The Tongue, the Spokesman of the Mind

Many have ingested the poison of someone’s tongue sometime in life. Some of us carry the vibration of the words pounding the mind and heart, until a normal life of joy and peace is hard to experience. At the same time, we have done the same to others, without repenting and making things right with God and the ones we have offended. The Bible says, Do not allow your mouth to cause your body to sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was an error or mistake, Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? (Ecle. 5:6) Proverbs 6 says: These six things the Lord hates, indeed, seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood; a heart that manufactures wicked thoughts and plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and he who sows discord among his brethren (Prov. 6:16-19).The Lord hates a lying tongue, for it serves as an emissary of the devil. We have not considered or paid attention to the harm that our tongue can do to others. Words come out of our mouth without weighting its effects on others. Since “death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits” (Prov. 18:21) we should pay close attention to what we say, after all, we will be affected by it, too. YAHSHUA said, “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matt. 12:37). The tongue, the spokesman of the mind, expresses that which is in our heart; and in this we are defiled. The Word of God says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick! Who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9). We cannot hide it, for it comes expressed through the tongue interpreting what is inside the heart. “I the Lord search the mind, I try the heart, even to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings” (vs.10). Being so, we stand before the Lord under condemnation, if not repenting of the evil we are causing others. Here stands the sowing and reaping law: “Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at. For whatever a man sows that and that only is what he will reap; for he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and decay and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit, will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Gal. 6:7-8).

The Prophet Isaiah experienced the holiness of God in its complete expression when in a vision, he saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and the and the skirts of His train filled the temple. Above Himn stood the seraphim each had six wings; with two covered his face and with two covered his feet; and with two flew. And one cried to another and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory! And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then Isaiah said, Woe is me! For I am undone and ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts! (Isaiah 6) Unclean lips constitute pride. When we utter words that are morally unclean, words that destroy one’s character, we step out of reverence for God and His word, into worldly and fleshly behavior falling short of pleasing God, to satisfy our pride. The Apostle Paul admonishes the Ephesian church concerning this saying, Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is good for building someone in need (4:29); and let there be no filthiness, nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but rather let this be thanksgiving (Eph. 5:4).The Prophet Isaiah was convicted and forgiven when one of the seraphim flew to him having a live coal in his hand which he had taken with tongs from off the altar; and with it he touched his mouth and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity and guilt are taken away, and your sin is completely atoned for and forgiven” (Isa. 6:6-7). After been forgiven, Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “whom shall I send? And who will go for Us? Then said Isaiah, Here am I; send me” (vs.8). With clean lips, Isaiah could be then God’s messenger- a great prophet of his time.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits (Prov. 18:21). The truth of the matter here is that those who hurt with their tongue will themselves be affected by it. YAHSHUA said, By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned; and what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart and this defiles a person (Matt.12:37; 15:18). The tongue unloads the feelings of the heart; it expresses the true hidden character of the person. But the tongue can also utter gracious words, words of healing and comfort to bind the wounds of the one suffering. Gracious words are like a honeycomb sweetness to the soul and health to the body (Prov.16:24). There is a reward for those who guard his mouth; his life will be preserved (Prov.13:3). What man is he who desires life and longs for many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit; depart from evil and do good; seek, inquire for and crave peace and pursue after it (Ps. 34:12-14).  There is judgment for the one whose tongue is prone to speak evil, or to exercise its power to destroy one’s life. For he himself will suffer for it. The Patriarch Job not only suffered physically, but emotionally through the tongue of his three friends. Enemies at their best, used their tongue to accuse Job of wrong doing. However, at the end of Job’s ordeal, God dealt with them and forgave them through Job’s prayer.

Let’s pray as David did: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer (Ps. 17:14). A broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise (Ps. 51:17b)