When men choose to reject the truth, God tends to withhold further truth from them. The result is spiritual and intellectual darkness.
Sin withholds good things from man that he would otherwise have opportunity to enjoy. Instead of peace, sin brings unrest, frustration, and heartaches.
The scripture offers a negative connotation of meddling. After all, meddling is the unnecessary involvement of oneself in the affairs of others. Unfortunately, it has been a common practice in the history of nations to provoke others to battle when war was unnecessary and often contrary to God’s will. For instance, Amaziah, king of Judah, sent messengers to Jehoash, king of Israel, asking for a face-to-face meeting. Jehoash responded with wisdom saying, “tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt.” Amaziah refused to heed the counsel and meddled to his own hurt. History is full of such testimonies both on a national and individual level.
The apostle Paul warned of a time when people would no longer endure sound doctrine. Because of their lusts, they would actively seek after teachers who turned them unto fables. In fact, much of this is accomplished by people using the truth as a source for teaching things contrary to the very truth they supposedly uphold. Far too frequently people have been turned away from the truth in the name of truth. These Bible teachers elevate themselves as the authority while creating fables generally based upon certain verses of scripture. The tragedy may begin subtly, but eventually, many people seek after these teachers rather than scripture. This is why Paul admonished Timothy to “Preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2) to delay the onset of this spiritually desolate period.
The unity of believers is likened to a cord woven together. Like a threefold cord, unified believers are stronger and better able to endure the attacks from their enemies (Ecclesiastes 4:12). In Proverbs 6:16-19, the Lord gives a list of things He hates, one of which is when a man sows “discord among brethren.” What does it mean to sow “discord”? Perhaps the illustration given above sheds the necessary light for an answer. When believers are united, they are like multiple cords woven together. When someone sows discord, he attempts to undo or “discord” the threefold cord destroying the unity. Believers void of unity are weaker and more vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy.
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.
