The power of the tongue
Prov. 10:11-22
The mouths of those who do right are a fountain of life. But the trouble caused by what sinners say destroys them. Prov. 10:11.
Later on in Proverbs Solomon said, “The tongue has the power of life and death” (18:21). The old adage, “Sticks and stone may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” may have applied to the playground, but it does not apply to real life. Our words can build up or tear down, so we must choose them wisely.
Like Solomon, James had a great deal to say about the tongue and it’s use. His focus was not on what your words can do to others, but rather on what they say about you. James said that the words that come out of your mouth are in indication of the condition of your heart (see Luke 6:43-45). No doubt James applied Jesus’ teaching and he incorporated it into his own writings. In the first chapter of his letter James said, “If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless” (1:26 NLT).
That statement set the stage and in the third chapter he provided more detail. In chapter three he said, “… If you could find someone whose speech was perfectly true, you’d have a perfect person, in perfect control of life. A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything – or destroy it! It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell” (James 3:2-6 MSG).
Just as the small bit controls the direction of a big horse and the tiny rudder controls is used to steer an enormous ship, our tongue dictates the course of our lives. If you read James’ entire letter you will realize that he is teaching about spiritual maturity. His aim is that we all grow in Christ. He emphasizes the fact that our walk with God should not be void of works. He teaches that faith without works is a dead faith (see 2:18-26); but he also makes it clear that the true test of spiritual maturity is not in outwards actions, but rather in inward control. The fight of inward control is won or lost with a two-inch piece of flesh – our tongue. Just like a carefully placed word can turn a seemingly hopeless situation around, a carelessly placed word can start a fire that you may not be able to put out.
Simply put, it means you should watch your mouth. Your mouth can either become a fountain from which blessing, promises, and righteousness flow or it can become the vehicle through which destruction and defeat are ushered into your life. If you can control your tongue, you can control your life. However, to control your tongue you will need the help of the Holy Spirit. Ask Him to help you to protect what goes through your eye gates (what you see) and your ear gates (what you hear). What goes through your eyes and ears eventually gets down into the soil of your heart. Your heart germinates what you sow into it and the harvest comes out of your mouth. Protect your heart and you will protect your mouth. Protect your mouth and you will protect your life!
Hate stirs up fights. But love erases all sins by forgiving them- Prov. 10:12 NIV.
At first glance this text seems like a clear-cut comparison between love and hate – and ultimately, it does compare the two – but the real comparison Solomon is making is in the area of one’s response to evil. He is highlighting the fact that as believers we should respond to the evil done wrong to us in a different way than the world. Love was the central theme of many of Jesus’ messages and He, more than anyone, taught us (by precept and example) how to respond to evil. It is too easy to repay evil with evil, but when you are able to repay evil with good, that’s when you know that God has wrought a change in your life.
As believers we should not walk around with a root of bitterness, but rather with the oil of joy – quick to forgive, to let go, and to move on!
This means you have a choice. You can either respond to evil with evil - making you no different than the world, or you can respond to evil with love (making you an example of God in the earth). Which will you choose? The Bible is full of evidence that proves that God expects us, as recipients of forgiveness, to forgive. Forgiveness helps mend broken relationships, heal broken hearts, and it provides a covering for the wrong done. I will close with the words of Peter: “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins” (1st Peter 4:8).
In the lips of him that hath discernment wisdom is found; But a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding. Prov. 10:13
Solomon compares the lips of the wise with the back of the foolish. To get a better picture of what he is saying we must understand the setting (or the era) from which he is saying it. In ancient times flogging (or scourging) was a common form of punishment. When someone committed an act that warranted punishment, but not necessarily prison, they were often publicly disciplined with either a whip or a rod. Inevitably, the punishment would leave scars on the person’s back. Whenever they took their top off, people would know that they had – at some point in their lives – committed an error that warranted the rod.
Your decisions are like seeds that are sown into the soil of your life. If you make good decisions – decisions rooted and grounded in the counsel of God – they will bring forth a good harvest. This will be a harvest of peace with God. But if you make poor decisions – decisions that go against the counsel of God – then you are going to reap a disappointing and distressing harvest. This harvest will cause you nothing but pain, turmoil, and strife; and the worst part is that you will have no one to blame but yourself. If you consistently get yourself into trouble, you will eventually be known for it.
It means that your decisions matter. You will reap the harvest of the seeds you sow.
Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin. Prov.10:14
Now Solomon goes a little further - from wise decisions to seemingly contrasting the heart (or storage) of the wise man with the mouth of the fool. At first glance it looks like these two are not connected, but upon further review we will see that they are.
Solomon, being the wisest man of his time, knew a thing or two about storing up knowledge. He knew that the wise are in a constant state of learning and that they meditate on the right things. Solomon’s father (David) taught about “The Blessed Man” in the first Psalm. He said that this man literally meditates on the Word (or counsel) of God day and night. Likewise, when the Lord was preparing Joshua to lead the nation of Israel into the Promised Land He told Joshua to keep the Word of God in his mouth and his mind. The promise was that if Joshua meditated on the Word day and night, spoke the Word consistently, and then observed to do (putting action to it) all that he learned, that he would literally have a good relationship with the Lord (see Joshua 1:8). The key to all of this is what we store in our heart.
The wise store Godly counsel in their heart. Eventually, the abundance of their heart begins to flow out of their mouth. Before they know it, what’s in their heart and their mouth begins to dictate what they put their hands to do and how they do it. Continue down this road long enough and you will find yourself living in God’s best. However, the fool chooses to fill his heart with the wrongs things and eventually his mouth gets him in trouble.
Unlike the wise who meditates on Godly counsel, the fool meditates on ungodly counsel. They are quick to gossip, to welcome bad news, and to harbor on the evil done to them. They harbor bitterness, hatred, and unforgiveness in their hearts. They fill their hearts with the wrong things and eventually the abundance of their hearts causes them to speak the wrong words. Jesus explained this well to the Pharisees when He said, “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken” (Mat 12:35,36).
Did you catch that? Jesus explained the connection between what’s in your heart and what comes out of your mouth. It is obvious that the fool fills his heart with the wrongs things which will constantly gets him in trouble. If we fill our hearts with the right things, we can use our mouths to build up and not tear down. In Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus he explained the benefits of using our mouths the right way when he said, “Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them” (Eph 4:29).
The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor.- Prov. 10:15
To rightly understand the first proverb here in verse 15, we must push on to read it with the proverb in verse 16. If we do not do this, we will think that the acquisition of money is the end of man's existance. Although God encourages us to prepare for the future and to work hard so that through His blessing we may leave an inheritance to our children's children, this does not mean that gaining wealth is to be our highest aim.
Money can provide a measure of protection. The rich man thinks that his wealth is his fortress. . A fortress is a place one stays during an attack - it was a place of safety.
The problem with this proverb is that one might think wealth is the ultimate protection. Therefore we must gain wealth however we can. Such thinking is ungodly - and will lead to ruin, if not now - then in eternity. Therefore we have a clarification in verse 16. We are told that the wages or income of the righteous is life - while the income of the wicked is punishment. If we are seeking righteousness - a life that pursues God and desires to do what God says is true and just - we will be blessed. We may not have a tremendous amount of money - but we will have what is necessary at the end of the age. We will have life! The wicked though, however rich they may become, have a serious problem. Their income will be punishment. Thus a man may be tremendously wealthy by all outward appearances - but he may be dirt poor in spirit. The rich farmer in the gospels had enough to tear down his old barns and build new ones to fill with even more earthly riches - but the very night his soul was required - he was found destitute.
The wages of the righteous is life, but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death. Prov. 10:16 NIV
Solomon contrasts the “wages” of the righteous with those of the wicked. Webster’s dictionary definition of wages is: a payment usually of money for labor or services. Interestingly enough, Webster also lists the words, recompense and reward under wages and provides Romans 6:23 as a reference. In Romans 6:23 Paul said, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
There are people who fail to understand the significance of their actions. If something good happens, they thank God. If something bad happens, they blame God. Either way, they see God as the reason behind everything that happens to them, their family members, their children, and etc. They might show up late for work, on a regular basis, and wind up getting fired. Instead of taking responsibility for their actions, they say things like, “How could God let this happen to me?” They eat the wrong foods, live a sedimentary lifestyle and when they get sick they say things like, “If God loved me, He would not have done this to me.” People that live this way don’t understand the word “wages” in our text. They clearly understand what it means when it is payday – expecting full compensation from their employer – but they fail to understand the significance of what they do (or fail to do) on a daily basis.
In one sense, grace is God giving you what you do not deserve. Mercy is God not giving you what you do deserve. . It is only because of God’s goodness that He continues to give us what we do not deserve and holds back what we really do deserve, but we should not live our lives based solely upon grace and mercy. Solomon tells us that the wages (the reward) for living a righteous life is life – the God type of life. This is the life that God desires for you to live. Think of it this way: when you live the life God intends for you to live, it opens the door to the blessings of God. However, the earnings of the wicked are sin and death. When you choose to ignore God’s counsel and you willingly live a life contrary to God, it opens the door to sin and death. Is that what you want? Do you want to earn your way to destruction?
It means that your actions matter; that every cause has an effect. What you do today will be worthy of wages. You can either earn goodness or you can earn destruction.
What will your actions cause today? Will they cause life or death, blessing or cursing, goodness or destruction? Remember, the choice is yours.
He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray. Prov. 10:17
In Proverbs 10:10 we read that God is a loving and caring heavenly Father. Now as our Father He has a responsibility to discipline us when we go astray. If God failed to correct us it would mean that He failed to love us. The reality is that His love is unfailing. He loves us unconditionally and He is ever ready to get us back on the right path. What this also means, however, is that He is ever ready to correct us when we need it. Our job then, as loving children, is to accept and apply His correction; so that we can become the men and women that the Father desires for us to be. I know that many do not like to be corrected, but the reality is that we all make mistakes. We all go astray. We miss the mark from time to time. If we would be honest with ourselves, we would realize that the only thing keeping us from acknowledging our shortcomings is pride. As believers, if we really want to develop into mature citizens in the Kingdom of God, we will have to remain humble and teachable. The more we understand our weaknesses, the more God can help us address them. Our goal should be personal development, but you cannot be developed if you refuse to be taught.
On the other hand the selfish person 's focus is on their lives and their lives alone However, the humble child of God knows that their life is not their own. Jesus said that we are to be the “Light of the world” (Mat 5:14). Light does its best work in the dark. God wants to be able to plant you as a light in the midst of darkness, so that His glory, in you, could pierce through the bitterness, hatred, malice, and strife of others. The Father wants you to be a blessing . When God called Abraham He promised to bless him, but the overall purpose of the Blessing was so that Abraham could be a blessing to others (Gen 12:1,2). The reality is that we will all impact others – one way or another. We all have some level of influence over others. Solomon’s point is that if we accept God’s discipline and correction we can influence others in the right way. However, if we fail to be corrected , then we will influence others in the wrong way.
God has blessed you to have a sphere of influence. For some the sphere is bigger than for others, but nonetheless we all have one. The question is: what are you doing with that influence? Are you allowing God to develop you, so that you can influence others in the right way? Or are you rejecting His discipline and thereby putting yourself and others at risk? Remember, you will have to give account for the impact (good or bad) that you have had on others.
He who conceals his hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool. Prov.10:18
This is the second verse of a departure for Solomon, in that his previous comparisons have been between good and evil, righteous and unrighteous, godly and wicked. In this case, both are in the wicked category. They are, however, different types of wickedness. The first verse was verse 10.
The first person Solomon mentions is the person who harbors hatred in their heart towards others. If that were not bad enough, this person refuses to address the issue. He never openly confesses his dislike or distrust for the other person, but rather seeks to conceal his true feelings with flattery. He pretends to be a friend, and outwardly behaves as one, but inwardly carries a root of bitterness. Every time he has an encounter with the person or whenever the person’s name comes up in a conversation, he conceals his hatred with lying lips. There are many things wrong with this situation.
The second person Solomon mentions is the one who openly slanders others. Solomon calls him a fool. Our lips should be used to build up, not to tear down. Unlike the first man, who bites his lip instead of saying his what he really feels, this man’s mouth is stuck in the “on” position. He publicly expresses his dislike for others; seeking to deprecate, defame, and discredit them openly. He has no care or concern for their well being or their public status. His only goal to speak negatively about the person he dislikes and he will lie if he has to. Fabricating stories is not off-limits to this person and before you know it, they have a hard time differentiating between what is true and false in their own minds. He is a fool because he thinks he is destroying the other person, but he is actually destroying himself. He is sowing seeds of discord and eventually, he will reap what he sows.
Jesus said in Matthew 12:33-37 (NKJV)
33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Those who talk a lot are likely to sin. But those who control their tongues are wise. Prov. 10:19
1. What comes out of you is an indication of what is in you. Jesus explained that our words flow from the abundance of our heart (Matthew 12:34). This means that we are connected to our words and our words are connected to us. If a person routinely speaks foul language he will be known as a foul person. You cannot disassociate yourself from your words.
2. Words have power. The old adage sticks and stones… words will never hurt me, is simply not true. Words can build up or tear down. Abusive words can ruin a person’s life, just like positive and affirming words can prepare them for success and victory.
Solomon understood the importance of words. As the wisest man to ever live (outside of Jesus), he knew that wise men choose their words carefully. Later on in Proverbs we have “Those who have knowledge use words with restraint” (17:27).
The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value. The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of sense. Prov. 10:20,21.
In these two verses Solomon contrasts the tongue of the righteous with the heart of the wicked.
The reference to silver is a reference to value. Solomon is saying that those of us who walk with God, who fill our hearts with good things, and who thereby speak words of life are valuable As a believer, since your heart should be full of the Word of God, your mouth should be full of words of life. You should be ever ready to speak words that enrich, edify, uplift and inspire. . Our words and our works should make a positive impact on a daily basis.
Just like the hearts of the righteous are filled with good things, the hearts of the wicked are filled with evil things. Therefore, out of the abundance of their heart their mouths speak and what comes out is “No value added.” The lips of the wicked spread gossip, they are quick to backbite, and they speak hateful and divisive words. These people tear down, not build up. They are conniving and their ways can spread like cancer through an organization; driving wedges between the members; causing division, discord and discontent. Solomon calls these people “fools.” I guess the saddest part is these people are too foolish to realize that they are really being a detriment to themselves. They will eventually reap what they are sowing. Solomon says that they will die for lack of sense. Their evil ways bring destruction.
You have a choice. Which person do you want to be: the person that adds value or the person that is ' no value added' ? If you walk with God, study His Word, learn His ways, apply His principles, walk in love, and speak words of life, you will invariably add value to every organization you are a part of. People will seek you out, because you produce. At the end of the day, leaders of organizations are always looking for people that can produce positive results. However, the wicked are not so. They quickly gain a reputation for being divisive, disruptive, and counterproductive. People like this are not sought after, but rather ostracized. Don’t allow this to be you. Walk with God and seek to make a difference everywhere you go!
The blessing of the LORD brings wealth. Trouble doesn’t come with it. Prov.10:22
First of all let me clarify that this verse is referring to material wealth. I hope you understand that spiritual riches are far greater than materials riches, and being rich in the Kingdom of God – His righteousness, peace, love, and joy – should be our ultimate aim. However, in this verse Solomon is teaching us about material riches; which by themselves are not bad. Remember, having money is not the problem; it’s when money has you that you fall into a trap; the trap of thinking that money is that answer to all of life’s issues.
Those that seek riches without God may work hard, but their labor often seems in vain. In the 127th Psalm we see how hard it can be to work without the blessing. The Psalmist said, “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat…” (Ps 127:1,2).
When you pursue financial security His way, you can have more than enough to meet the needs of every situation. When your priorities are right, everything else falls into place.
When God blesses a man to be rich, He also gives contentment, happiness, and peace, which amounts to a double blessing. Ordinarily, riches bring a measure of fear, greed, guilt, hoarding, labor, pride, vanity, or worry. Wealth can be more trouble than good. But the blessed God of heaven is able to give riches without their attendant sorrows.
Only fools think riches have no sorrow. Solomon wrote more than the book of Proverbs. He also wrote an inspired philosophy of life called Ecclesiastes, in which he documented the pain and trouble of wealth (Ec 2:17-23; 4:4-8; 5:10-17; 6:1-2). He called the troubles of the rich a sickness and evil disease, and he said this sorrowful condition was common.
Read this rich king’s comparisons. “Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith” (Pr 15:16). “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith” (Pr 15:17). “Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit” (Eccl 4:6). Poverty can be better!
Rich men fear losing their riches; there are competitors to worry about; the propensity to consume takes their profits; they know death ends the good life; they dread the tax man more than a thief; and the thought of a foolish heir wasting their estate is horrifying. Similar factors apply to greed, guilt, hoarding, labor, pride, vanity, and worry.
What are the lessons? Ambition without God’s blessing will fail (Ps 127:1). Riches bring trouble, so it is dangerous to desire them (Pr 23:4-5; I Tim 6:6-10). The only wealth you want is by God’s blessing, for He gives contentment and peace with it (Ec 5:19; Ps 4:7). A happy and successful life requires more than riches (Pr 16:16; 17:1; 28:6). While the wicked eat the bread of sorrows, the righteous man sleeps sweetly (Ps 127:2; Ec 5:12).
