Proverbs 14:3

The book of Proverbs gives us a lot of instruction on a lot of different subjects. One subject that can keep us in God’s wisdom is Godly Follower-ship. Who we follow; where we follow; how we follow are all spoken about in Proverbs. Here is one of them about the mouth of a fool:

Proverbs 14:3 (ESV)

By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back,

but the lips of the wise will preserve them.

Most people, if you let them talk enough, will bury themselves.   Foolish people will eventually let you know they are foolish if you listen long enough.  They reveal it with their mouth and  you can usually use it to correct them, or to point out their need for correction.   The words they use become a "rod for their back."  That is not a good picture.   Their words are cruel ... to them.   However, the lips of the wise will not be able to be used against them.   The wise person knows how to hold their tongue.  The wise knows what to say, when to say it and how to say it.  His/her words protect them.   The opposite of the fool.  If you are in the presence of a fool you only  have to wait for them to give you what you will need to correct them, or, better, as in this verse, discipline them.   Wise people are not caught in their words and later rebuked by them.  You can usually see this proverb worked out each day in our media.   Someone says something that gets them into trouble.   They speak out and their evil heart is revealed in their lazy tongue.   They can't control who they are and it comes spitting out in unpleasantries that are turned agains them.  Just wait for the fool to talk ... he will give you a rod to use.