Licking The Lips

LICKING THE LIPS

The Bible has much to say about the lips.

Proverbs 10:19 “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.” The more a man talks, the more mistakes he will make Wisdom is manifest in what we don’t say, rather than in what we say..

Proverbs 14:23 “ In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.” Working, without talking, will make men rich. Talking, without working, will make men poor.

Proverbs 17:28 “Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.” As a man grows older and wiser, he talks less and says more.

Proverbs 27:2 “Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips. Self-praise is no commendation.

Proverbs 5:3 "For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil.”

Proverbs 7:21 “With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.”

The strange woman baits her trap with the words from her lips. She is well versed in what to say to seduce careless men. She knows how to inflame the passions of those who would listen to her. The SEDUCER uses her lips. Out of these lips comes DECEIT. Her smiles are seductive and her smiles are subtle.

Every trap must have something that entices and allures and attracts its victims. A mouse trap uses cheese which appeals to mice. The fish hook uses a wiggling worm which attracts fish. The strange woman uses her lips to catch her prey. She flatters with her words (Proverbs 2:16). "Her mouth is smoother than oil" (Proverbs 5:3). She uses “sweet talk." She draws the victim to herself with nice, inviting language. She has charm to her voice and her words pull the man to herself as a magnet. She uses enticing words, flattering language, and admiring expressions. These words easily find their way and slide into the hearts of men, to prevail upon them to listen to her and yield to her temptations. “With her much fair speech she caused him to yield.”

Now, we are not going to talk further about this strange woman but we are going to talk about the lips, and in this case licking the lips.

Now I believe that there are four bona-fide instances of lip-licking instances found in the Scriptures.

I. I peter 5:8 - SATAN LICKS HIS LIPS IN HIS EXPECTATION

The licking of the lips is a dead give away that your cat is eager to eat. All cats, lick their lips when they see dinner on the horizon. They lick their lips in anticipation.

The devil licks his lips in expectation of what is soon to come.

A. The devil begins to lick his lips when he sees us Straying

He licks his lips when he observes someone just drifting.

1. From the Building

Hebrews 10:25.

When it is easier to stay at home than it is to come to church, the devil knows it will not be long before he has you.

Christians are like automobiles they usually start missing before they quit.

2. From the Bible

3. From the Brethren

In Africa, lions will lay out watching herds. Lions know their own strength, but they also know the strength of numbers. When a lion looks at a herd of zebras, he knows if he attacks one, and the herd stampedes, they would trample him. When he sees one rebelliously remove himself and independently feed away from the herd, he starts licking his lips.

B. The devil begins to lick his lips when he sees us Strutting

Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”

Pride is so deceitful! Obadiah 3 says, “The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee.”

I once heard a story about an Amish farmer who bought a new pair of overalls. Of course, the Amish are famous for their simplicity and trying to avoid pride. As he put on his new overalls and looked in the mirror, he said, “Oh, this will never do! I’ll be proud in these!” So he removed the new overalls and put on the patched, worn, and dirty ones. He stood again in front of the mirror and said, “Ahh, you’d look good in anything!” Pride can be so deceitful. You can even be proud that you’re not proud.

Far too many Christians pride themselves in what they don’t do (actions) and forget that there are sins of the attitude as well.

A young woman asked for an appointment with her pastor to talk with him about a besetting sin about which she was worried. When she saw him, she said, "Pastor, I have become aware of a sin in my life which I cannot control. Every time I am at church I begin to look