It is rare that two ingredients so far apart in taste, such as ‘sweet and sour’, can actually be found in one place together. And we are not talking about a ‘speciality food dish’. We find this combination in the Word of God!
In the book of Revelation chapter 10, the Apostle John is instructed to receive and ‘eat’ a scroll. It says, “And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. (sour)” This image is a repeat of a story in Ezekiel chapter 2, where he too was instructed to do the same by God.
The Word of God is indeed like ‘honey to our lips’. (Psalm 119:103) The taste of Good News, the news of Jesus and how much He loves us by coming to die for us! The ‘sweetness’ of Jesus personality, His passion, His devotion, His joy and knowing that He looks at us as His beloved! Sweetness indeed!! However, it is sweet because of what He has done for us, but what has he rescued us from? He has saved us from a judgement that is coming to the world, the wrath of God to punish all immorality and final victory over the devil and his agents.
The sweetness of God’s Word of love and salvation does not stop the judgement to come. The truth of this has to be ‘eaten and digested’ and in turn be the catalyst of our desire to reach the lost before it’s too late.
It said that the Words of the scroll in Ezekiel were of ‘lamentation, mourning and grief.’ It is these same words that Jesus says in Matthew 5:4 that “Blessed are those who mourn (and grieve), for they shall be comforted”. In our preaching of the True Word of God, the True Gospel, we endure, have little strength and face opposition but the Holy Spirit IS OUR comforter!
Jesus himself lived out this very picture. He IS all sweetness, the Messiah, good news to ALL! But He knew the Word as He was the Word – that He would undergo a trial so severe. He knew it was coming and prior to the cross, the reality of the Word hit him in the garden of Gethsemane. He cried out in agony, pleading the ‘cup of suffering’ would be taken away but he said “Father, but your will be done.” Jesus was all sweet – but tasted and lived the ‘bitter'(sour) part too. If we truly love Jesus, we will also feel the ‘sweet and sour’ of the Word of God.
