Romans 12:19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the LORD.
The wormwood shrub takes about 2 years to grow and mature. However, the wormwood extract used in ‘absinthe’, a green alcoholic liquor takes only 10 minutes to kick-in and get a person drunk. It not only inebriates but also slows down attention span. ‘Wormwood’, the bitter toxic herb, is a metaphor for bitterness and resentment in the Bible. Likewise, hurt that is festered will make the heart bitter and intoxicate the soul with resentful revenge.
Bitterness starts with a hurt and when festered turns into anger and animosity. It worsens over time when a person ruminates about the negative incident or insult until the resentment and hostility takes root as grudge and revenge. This is why the Apostle Paul writes to the Ephesians believers, Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you (Ephesians 4:31-32).
Ahithophel, the grandfather of Bathsheba, hoarded bitterness in his soul against King David for almost 20 years for murdering his son-in-law Uriah and taking his granddaughter to be his wife. Ahithophel was the chief counselor of King David and when David’s son Absalom conspired against him, the first traitor to jump boats was Ahithophel. Bitterness turned Ahithophel, the highly esteemed royal adviser, into a crooked turncoat who gave Absalom the most abhorrent, loathsome counsel against his own father (2 Samuel 16:21-22).
Don’t let hurt turn into bitterness:
1. Resentment: Smoldering resentment will turn a heart into a flaming furnace. ‘Hate smolders and eventually destroys, not the hated but the hater.’ —Dorothy Thompson. Don’t ignore hurt or insult to damage the soul. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Heal by meditating on God’s word and godly counsel to heal before the hurt infests the soul with hatred. Forgiveness quenches anger but resentment fuels animosity.
2. Rage: Rage is unleashed anger without any filters or control. It is raw emotion that breaks social and ethical boundaries. Resentment seethed in the heart of Ahithophel unbridled as full blown rage against David. Ahithophel is only remembered for his detestable revenge and not for his wisdom. As wormwood toxin damages the brain, bitterness will adversely metamorphose even a friend into a fuming fiend.
3. Revenge: “While seeking revenge, dig two graves – one for yourself” – Douglas Horton. Ahithophel was under the toxicity of wormwood/(bitterness) while he fueled Absalom’s conspiracy against David but he was actually digging his own grave. The wise elderly counselor took his own life and died a pathetic death. Revenge harms the person who hoards it more than the one who hurt them.
Bitterness starts as a hurt. So heal before the hurt contaminates the soul with resentment, rage and revenge.
Leviticus 19:18 ‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, if there are hurt or insults hidden in the crevices of my heart help me to forgive and release myself from resentment. Amen.
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