Proverbs 12:6 (ESV)
The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
but the mouth of the upright delivers them.
The wicked "lie in wait for blood" ... with Words? I have heard of lying in wait for blood with a gun in your hand. Or, maybe a shovel to hit someone. Maybe a knife, or a rock, or a 2 x 4 ... but "words"? What is Solomon telling us here? To clarify the first line, the King gives us the second line, which is a corresponding line, but contrasting at the same time. In the second line the "mouth" (equivalent to the wicked's "words") of the upright (opposite of the wicked) will deliver "them." The term "them" in this second line, I believe, is talking about those the wicked lies in wait to hurt. The message here is clear - wicked people stand in waiting to destroy with their speech. The righteous on the other hand, use their speech (their mouth) to deliver others. The wicked use words to inflict pain and suffering. They stand off to the side, in the shadows of life, and throw false acquisitions toward the innocent. The upright, on the other hand, can, with one sweet and appropriate word, deliver people. How we choose to talk to someone, or about someone, can really reveal a person's heart. We have all heard the phrase, "I am going to give them a piece of my mind." What that really means is that as I speak I am going to reveal what is in my heart. If uprightness is in my heart, than my words will be holy and pure and uplifting to those I am speaking to ... it will deliver them. If, on the other hand, my heart is corrupt, the words I give will be harmful to them. Our words can reveal the wickedness in our hearts and draw blood. Or, they can reveal the uprightness in our hearts and "deliver" others. Use your words carefully ... they say more about what's in your heart than what's on your mind.
No comments:
Post a Comment