Thoughts and Words

O. T. #1503  "Thoughts and Words"
August 13, 2019
Proverbs 30-Part 5
If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth. Proverbs 30:32

LET IT GLOW

Put your hand over your mouth. I used to tell my class of second graders whenever they were talking instead of listening to me. I think it made them feel like preschoolers, but it worked.

What does our key verse mean to us? If we have been a fool by being bragging about our self, showing pride, or plotting evil, then we should cover our mouth in shame.

Stop your scheming and talking, then put your hand on your mouth, a gesture of awestruck, self-imposed silence. (MacArthur)

It is better to let others brag on us than we doing it. We need to watch out for any evil thoughts which come into our mind, for they can become spoken words and actions that we would be ashamed of doing. It is better to keep silent.

In Paul's letter to the Philippian church, he said for us to think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. (4:8)

There is our challenge, friends-watch our thoughts and words.

LET IT GROW

There is one way to prove to a doubter that the Bible is true-put two fingers up inside a person's nose and twist it. When the nose bleeds, that proves the Word is truth. Now I don't advise doing that for proof. I think the doubter would not like it either. And it surely would not cause one to love God's Word, would it?

Verse 33 KJV says, surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.

As the beating of cream yields butter and striking the nose causes bleeding, so stirring up anger causes quarrels.  (verse 33)

Notice this, the word for churning and wringing and forcing in the Hebrew language is the same word, miyts (meets), which means pressure, churning, forcing, wringing.

Strife refers to a contest, adversary, cause, contend.

Is it obvious that anger causes quarrels and strife? It must be so since pressure on the fat of milk produces butter, and pressure, such a hitting or twisting, the nose produces blood, so pressure on wrath produces anger.
It takes a lot of continues pressure to produce butter, whereas, it probably would not take much of a punch in the nose to cause it to bleed (boxers). If we continue to apply pressure on a person using hateful words, it will eventually result in strife and a quarrel.

These natural causes and effects to show that anger pressed beyond certain limits produces conflict. (MacAuthur)

My conclusion is that when we continue to angrily attack a person with words, then it will result in  quarrel, a contest, making an enemy of them unless the problem is resolved. So this is not the appropriate method to use if we want good results. A discussion would be better-listening to each other. Do we want to make an enemy? Don't keep on churning, wringing, forcing the issue using our words and way on another. Who wants a quarrel, feud or violence, anyway?

A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. (Prov. 15:1)

A gentle and quiet spirit is of great worth in God's sight. (see 1 Peter 3:4)

There we go, the answer we need. Now those are two scriptures that I will need to work on daily. How about you, dear one?

LET IT GO

Help me speak with softness and kindness today, Jesus.
Please give me a gentle and quiet spirit so I please You.