Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast.
Exodus 12:7-8
Once again Passover is upon us. It is an annual reminder of the great redemption God worked by bringing the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. We gather together to eat an interesting array of foods such as parsley, matzah (unleavened bread), charoset (a sweet apple, honey, and nut mixture), and (everyone’s favorite) maror (bitter herbs).
I want to focus today on the bitter herbs, which is commonly represented by horseradish root. Why are bitter herbs eaten? The reason given is to remember the bitterness of life in Egypt: “So he subjected them to bitter labor; / they stumbled, and there was no one to help” (Psalm 107:12). Why is remembering their bitterness so important?
When the Israelites came out of Egypt, one of the first places they came to after crossing the Red Sea they called Marah: “When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.)” (Exodus 15:23) They had left the bitterness of Egypt only to find bitter water.
In the book of Ruth, we’re introduced to a woman named Naomi. In the story, her husband and both of her sons die. She tells her neighbors, “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.” (Ruth 1:20-21) Naomi means “pleasant” while Mara means “bitter”. She could relate to the Israelites in their distress.
Life has its bitter times, but also its sweet times. At a traditional Passover Seder we eat bitter herbs, but also the sweet charoset. “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many” (Hebrews 12:15). Like horseradish root growing in the ground, a bitter root can grow inside us. We remember the Israelites’ bitterness because of how God changed their circumstances by redeeming them. God turned the bitter waters of Marah sweet. God used Boaz to redeem Ruth and Naomi and give them an heir. He can turn the most bitter of circumstances into something sweet.
When faced with bitter circumstances, we can either trust God or become bitter. What do you choose?
