Summary: Today we stress the power of the tongue to do evil but it must be controlled. Also, depart from evil and do good. The tongue is troublesome and we spent time looking at the problem. With everything we must be conformed to the image of Christ. Even Christians fear to commit themselves.

PSALM 34:12-14 - PART 5 – THE TONGUE A STRAINED BOW - AND DEPART; DO; SEEK; PURSUE

In our last message in this glorious Psalm we were at the start of the second half of the Psalm. This alphabetic Psalm has 22 verses/stanzas to match the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, but it has two divisions of 11 verses each. The second division began with verse 11 which we did last time. Today we begin the study at verse 12.

[1]. DESIROUS OF LIFE AND OF SEEING GOOD

{{Psalm 34:12 “Who is the man who desires life, and LOVES LENGTH OF DAYS that he may see GOOD?”}}

A question is asked here but not answered because the answer is self-evident. The aspirations in this verse should be the desire of everyone and their lives should reflect that desire. Of course people want a long life and to have good, not evil and turmoil.

I sometimes reflect on this verse from Moses – Here is the KJV/AV – {{Psalm 90:10 “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.”}}

The ESV for that is – {{Psalm 90:10 “The days of our years are THREESCORE YEARS AND TEN, or even by reason of strength fourscore years; yet is their pride but labour and sorrow; for it is soon gone, and we fly away.”}}

When I reached 70 I thought we might be on borrowed time, and now I am in my early 80s, I think more on this. I pray the Lord will preserve me so I can continue expounding His word - more these days in written form. Whatever the Lord has for us, there is one verse that is infallible – {{Psalm 31:15 “MY TIMES ARE IN YOUR HAND. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.”}} Let your life rest in the Lord.

Psalm 34:12 mentions about seeing good. However that is not always the case because some people are just so wicked they do not desire good but evil, as did the people in the era leading up to the flood. {{Genesis 6:5 “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth and that EVERY INTENT OF THE THOUGHTS OF HIS HEART WAS ONLY EVIL CONTINUALLY.”}} Can you imagine a society where every single person does not have one decent or “good” thought? Man is corrupted through and through, and humanist reformers who say we only need to modify man’s behaviour to make him right, are deluded. That is the thrust of humanism to ruin society. The gospel message is that we must be created anew – born again.

In 2022 the world saw the Islamic barbarism of those who desire only evil – Hamas and later, Hezbollah. What these butchers do is inhuman because Satan is their father. I won’t continue with the monstrous evil of Mohammed and the movement through the past 14 centuries but it only reinforces the fact that man is evil and corrupt and not one does good as we saw last time.

Christian, let me ask a question. Do you love watching and following evil things and disasters like some ghoulish persons do, or do these events insult and repel you, and you want to know only good? I have seen some of those horrible productions on YouTube and they are repulsive, demonic and blood lust. Paul was aware of this when he penned – {{Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, WHATEVER IS OF GOOD REPUTE, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind(s) dwell on these things.”}} We are what we do and what our minds follow.

Just as a diversion here, there are two ways of looking at this verse – Psalm 34:12. Here they are – FIRST: ((“Who is the man who desires life, and loves length of days (SO) that he may see good?”)) SECOND: ((“Who is the man who desires life, and loves length of days and (THEN) he may see good (AS A RESULT)?”)) I find myself in both camps, but I leave it with you for your meditation.

[2]. THAT TROUBLESOME TONGUE AGAIN

{{Psalm 34:13 “KEEP your tongue from EVIL, and your lips from speaking DECEIT.”}}

We are now in the second half of this alphabetic Psalm, a more practical set of instructions for daily living, and not unlike some of the Proverbs. This next one for us is a problematic one for us all, and if you tell me it is not a problem for you, then you are lying and I would accuse you of that.

Let me ask you wife or husband or your children if you claim you do not offend in this matter. We all stand condemned otherwise we would be a perfect man or woman. Those of you who know your bibles might immediately think of the book of James and we will look into that shortly.

Firstly I want to have a little examination of a few words in this verse just to enlighten it a bit.

“KEEP”. The sense of this word is to guard or watch over, as in safekeeping. Strong’s mentions the word “stockaded” and that means to keep it confined, a bit like putting your tongue in prison. Like stray dogs we too often let our tongues wander off and they get us into trouble because they are uncontrolled.

“EVIL”. We immediately think of bad or wicked. I often interchange evil and wicked in my writing. I did check Strong’s again for the range of meaning in translations in the bible for this word and here are some, including what is caused (by adding “ness” to some of the words) – unkind, hurtful, disagreeable, bad, unpleasant, misery, distress, injury, giving pain. Taken overall, this is a nasty list the tongue is capable of.

There is nothing wrong with “lips”. Often when this word is used it means no more than language or speech as in communication. How do we communicate? Sometimes it is not pleasant, with the lips giving the utterance that comes from our hearts; the old perverse, fallen nature that leads us into sin.

“DECEIT”. The word means treachery as well. This time I am going to quote from Strong’s – [[ “The Hebrew word "mirmah" primarily denotes deceit or treachery. It is used to describe actions or words that are intended to mislead or betray. In the biblical context, "mirmah" often refers to dishonest practices, falsehoods, and the betrayal of trust. It is associated with moral and ethical wrongdoing, highlighting the contrast between righteous living and sinful behaviour.” ]]

The word “deception” in the following verses is this word “deceit”. (The word “womb” in Holman is associated with conception) (the KJV uses “belly”), but we use “minds” for it is in the mind where deception/deceit is conceived and that gives rise to speech and actions. We have such a bad, old nature don’t we? Praise the Lord we have the new nature, which is a powerful one.

{{Job 15:35 “They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their WOMB prepares DECEPTION.”}} (Holman)

{{Job 15:35 “They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity, and their MIND prepares DECEPTION.”}} (NASB)

I like what Barnes has said here – [[“Keep thy tongue from evil - from speaking wrong things. Always give utterance to truth, and truth alone. The meaning is, that this is one of the methods of lengthening out life. To love the truth; to speak the truth; to avoid all falsehood, slander, and deceit, will contribute to this, or will be a means which will tend to prolong life, and to make it happy.”]]

The tongue is such a problem, that the Old Testament, especially the Psalms, has a lot of references to it. I will quote only two from the Psalms:-

{{Psalm 10:7 “His mouth is full of curses and deceit and oppression; under his tongue is mischief and wickedness.”}} (NASB) {{Romans 3:13 “Their throat is an open grave. With their tongues they keep deceiving.” “The poison of asps is under their lips.”}}

{{Psalm 50:11 “You give your mouth free rein for evil, and your tongue frames deceit.”}} (ESV)

Jeremiah had a lot of problem from the people of his time, especially all those in power and leadership from the king down. He experienced their great sinfulness and wrote this - {{Jeremiah 9:3 “THEY BEND THEIR TONGUE LIKE THEIR BOW. Lies and not truth prevail in the land, for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know Me,” declares the LORD.”}} That description is apt as the tongue is a weapon, like a bent bow ready to release its arrows of hate and hurt and mischief. Mark Anthony used it following Julius Caesar’s assassination. Winston Churchill used it to rally Britain in WW2. Hitler used it for destruction and murder.

The tongue is used to attack, to discredit, to cause harm and hurt, to insult, and is the wheels of the chariot of hate. Under the guidance and use of the Holy Spirit it can be used to help, save a person, comfort and strengthen people, praise the Lord, and so much more.

When it comes to the New Testament we automatically go to James to this well-known passage –

{{James 3:4-10 “Behold the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder, wherever the inclination of the pilot desires, so also, THE TONGUE IS A SMALL PART OF THE BODY AND YET IT BOASTS OF GREAT THINGS. Behold, how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire. THE TONGUE IS A FIRE, THE VERY WORLD OF INIQUITY. The tongue is set among our members as THAT WHICH DEFILES THE ENTIRE BODY, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. Every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea is tamed, and has been tamed by the human race, BUT NO ONE CAN TAME THE TONGUE. IT IS A RESTLESS EVIL AND FULL OF DEADLY POISON. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God. FROM THE SAME MOUTH COME BOTH BLESSING AND CURSING. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.”}}

James really puts the tongue on trial and it is found guilty. This man of God was the half brother of Jesus and grew up listening to the Lord, and he must have marvelled how in the family, no one spoke as Jesus did with 100% grace and beauty in all that He said.

James considers the tongue the test of a man’s standing before his God. {{James 1:26 “If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.”}} If that test was applied to our church folk, how many would fail? Would you?

James spoke about the tongue being a fire and said it was untameable, and full of deadly poison. His language is very pointed. SO how we can keep our tongues in check? Earlier in James he wrote this – {{James 3:2 “For we all stumble in many ways. IF ANYONE DOES NOT STUMBLE IN WHAT HE SAYS, HE IS A PERFECT MAN, able to bridle the whole body as well.”}} Unless I miss what James wrote he does not deal with HOW to control/tame/bridle the tongue.

How then do we deal with it? I suggest it is all connected with the mind. The tongue speaks what is in the mind; it gives expression to the content of the mind. When our minds are astray our speech will be also, but if our minds are under the control of Christ, so also our speech will be tempered. The mind has control over the tongue, but who has control over the mind? {{Romans 8:6-7 “for the MIND SET ON THE FLESH IS DEATH, but THE MIND SET ON THE SPIRIT IS LIFE and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so.”}}

“The mind set on the Spirit” takes us to this critical verse in Romans – {{Romans 12:1-2 “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies A LIVING AND HOLY SACRIFICE acceptable to God which is your spiritual service of worship, and do not be conformed to this world, BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”}} That, I believe, is what the secret is. It is the renewing of the mind that influences what the tongue expresses. We tame the tongue by the constant renewal of the mind in the transformation of the Holy Spirit in us to conform us to the mind of Christ.

To close this section, I will use a quote from Gill – [[“. . . hypocritical and deceitful words, speaking with flattering lips and a double heart: some speak bad words in common conversation, through an evil habit and custom; and some speak good words with an ill design; and in neither of them is the fear of God before their eyes, nor in their hearts.”]]

[3]. COMMANDS TO DEPART; DO; SEEK; PURSUE

{{Psalm 34:14 “DEPART FROM EVIL and DO GOOD. SEEK PEACE, and PURSUE IT.”}}

Depart from evil is to separate from it. It must not be your desire or pursuit. The child of God must never be in the camp of evil for there are only two sides – light and darkness; God and Satan; good and evil. A man can not serve two masters and one of them must be rejected.

A Christian can have evil thoughts and desires because his mind is not set on the Lord. As the old Chinese Christian story goes, this man was saying how he feels like his life resembles two dogs fighting. Dogs of good and evil. “And which one wins?” he was asked. The answer came back, “The one I feed the most.”

When you depart, you are leaving and going; leaving what is behind and going to what is new ahead of you. The child of God must leave behind the evil and go forward in the Spirit applying this verse – {{Philippians 3:10-11 “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, BEING CONFORMED TO HIS DEATH, in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”}} Conformed to His death means dying to your old self and becoming more alive in Christ; more like Him.

Peter also takes up this issue for living – {{1 Peter 1:13-15 “THEREFORE, GIRD YOUR MINDS FOR ACTION, keep sober in spirit, FIX YOUR HOPE COMPLETELY ON THE GRACE TO BE BROUGHT TO YOU at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not BE CONFORMED TO THE FORMER LUSTS which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behaviour.”}}

“Gird your minds for action” means taking deliberate action for that to happen. The section here - FIX YOUR HOPE COMPLETELY ON THE GRACE TO BE BROUGHT TO YOU – is that which transforms you so your minds will follow after Christ and won’t start getting entangled in evil.

Psalm 34:14 “DEPART FROM EVIL and DO GOOD.” The second part of that statement is that we might do good. For you to do good means you must be in close connection with the One who is good, that is Jesus Christ Himself. All we have been saying goes together. The mind is in focus and that must be right. The mind is the locomotive that pulls everything in line for good or evil. Have your mind set on the Lord and much will fall into line.

We are told this – {{1 Peter 3:11 “and let him turn away from evil AND DO GOOD. Let him seek peace and pursue it,”}}. That must have been an important subject in the early church. I will close this message with this – {{Galatians 6:10 “so then, while we have opportunity, LET US DO GOOD TO ALL MEN, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”}} Be good each to the other, for your Master is good!