need or legitimate desire that you are pursuing outside of God’s grace. Or, perhaps, another area of weakness is leading you into that particular sin. I have a friend who keeps personal inventory of his emotional and spiritual state by using the acronym “HALT.” He tries to determine if he is getting too hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. If one of those feelings or conditions is creeping in, he tries to fulfill that need in a proper manner before it leads him down a dangerous path.

Let us also realize how such bitterness spreads. If we are careless about God’s goodness, we might telegraph to others that they can be careless about His goodness. We will infect others.

Finally, do you find that certain people, even Christians, have a way of dragging you down? Prayerfully ask God if there may be a root of bitterness that they may be planting within you. I am not encouraging you to judge others; but, if someone is dragging you down, perhaps you need to avoid spending too much time with them, or you may need to lovingly confront them about their sin according to the Word of God. You should value your relationship with God too much to allow other people to wrestle it away from you and destroy it.

Conclusion

If we truly love God and truly understand what Jesus has done for us, let us cherish His blessings. The root of bitterness springs up when we do not nourish our souls with God’s goodness and with all that He desires for us. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and He will provide for all of our other needs. We will not need to step outside His will.