Deuteronomy 29
18 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,
19 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.
20 The LORD will not be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the LORD and his jealousy will smoke against that man, and the curses written in this book will settle upon him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven.
Moses, in declaring God’s message for the nation warns them of those whose hearts are turning away from the Lord. Be it man or woman, clan or tribe, the warning is given in order to preserve the nation from apostacy.
He warns the nation of this one who is turning away from the covenant, even as this soul convinces himself of his security. Note in particular verse 19, where the soul who is becoming a “root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit” is convincing himself of his own security.
What is even more difficult to stomach is that this one who is becoming a “root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit” is convincing himself, blessing himself, as he hears the words of this sworn covenant, the very covenant that God graciously provided to the nation through the prophet Moses. He isn’t merely convincing himself out of a vacuum, or when he is with his friends at a bar or bowling alley, but as he hears the very words of the covenant that he refuses to submit to.
Excuse me for this leap of logic, but I can’t help but find a parallel with our current conditions, where believers may be in church, hearing the Word, and yet possibly be on the edge of turning from Him.
Even worse, to think that some teachers of the Word provide no warnings of “heart turning”, or deny this possibility of becoming a “root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit”. Or worse yet, some may teach that it is impossible to turn from the Lord, saying that a prayer at an altar will forever seal your fate.
Thankfully we may identify those who have turned from the Lord, in that they are a source (root) of poison and bitterness. Let’s consider both those terms.
Poisonous
רֹאשׁ rôʼsh is found in the Old Testament and refers to a poisonous plant or the poison of a serpent. Obviously associated with death!
Bitterness
The Hebrew word translated as bitterness in this verse is לַעֲנָה laʻănâh. We find it translated as wormwood also, and it speaks of a noxious and poisonous root. It has the connotation of cursing, and is also associated with death.
Now what?
Moses provides a warning at the start of this passage for the nation in his day, and the church in our day, to identify those who may become a “root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit” To identify those the Lord warns us of in the passage above, we require discernment to see the fruits of their lives. Moses warns us of the one who is confident in his profession of faith, and yet, from the root of his life, in his very heart, death ensues.
For death is this soul’s denial of the Lord Jesus, whether it be active denial or passive denial. Of course it is easy to identify the actively denying soul, the one who rants and raves against the person of Jesus, and it is wise to understand our relationship to that soul.
The soul that is difficult to discern is the one who is still in the passive denial of truth, that is the soul convincing himself of his security, yet seemingly proceeding down a path of death. As believers, we would be wise to heed the apostles advise when addressing those who may be slipping away, for we are also a weak and fragile people.
Galatians 6:1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
May we have roots found in the Lord Jesus, full of life and the sweetness of His character!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you would like to receive daily posts from Considering the Bible, click on the “Follow” link below
Your message has been sent
Considering the Bible 