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
around at the other women, and I realize that I am the
prettiest one in the whole congregation. None of the
others can compare with my beauty. What can I do
about this sin?"
The pastor replied, "Mary, that’s not a sin, why that’s just a mistake!" We’ve all known people who
especially love to brag on themselves. I know some
people who can strut sitting down.
Pride has set a trap for many a person.
During the Battle of the Wilderness in the Civil War, Union general John Sedgwick was inspecting his troops. At one point he came to a point of elevation, over which he gazed out in the direction of the enemy. His officers suggested that this was unwise to do this.
"Nonsense," snapped the general. "They couldn’t hit an elephant at this dist--." Just then Sedgwick fell to the ground, fatally wounded.
The truth is apart from Christ we are nothing, and can do nothing.
II. Luke 16 :19-26 - SINNER LICKS HIS LIPS IN HIS DAMNATION
We see the words of a man in hell desiring one drop of water. His lips are parched and dry. He licks his lips in his damnation.
What does the Bible say about Hell? What will
Hell be like? Let be begin by saying:
A. HELL IS AN ACTUAL PLACE
Why do I believe there is a Hell and that Hell is an actual place? It is because Jesus said there was a hell. We read our Lord’s words in verse 23, “And in hell he lift up his eyes.” Jesus told of a man of abundant wealth that died. He described him in verse 19 as one that was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously everyday. Yet, when he died, Jesus stated that he went to a place called Hell. Jesus was declaring there is a Hell. Jesus described an actual place He called Hell.
B. HELL IS AN AWFUL PLACE
1. Hell is a place of an unquenchable fire.
"And if thy hand offend thee, cut it
off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed,
than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire
that never shall be quenched" ( Mk. 9:43 ).
There are no words to describe the
awfulness of the torments that are endured by those in hell. The torments of hell are in reality beyond words.
2. Hell is a place of an unerasable memory
The unsaved rich man was haunted by his memory. "Remember" is the perpetual voice which meets every man when he steps across the threshold of earth in to the portals of hell.
3. Hell is a place of an undeniable thirst
4. Hell is a place of an unprocurable rest
Revelation 14:10 declares, “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night...”
5. Hell is a place of an unobtainable grace
6. Hell is a place of an undesirable
associates
7. Hell is a place of unforeseeable end
8. Hell is a place of unsurpassable wrath.
Man in the past has experienced some of God’s wrath on this earth but not as it will be in hell.
C. Hell is an AVOIDABLE PLACE
Those in hell are there simply because of their DISREGARD for Jesus
III. John 19:28-30 - SON LICKS HIS LIPS IN OUR SALVATION
There have been great transactions between nations. There have been great transactions between individuals, but the greatest transaction revolved around God the Son and God the Father; it involved our salvation.
On the cross of Calvary Jesus was made sin for us. On the cross of Calvary God the Father laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all. On the cross of Calvary Jesus became sin for us. On the cross of Calvary’ Jesus suffered our hell for all who believe. As one of the torments of hell is thirst, even so the Son of God suffered thirst.
"I THIRST." These words were spoken by the suffering Saviour a little before he bowed his head and gave up the spirit. The CREATOR of heaven and earth with parched lips! The Lord of glory in need of a drink! The Beloved of the Father crying "I thirst!" On the cross of Calvary God the Father laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all. On the cross of Calvary Jesus became sin for us. He was thirsty because he was enduring our hell. A. It was a DEMANDED SALVATION The first thing we need to understand is that SALVATION was necessary. 1. There was a condition that Condemned This has to do with our "sin" - singular. We are all a sinner by nature (Romans 5:12). God had told Adam and Eve that if ate of the forbidden fruit they would surely die. The ate and the sentence of death came upon them. That sinful nature was passed down upon all the descendants of Adam. As a result of that sinful nature, all the descendants of Adam are under the wages of sin - death.
2. There was as a conduct that confirmed
This has to do with our "sins” - plural. Our condition is revealed in our conduct. We sin because we are a sinner. It is not a case of a man being a sinner because we sin; we sin because we are sinners.
One may argue that they are not a sinner, but the evidence is there. We are all sinners and heed salvation. Sin demanded a salvation.
B. It was a DELIVERED SALVATION
On the cross the our salvation became a
furnished and finished deal. When Jesus cried, "It is finished," the transaction was complete.
The priests offered many sacrifices, but Jesus offered one sacrifice. What tens of thousands of animal sacrifices could not accomplish, Jesus accomplished with
one sacrifice.
TIS DONE, THE GREAT TRANSACTION TIS DONE.
IV. I Thessalonians 4:15-17 - SAVIOUR LICKS HIS LIPS IN JUBILATION
In the Old Testament days trumpets were used to call the people of Israel together to a holy convocation. It is in this manner that the trumpet of God will be used in that day. The trumpet will sound, and all of God’s people will respond. What a holy convocation that will be! At that time we shall look upon the face of our Lord and adore and worship Him. Before a trumpet is sounded, you want your lips to be moist; as a result, they are often licked before playing a trumpet.
Whether it be the Lord who sounds the trumpet or the trumpet sounds at His orders, lips will be licked.
1 Corinthians 15:52 “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
Jesus will be coming for His bride, the church. He promised that when He went away, He would come again and receive us unto Himself! His departure had for its purpose the preparing of a place for us; therefore it is necessarily follows a return for us.
One day the trumpet will sound for His coming,
One day the skies with His glories will shine;
Wonderful day, my beloved One bringing;
Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine!
Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely forever;
One day He’s coming - O glorious day!
A little boy was born blind. A skilled surgeon performed a delicate operation on the boy’s eyes. For days and weeks his eyes were covered with bandages. The time was nearing when the bandages were to be removed. A nurse said to him one-day, "My boy, tomorrow we are going to remove the bandages from your eyes. If the operation has been a success whom do you want to see first?" Without a moment’s hesitation the boy exclaimed, "I want to see the doctor who gave me my sight."
The chief delight of the return of Jesus is that we will see Him who opened our spiritually blinded eyes and made us see. He is returning to receive us unto HIMSELF! We will be with Him. He will be with us. Together we shall dwell together throughout all eternity.
What a day that will be!
A. There will be a RESURRECTION on that day.
B. There will be a RAPTURE on that day.
C. There will be a REUNION on that day.
This will be the greatest family reunion of all time.
When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound
And time shall be no more
And the morning breaks eternal, bright and fair
And the saved of earth shall gather
Over on the other shore
And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.
Conclusion:
We have seen several incidents of licking the lips in the Bible.
Will you experience the one in Hell, or have you allowed the Lord to taste it so you will not have do?
Are you living such a life that makes the devil lick his lips?
Are you in the number that makes of the church of the living God for whom the Saviour is licking his lips in preparation for the sounding of the trumpet?
