Six Types of Tongues Part 4

A Naughty Tongue

Proverbs 17.4: "A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue."

While the word naughty often brings to mind the image of a wayward child who regularly receives reproof for his foolishness or disobedience, the word naughty in today's text denotes something much more serious in the eyes of God. A naughty tongue, much like both the backbiting and the deceitful, lying tongues, says things with intention of promoting wickedness. A heart that is determined to harm another person, either verbally, emotionally or physically, fuels this cruel speech. A naughty tongue is a wicked, evil tongue that, as James 3.6 describes, "is set on fire of hell." Our text tells us that those who listen to the words uttered by a naughty tongue are liars, just as ones who heed "false lips" are evil doers.

Notice that a naughty tongue does not secretly utter slanderous words to another person, as does a backbiting tongue; but rather, its speech is uninhibited, spiteful and confrontational. When one verbally attacks someone in order to "set him straight" on a particular issue, then gentleness, meekness and humility are certainly not evident in his life, even though the Lord requires these fruits of the Spirit to grace one's speech. God's Word tells us that even though we might harbour anger in our hearts, we must not allow that anger to manifest itself in a sinful manner, and certainly lashing out with a naughty tongue at someone is sinful indeed (Eph. 4.25-27). To succumb to our flesh is to "give place to the devil," and no believer should ever yield his actions to the enemy of his soul. Believer, guard your tongue against speaking that which is hurtful or spiteful. God hates such language, and so should we.

Country Mama

Six Types of Tongues Part 3

A Froward Tongue

Proverbs 10.31-32: "The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: but the froward tongue shall be cut out. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness."


Seldom do we hear the word froward used in modern-day speech, but in today's text that term describes an attitude of foolishness or perverseness that affects what a person says. In other words, the "froward tongue" does not concern itself with speaking that which is righteous and just. Instead, a froward person speaks foolish and perverse things that clearly reveal he is not walking in a right relationship with the Lord. Once again, it is necessary to recognize that such an attitude begins in the heart. Verse 32 of today's text says, "the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness." Wickedness, or unrighteousness, resides in the heart and life of the one who speaks with a froward tongue before he even utters a single word. What is our Lord's estimation of this sinful attitude and speech? Notice Proverbs 11.20 which says, "They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the LORD: but such as are upright in their way are His delight." Furthermore, Proverbs 8.12 tells us that God hates "pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth."

A froward individual walks in darkness (Proverbs 2.12, 13). He is divisive and mischievous (Prov. 6.12-14) and sows strife through his words and actions (Prov. 16-28). As believers, we are to guard our tongues and always act and speak in a way that reveals our love for God, our regard for truth and righteousness and our concern for our fellow believers in Christ. To speak that which the Lord deems "foolishness" or "perverseness" not only causes us to lose our testimony before others but also reveals that our hearts have wandered from a right relationship with our Lord.


Country Mama

P.S. Sorry it has taken a few days to get back to this, but everyone at our house has been ill this last week. I'm just now getting around to playing "catch-up".

Anthernet

Funny enough sometimes we thought we know more than GOD.



written by
Geek Wife

Six Types of Tongues - Part 2

Deceitful, Lying Tongue

Psalms 120.1-7:
"In my distress I cried unto the LORD,
and he heard me. Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful
tongue. What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou
false tongue?

Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper. Woe is me, that I sojourn in
Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar! My soul hath long dwelt with him
that hateth peace. I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war."

Deceit is always characterized by a heart that is hardened to the will of God. Such were the hearts of those who persecuted the psalmist in today's text. He cried out to God, "Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue" (v. 2).

We find from the context that these evil men hated peace (v.6) and despised the words of the psalmist (v.7). Instead, they loved "devouring words" because their tongue "[devised] mischiefs; like a sharp rasor, working deceitfully" (Psa. 52.1-4). They were so opposed to the word and will of God that they persecuted the psalmist by disseminating untrue, deceitful information about him to others.

Such lies and deception caused the author of this psalm to live in misery and even to cry out, "Woe is me" (v.5). King David also experienced the harm resulting from a lying tongue (Psa. 109.1-4) and cried out to God for deliverance. Wicked men inflicted much pain upon this Godly man by the untrue words they spoke against him.

It is possible for us, like the evil men in our text who had no fear of God, to use our tongues to make the life of another person miserable by being deceitful and speaking lies about him. However, such speech should never come from the lips of one who desires to glorify God and accomplish His will. As believers, we are to "consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works" (Heb. 10.24).

The Word of God tells us: "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour" (Eph. 4.25). The judgment of God (v.4) rests upon a deceitful, lying tongue, for Proverbs 6.16-17 declares that such is an abomination to Him.



Until tomorrow,
Country Mama

Six Types of Tongues - Part 1

A Backbiting Tongue

Proverbs 25.23: "The north wind driveth away rain: so doth
an angry countenance a backbiting tongue."

Today's Bible text, although once again brief, contains invaluable counsel to the child of God who desires to guard himself from the contamination of hurtful speech. But before we can better discern the dangers of a backbiting tongue, we must first understand what it is.

The Hebrew word from which backbiting is translated denotes speech that is slanderously uttered in secret between two or more people.

Psalm 101.5 contains the same Hebrew word for backbiting used in today's text, but it reads, "Whoso privily (privately) slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off." The psalmist David is vowing here that he will not allow anyone to come to him and whisper in his ear false words about someone else. Thus, a "backbiting tongue" refers to the speech of one who quietly, secretly utters to a confidant untrue statements that are solely intended to slander another person.

As with yesterday's text, Proverbs 25.23 contains a correlation between the attitudes of our hearts and the words that flow forth from our mouths. Just as the wind controls the direction and destination of the rain clouds, so the anger in our hearts can control the direction and content of our speech and even our very countenance.

What should our response be to those who come to us with a backbiting tongue, eager to share with us "confidential" information about someone else? Like David, we should not allow them to utter even the first words of their slanderous speech (read again Psalm 101.5); but rather, we must let them know in no uncertain terms that we ourselves do not speak in such a way nor desire to be spoken to in like manner.

Keep thinking!!


'Talk' to you later,
Country Mama

Six Types of Tongues - Introduction

I thought that it would be interesting to discuss this subject. We as women know that our mouths (tongues) can get us into serious trouble. I would like for us to look at the Scriptures and see what God's Word has to say about it these next few days. Maybe it will be a help and blessing to someone. I know as I looked into it myself it helped me.


Introduction

Proverbs 21:23:"Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his
soul from troubles."

In this short text, while apparently simple and self-explanatory, is full of rich truths that can change our lives and our relationships with others if we will only heed and obey it. How often do we get ourselves into trouble because we fail to guard our speech? Or how many times have we felt anguish and despair over words we have uttered that we could not take back?

While we are not able to erase the things that we said in the past, we certainly can purpose to guard our tongues so that anything we utter from this day forward will not inflict any unnecessary pain on another or bring additional trouble upon our own souls.

To "keep" our tongue means to guard our speech and, in effect, to guard our hearts as well, for Jesus said, "those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; adn they defile the man" (Matt. 15:18).

James wrote that although the tongue is a "little member" within our bodies, it is capable of inflicting much pain (James 3:3-10). God's Word describes six types of tongues that can reside within the mouth of the believer: a backbiting tongue (Prov. 25:23), a deceitful or lying tongue (Psa. 109:2, 120:2), a froward tongue (Prov. 10:31), a naughty tongue (Prov. 17:4), a perverse tongue (Prov. 17:20), and a wholesome tongue (Prov. 15:4).

Our goal as believers in Christ is to refrain from allowing any tongue other than a wholesome tongue to reign in our bodies. If we desire to honour God in our lives and if we hope to flee unnecessary troubles and maintain a proper testimony before others, then we will guard our tongues and be sure that our speech is in accordance with His will.

Just a little food to get you thinking.

Until tomorrow,
Country Mama

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Geek Wife