The heart of the wise instructs his mouth And adds persuasiveness to his lips. Proverbs 16:23

One of the maladies that I face in my life is that I engage my mouth too often without fully engaging my mind as to what I am going to say. That particular malady results in another and that is that I find my foot often lodged in my mouth shortly after the first malady manifests itself. Needless to say today's proverb was eye-opening to say the least. I learned that what truly needs to be engaged before I speak is my heart - which is to be what instructs my mouth before it engages in saying what "ought" to be said.

The heart of a wise man instructs his mouth what to say. Some might say that if this were the case all we would say is, "thump, thump" in a rythmic fashion. (Oops, there I go again!) But the Hebrew concept of the heart is a wondeful one. The heart refers to the immaterial inner self - or what the Holy Spirit would refer to as man's spirit. This is considered by the Hebrew mind to be our inner nature - the workings of our mind as it is instructed by the Holy Spirit using as His primary text, the Word of God. Thus the mouth is instructed by none other than the Holy Spirit Himself - who takes the Word and uses it to instruct us, through our spirit, so that our mind is taught. This working then brings to our mind things that should be filtered out - or in some cases filtered in.

Scripture, for example, instructs us in Colossians 4:6, "Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person." What a great instruction for our mouths. Therefore, as the Spirit does this He asks us, "Hey Bubba (sorry, I live in Arkansas and this is pretty effective here), is what you are going to say gracious? Does it have a little 'salt of the gospel' in it - so that it will make whoever is hearing you thirsty for God - and the gospel?" Something else the Spirit of God might ask is this, "Yo Bubbba, did you think about what this person truly and lovingly NEEDS - or - are you just spouting off what you want to say to them?" These are things that will truly alter how you speak - because in all honesty - not even our words belong to us. We were bought with a price - therefore we are to glorify God with our bodies - which, by the way, includes our mouths!

Here is another way our mouth can be instructed by the wisdom of the Spirit of God. He may choose to remind us of Ephesians 4:29 which says, "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear." So this time the Spirit of God may chime in with something like this. "Dude (this is when I am in California), is what you are going to say wholesome, or does it smell like rotten fruit or nasty-smelling fish! Are you going to build up your friend - or just confirm him in the same worldly ways that his other friends speak? Like, you totally need to think about what he NEEDS right now! Have you even heard what HE'S been saying at a heart level in this conversation and others? Don't be a total bogart man - give him some grace - some love brother - some real helpful, encouraging, gospel-smelling stuff!"

Now, apart from the regionalization of all this in my language - there are a few VERY important things we can learn from just these two examples.  We learn how the Scriptures would be used by the Holy Spirit to instruct our mouths. First, note that in both examples the Lord wants to instruct us to think of others as we open our mouths. Second, note as well in both examples that the Lord wants us to have our words abound with grace as we speak. Lastly, there is either stated or implied that our words are to be used to build others up - not tear them down. You can take these three things to the verbal-bank! We ought to write them on the inside of our mouths, so to speak, so that we are reminded that any word that proceeds out of them should be -  1) others-minded, 2) filled with grace and the gospel, and 3) encouraging! Can you imagine the difference that would make in a matter of days in the things we say!?

The rest of today's proverb reminds us that when we do this - our hearts will help us to have additional "persuasiveness" added to everything we say. I have known people like this in my life - and they are amazing people. They are the E.F. Hutton's of the spiritual world - and in many ways the world in general. When they speak - people listen! The amazing thing is that this is not because they have "earth-shaking" things to say every time they open their mouths. It is more because you will be blessed and uplifted whenever they speak! You want to hear what they say - because it nourishes your very soul to hear it.

Precious ones . . . let us not be people whose mouths are instructed by our culture - or by our own selfish motives - or by the evil one who would love to use our mouths for his own destructive purposes. Let us be people of the grace-filled, love-overflowing, life-encouraging, Spirit-instructed mouth! Let us embrace hearing what our hearts have to say about what words we should use. And as we listen to this soul-nourishing instruction for our mouths - may we submit our hearts to be ruled and governed by the Holy Spirit of God. May His tutelage dominate our conversations, our statements, and our answers so that others may be blessed - made thirsty for the God who speaks through us - and hungry for the same gospel grace that has changed our hearts, which is the very reason that our conversation is so different!

A fool's anger is known at once, But a prudent man conceals dishonor.  Proverbs 12:16

Ours is a society driven by rights and by slights.  We are told that we have rights - and as a result of this education we demand them all the time.  One of the rights that evidently is near the top of the list is the right never to be offended.  That is why we have political correct language that is being ever more strictly enforced in our nation.  We cannot say things that will offend anyone else.  If the society determines that a certain word or phrase is no longer allowed - that word or phrase is banished from our circles.  If someone were so foolish as to speak that word of phrase - he too will be banished - even fired from his job.  If he is in the public eye - he will be summarily destroyed and cast upon the trash heap for the foreseeable future - possibly forever.  We are the nation with the greatest law protecting free speech (our first ammendment) but also the greatest number of unwritten laws that restrict our speech as well as punish any who dare step over the line. 

Our proverb today would help us greatly with our problems societally.  We are first warned that only a fool's anger is known at once.  The fool has no patience, therefore he is often disgusted and angry with others around him.  He takes up the slighest offence - whether overt or covert - and becomes vexed about it immediately.  The word for anger here is the Hebrew word "kaas" which means to be provoked to anger.  The problem is that this man is easily provoked - and lets his anger blow the moment that he is.  As we read here - his anger is know at once.  He is unable to control himself - and also unable to let things roll off his back like water off of a duck.  Every slight - every potential offence is taken to the deepest part of his being and fully embraced.  There is little wonder therefore that he has a tendency to lose it whenever this happens.  He is offended - angry - disgusted - and filled with rage toward whoever has knowingly or unknowingly slighted him. 

The prudent man is the one who conceals this anger and offence.  He is able to ignore the slights and snubs of life.  He is able to deal with the insults and general indignities of living in the fallen world.  Because he knows the world is fallen - he is aware that things like this are bound to happen.  Because he knows he too is fallen - he is aware of the need to be gracious and kind as he carries on life in this world.  He has learned to conceal dishonor.  The word for dishonor here parallels the Hebrew word for forgiveness.  He chooses to forgive and show mercy and grace rather than demand judgment and justice for every slight.  He has learned that the merciful are blessed, for they too receive mercy. 

Learning to be a prudent and wise man in this way will help you live much longer.  The word prudent here is the Hebrew word "arum" which has the idea of being sensible.  A sensible man knows that unless he wants his world to be in a continual state of stress, anger, rage, and bitter unforgiveness - he needs to let insults and vexation they can cause roll off of him.  By this he keeps his blood pressure down - and his friendships up.  If you are prone to become angry and blow off steam in almost every situation beware.  You are ruining your own life and living like a fool.  Be wise - be understanding - and be aware of the fallen world in which you live.  Show mercy and grace - for it will bring you joy even in the midst of a world filled with plenty of ways to become frustrated and angered.

“For he who finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord.“  Proverbs 8:35

Wisdom is the One we should seek in life.  It is not just information - but a person.  God wants us to have a relationship with Him - not just a reading habit with a book.  Wisdom calls us to know God - to find life by knowing God - and to obtain favor from Him.  Oh, how we need to see that what we are being called to by Wisdom is a relationship with Almighty God.  This is not merely religion - nor is it s body of material that we are to learn - like Biology or Physics.  This is the living God calling us into relationship with Himself.  It is God telling us the way of life and the way of obtaining His favor.  The idea of favor is one that overflows with the idea of relationship.  We obtain favor - so that we can grow in intimacy. 

More amazing to me is what I read in 1 Corinthians chapter one.   I read that God has made Someone Wisdom unto me.  Not just wisdom - but also sanctification and redemption.  The One Who is all these things to me . . . Jesus Christ.  Thus we have a call both in 1 Corinthians 1 and in Proverbs 8 that knowing wisdom is knowing Christ - for a truly wise man will turn to Jesus Christ.  We find that when we do this - when we embrace God's wisdom - we will also embrace the life and favor that God offers to us through the gospel. 

If you will - let me connect a few dots - and maybe answer a few questions as well.  What we have seen in Proverbs 8 is that God made wisdom - so that He could communicate Himself to us.  Then God embarked on creating this world that we see.  What Proverbs 8 has shown us again and again is that God's wisdom is in perfect sync with what we actually see in biblical creation.  Wisdom reminds us numerous times that this world did not evolve into higher and higher organisms - culminating in man - and with promise of even a more wonderful evolution into something higher than man.  God spoke this world into existence by the power of His Word.  Thus, what we see is that the heavens (if seen in a biblical worldview) are declaring the glory of God.  The earth and all its works are also resounding with praise for their Creator.  Men, though, deafen themselves to this glorious song by providing themselves with pseudo-scientific myths about a creation making itself.  If we would listen to wisdom - we would find life - and come to a place where we have favor with God.  Now, let me start connecting dots.  Wisdom is manifest by the glories of God seen in creation.  If we would listen to creation and hear her song correctly - creation would point us to the creator - God.  If we would follow this path - we would come to the Word of God to learn more about God.  More wisdom would be given to us - eventually pointing us to the reason God gave His Word - to reveal what He has done to provide salvation through Jesus Christ - to His own glory.  Wisdom would then even further counsel us to repent and believe - putting our faith in Jesus Christ - who was crucified for our sins - Who died, and Who resurrected the third day - all to pay for our sins and offer a way for us to be made right with God.  Thus, in the end, we would find wisdom speaking through creation to lead us to Christ - so that we might be declared righteous through faith.  This would then give us favor with God and life when we would be born again through Jesus Christ.

I have some who ask me about the heathen who do not have a testimony of God - or who do not hear the gospel.  Would God send them to hell and judge them - even if they have not heard.  The problem is not with God - but with the fallacy of the question.  They have heard!  Wisdom shouts out about Who God is through creation.  Every day and night the heavens and the earth are declaring to us a message about a glorious God.  But men reject that message.  Romans 1:18-23 says, " For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,  because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.  For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing to be wise, they became fools,  and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures."

Here is Proverbs 8 right before our eyes.  God is speaking within men by conscience - and all around men by His creation.  God's invisible attributes, eternal power, and divine nature have been CLEARLY SEEN through creation itself.  When men reject the wisdom that is available to them through creation - they have no excuse before God.  They choose to ignore the wisdom of God - and instead choose not to honor God as God - they choose not to give thanks to God.  They choose instead to make gods for themselves - either in their own image - or by making God a bird, or some other kind of animal.  They even say God is a bug of some sort.  Having rejected God's wisdom - and His very person - they have made a much more manageable god - one they can control - and one who will be far more understanding of their wickedness and sin.  Thus they are under God's wrath.  They rejected wisdom - thus they reject the revelation of God in nature.  This rejection therefore leads them to making their own god - and rejecting the true and living God.  What we have in Romans 1 is a re-write of Proverbs 8.  What we need to do in response is to return to the Word of God - which will return us to God.  That will be handled by bringing us to Christ, Who is the wisdom of God - as well as our salvation through being our righteousness and our redemption.  Hmmm . . . the gospel right here before our eyes - in Proverbs 8

The wise will inherit honor, But fools display dishonor. Proverbs 3:35

Proverbs is all about the difference between the wise man and the fool.  It is one of the major themes throughout this book.  Therefore it should not be too suprising to see at the close of chapter three that we have a comparison between the wise and the foolish.  The comparison that we see shown to us is what these two are receiving for their choices.  The wise man receives honor - while the fool gets dishonor.  What is most interesting though is how these two ends are described for us. 

The wise man is said to "inherit" honor.  The Hebrew word "nahal" which is used here means to take property as a permanent possession.  This was the word that was used to describe how Israel was to receive the promised land.  The whole idea of inheritance also brings into focus that there is going to have to be a death for us to receive what God gives us.  This points us to the sacrifices that were made when the Mosaic covenant was established.  There was no covenant without blood - and without death.  But for us the death is not ours - but the death of the sacrifice made on our behalf.  Throughout the Old Testament that was the death and sacrifice of the animals upon which they had laid their hands and confessed their sin.  But this was just a picture of what was to come.  It was a picture of Jesus Christ who would take sin upon Himself and pay the full price for it.  As a result, we would be able to inherit salvation - and honor from God.  Truly, as the passage says, the WISE will inherit this honor.  This reminds us that the ultimate wisdom from God, as stated in 1 Corinthians 1:21-24 is Jesus Christ as Him crucified.  "For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.  For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God."  The wise turn to Jesus - who is the wisdom of God unto us - as well as our righteousness and our redemption.

The fool though is said to "display" dishonor.  Here is a wonderful illustration of not just truth - but even of salvation and how we can know that we are saved.  The wise inherits honor, but the fool displays his dishonor.  Here we have a picture of the fool.  Since he has no wisdom by which he can be honored in God's sight - all he has left is to live out his days displaying the dishonorable way that he lives.  He shows forth what is in his heart - which is sin and dishonor.  He has no work of grace going on inside of him - which is part and parcel of why he lives the way that he does.  The lack of grace - the lack of salvation - the lack of wisdom - all will be disaplyed daily in a lifestyle that greives God.  Dishonor will be given to God in how he lives because he is lost.  So what we see throughout his life is not grace working to show honor - but foolishness and sin revealing dishonor. 

What do people see in us?  What are we revealing or displaying to the world around us.  If we were burnt in a fire - we would display the effects of the fire in our bodies for the rest of our lives.  If we worked out 3 hours a day - there would be a display in our muscles of the fact that we have done this.  What we see in the physical is also true in the spiritual realm as well. When we live by God's wisdom - or better said IF we live by God's wisdom - it WILL be seen in our lives.  We will display an honorable life.  If we are NOT displaying an honorable life, we should not lie and tell people we are living by His wisdom.  IF we are being a fool - and living by the principles of the world - we will display dishonor in our lifestyle.  If we are living in a way that dishonors the Lord - it is proof that we are living by foolish principles. 

There are many who ask the question, "How can I know that I am saved?" They may ask, "How can I know that I am doing God's will?"  They want some kind of definitive thing that they can do once and say they know that they are saved.  Yet God's Word tells us in a myriad of ways that the proof is in the lifestyle.  This does not mean that we are saved by works - because God's Word is clear that it is only by grace we are saved.  But . . . if there are no works - no change - no godliness - no living for God's glory and honor . . . we can honestly say that there is probably no salvation.  If there is a continued lifestyle that displays dishonor to God - and dishonor towards His Word - dishonor when it comes to a righteous life - then we can know that we are living as a fool - and honestly - we don't know God through the grace He has given us in Jesus Christ.

Though He scoffs at the scoffers, Yet He gives grace to the afflicted. Proverbs 3:34

How does God respond to those who scoff at Him?  The first half of our proverb for today reveals that to us - then shares some very wonderful news with us about how the Lord responds to those who are afflicted. 

God is a God of grace and mercy - but He is not happy with those who mock and scoff at Him and His Word.  Here in Proverbs 3:34 we find a strong statement about how God reacts to the ones who are scoffing at Him.  We read that God responds with scoffing toward them.  The "scoffer" is one who mocks God.  He derides the Lord and holds Him in utter contempt - even boasting against the Lord.  What God promises to these who mock Him is mocking in return.  The difference here is that the human who is insane enough to mock God, does nothing to God by His mocking.  He is powerless to have any affect on God's glory or anything to do with God.  On the other hand - God's mocking and utter contempt comes with an eternity of consequences - literally!  The mocker who thinks himself so powerful has less effect than a flea has as it crashes into an aircraft carrier as it speeds through the ocean.  So the one hurt by these actions is the mocker himself - whose mocking is only storing up wrath for himself when God ultimately comes to humble the arrogant.

The promise though is not just scoffing to the scoffer - but also grace to the afflicted.  The word afflicted here is the Hebrew word "anaw" which has a much wider range than just the afflicted.  It means one who is poor, oppressed, afflicted, and humble.  This "afflicted one" is not proud, haughty, self-advancing, or self-assertive when it comes to standing before God.  He is humble.  He puts himself intentionally in a low and meek position.  He does not view himself in comparison to men - either presently or in the past.  He takes a good look at God and does the only wise thing a man can do - he chooses humility.  One Hebrew commentary even suggests the idea of affliction here is that of self-affliction.  He sees who he truly is in the sight of God - and chooses to humble himself in the dust before a God whose glory and majesty dwarfs him in a way that cannot be expressed in human language.    Yet this humbling of himself is what makes him a candidate for God's grace.  God looks at this humilty and desires to bless him.  This is nothing more than the promise in James, "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."  That is pretty much what the writer is saying to us here.  May God see us remove ourselves from among the scoffers - and align ourselves with every haste to the ones who humble themselves and give God glory!

"I was almost in utter ruin In the midst of the assembly and congregation." Proverbs 5:14

This is the final statement made by the one who is lamenting their sexual sin of adultery.  It is filled with a tremendous amount of regret - and yet even in this cry of horror over sin, there is hope for those who will be instructed by it.

First we have a warning to those who think that adultery and sexual sin only inhabit the world outside the church.  This person - David - said that he was almost to the point of utter ruin in the midst of the assembly and congregation.  To think that the devil, the flesh, and the world only are problems for those outside the church is to set yourself up for ruin. 

David experienced these things "IN THE MIDST OF THE ASSEMBLY AND CONGREGATION."  Oh, how we need to take heed from this statement that we are not beyond the reach of sin just because we go to church.  The fact is that we are WELL WITHIN THE REACH OF SIN no matter where we are on earth.  David unfortunately forgot this as he walked upon the roof of his house in Jerusalem.  He forgot that it was the time when kings should be going out to war.  He forgot that even if he was king - he needed to be doing God's bidding rather than his own.  He forgot that being lazy and undisciplined will cost us in the end.  He forgot that being in the wrong place at the wrong time - will lead to wrong actions.

God never promises to us a "place" where we can be safe from all temptation and sin.  There is NO place on earth where this exists.  No matter where you go on earth - there will be temptation and there will be a need to draw near to God and look to Him for protection.  There is only a "person" of safety - and that is the Lord our God.  When we draw near to Him we find deliverance and safety.  When we walk with Him and turn to Him - we are with the Only One Who can deliver us from all our temptations and sins.  If David had remembered this he would have realized that he was in far greater danger at home without the presence of God in his life - than if he were in the midst of a fierce battle with God there within. 

The one thing that grants me hope in reading this verse is the word "almost."  One would think that David would have been utterly ruined by his adultery.  Please do not misunderstand that he was going to have to pay a very heavy price before this was over.  He would lose no less than 4 children in this situation.  He would have 10 concubines raped by his own son in broad daylight in front of all Israel.  His kingdom would be divided and many would lose their lives in battles that would ensue.  The losses would be huge - and yet it was "almost" utter ruin. 

God offers grace and forgiveness even in the most horrible of situations.  David took advantage of this grace and fell upon the mercies of God in the end.  God would forgive him and restore him to the joy of his salvation.  Truly this is one of the most amazing stories of mercy and grace in all the Scriptures.  Yet, David, in offering this glimmer of hope in the midst of his cry of despair still is warning us - pleading with us to remember him.  He is pleading with us to remember the high cost of adultery and unfaithfulness to God's call for purity in our lives.  May we see both the warning and the wonder of this passage.  A warning against adultery and sexual sin - and the wonder of God's grace and forgiveness that can save us even in the worst of sitautions and circumstances.

In the light of a king's face is life, And his favor is like a cloud with the spring rain. Proverbs 16:15

This verse in Proverbs is given as a second statement about rulers - and it comes from a positive point of view.  Verse 14 dealt with the fury of a king - while this one deals with his favor. 

The light of a king's face is life.  No one knew this more than Esther, who dared come into the presence of king Ahasuerus without being summoned.  She knew that there was a punishment for this kind of action - death.  Only if he extended the golden scepter to her would she be delivered from the death penalty for such an offense.  To receive such an action was to be allowed to see the king's face.  That meant that he was showing her grace and favor. 

The favor of the king is also compared to a cloud with the spring rain.  This was called the "latter" rain - and it was the rain that was absolutely necessary if a good crop was to be expected.  Without these latter rains, the crops would be killed by the lack of rain.  When these clouds would come up over the land, people would rejoice because they knew that God had blessed them and that they were going to have a crop that would bear abundantly.  So also the favor of the king meant that blessing was coming.  In the culture at the time the king had absolute power.  If he decreed that you were to die - you would die.  If you knew his favor - then great blessing would come to you and your family.

We sing a song in worship at Calvary that goes this way, "Thou, O Lord, art a shield about me, Your my glory, and the lifter of my head."  This song deals with something very similar to this verse.  The lifting of the head was a symbol that the one who had previously bowed to the king was being allowed to see his face - and thus receive his favor.  If you remember in the book of Esther, when the king was furious with Haman, a black bag was put over his head.  This symbolized that he would NEVER see the face of the king again.  It also meant death. 

The amazing thing about this whole idea of the light of the king's face is the way that is reflects to us the message of the gospel.  There is a King that we all have to approach one day at the end of the age.  He is a King Whose holiness prevents us from coming before Him without being judged for our sin.  Were we to try to approach Him unworthily, we would be consumed by His wrath and righteous judgment upon sin.  But there is also One who has gone before us - Jesus Christ - and who has taken our sin and paid the full penalty for our sin.  He has taken the judgment.  Not only this, but He has also given us His perfect righteousness - by which we can stand before God accepted and welcomed.  Truly Jesus Christ is the light of the King's face to us - and he is the reason God's favor can be granted to us.  May God ever remind us of the grace gloriously showered upon us by His gracious act in Christ - and may we rejoice in His favor like the clouds filled with the latter rains.  Christ has opened the way and brought us to see the King's face with favor - favor purchased by His death, burial, and resurrection.  Glory to God for His grace, favor, and the joy of seeing His face in Christ Jesus.

He who loves purity of heart And whose speech is gracious, the king is his friend. Proverbs 22:11

What kind of person is the king's friend?  That is in interesting question because those who have been in places of high authority know that it is often difficult to determine which ones are their friends - and which ones are befriending them for ulterior motives.  When you look at the circle of those who surround the king or leader - among them you will always find the sycophants who are there to get what they can from the king.  They offer their friendship . . . for a price.  What the leader finds in the end is that this person was not really their friend.  Unfortunately for the king, this is only learned when trouble comes - or when the king no longer can give the person what they want.  So what kind of person is the king's friend?

First we learn that he is a person who loves purity of heart.  The term purity here was often used to describe the condition of being "clean" in Israel.  This was a pretty strict definition - and thus it describes someone who is pure to a very high standard.  When used of a person's heart, it referred to someone who was morally pure - as well as ethically pure.  Since it refers to the condition of someone's heart - it speaks of someone who has wonderful morals, wonderful ethics, and whose thoughts and intents were as pure as the driven snow.  The king gravitates to this kind of person because of that purity of heart.  This is a person who would never be the king's friend for the ride.  If he chose to befriend the king - it would be because he wanted to be the friend of the man - who just happened to be the king.  That purity of heart would be such a comfort to someone who could give you so much.  Most likely, this pure-hearted man would refuse the king's gifts and honors - choosing instead to simply be the king's friend - not the king's benefactor.  It is interesting that among the many named as those who surrounded David, one man, Hushai the Archite, was simply known as the king's friend.  He befriended David just because he wanted to be David's friend. 

Hushai the Archite was an interesting man.  We only hear of him twice in Scripture.  in 1 Chronicles he is simply referred to as the king's friend.  The other place we learn of him is in 2 Samuel 15-17.  We see him meeting David as David reaches the top of the Mount of Olives after David has had to leave the throne due to being deposed by his son, Absalom.  He arrives with his coat torn and with dust on his head.  Here was a friend who stuck with David in the very worst of times.  Sometimes the king will only know his true friends when he is deposed.  Hushai was one of those friends who did not care whether David was king or not - he was still his friend.  But when David faced such horrific circumstances, Hushai was there grieving with him through it all.  But Hushai's friendship went far deeper - and endured even more challenges.  David asked him to return to the city and act as Absalom's servant - to thwart the counsel of Ahithophel.  This was dangerous to say the least, because as soon as Absalom sees him - he notes that this was his father's friend.  He even chides him for being a poor friend, turning on David in his hour of need.  At that moment Absalom could have had Hushai killed or imprisoned.  But Hushai went - and served David well.  He did thwart the counsel of Ahithophel - and later alerted David to get over the Jordan for safety even if they possilby did follow Ahithophel's advice.  Here was a true friend, willing to risk his life to protect his friend.

The other factor in being the king's friend was that you needed to have speech that was gracious.  There are times when I wish we would translate Hebraisms directly - because I think they paint a much more powerful picture for us.  The Hebraism here literally says, "and who has grace on his lips."  What a great picture this paints of how this man speaks.  He speaks the truth - but does so with plenty of grace.  That is the kind of friend the king needs.  He needs someone who will tell him the truth - but will do so with much grace as he does so.  Too many around the king simply tell him what he wants to hear.  They become suck-ups who are too busy trying to woo the king's favor.  But a true friend will both speak the truth to us - but will also speak with much grace in what he or she says. 

Here is the friend of the king - with a pure heart and with grace on his lips.  As we look at him closer, we should see here not just a fitting friend for the king, but in all honesty - a fitting friend for anyone!  This description fits what we should want in a friend period.  May God be gracious to us and allow us to find such a friend in our lifetime.  If we do find one - we should thank God for them - and - be such a friend to them as well.