Good morning and welcome in everyone. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
They claim that one of the most venomous snakes is found in Australia. It’s rarely encountered by people, but has a serious self-defense mechanism when provoked. It’s called the inland Taipan, and can strike with a venom that is highly toxic.
This reminds me of the Christian life.
Some people’s tongues are just as venomous as a snake, and they can do just as much damage to people’s lives, by speaking evil and spreading gossip. Speaking evil about someone else is to say something negative or harmful about them, even though it may be true. It is speech that is designed to lower them in the eyes of other people. This kind of speech is forbidden in the Holy Scriptures.
James 3:3-8 Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
To speak evil of somebody else is to say things that are wrong, hurtful or wicked about another person. Many times it is directed at someone, with the specific intent to cause them pain. It is very similar to slander and gossip which is to say something about someone else that hurts their good name or reputation. It is an evil use of the tongue, pouring out poisonous venom against others.
Psalms 34:13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
1 Peter 3:10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
Speaking evil is to defame or to criticize, or speak ill of another. Some synonyms are denigrate, discredit, disgrace and disparage. To denigrate means to disparage and defame, while disparage means to dishonor to ridicule, mock and discredit. There are numerous passages in the scriptures that deal with this kind of sinful behavior.
Titus 3:2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.
James 4:11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
Proverbs 18:6-8 A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes. A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.
The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
Malicious gossip can really hurt a person. Some synonyms for a talebearer are a blabbermouth, a gossip, a rumormonger or a telltale. When people gossip, they like to talk about other people’s private or personal matters, especially when they are not present. It is considered idle speech. Some women are filled with this kind of devilish speech.
1 Timothy 5:11-15 But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry; Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith. And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not. I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. For some are already turned aside after Satan.
A gossip will speak about somebody else’s private affairs, especially in a manner that spreads the information, rather than being discreet. Imagine an elementary aged boy who happened to wet the bed one morning, and then his brothers went and told everybody at school about it. That’s perverted, sinful and wicked, because if of it had happened to them, they wouldn’t have wanted anyone to know about it. It’s actually a violation of the second commandment, to love your neighbor as yourself. Noah had a son that did the same thing to him. He overdid it on his consumption of wine, but instead of covering it up, the younger son gossipped about it.
Genesis 9:20-26 And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness. And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
This kind of behavior doesn’t bring a blessing from God It brings a curse. Jesus covers our sins by what he did at the cross, and to go out and expose the sins of others and gossip about them is completely wicked.
Leviticus 19:16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD.
Have you ever done something that you are embarrassed about doing? Have you ever made a mistake that you regretted? That’s bad enough, but what’s even worse is when people make it their business to take that personal tidbit of information and spread it all around town, in an effort to disparage and maliciously hurt your reputation.
Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
1 Peter 2:1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
Others may speak evil about you, and dishonor you, but don’t do that to them. Don’t return evil for evil because the Lord Jesus Christ will pay them back for you. Keeping the tongue from evil is one of the marks of perfection in a Christians life.
1 Peter 2:12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
1 Peter 3:16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
1 Peter 4:4 Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:
Many people out in the world speak evil of dignities, or others who are worthy of honor. How would you address a judge in a courtroom? Would you address him honorably and respectfully? Christians are called to honor all men, treating them with the same respect that you would treat a king, or even a dad in his own home. Equal honor to all men, and speak evil of none.
2 Peter 2:10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
Jude 1:8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
Speaking evil and gossiping about others reveals the venom that is in your heart. An uncontrolled tongue is a vicious evil, capable of hurting others just like…..
…..The Inland Taipan
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching tlkjbc, where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms, or by getting our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com, or I suppose, you can find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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