Proverbs 12:6 "The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them."
The word of God can be very repetitive and for good reason. Repetition helps with learning in that it’s easier to remember something that is repeated. Repetition also helps with learning in the sense that when something is repeated, the mind doesn’t work as hard trying to understand what has been repeated, which then frees it up to think about secondary elements of that repeated truth. When a truth is repeated, the mind immediately engages because it recognizes that truth but the mind does not become consumed with that truth. This is why any good teacher reviews what he has already taught before proceeding to teaching something new – repetition engages the mind but it doesn’t consume the mind. This allows a person to build on what he has already learned.
This proverb is a perfect example in that Solomon has already taught his audience that “the words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood” in chapter one. He wrote, “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause.” Anyone who has read Proverbs 1 should immediately recognize the language of the first half of this proverb and silently think, “I already know that.” What such a person doesn’t know is that instinctive response is preparing the mind to engage in learning something new. Re-reading the fact that wicked souls talk about doing harm to people creates a subtle hunger to learn something new. Re-reading that unfortunate truth causes the mind to look for additionally information in this proverb, which is precisely what Solomon offers by the wisdom of Heaven.
As in the fifth verse of this chapter, there is more to this proverb than a stark but simple contrast between the wicked and the upright. Indeed, the words of the wicked are very different than the words of the upright. Yes, the mouth of the wicked sounds very different than the mouth of the upright. Beneath that obvious contrast is the truth that the tongue possesses great power. The words of the wicked cause people to be harmed while the mouth of the upright results in deliverance. Solomon is not merely reminding us that the wicked talk about harming people – he is teaching us that what we say about people has a direct impact on what happens to us.
By overlapping the repetitive first half of the proverb with the newly written second half of the proverb, we are able to conclude that the mouth of the upright delivers them because they use their words to help people.
Because man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward (Job 5:7), we all get into trouble at times. Sometimes, this trouble is caused by others while most of the time, this trouble is self-inflicted. When we get into trouble, we need deliverance. This proverb is teaching us that our mouths can deliver us in those times of trouble when we possess a history of speaking in a very different way than the wicked. If the wicked speak about harming people, then the upright speak about helping people. When we consistently and sincerely speak about helping people, people will come to our rescue in times of trouble. When we are delivered from trouble in such occasions, it is our mouth that is credited for the deliverance. This is a tremendous truth!
This truth is more clearly spoken in the New Testament by our Lord Jesus when He said, “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: CONDEMN NOT, and ye shall NOT BE CONDEMNED: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall MEN GIVE into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” (Luke 6:36-38). The words of Christ applied to Solomon’s proverb show us that when we don’t condemn others in their trouble, they won’t condemn us in our trouble – meaning, they will deliver us from our trouble because of the reputation and history of our words (or lack thereof). What Jesus was explaining is what Solomon was teaching – MEN will treat us well when we need help if we treat THEM well when they need help. When the wicked get into trouble, no one helps them because they have a history of creating trouble for others. When the upright get into trouble, people are gracious with them because they have a history of being gracious with their words towards others.
I can think of no better example in Scripture of this truth than the upright Mordecai in the Book of Esther. This upright man heard two wicked government employees TALK about “lying in wait for blood” as they discussed an assassination plot of the king. Mordecai used his mouth in a just way to help the king in his time of trouble, which foiled the assassination plot. Some time later, Mordecai found himself in trouble at the hands of the Anti-Semitic Prince Haman. This wicked man TALKED to his family about “lying in wait for blood” as they discussed having Mordecai hanged for his Jewish ethnicity along with his refusal to bow to Haman. Just before Haman went before the throne to get permission to hang Mordecai, the king unknowingly delivered the upright man because earlier that evening, he learned that Mordecai was never honored for speaking up on the king’s behalf in regards to the assassination plot. While the words of Haman were to lie in wait for blood, the mouth of Mordecai delivered him. Haman used his mouth to hurt people and found no deliverer in his time of trouble at the end of the book of Esther. Mordecai however, used his mouth to help people and found the greatest deliverer in his time of trouble.
Every day, we are growing a history of words and developing a reputation among our peers. If we’re WICKED in heart, we’ll use our WORDS to HURT people. If we’re wicked in heart, we’ll talk bad about others. If we’re wicked in heart, we’ll say things to ruin people. We’ll judge people harshly and show little restraint in declaring guilt. We’ll criticize and condemn people with ease. However, if we’re UPRIGHT in heart, we’ll use our WORDS to HELP people. If we’re upright in heart, we’ll talk good of others. If we’re upright in heart, we’ll say things to build people up. We’ll speak of them with grace and show great restraint within the court of public opinion. We’ll speak truthfully but gently.
Our words carry great power – the power to strip us of any help in our time of trouble or the power to assemble a team of deliverers ready to help in our time of trouble.
Jesus explained what Solomon taught – people will reciprocate what they hear from us. This proverb says a lot more than just that the wicked and the upright speak differently. It tells us that if we have a history of using our mouths to help people, we will be helped when we need it. It also tells us that if we have a history of using our mouths to hurt people, we will be without help when we need it. Don’t underestimate the power your words possess today and don’t wait until you have no one to help you to realize that you should’ve been more upright and gracious with your words.
This proverb is a perfect example in that Solomon has already taught his audience that “the words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood” in chapter one. He wrote, “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause.” Anyone who has read Proverbs 1 should immediately recognize the language of the first half of this proverb and silently think, “I already know that.” What such a person doesn’t know is that instinctive response is preparing the mind to engage in learning something new. Re-reading the fact that wicked souls talk about doing harm to people creates a subtle hunger to learn something new. Re-reading that unfortunate truth causes the mind to look for additionally information in this proverb, which is precisely what Solomon offers by the wisdom of Heaven.
As in the fifth verse of this chapter, there is more to this proverb than a stark but simple contrast between the wicked and the upright. Indeed, the words of the wicked are very different than the words of the upright. Yes, the mouth of the wicked sounds very different than the mouth of the upright. Beneath that obvious contrast is the truth that the tongue possesses great power. The words of the wicked cause people to be harmed while the mouth of the upright results in deliverance. Solomon is not merely reminding us that the wicked talk about harming people – he is teaching us that what we say about people has a direct impact on what happens to us.
By overlapping the repetitive first half of the proverb with the newly written second half of the proverb, we are able to conclude that the mouth of the upright delivers them because they use their words to help people.
Because man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward (Job 5:7), we all get into trouble at times. Sometimes, this trouble is caused by others while most of the time, this trouble is self-inflicted. When we get into trouble, we need deliverance. This proverb is teaching us that our mouths can deliver us in those times of trouble when we possess a history of speaking in a very different way than the wicked. If the wicked speak about harming people, then the upright speak about helping people. When we consistently and sincerely speak about helping people, people will come to our rescue in times of trouble. When we are delivered from trouble in such occasions, it is our mouth that is credited for the deliverance. This is a tremendous truth!
This truth is more clearly spoken in the New Testament by our Lord Jesus when He said, “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: CONDEMN NOT, and ye shall NOT BE CONDEMNED: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall MEN GIVE into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” (Luke 6:36-38). The words of Christ applied to Solomon’s proverb show us that when we don’t condemn others in their trouble, they won’t condemn us in our trouble – meaning, they will deliver us from our trouble because of the reputation and history of our words (or lack thereof). What Jesus was explaining is what Solomon was teaching – MEN will treat us well when we need help if we treat THEM well when they need help. When the wicked get into trouble, no one helps them because they have a history of creating trouble for others. When the upright get into trouble, people are gracious with them because they have a history of being gracious with their words towards others.
I can think of no better example in Scripture of this truth than the upright Mordecai in the Book of Esther. This upright man heard two wicked government employees TALK about “lying in wait for blood” as they discussed an assassination plot of the king. Mordecai used his mouth in a just way to help the king in his time of trouble, which foiled the assassination plot. Some time later, Mordecai found himself in trouble at the hands of the Anti-Semitic Prince Haman. This wicked man TALKED to his family about “lying in wait for blood” as they discussed having Mordecai hanged for his Jewish ethnicity along with his refusal to bow to Haman. Just before Haman went before the throne to get permission to hang Mordecai, the king unknowingly delivered the upright man because earlier that evening, he learned that Mordecai was never honored for speaking up on the king’s behalf in regards to the assassination plot. While the words of Haman were to lie in wait for blood, the mouth of Mordecai delivered him. Haman used his mouth to hurt people and found no deliverer in his time of trouble at the end of the book of Esther. Mordecai however, used his mouth to help people and found the greatest deliverer in his time of trouble.
Every day, we are growing a history of words and developing a reputation among our peers. If we’re WICKED in heart, we’ll use our WORDS to HURT people. If we’re wicked in heart, we’ll talk bad about others. If we’re wicked in heart, we’ll say things to ruin people. We’ll judge people harshly and show little restraint in declaring guilt. We’ll criticize and condemn people with ease. However, if we’re UPRIGHT in heart, we’ll use our WORDS to HELP people. If we’re upright in heart, we’ll talk good of others. If we’re upright in heart, we’ll say things to build people up. We’ll speak of them with grace and show great restraint within the court of public opinion. We’ll speak truthfully but gently.
Our words carry great power – the power to strip us of any help in our time of trouble or the power to assemble a team of deliverers ready to help in our time of trouble.
Jesus explained what Solomon taught – people will reciprocate what they hear from us. This proverb says a lot more than just that the wicked and the upright speak differently. It tells us that if we have a history of using our mouths to help people, we will be helped when we need it. It also tells us that if we have a history of using our mouths to hurt people, we will be without help when we need it. Don’t underestimate the power your words possess today and don’t wait until you have no one to help you to realize that you should’ve been more upright and gracious with your words.
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