The lips of the righteous feed many, But fools die for lack of understanding. Proverbs 10:21
What kind of mouth would you prefer to have? Do you want a mouth that is a blessing to others - one that affords spiritual nourishment and strengthening? Do you want a mouth that others will wait to hear - because of the life and the food that it brings to their soul? There is a blessing that comes to those who seek the Lord - that makes their mouth a wonderful blessing to all who hear them. But there are also those who lack understanding - and who not only do not offer life to others through what they say - they die for their lack of wisdom - and unfortunately lead others to the same fate. The lips of the righteous feed many. The idea here is that of a shepherd who tends a flock. The Hebrew word used to speak of "feeding" others means to feed like a shepherd. This is a man whose lips allow sheep to graze - he feeds the flock and the herd. What is even more beautiful about this word is that it was used of others beside shepherds. It was used of the way kings were to shepeherd God's people as in 2 Samuel 5:2 and 7:7. It was used to speak of how God seeks to shepherd and feed His own people. It was used of how a wise man feeds on wisdom, while a food feeds on folly. This is the heart of a shepherd of men and women. He wants to speak in such a way that it feeds the spiritual needs of his people. This is the heart of a pastor - of a Bible teacher who desires for his lips to be a vehicle whereby God cares for and tends His church. He speaks what is right in God's eyes. His lips are the lips of the righteous - for he speaks righteousness - and seeks to teach men the only place where true righteousness can be found. That is in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The second half of this proverb speaks of those who, for want of wisdom, die. The word used for "understanding," is leb in the Hebrew. It means that this one lacks heart. He has no heart for God, and therefore has no wisdom. He has no desire for fellowship with God - therefore he has no grasp of what is right and good. He has no desire for God's salvation - so he will only know the disappointment of seeing that his own salvation fall infinitely short of what is required to stand before God. These men who lack heart will often lead others down their same path of destruction and damnation. It is sad to watch them lead others to revel in what is only death. What a blessing it is to have a man of God whose lips are the lips of the righteous. What a wonderful thing to have a godly man who teaches and who sets out a table for God's people to eat well. It is not something to take for granted. Scripture warns of a day when God's people will long for the Word, but will be unable to find it. If you have one of these men whose lips are filled with God's righteousness - thank God for the gift He has given you. Truly you will be fed - and ultimately the gospel such a man preaches will bring you life!
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The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver, The heart of the wicked is worth little.
Proverbs 10:20 We are living in a time when people wonder what has any worth? Recently there was a downgrade of our nation's ability to borrow money. In addition to this we watch currencies worldwide go through something akin to a rollercoaster ride as they rise and fall. So again we ask, "What is it that has any true worth?" We are told in today's proverb that the tongue of the righteous is like choice silver. What a wonderfully wealthy thing a godly tongue is to those who hear it. This man or woman speaks what is right. That is why he or she is called "righteous." They know what is right and speak what is right because they fill their mind with what is right. They know the Scriptures and speak what they say as their advice. What is this worth? It is worth choice silver. The phrase used here describes silver that has been refined many times over so that it is free from any impurities. That describes the words that come forth from the tongue of the righteous. They are trustworthy words. They are ideas and counsel that has been tried in the furnace of affliction and tested over many years. Therefore they are also words that will stand in any situation. When we speak of choice silver we need to relate it to situations in today's currency market. The commodities of gold and silver are skyrocketing in value because they are what is called solid assets. They are gaining value because of the unsteadiness of paper currency today. Money printed on paper is called "fiat" money. It is not worth anything intrinsically. Unless the government that prints it has sound financial principles as well as true assets to back the paper money, it is not worthy the paper on which it is printed. Thus, when governments do foolish things like sinking themselves in an endless ocean of debt - their paper money becomes worthless. It is in times like these that silver and gold will show its true value. It will stand when all the paper money fails. So is the speech of the godly, righteous tongue. Their words will stand when all the theories and ideas of man come crashing to the ground. Let's look at why other words are worthless. The proverb tells us that the tongue of the righteous is as choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is worthy little. The words of some are worthless because they come from a wicked heart. This is the heart of one who shuns the grace of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. They choose instead to trust themselves. There is only one problem with this scenario - the heart of the fallen is wicked. If left to themselves the unsaved will eventually come up with answers to our problems. Their answers will not involve God - but will turn increasingly to the flesh and the world system for their deliverance. They will call evil good and good evil in their quest for a self-oriented salvation. That salvation will only be an empty cistern of powerless promises. Oh that God would raise up many in the church who will hold fast to the Scriptures and to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Then and only then will she be able to send into this world an army of silver-tongued saints who can offer this world what it truly needs. They need the truth. They need the facts about their sin. They need the only way a man can stand righteous before a holy God. They need the gospel of Jesus Christ - and the pure preaching and teaching of the Word of God. May God turn us from wicked hearts captivated by sin - to the foundry of God where, forged in the daily study of the Word of God under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit, we can watch God grant to us "tongues of choice silver." He who conceals hatred has lying lips, And he who spreads slander is a fool. Proverbs 10:18
One might think on the first reading of this proverb that God is encouraging those who have hatred to let their mouths voice it openly. But you need to remember that many of the proverbs start with a basic statement - and then that statement is explained with an added comment that further defines it. That is the way to understand the proverbs. If we do not read them this way - it is easy to grab a partial proverb and make it say something it was never meant to say. What we have here is a proverb about hidden hatred later escaping through slander. The first part of this proverb speaks of one who is concealing their hatred by saying things they do not believe. An example of this is someone who says nice things or supportive things of someone when they are around that person. Inwardly they despise this person - but they do not allow their hatred to be expressed when around them. But do not be deceived by their lying lips - because deep within them they are churning with a hatred that will surface in time. Their hatred surfaces in what is said in the second part of this proverb. They begin to spread slander. They will not speak openly about their hatred of a person, a viewpoint, a decision, etc. But later they will begin a slander campaign to express their hatred. Put very plainly - they won't tell someone openly they hate them - but in private and with others they will let their hatred fly by slandering them often. The one who does this is a fool. The Scriptures says that it is better to openly rebuke someone than to secretly slander them. If there is a biblical issue that needs to be addressed, then address it privately with the person. If there is a view that needs to be opposed - then oppose it where a debate of ideas can be had. If there is a decision that is wrong - then openly state that it is wrong. To allow a hatred to build up in our hearts is not just foolish - it is dangerous. In time it will surface in slanderous gossip. We WILL eventually have our hatred come out - and when it does - it will not be pretty. You may not like someone who openly confronts you - who rebukes and questions a view you have taken - or who disagrees with you publically. But one thing is for sure. You have far more respect for someone who does this, then for someone who speaks open words of support - but follows them up with slanderous gossip when you are no longer around. Such a man is a fool - and his actions will come back to roost eventually. Speak the truth in love - and if you disagree with someone and do not feel God wants you to speak out - then love them by interceding for them. Hatred, gossip, and slander has NEVER helped any situation where it was used. It has only made for fools and for deep hurt by those who have been injured by it. On the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found, But a rod is for the back of him who lacks understanding. Wise men store up knowledge, But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand. Proverbs 10:13-14
A godly mouth can be a great blessing to anyone who has one granted to him by the grace of God. Such a mouth, though given by God, must be disciplined to follow Him only - and not the foolishness of the natural man. The wisdom of God is found on a certain kind of man. He is called a discerning man. The Hebrew word used here is "bin" and it speaks of someone who through the use of the Scriptures is able to determine the difference between what is of God and what is not. This discerning heart and mind instructs the lips of the wise man. We learn later in verse 14 that this man stores up knowledge. This knowledge is a practical knowing of God and of the world that is around him. Thus this wise man instructs his mouth with this knowledge. He learns to know much, but not always speak what he knows. He has learned that he can NOT say things and be a blessing. Thus he seeks to quell within himself words and statements that will unnecessaily disburb the peace in relationships. Many an argument and fight could be prevented if one or the other of the two combatants would have practiced this wisdom. They would keep their words to themselves - knowing that sharing their "knowledge" would be done more from pride than from love. We know from the New Testament that knowledge puffs up - but love edifies. We can share all our knowledge - and by doing so cause a disturbance as others react to our pride. The wise man stores up knowledge within - and only brings that knowledge out at the direction of the Holy Spirit - Who will direct him to use that knowledge to build up and encourage others. We are also told of the fool - and his mouth. These two verses go together because they speak of the speech of one - and then the consequences of the other. The next verse reverses this order - trading the wise man for the fool in his speech - and the fool for the wise man in the reward or retribution that results. The consequences of the fool is a rod for his back. His words are the source of his punishment - for they evidence his foolishness and lack of regard for what is right. A proverb from the Talmud expresses this wonderfully when we read there, "that which a wise man gains by a hint, a fool only obtains by a club." The wise man learns - instructs his mouth and heart with that wisdom - and therefore avoids problems and public discipline. The fool chooses to let his mouth run - and with that overactive mouth - ruin comes to him. Biblically we can remember the difference between Solomon and his son, Rehoboam. Solomon began his reign seeking God and requesting wisdom from Him. His son Rehoboam had an opportunity to win over the people - but chose the foolish counsel of his friends. That led him to speak harsh, unkind, oppressive words to the people. In the end he lost all but one tribe - which God granted to him because of His promise to David. But how the foolish mouth granted him much destruction and difficulty. The wise mouth, though, was blessed in many wonderful ways. So take the time to listen - and allow God's wisdom to sink deep enough into your heart so that it instructs your mouth on what to say. Doing this promotes blessing. The Life and Times of the Drunken Fool Part 3 - Effects on our Eyes and Mouth - Proverbs 23:334/26/2011 Your eyes will see strange things And your mind will utter perverse things. Proverbs 23:33
In our look at the life and times of the drunken fool we next encounter the physical effects of alcohol on our eyes and mouth. It is a proven fact medically that alcohol will affect our minds - and through that our ability to think and respond to things clearly. Our brains control both of these functions and since the brain has a large blood supply going to them, they are more quickly influenced by the alcohol levels rising in our blood due to drinking. Within less than an hour two major problems develop for the drunken fool. First the brain itself is hindered from its ability to have nerves function normally. Alcohol in the blood supply depresses our nerve conductivity - thus it also results in a slow down of our ability to think and react to things. Next as the blood alcohol level reaches muscles - our eye muscles will lose their full ability to function and we will begin to have blurred vision. As these things are multiplied by the drunken fool - the brain may begin to misinterpret information and won't react properly to stimuli that are coming to it. The more acute the situation the more that things become distorted with some even having hallucingenic conditions in their comprehension of what is happening to them. One thing I learned while researching these things on the internet is that this is why we should never drink and drive. The more drunk someone is - the more their ability to react to stimuli is impaired - making them very dangerous on the road. One test involved giving goggles to drivers that simulated various stages of drunkenness. At lower blood alcohol levels the failure level of drivers to pass even simple tests was frightening to see. Things only got worse as the person's blood alcohol levels rose. The second statement here is that not only will the drunken fool see strange things - but he will also say "perverse things." When the brain is filled with higher and higher levels of blood alcohol - the brains ability to filter things is severely hampered. Things that would normally be supressed flow freely. The fact that perversity flows more at these blood alcohol levels should be of little shock to us since we know that the Bible says that we are fallen and sinful. I've been around people who said the most horrible things when they were drunk. There are people who are the nicest most discreet folks until they get some liquor into them. Suddenly their mouths are transformed as they begin to curse and say sexually perverse things to the opposite sex. Some were horrified to learn how they spoke the next day as they recovered from their drunken state. Yet a simple reading of Romans chatper 3 should remind us that one of the traits of the sinful nature is its horrific effect on the mouth and the tongue. Romans 3:13-14 tells us that sinful man's throat is, "an open grave." We are also told, "With their tongues they keep deceiving. The poison of asps is under their lips." Finally we are reminded there that their mouths are, "full of cursing and bitterness." Oh how the mouth of fallen man is loosed without any discernment when alcohol numbs their thinking and their conscience. Unfortunately, I've known of relationships that were ended because of things that were said in a drunken stupor. The wise man knows that the last thing he needs is a relaxation of his ability to discern and discreetly chose how he speaks and lives. Since alcohol deadens these things, wisdom tells us to steer clear of all abuse of alcohol. Wisdom warns us against drinking any level of alcoholic beverages because it may deaden our heart's ability to hold our tongues from saying truly stupid and foolish things. Such passages as these in Proverbs should warn even the novice that taking up an alcoholic drink can be dangerous indeed - especially if we want to see things clearly and speak those things that honor and glorify God. There is gold, and an abundance of jewels; But the lips of knowledge are a more precious thing. Proverbs 20:15
If offered either gold and a bag full of jewels or lips that speak knowledge . . . choose the lips that speak knowledge from God. In today's world I hear commercials that tout the wisdom of buying gold. Gold will continue to rise in value and it is a safe investment. Having gold provides a secure future as the financial markets as well as the monetary ones continue to decline. But even these things will pass away. To have knowledge is far more valuable in the end. As I write this gold is nearing $1500 an ounce. Jewels are rising in value as well. On a recent trip to Israel I visited a diamond cutting and setting facility. I was shocked as I walked through their gallery and saw how much these precious stones cost. They had an abundance of these precious stones. Some items ran almost $100,000 - and most were over $1000 at least. What an abundance of these jewels in a bag were worth is beyond my imagination. Yet even compared to what had to be a multi-million dollar inventory of jewels - to have a mouth and lips that speak knowledge is far better. The lips of knowledge refer to a man or worman who speaks and acknowledges the wisdom of God. He usually speaks with reference to the Word of God - accessing it to help prove any kind of point that he is making. The word for knowledge here is "daath" which refers to knowing by experience, relationship, or encounter. These are lips that speak of more than just head knowledge and learning. This one speaks because he has encountered God. He knows Him personally and as a result of this personal knowledge, has a wisdom and a discernment that comes from knowing the real God versus the lies of this world and the false religions of it. This is true wealth to God - and should be to us. Nothing should be more valuable to us than hearing someone who knows and walks with God speak the things that exalt Him in our eyes - as well as the eyes of the world. Value this above all - for when you have these kind of lips that speak knowledge - or you know someone who does - you are rich indeed. The mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on folly. Proverbs 15:14
Here we have a comparison between the mind and thinking of the intelligent and the mouth of fools. One thinks and comtemplates on things while the other is far more interested in what he will say than what fills his mind. Let's take a few moments then today to see what the intelligent man as well as the fool can offer as far as instruction. Who is this intelligent man? He is the thinker for he wants to discern. He is observing and paying attention to what is before him, what is said to him, and what he sees in others. He considers things diligently because in the end he desires the knowledge that only God can give him. We read here that he is seeking knowledge. "Daath" which is the Hebrew word for knowledge here means that he seeks to have knowledge by experience, relationship, and encounter. He is not content with a knowing that is in his head alone. That is why this particular statement is interesting to me. It is the mind of this man that wants knowledge. In other words, even though he is a thinker, thinking is not all that he wants to do. He wants a thinking that results in action. Some refer to "daath" kind of knowledge as a path or a way that one walks - thus a lifestyle. So our thinker is contemplating and discerning a way to walk out his life. The fool here is living for a much more sensuous journey. We know this because he is not contemplating or thinking - but merely feeding on something. The word "feeding" means to graze in a pasture. The fool is not using his mind - he is using his mouth. He is spending his time grazing on folly. Since folly (ivoleth) means to be one who hates wisdom and who chooses instead to walk in folly - we see here a man who despises the wisdom and knowledge that God offers. This word also has a sense in which it also hates the morality that comes from a contemplated life. He doesn't want to think - he just wants to graze on the contemporary philsophies of the day. He is content to just feed on what is fed to him by the world system. Two paths are taken here - one toward disernment and knowledge - the other toward folly and whatever the world is slopping on his mental plate. One thinks and considers his path - wanting to experience all that God has for him. The other is hardly interested in God - unless the common talk is of him, her, or whatever mankind decides is god for the season. One lifts his head and stops to discern and deeply consider his path - his very lifestyle. The other pretty much takes the lifestyle that the world dishes out to him daily. In the end one lives a life of purpose while the other is driven by the spirit of the age. Consider well reader - for if you live only to consume what the world offers, a fool you will be. If you think well and often about where you walk and what you do, a rich reward of wisdom will be yours - and that from God Himself. An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, But the righteous will escape from trouble. Proverbs 12:13
Be careful what you say . . . you may being laying a trap for yourself with your words. That is the truth that today's proverb is trying to get us to understand. The Hebrew phrase used here paints an interesting picture for us. The original Hebrew reads, "In the transgression of the lips is an evil snare." What is even more fascinating about this phrase is that the snare is actually a baited trap. Of course we know that a trap is baited so that the animal that we desire to capture is lured to it. The animal is captured when it focuses on the bait rather than the surroundings of that bait. Some animals can even sense the danger of the trap, but ignore it because they become so fixated on the bait in it. What captures this fool is the fact that he does not watch what he is saying. The transgression of his lips is his unwillingness to submit how he speaks to God and God's law. The word here meant a rebellious act - here meaning the rebellious speech of this man's mouth. His rebellion is against God and against God's warnings to be careful what he says. This man ignores God's cautions to those who say too much - and who see no need to put a guard over their mouths. The bait in their trap is actually their desire to have no one or no law govern what they can say. The undeniable truth of life is that we can say whatever we want, whenever we want, to whomever we want . . . once. The ability to repeat those words - or to be able to speak effectively again may be severely damaged by that absolute freedom to say what you want. Some may read this and protest that our founders fought for the freedom of speech. I would agree with you wholeheartedly on that matter. But our founders also knew that a wise man thinks before he speaks. He thinks because although he has freedom to speak - it is wisdom that governs us in such a way that we can speak again and again without reprecussion. We are told in the second half of this proverb that the righteous will escape from touble. This word "trouble" means something that causes distress and anguish. It refers to a situation of extreme discomfort and affliction. When we say something truly stupid, we can find ourselves quickly in a situation where we are uncomfortable. We all remember the times when a public figure said something they wished they had never said. You could almost hear a collective gasp from those around as the statement was made. The firestorm that ensued for the one who said it was predictable. Some of these public statements resulted in someone losing their job before it was all over. Did they have the freedom to speak - yes. Did their misuse of that freedom cost them dearly - absolutely. The wise man will escape from these afflictions because of the wisdom with which he chooses his words. He will know that there are times when he needs to speak - and other times when it would be wise for him to be quiet. Because he has chosen to surrender his right to say anything he wants to the Lordship of Jesus Christ - he is resuced from many situations where his freedom of speech would create great difficulty for him. Wisdom means knowing when to speak, how to speak, and often when to hold your peace. The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Proverbs 10:11
God speaks a great deal about "a fountain of life." That is why it is truly amazing to read that God says the mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life. Let's take a look at what the Word says about being a fountain of life - and learn to embrace the wisdom of having our mouth be all that this means. In Psalm 36:9 we read that the people of God are given the blessing of drinking the fill of God's presence in His house - and also to drink of the rives of God's delights. These things are said to bring us to know that God is the fountain of life. A second time in Psalm 68:26 God is called the fountain of Israel. Thus we see that "a fountain of life" coming from our mouths is simply that we speak of the Lord and the things of the Lord. This is confirmed further as we learn that Proverbs 13:14 tells us that the teaching of the wise is a fountain of life. As we experience these wonderful words, they teach us to turn aside from the snares of death - the sin that can ensnare us and destroy us if left undealt with in life. Proverbs 14:27 tells us that the fear of the LORD is a fountain of life - again telling us that when we live according to it, we will avoid the snares of death. Proverbs 16:22 reminds us that understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it - keeping us from the discpline of fools. All these various statements tell us something wonderful. To be a fountain of life - a righteous man or woman whose mouth flows forth with the blessing of God, we should strive to have all these things at work in us. That means that we embrace God Himself as the source of all that we offer to others - all that we speak and say. We know that God is also the one who allows us to teach and speak that life to others. But as we do, we also fear God and embrace understanding things as He does - speaking them as He would speak them to us. (Remember that the earliest definition of wisdom we had was that it was seeing things as God sees them.) As we speak according to the fear of God - speaking with His understanding, His wisdom as we teach others - we will be not just a fountain of life - but a fountain that protects them from death - its snares and its lies. The opposite of the fountain of life is what the mouth of the wicked offers to us. The wicked is speaking - but he is speaking falsehood - and he is not offering to others a fountain of life. What he offers is concealed violence. Since selfishness reigns in his life - he doesn't have a desire for others to be blessed. Deep down he wants what they have - he wants things for himself. There is not a fountain that flows outward - in giving life to others. He has a type of vortex that sucks all things toward himself. And when things begin to move toward taking something from him, no longer making him the center of things - he responds with violence. The example of this is best seen in the example of Saul. When he realized that God was taking the kingdom from him and giving it to another - he became very paranoid . . . and very violent. He watched as God blessed David - and it drove him crazy. He tried to pin David to the wall with a spear - tried to kill him by the hand of the Philistines - tried to kill him in his bed even while David was married to his daughter - and when his son, Jonathan stood up for David, even tried to kill him by throwing a spear at him. What flowed from Saul's heart was violence, even though he tried to conceal it with his mouth. It was eventually revealed that he was filled not with love and live - but with violence and hate. What is coming out of your mouth? Jesus let us know that what comes out of our mouths is what dwells in our hearts. He desires for life to flow out of us - for blessing to be what is spoken as we speak. But that will only happen as we embrace the righteousness that God offers to us in Christ. The way that we receive "the mouth of the righteous" is by embracing the only One Who can make us righteous, Jesus Christ. It is only as His life fills us through the Holy Spirit that we will have that mouth that blesses. May God give us the wisdom to embrace Him - and in so doing - have Him gloriously transform our mouth to speak so as to give life and blessing to all who hear us. Righteous lips are the delight of kings, And he who speaks right is loved.
Proverbs 16:13 One of the things that helps us understand the book of Proverbs is context. When we read this proverb, we need to grasp again the idea of context here. We know that not all kings love lips that speak what is right. Not even all kings listed in the Bible felt this way - in fact far fewer appreciated truth in their people - than those who ruled from a standpoint of falsehood. But when we remember the previous verse - we see why this passage is here. Since a divine decision is in the king's lips - those who realize their power that derives from God will love those who advise them to be truth speakers. Many a king has been destroyed by ungodly advisors. Those who are merely sycophantic suck-ups will come to the king and speak whatever is easiest to him. The problem with this is that often a king has to make rulings that don't make everyone happy. He will have to establish law that will help reign in the natural, selfish and self-centered nature of men. Without righteous laws - the kingdom will implode due to the inwardly explosive nature of sin. More than implode - his kingdom will collapse from the lack of character that comes from not dealing with sin in our lives. The fall has made us prone to ungodliness - not godliness. Thus a godly king who speaks and hears the truth is a wonderful thing for any nation to have. Such kings are bred in a hothouse of truth - not in a darkened mansion of lies and flattery. Since my guess is that none of us are kings who read and study this verse, what implications and instruction does it have for us? First, it reminds us of the importance of who we consider our counsellors. Do we love those who speak the truth to us? If we do not, we will be liable to having fair weather friends who only say to us what is pleasing at the moment - and who do not warn us of when we are lacking character and godliness in our lives. That can prove disastrous to us if we are not careful. Second, we should look at and examine what kind of friend we are to others. Earlier when I spoke of the kind of leeches that suck-up to those around them - was I speaking of the way you are with your friends. Do you love them enough to speak the truth to them? Are you willing to possibly have your friendship cooled for a period because you are a "TRUE FRIEND" who lets them know when sin is leading them down a bad path? This is where we can take the general truths of a passage and apply them to our own lives. Granted I figure that few of us will ever be pulled into the inner circle of a major ruler or government official. But if we do, it is my hope that we will be so used to being the right kind of friend that little will change in regard to how we speak the truth in love for their benefit. |
Proverb a DayEach day, we'll take a look at a verse from the chapter of Proverbs for the day. Our hope is to gain wisdom each day - and from that wisdom - to have understanding to make godly decisions in the throes of everyday life. Thank you for visiting our website! Everything on this site is offered for free. If, however, you would like to make a donation to help pay for its continued presence on the internet, you can do that by clicking here. The only thing we ask is that you give first to the local church you attend. Thank you!
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