Sobriety helps the believer “not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think.” In other words, it keeps him grounded rather than haughty. Pride is one of the greatest destructive forces in the world. Pride led to the fall of Satan and will likewise destroy the believer’s walk with the Lord along with his testimony before others. Sobriety is a companion to gravity (1 Timothy 3:11; Titus 2:2) and causes a believer to perceive himself as he really is. The Devil fell when he began to think more highly of himself (Isaiah 14:12-14). In his heart, he thought to exalt his throne and be like the most High. If the believer is not sober, he too can begin to think thoughts of pride. Just as it was with Satan, this pride will be his downfall.
The Lord, in His omniscience, has provided man with everything he needs through salvation and the grace that brings salvation. One might ask, “How does salvation teach sobriety?” A proper understanding of grace and salvation reminds man that he is completely inadequate in and of himself. Apart from the Lord’s intervention, man would be on a slippery slope towards the pits of hell. In his very best state, man’s righteous acts are no better than filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). When a man meditates upon his salvation and the grace of God that gave him salvation, he avoids the snare of pride. He knows full well who he is and what God had to do to make him fit for heaven. He knows he owes the Lord a great debt and determines to be alert in his daily walk.
The Bible repeatedly mentions the bitterness of soul (1 Samuel 1:10; Job 3:20; Job 7:11; Job 10:1; Job 21:25; Isaiah 38:15). Job testified to speaking in the bitterness of his soul—weary of his life (Job 10:1). Hannah “was in bitterness of soul” (1 Samuel 1:10) when she spoke to the Lord concerning her desire to birth a son. Interestingly, the Book of Job contains the majority of references to bitterness of soul. It is hard to imagine any mortal man enduring more afflictions of the soul than Job. He was afflicted so deeply, he cursed the day that he was born (Job 3:1). Eventually, his bitterness of soul won out and caused him to sin against the Lord. Hannah, however, spoke to the Lord in bitterness of soul and God rewarded her for her faithfulness.
A good Bible student often incorporates many of the same tactics as a good detective. Defining Bible words involves such a task. No single verse specifically defines the word bitterness. Yet, a careful study of a few verses will help to bring the pieces together and to provide understanding. According to Isaiah, bitterness and peace are at opposite ends of the emotional spectrum (Isaiah 38:17). Proverbs associates the word bitter directly to the word sharp (Proverbs 5:4). And, lastly, the word bitter is connected to the word affliction (2 Kings 14:26, Lamentations 1:4). Using these scriptural clues, a good student will understand bitterness to be a sharp affliction. Additionally, consider the connection between the words bitter and bite, making bitterness a sharp affliction with bite. Bitterness always begins on the inside of an individual and, as we will learn, eventually works its way to the outside for others to see.
