E.
Words at Their Best (Continued) 1-The marks of them, 2-the making of them, and now: (begin and end digs today with diamond deposits; in between: graphite)
1
() “Buy truth, and do not sell it.” Truth is so important, it should be bought whenever possible (when based on the standard of truth in God’s Word). What do we pay for truth? (How sad when people pay any standard other than God’s—such as what is popular, selfish, etc.) It should never be sold (adopting a lesser standard than divine truth).
2
() Hebrew: “My mouth shall speak of truth; and wickedness is hateful to my lips.” This is another way to say the same thing: Synonymous Parallelism. Note Hebrew: “Lying lips are hateful to the LORD, but those who deal faithfulness [are truthful] are His delight.” Solomon says that he hates exactly what God hates: lying. Why detest lying? Because it comes from the Father of Lies, Satan. ()
3
() “Righteous lips are the delight of kings, and he who speaks right is loved.” Many people try to flatter their ruler; kings like Solomon valued people who spoke the truth. Who would choose people to flatter him? Don’t people often vote for politicians who do this? Back in Solomon’s time, ethics meant something to government officials. Oh, that it would in our day, too!
4
() Hebrew: “Have I not written to you three [30-sheloshim] (do any of your Bibles say “3 times” here): scholars had trouble with “three” [sheloshah] when there were thirty-one proverbs here. They said this was a technical error of a scribe copying thirty as three, in which sheloshah (3) replaces sheloshim (30) to cause you to know the verity of the words of truth; to return words of truth to those who send you?” This writer noted that what he wrote were words of truth and could be relied upon. How could he say this? Because this is Holy Scripture and inspired by the Holy Spirit.
1.
Words of Gossip (Gossip is mentioned only in Proverbs in the Old Testament and only six times.) The only New Testament reference is <2 Corinthians 12:20v>.
a.
() The Hebrew word here and is rákil (slanderer) This person betrays a confidence and does not keep a secret. A slanderer is someone who damages someone else’s reputation by a false or malicious statement. Is it easy to repair a damaged reputation? Think of the Good Samaritan who returned a purse to an accident scene. The CHP initially charged him with stealing the purse.
b.
() This gossip-slanderer separates close friends by false or malicious statements about them. If a person said falsely, “Dennis, stay away from David. I have it on good authority that he participated in a drunken brawl last Saturday night.” If you trust the person who says this, it might separate you from David because of a false statement.
c.
( and ) The Hebrew word here and in and is nirgán (talebearer). This person is what we usually think of as a gossip. She gives a bad report about someone who has not given approval for the report. Sometimes what she says sounds just like useful information but, once received, it causes internal discomfort as you realize you have just received a big helping of gossip.
d.
() The talebearer talks too much and in doing so betrays confidences. One of the worst of these is presented as prayer requests by Christians.
e.
() Gossip fuels fires of strife, and its lack removes the fuel. Gossip fuels strife by giving a bad report that others believe and leads to a conflict. Have any of you ever witnessed this?
2.
Words of Slander (damage someone else’s reputation by a false or malicious statement)
a.
(; ; and Christians are commanded never to slander anyone because it is to scorn the law of love (“love your neighbor as yourself”).
b.
() We’ve learned that gossips can be slanderers. Here the person who spreads slander is likened to a fool. You can never trust anything a fool says or does. Only a fool would want to harm another person with his words.
c.
() Since this slanderous accusation is false, the servant’s curse against the slanderer will be effective — so the slanderer is told not to suppose he can take advantage of a servant’s lowly position.
3.
Words that are Outright Lies
a.
() “A lying tongue and false witness who utters lies” is one of the seven floats in God’s hate parade.
b.
A lying tongue is only for a moment. Why? (The lies will be refuted and the liar punished.)
c.
() “Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD.” This means that lips used for this purpose are cursed by God.
d.
() A ruler’s right to rule depends on honesty and justice. To pervert that right by lying to his subjects is much worse than the lying of a fool.
e.
() “The acquisition of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor, the pursuit of death.” Once the lies are uncovered, the fortune will be lost and the liar will be harmed or killed. Think of a former pastor who was imprisoned for lying about a large real-estate company and committed grand theft against Community Bible Church.
f.
() A lying tongue is an expression of hate from the heart to those it hurts.
4.
Words that are Hidden Lies (Deceive)
a.
(; ) Through hidden deceit, this person plots evil and creates distrust that culminates in alienation and conflict. Covered-up lies damage interrelationships. See , in which believers are commanded to rid themselves of deceit and any kind of slander.
b.
(; ) To conceal inner hatred by pretending friendliness is a hidden lie of the worst kind. “He who hates” is the literal Hebrew in . This man hides his true emotions by speaking insincere friendly words. Now we enter the huge deposit of emotions, finding first much graphite (soft carbon).
VI.
The Topic of Emotions
a.
() “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate.” God, as personified Wisdom, hates the sin of pride (the feeling that you are better than someone else). Pride and prejudice are bunkmates.
b.
(; ; ) Pride produces consequences that include disgrace, quarrels, and being brought low.
c.
() Pride also results in destruction and stumbling. (; ) This self-importance attitude is exemplified by the nation of Assyria’s great pride. Their pride, however, was destroyed by the Lord in their humiliating defeat at the hands of the Angel of the Lord.
a.
() “Men of bloodshed hate the blameless” and demonstrate their hate by trying to kill the blameless. Hate is the opposite of love, and it emanates from our old nature.
b.
() Hebrew: “Make your foot rare from your neighbor’s house, lest he be full of you and hate you” (vs. 17). In Hebrew, “filled” in verse 16 is the same “ full” in verse 17. Thus this means: “Just as if you get full on honey, and it will make you sick, so you can get full on your welcome with a neighbor and make him hate your sight (get sick of you).”
c.
() “Fools hate knowledge.” They cannot stand being in school. The fool hates the learning process; he is the only expert he needs.
a.
() Hebrew: “A pain-causing word causes anger to rise.” Such a word is the opposite of soft, which turns away wrath. Illustration: . (Nabal’s sarcastic response put David in a fighting mood.)
b.
“Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood.” Uncontrolled anger is like a powerful flood that destroys everything in its path. Mountain cabin flash flood in Wrightwood.
c.
() “A fool always loses his temper.” Only a fool will fully express anger to cause damage to a person who is loved by God.
d.
() Stirred-up anger within a person produces strife in an interrelationship as surely as churning milk produces butter and twisting the nose produces blood. What stirs up anger? (Feelings of resentment or hate within or words of challenge and belligerence without.) This is Emblematic Parallelism. Righteous anger is never mentioned in Proverbs. Anger is always sinful in Proverbs, and aimed not at sin but sinners.
a.
() A fool is quick to quarrel when he speaks against someone. What emotion precedes quarreling? (Hate for another person)
b.
() “Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindle strife.” A quarrelsome person habitually kindles strife. This is Emblematic Parallelism. Key word is “like.”
1.
Love (Hebrew ahabáh (ah-hand-bah) is the very nature of God.) (“God is Love” [)].) In His essential nature and in all His actions, God is loving (demonstrates what is in the best interests of those He loves).
a.
() “Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.” Here, Solomon commanded his sons to wear kindness and truth (demonstration’s of love) like a necklace. This means that showing kindness and truth to their subjects was to be habitual. Do we wear this figurative necklace habitually? What a blessing if we do.