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Study of
Proverbs:
The Wise Man
and the Tongue
Dr. Marc
A. Graham, Director
Biblical Counseling Center of Southeast
Michigan
Introduction:
A. The Bible makes a strong
connection between the condition of the heart and the way a person
handles their tongue.
B. The principle stated by
Jesus:
Matthew
12:34---"For out of the overflow of the heart the
mouth speaks." [Just like the contents of a pot boil over
when heated too much, so the mouth reveals what is in the heart.
Example---what does a person do when he is excited about something
in his heart? He talks about it, usually a lot. Whatever is in the
heart tends to come out of the mouth, according to Jesus. Thus, you
can learn much about the spiritual maturity of a person by how they
control their tongue and by the content of what they
say.]
C. The principle illustrated by
Isaiah:
Isaiah
6:5---"Woe is me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a
man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and
my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty." [After his
vision of the holiness of God, Isaiah realized his own sinfulness.
The way he described his sinfulness and the sinfulness of the
people was to cry out that he and they had "unclean lips." Why? He
was stating that the wicked condition of their hearts was revealed
by their tongues. Thus, the tongue is the gateway that reveals what
is in the heart.]
D. The implications of the principle
are given by James:
James
1:26---"If anyone considers himself religious and yet
does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and
his religion is worthless." [Wow! What a statement! James is
saying nothing less than that one can do all kinds of religious
things and appear to be religious, but it is all meaningless and a
sham if he does not control his tongue. James is taking the
principle taught by Jesus and illustrated by Isaiah to its logical
conclusion. If the tongue reveals what is in the heart, then a
person who can't control their tongue is a person with a wicked
heart, no matter what else religiously they may do.]
WITH ALL THIS IN MIND, IT IS EASY TO
UNDERSTAND WHY PROVERBS WOULD SHOW THE WISE MAN TO BE ONE WHO
CONTROLS HIS TONGUE AND THE FOOL TO BE ONE WHO DOESN'T. LET'S LOOK
AT SOME OF THE PRACTICAL PRINCIPLES OF TONGUE-CONTROL CONTAINED IN
PROVERBS.
Prov.
10:19---"When words are many, sin is not absent, but
he who holds his tongue is wise. [The talkative person is a
foolish person. He is enamored with his own opinions and loves to
hear from himself more than anyone else. Such a person is generally
a very poor listener and frequently misunderstands and
misinterprets others because of it. It doesn't take long for him to
run out of things to say and venture into gossip or just plain
nonsense.]
Prov.
10:20---"The tongue of the righteous is choice silver,
but the heart of the wicked is of little value." [Notice the
connection this verse makes between the tongue and the heart. The
tongue of the righteous reveals a heart that contains things of
value. The tongue of the wicked reveals a heart of little value or
use to others.]
Prov.
10:32---"The lips of the righteous know what is
fitting, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse."
[A the heart of a righteous person is revealed in that he knows the
proper and helpful thing to say at the proper time. He lips reveal
an honest heart. The fool, on the other hand, reveals a heart of
deceit and fraud in the things he says.]
Prov.
11:9---"With his mouth the godless destroys his
neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous escape." [The
Hebrew word for godless means "soiled." It is often translated a
"hypocrite." The person who destroys his neighbor with his mouth is
not a clean or pure person. He has a soiled heart. Slander is a
heinous sin. Yet it is so widely practiced and tolerated among
believers. It is among those things that believers are to put out
of their lives, according to Ephesians 4:30-31.]
Prov.
11:12---"A man who lacks judgement derides his
neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue." [This
is the fool who gossips, slanders and destroys with words, in
contrast to the silence of the wise.]
Prov.
11:13---"A gossip betrays confidence, but a
trustworthy man keeps a secret." [Someone who can't be
trusted with confidential information has a heart that lacks
integrity. It is a sad thing that there are few people today that
you can trust to keep confidential personal details shared with
them. It is a mark of how weak spiritually the Christian community
is.]
Prov.
13:3---"He who guards his lips guards his life, but he
who speaks rashly will come to ruin." [A man of good words
prospers. He is well thought of. A person who is impulsive and rash
with their speech quickly garners a poor reputation. They will not
be turned to or given opportunities that a person of trustworthy
speech will be. A rash, impusive talker has his words come back to
haunt him on a regular basis.]
Prov.
15:23---"A man finds joy in giving an apt reply---and
how good is a timely word." [Joy comes to the wise man who
is able to give intelligent, reasoned responses to questions asked.
This is a person who is respected and turned to by others. He has
the wisdom to speak the proper words at the proper
time.]
Prov.
15:28---"The heart of the righteous weighs its
answers, but the mouth of the fool gushes evil." [Again,
note the linkage between the tongue and the heart. A righteous
person carefully considers the things he says. A fool, on the other
hand, constantly blurts out words without thinking about what he is
saying. A mark of spiritual immaturity is a person who does not
guard what they say.]
Conclusion:
A foundational principle that should
be learned and practiced by every Christian is contained in the
following verse:
Ephesians
4:29---"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of
your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up
according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."
[The word for "unwholesome" refers to that which is "corrupt,
foul, or rotten." It was used to refer to spoiled or putrid food.
The Christian's speech should be constructive not destructive. It
should focus on building others up, not tearing them
down.]
Does your tongue verify your
religion or discredit it?
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