Dickens in his novel, Great Expectations published in 1861. In that story, Miss Havisham is a bitter recluse young woman who has shut herself away since being jilted on her wedding day. She never leaves the house and has stopped all the clocks so that she is unaware of time passing. She always wears her wedding clothes and has left the prepared wedding feast to decay in one of her rooms. As a result of her experiences, Miss Havisham hates humanity, particularly, men. She adopted a young girl, Estella, and is training her to be cold and cruel so that she will break men’s hearts. In a tragic accident, Miss Havisham is horribly burned when her wedding dress catches fire and she dies shortly afterwards.

That is BITTERNESS for you! It is a destructive reaction to real or perceived wrongs done against us.

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Long before Charles Dickens gave us this beautiful story from the fountain of his pen, is another character called Cain. Cain and his brother Abel had their respective offerings presented before God. It is expected that they present their offering/sacrifice in a prescribed manner that will be acceptable to God. Unfortunately, Cain’s offering is rejected and he becomes dejected about it. Gradually, bitterness creeps into him and he nurses it way too far. In fact, he was admonished by God but he rebuffs and refuses to take heed. In the passage of time and sadly, Cain had Abel murdered in cold blood.

Again, that is BITTERNESS for you! It is a destructive reaction to rejection occasioned by our non-perfect heart in doing things.

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Here comes another man, Ahithophel. Why was Ahithophel hell bent to destroy King David by helping Prince Absalom (helping a son against his father)? The answer is found in one of those dreaded genealogies people are so loath to read when they study the Bible. Ahithophel’s profile starts with fascinating and envious achievements before it drifts into his dark side. He was a famed counselor and high chief in the royal court of David who could speak as if the gods are speaking. Probably Cicero would be green with jealous seeing Ahitophel speaks. Also, his son, Eliam is on the list of David’s mighty men and of course, Eliam happened to be the father of Bathsheba the wife Uriah! (2 Chronicles 23:34, 39) Eliam and Uriah were mighty men and had served together. Eliam possibly had such admiration for Uriah and knew he could make a great husband for his daughter resulting to marriage arrangements as it was customary in that culture at that time. But one day Ahithophel heard the rumors going round the palace about David’s adultery with his granddaughter and the conspiracy to kill her husband. Unfortunately he could barely do anything. Oba ba lori ohun gbogbo (the king has power over everything in his domain)! From that that moment, David became his mortal enemy. David betrayed not only Uriah, but Ahithophel as well who was is trusted counselor. So, Ahithophel packed up his stuff and returned to Giloh. There he sat for ten years nursing his hurt, hatred, and bitterness; longing for some way to get back at David in sweet revenge but no revenge has ever been sweet in history. Then, one sunny afternoon, the message came from Absalom and Ahithophel saw his chance. It all went along smoothly until Absalom made the fateful decision to listen to Hushai instead of Ahithophel. In that moment, Ahithophel knew the rebellion was doomed and his chance to get even with David was a lost cause. Ahitophel’s plan failed and he committed suicide thereafter.

That is BITTERNESS for you! It is a destructive reaction to irreparable losses suffered as a result of wrongs done against us

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What then is the Drift? What Am I Driving At?

It is true; Miss Havisham got jilted by her lover on their wedding day according to Charles Dickens’s Great Expectation. She has every right to be bitter but she got herself killed by the same wedding gown she vows to continue to wear to show her disdains.

It is almost natural to feel bad when your younger siblings seem to be having it right when you are not getting things correct about how life works; however, it is dangerous when you are embittered by that. That was the case of Cain, feeling like big bro to Abel. Cain got cursed as his bitterness made him to kill his brother.

Ahithophel was bitter over David’s betrayal and sins against his family. It must have been a traumatic experience for him as well. Who could swallow that? Ahithophel's failure started when he thought the king David had gotten away with all his atrocities and was living without consequences for his atrocities. Unfortunately, Ahithophel had hurriedly packed up his stuffs and gone back to Giloh, he had no idea how God had already dealt with David; how Nathan had confronted him and David had broken so completely before God. Because their friendship ended, Ahithophel had never seen David’s spiritual agony and remorse. He didn’t know of David’s forgiveness by God. He knew nothing about the week David fasted and spent on his face before God pleading for the life of his child while the palace staff feared he would take his own life, because he (David) was so grief stricken.

Therefore take heed lest any root of bitterness spring up to trouble you.

Las las na you go suffer am for habouring bitterness

HEBREW 12:15

(C) LifeQuest

Okay

Great writeup - Undeniably Great for The Awareness and Edification of The Heart.