Proverbs 26:23
Like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross Are burning lips and a wicked heart.
Proverbs 26:23 (ESV)
Like the glaze covering an earthen vessel
are fervent lips with an evil heart.
This is an emblematic proverb. It is a "picture" of the what happens when the "heart" is fake but the lips are real. God sees all hearts and knows when we have fresh "lips" but bad "lives." An "earthen vessel" is a bowl or dish made out of dirt. It has little value. Dried crust that is masquerading as fake cement. But, a fake heart is hidden by "burning lips." The picture here is that the lip can bring passion or poison. Lips can produce fruit or fire (see James 2). But, the lips can always lend to truth or to tricks. When we are being spoken to we might also be lead into a trap. The lips burn with words but seldom with wisdom. We have to be careful as we listen to those around us. They may be only a vessel full of dirt and made of dirt even though they speak of gold and silver. Let the words be heard but the heart beware. God is the revealer of the real heart but we are to be warned about and beware of the false heart. Lips can be made to look so refreshing and wanting. They can cover the sick, guilty and shameful heart. Lipstick can change what we see on their face, but it won't cover-up what someone has in their heart. We tend to want to worship the words of the lips. We need to be careful not to give the words of others in our lives “worth-ship” status. The heart can be deceitful. The lips can appear pleasant. It is better to weigh the words we hear via the lens of God’s Word. His lips speak truth from the purest of all places. Those are The words we should worship and give worth in our lives.
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