Bile, The Gallbladder, and Emotions
Bile (also known as gall) is a dark liquid produced by the liver to assist in the digestion of food. It is mostly water (97-98%), but also contains salts, bilirubin, cholesterol, fatty acids, and lecithin. Once produced, bile is stored in the gallbladder, then released into the small intestine after a person eats. Its mixed solution neutralizes stomach acid and destroys any bacteria that may be in food (Merritt & Donaldson, 2009), and also allows the body to properly absorb fats and vital nutrients. Its colored compounds (bilirubin is orange or yellow and biliverdin [oxidized bilirubin] is green) give feces its brown color ("bile pigments", n.d.).
While bile is important, it can be the source of pain and serious health issues outside of its purpose and designed path. Should the ducts that release bile become blocked, bilirubin can leak into the blood and cause jaundice, a potentially fatal condition (Winger & Michelfelder, 2011) that causes the skin and white of the eyes to become yellow. Bile blockage can also cause the gallbladder to become inflamed (cholecystitis) and result in abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and fever (Strasberg, 2008). Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) and cholangitis (inflammation of the bile duct) may also occur.
The creation, storage, and movement of bile is reflected in the drink offering of Tabernacle worship. Wine was placed before the Lord in the Holy Place on the Table for the Bread of the Presence. It was kept in a jug (or pitcher) and then poured out into a bowl (Ex. 25:29 [Durham, 1987]) as a part of ritual worship. It was also burned on the bronze altar of the Courtyard (Num. 28:3-8) along with the daily sacrifices (Num. 28:7).
In the spiritual anatomy of the body, bile is the equivalent of emotions, created by God as a part of His design for mankind and an essential part of spiritual digestion, (i.e. the learning required for spiritual growth). As a part of worship, emotions must be poured out to Him as an offering through prayer. Scripture refers to this as pouring out one’s heart (1 Sam. 1:15; Job 16:20; Ps. 62:8; 142:2; Lam. 2:19), and it is one of the ways emotions remain balanced to maintain godliness.
Some emotions are pleasant, like joy and happiness, which God gives (Deut. 16:14; 2 Chron. 15:15; Ps. 4:7; 9:2; 89:15). Others are unpleasant, like rejection and sorrow, which He also allows His children to feel in order to help them grow (Gen. 4:4-7). But emotions are designed to be temporary. Joy and happiness don’t last forever on this side of heaven (Eccl. 3:4), and the pain and discomfort He gives are discipline to help His children become better (Deut. 8:5; 2 Sam. 7:14; Prov. 3:12; Heb. 12:5). If unpleasant emotions, whether they be sorrow, fear, disappointment, envy, guilt, jealousy, embarrassment, loneliness, pride, etc., are not poured out to God, (that is, given to Him in humble submission), an individual’s spiritual gallbladder (the place that holds emotions) can become obstructed and negatively influence the spiritual life and outward behavior.
For example, Scripture teaches to be angry, but sin not (Eph. 4:26, KJV). In other words, anger is a human emotion that is perfectly okay to feel, but believers should not allow that emotion to cause them to sin. There is righteous anger (Mark 10:4; John 11:38; John 2:14-16), but anger that is purely human does not produce the righteousness that God desires (James 1:20). It must be poured out to God (humbly submitted to Him in prayer, which is worship) so that the Holy Spirit can lead the actions that follow.
Bitterness is one emotion the Bible strongly cautions believers to be aware of. It is “a feeling of anger and resentment, caused particularly by perceived unfairness in suffering or by adverse circumstances” (Manser, 2009). If allowed to take root, this emotion can negatively impact someone’s entire viewpoint of life, such as it did with Naomi (Ruth 1:19-21). It is pain held internally for too long and leads to suffering. It is referred to as a poisonous root (Heb. 12:15), and was also known in ancient times as gall, and can lead to unforgiveness and a hard heart, which also causes spiritual blindness (Mark 6:52).
Interestingly, the wine pitcher and bowl that sat on the Table for the Bread of the Presence (representing the pancreas and gallbladder) sat beside the jar that held the incense for the incense altar (representing the kidneys), the place of prayer. This signifies the importance of emotions, as they affect actions that impact prayer (1 Pet. 3:7). Furthermore, Jesus taught His disciples to leave their gifts at the altar and be reconciled to anyone who had something against them (Matt. 5:23-24). The type of gift mentioned here is not the type of sacrifices that were given to pardon sins, but instead a gift offering one gave in order to draw near to God. It was a form or worship, thus it could not take place against the background of an ignored damaged human relationship (Nolland, 2005). A worshipper must do all that is in their power to be at peace with others (Rom. 12:18; Heb. 12:14; 1 Pet. 3:11), and in order to be forgiven one must forgive others (Matt. 6:14-15; Mark 11:25; Col. 3:13). This is the key to erasing bitterness, the first step of which is to decide to walk in love.
REFERENCES
bile pigments. Oxford Reference. Retrieved 30 January 2022, from https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095505664.
Durham, J. I. (1987). Exodus (Vol. 3, p. 362). Word, Incorporated.
Manser, M. H. (2009). Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies. Martin Manser.
Merritt, M., & Donaldson, J. (2009). Effect of bile salts on the DNA and membrane integrity of enteric bacteria. Microbiology Society. Retrieved 29 January 2022, from https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.014092-0.
Nolland, J. (2005). The Gospel of Matthew: a commentary on the Greek text (p. 232). W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press.
Strasberg S. M. (2008). Clinical practice. Acute calculous cholecystitis. The New England journal of medicine, 358(26), 2804–2811. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMcp0800929
Winger, J., & Michelfelder, A. (2011). Diagnostic Approach to the Patient with Jaundice. Science Direct. Retrieved 29 January 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0095454311000418?via%3Dihub.