As God’s people, especially at a time like this, it is important to understand the ways in which we can transform bitter circumstances into sweetness.
In this regard, it is necessary that we do not look at bitter circumstances as negative, but as a certain kind of test to see if we are able, with our spiritual eyes, to recognize the potential already placed by God in our realm of space and time that leads to sweetness and thus to revelatory knowledge in the midst of challenges (cf. Exodus 15:22-26 i.c.w. 1 Samuel 14:27).
Exodus 15:22-26:
22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they travelled in the desert without finding water.
23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.)
24 So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, ‘What are we to drink?’
25 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink. There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test.
26 He said, ‘If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you (Note: YAHWEH RAPHEKA).’
22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they travelled in the desert without finding water.
23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.)
24 So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, ‘What are we to drink?’
25 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink. There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test.
26 He said, ‘If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you (Note: YAHWEH RAPHEKA).’
1 Samuel 14:27:
27 But Jonathan had not heard that his father had bound the people with the oath, so he reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb. He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened.
27 But Jonathan had not heard that his father had bound the people with the oath, so he reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb. He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened.
Spiritual Maturity and Solid Food
In addition, spiritual maturity is required in this context, which means feeding our spirit man solid food to discern good from evil, and results in uncompromising discipleship to Christ (cf. Hebrews 5:14).
Hebrews 5:14:
14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
In connection with the internalization of solid food, in certain circumstances it may be accompanied by a bitter taste, much like the meat of the Passover lamb, which was eaten with bitter herbs by the people of Israel before they went out from slavery in Egypt to their freedom (cf. Exodus 12:8).
Exodus 12:8:
8 That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast.
8 That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast.
These bitter herbs include the revelation of God that came to Abraham, where the LORD spoke to Abraham of the enslavement of his descendants, which is represented by the bitter herbs (cf. Genesis 15:13-14).
Genesis 15:13-14:
13 Then the Lord said to him, ‘Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and ill-treated there.
14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterwards they will come out with great possessions. …’
13 Then the Lord said to him, ‘Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and ill-treated there.
14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterwards they will come out with great possessions. …’
The Hebrew word for ‘herbs’ is ‘’ôrāh’ and can also mean ‘light’ and include a ‘cheerful state’. (Part excerpt from the Elberfelder Study Bible on the Hebrew word ‘herb – ‘ôrāh’ with the word key number: 224*I and 225*II).
This tells us that prophetic revelation must always be based on the Word of God because the Holy Spirit uses the truth of the Word of God when communicating revelatory truth (cf. 2 Peter 1:19-20).
2 Peter 1:19-21:
19 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things.
21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
19 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things.
21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
The Bitter Circumstance and the Revelation Contained Therein
In order to recognize the revelation contained in a bitter circumstance, it is crucial to internalize the love of God represented by the Passover lamb, as a reference to Jesus Christ (cf. John 1:29; John 3:16 i.c.w. Revelation 5:12).
John 1:29:
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! …’
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! …’
John 3:16:
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Revelation 5:12:
12 In a loud voice they were saying: ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise!’
12 In a loud voice they were saying: ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise!’
When we internalize the love of God in our spirit man, we are able to discern His direction even in challenging situations (cf. Romans 8:28).
Romans 8:28:
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Only by internalizing God’s love, we are enabled to increase in strength in our inward man and to walk steadfastly forward in faith in Christ Jesus (cf. Ephesians 3:16-17).
Ephesians 3:16-17:
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, …
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, …
As mentioned earlier, sweetness and bitterness are close together when these are chosen by God to lead us on our journey into a deeper knowledge of revelation.
The increase of strength is necessary in our lives because it helps to keep the adversary in check as well as to put him to flight. In this, sweetness plays an extraordinary role, which is evident from the testimony of Jonathan, the son of Saul in the midst of the battle against the Philistines, as well as from the presentation of the revelatory truth of God’s Word in the form of a scroll to Ezekiel and John (cf. 1 Samuel 14:27 i.c.w. Ezekiel 3:3; Revelation 10:9-10).
1 Samuel 14:27:
27 But Jonathan had not heard that his father had bound the people with the oath, so he reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb. He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened.
Ezekiel 3:3:
3 Then he said to me, ‘Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.’ So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.
Revelation 10:9-10:
9 So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, ‘Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but “in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.” ’
10 I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour (Note: bitter).
The Sweetness of God and Revelatory Truth
The sweetness of the Word of God, which includes revelatory truth, results in recognizing the things God wants to reveal and prophesying according to what we see (cf. Ezekiel 3:4 i.c.w. Revelation 10:11).
Ezekiel 3:4:
4 He then said to me: ‘Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them. …’
Ezekiel 3:4:
4 He then said to me: ‘Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them. …’
Revelation 10:11:
11 Then I was told, ‘You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.’
The taste of God’s revelatory word causes supernatural sight (cf. Psalm 34:8).
Psalm 34:8:
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Furthermore, the revelatory truth of the Word of God can also take place through the ministry of angels, as the revelatory truth works from the outside inward with the goal of prophesying into the predetermined field of assignment in the natural realm and its circle of people (cf. Revelation 10:8-11 i.c.w. Hebrews 1:14).
Revelation 10:8-11:
8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: ‘Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.’
9 So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, ‘Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but “in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.” ’
10 I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour (Note: bitter).
11 Then I was told, ‘You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.’
8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: ‘Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.’
9 So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, ‘Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but “in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.” ’
10 I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour (Note: bitter).
11 Then I was told, ‘You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.’
Hebrews 1:14:
14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
We are as the people of God in the ‘Pe – decade’ i.e. the decade of the ‘mouth’. The mouth is the entrance for the revelatory sweetness of God that leads to the destination of the stomach. The stomach, in turn, is related to the bitter taste. Therefore, it is helpful to know how bitter is transformed into the revelatory truth of God in our ‘belly’. The stomach or belly, in the spiritual context, is the realm or seat of our spirit.
The Belly and the Interior of the Human Being
In Hebrew as well as in Greek, the word ‘belly’ is used in connection with ‘the inside of man’, which also means as ‘bulge, something that is hollowed out’. (Part excerpt from the Elberfelder Study Bible on the Hebrew word ‘bäṭän – stomach, belly, inside, something that is hollowed out, bulge’ with word key number: 1017 and the Greek word ‘koilịa’ with word key number: 2810)
According to the Word of God, the above ‘hollow measure’ is related, among other things, to the hand of God with which He measures the measure of the waters, as revealed in Isaiah (cf. Isaiah 40:12).
Isaiah 40:12:
12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?
12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?
In connection with this, I was led to the biblical passage from 2 Kings 3, where the king of Israel, together with the king of Judah and the king of Edom, went to war against Moab. Moab means ‘waters – offspring of the father’ and figuratively, they (Note: king of Israel, Judah and Edom) went through the area of communication of the ‘father of lies’ (cf. John 8:44).
John 8:44:
44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
When they went through the desert of Edom, they had no more water for themselves and their animals and were in a so-called ‘bitter circumstance’, so the king of Judah, based on the advice of one of the servants of the king of Israel, called to go to the prophet Elisha.
As a result, the king of Israel, the king of Judah and the king of Edom went to the prophet Elisha and asked him for prophetic advice, whereupon he pointed out the importance of the king of Judah, without whom no prophetic revelation would have come about in this challenging situation.
2 Kings 3:11-16a:
11 But Jehoshaphat asked, ‘Is there no prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may enquire of the Lord?’ An officer of the king of Israel answered, ‘Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.’
12 Jehoshaphat said, ‘The word of the Lord is with him.’ So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
13 Elisha said to the king of Israel, ‘Why do you want to involve me? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.’ ‘No,’ the king of Israel answered, ‘because it was the Lord who called us three kings together to deliver us into the hands of Moab.’
14 Elisha said, ‘As surely as the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not pay any attention to you.
15 But now bring me a harpist.’ While the harpist was playing, the hand of the Lord came on Elisha
16a and he said, ‘This is what the Lord says: …
11 But Jehoshaphat asked, ‘Is there no prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may enquire of the Lord?’ An officer of the king of Israel answered, ‘Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.’
12 Jehoshaphat said, ‘The word of the Lord is with him.’ So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
13 Elisha said to the king of Israel, ‘Why do you want to involve me? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.’ ‘No,’ the king of Israel answered, ‘because it was the Lord who called us three kings together to deliver us into the hands of Moab.’
14 Elisha said, ‘As surely as the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not pay any attention to you.
15 But now bring me a harpist.’ While the harpist was playing, the hand of the Lord came on Elisha
16a and he said, ‘This is what the Lord says: …
This clearly shows that it is necessary to wage spiritual warfare (Note: Israel => ‘God-fighter’) with worship (Note: Judah => ‘worship, praise’) based on the triumph of Jesus (Note: Edom => ‘red, reddish’) in order to act with prophetic direction (cf. Psalm 149:5-9).
Psalm 149:5-9:
5 Let his faithful people rejoice in this honour and sing for joy on their beds.
6 May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, 7 to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, 8 to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, 9 to carry out the sentence written against them – this is the glory of all his faithful people. Praise the Lord.
5 Let his faithful people rejoice in this honour and sing for joy on their beds.
6 May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, 7 to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, 8 to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, 9 to carry out the sentence written against them – this is the glory of all his faithful people. Praise the Lord.
David is an example of such a mixture. He created many musical instruments and instruments of warfare. The reason for this mixture is that strategic warfare is only done from a seat of rest.
We must work from a seat of rest to be a great fighter and not just a destructive one. A fighter must also be creative. That means destroying what is destined to be destroyed so that what is productive is preserved. This is what a good warrior does.
We must work from a seat of rest to be a great fighter and not just a destructive one. A fighter must also be creative. That means destroying what is destined to be destroyed so that what is productive is preserved. This is what a good warrior does.
True warfare consists of removing what is unproductive, that which should not be there, and maintaining what is productive.
The ‘Hollow and Bitter Realm of the Spirit’
The prophet Elisha understood the ‘hollow and bitter realm of the spirit’, as evidenced by his prophetic intervention associated with the sound of worship, instructing the three kings to dig ditches in the valley so that they would be able to bear a greater measure of God’s outpouring associated with victory over their enemies (cf. 2 Kings 3:15b-20).
2 Kings 3:15b-20:
… 15b While the harpist was playing, the hand of the Lord came on Elisha 16 and he said, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will fill this valley with pools of water.
17 For this is what the Lord says: you will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink.
18 This is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord; he will also deliver Moab into your hands.
19 You will overthrow every fortified city and every major town. You will cut down every good tree, block up all the springs, and ruin every good field with stones.’
20 The next morning, about the time for offering the sacrifice, there it was – water flowing from the direction of Edom! And the land was filled with water.
… 15b While the harpist was playing, the hand of the Lord came on Elisha 16 and he said, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will fill this valley with pools of water.
17 For this is what the Lord says: you will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink.
18 This is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord; he will also deliver Moab into your hands.
19 You will overthrow every fortified city and every major town. You will cut down every good tree, block up all the springs, and ruin every good field with stones.’
20 The next morning, about the time for offering the sacrifice, there it was – water flowing from the direction of Edom! And the land was filled with water.
Thus it becomes clear that when we who love God and are called according to His purpose enter into bitter circumstances in life in the form of challenges and even losses, these must serve us for the best (cf. Romans 8:28).
Romans 8:28:
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Therefore, let us integrate the important potential of our worship into the spiritual battle, so that in this divine symbiosis we dynamically establish the will of God in our lives and effectively contribute to the sweetness of God.
Amen and Amen.
In His Wisdom,
Daniel Glimm
