Proverbs 10:31 (Mini Sermon)

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31. Pro 10:31 – "The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: but the froward tongue shall be cut out." A. The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: i. Definitions a. Just adj. - 1. That does what is morally right, righteous. just before (with) God or, simply, just: Righteous in the sight of God; justified. b. Bring v. - 16. bring forth. a. To produce, give birth to, bring into being, bear, yield (offspring; fruit, flowers, etc.; natural products; products, effects, results). c. To utter, express; to put forth, adduce, advance. d. To bring to light, or public view. c. Wisdom n. - 1. a. Capacity of judging rightly in matters relating to life and conduct; soundness of judgement in the choice of means and ends; sometimes, less strictly, sound sense, esp. in practical affairs: opp. to folly. d. In other words, a man who is righteous in the sight of God and does what is morally right utters, expresses, puts forth, adduces, and advances ideas which demonstrate that he has the capacity for sound judgment, especially in practical affairs. e. In other words, a just man speaks with sound judgment and sense. ii. Righteous men speak of wisdom and judgment (Psa 37:30). a. They do this because God's law is in their heart (Psa 37:31; Psa 35:28). b. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh (Luk 6:45). iii. When a man speaks of the testimony of God (the scriptures), he is speaking wisdom (1Co 2:1-7). a. If we are to speak of wisdom, we must first meditate upon the scriptures (Psa 49:3; 1Ti 4:15-16). b. We speak wisdom when we speak as the oracles of God (1Pe 4:11), which are the scriptures (Rom 3:1-2 c/w Rom 9:4). (i) Oracle - 4. Divine revelation; a declaration or message expressed or delivered by divine inspiration; also, pl. the sacred scriptures (from Rom. iii. 2). (ii) This is because the word of God (His statues, judgments, and law) is our wisdom (Deu 4:5-8). iv. If you are ignorant of the scriptures, your mouth will not bring forth wisdom. B. but the froward tongue shall be cut out. i. Definitions a. Froward adj. – 1. Disposed to go counter to what is demanded or what is reasonable; perverse, difficult to deal with, hard to please; refractory, ungovernable; also, in a wider sense, bad, evilly-disposed, ‘naughty’. (The opposite of toward.) 2. Of things: a. Adverse, unfavourable, untoward; difficult to deal with, refractory. b. Tongue n. – I. The bodily member. 1. a. An organ, possessed by man and by most vertebrates, occupying the floor of the mouth, and attached at its base to the hyoid bone; often protrusible and freely movable. In its development in man and the higher mammals, it is tapering, blunt-tipped, muscular, soft and fleshy, important in taking in and swallowing food, also as the principle organ of taste, and in man of articulate speech. II. In reference to speech. 4. Considered as the principle organ of speech; hence, the faculty of speech; the power of articulation or vocal expression or description; voice, speech; words, language. ii. A man with a froward tongue/mouth is one who is disposed to go counter to what is demanded or what is reasonable, perverse, difficult to deal with, hard to please, refractory, ungovernable, bad, evilly-disposed, and naughty. a. His words manifest his froward spirit. b. Whereas righteous and just men speak wisdom, wicked men have froward tongues which speak froward things (Pro 2:12; Pro 10:32). (i) Those who have froward (perverse) tongues have froward hearts (Pro 17:20). (ii) Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh (Luk 6:45). c. A froward tongue speaks words which sow strife between friends (Pro 16:28). iii. God hates a froward mouth (Pro 8:13; Pro 11:20). a. A froward mouth should be put far from us (Pro 4:24; Psa 34:13). b. It men don't put away their froward tongues, God may cut them out, either figuratively or literally. (i) In the times of the Maccabees some of the Jews had their tongues cut out as part of their torture by Antiochus Epiphanes (2 Maccabees 7:4-5, 10). 1. In their case they were godly men who were tormented for their faithfulness to the law of God. 2. But their torture was part of God's chastisement of their wicked nation. (ii) Lying lips which speak proud and grievous things shall be put to silence (Psa 31:18). (iii) God will stop the mouths of them that speak lies (Psa 63:11). (iv) God will destroy those who have false and deceitful tongues (Psa 120:1-4). c. God also uses preachers to shut the mouths of the gainsayers (Tit 1:10-11). (i) I have had to stop a man with a froward tongue from disrupting a church service. (ii) God will stand with His servants and give them the ability to condemn the froward tongues that rise against them in judgment (Isa 54:17).