A CONTRAST OF WORDS
Proverbs 12:6, 18 ESV
6 The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
but the mouth of the upright delivers them.
18 There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
I love how alive the scriptures are. They are God-inspired. God breathed. And the more we read, the more we see. While reading Proverbs 12, I realized the pattern of contrasts in this chapter. Almost every single proverb in this chapter contrasts the wicked versus the righteous, the good versus the bad, the smart versus the stupid. Joy hates the word stupid, but it’s in the Bible. The very first verse of Proverbs 12 says, “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but one who hates correction is stupid.” CSB And almost every translation uses stupid, so I’m on solid ground. But I digress.
The verses for today are the contrast of words. Verse six says that the words of the wicked lie in wait for blood. In other words, the wicked lay an ambush for their lives with their words. The words of the wicked are going to be a big problem for them. That is contrasted with the words of the righteous or those who are right with God. The closer we walk to the Lord the better our words will be. And instead of speaking words of doom, gloom, and negativity, there will be some faith in our mouth and a lift to our words. When we walk with the Lord, we are not in denial of the difficulties of life, but neither are we overcome by them. And our words speak of God’s goodness and help. This is why Solomon declared the mouth of the upright delivers them. Remember that Solomon was given a huge dose of God’s wisdom. His insight into the various areas of life transcends time and culture. Solomon knew the power of words and often wrote about them. It was Solomon who saw the contrast between the godly and the wicked and how that played out in real life. Proverbs is a highly spiritual and highly practical book.
Verse 18 is another contrast regarding words. Rash words or words spoken thoughtlessly are like sword thrusts. I have never been attacked with a sword, and I am grateful, but I imagine that a sword thrust will do some damage. Before modern warfare, ancient warriors would go hand to hand with swords in brutal combat. So Solomon was likening thoughtless words to the damage done by a sword. That gives new meaning to “just sayin.” And the contrast between thoughtless words and the words of the wise is stark—sword thrusts versus healing. Words can hurt, and words can heal, and we choose what we bring to our world.
If you have been thoughtless with your words, you can change. If your words have caused hurt, you can turn that around and bring healing. Learning to exercise self control with our words is a big step towards Christ-like maturity. Spending time under the influence of God’s Word is a major factor in changing our words. Jesus said out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. We control what we put into our hearts. Good input yields good output. Let’s use words that bring deliverance and healing.
PRAYER
Lord, help me control my mouth so that I don’t create traps for myself and bring hurt to others. May my words be words of healing and deliverance.