Contrast the Upright and the Wicked
15 A gentle answer turns away wrath,
But a [a]harsh word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise makes knowledge [b]acceptable,
But the mouth of fools spouts folly.
3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
Watching the evil and the good.
4 A [c]soothing tongue is a tree of life,
But perversion in it [d]crushes the spirit.
5 A fool [e]rejects his father’s discipline,
But he who regards reproof is sensible.
6 Great wealth is in the house of the righteous,
But trouble is in the income of the wicked.
7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge,
But the hearts of fools are not so.
8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But the prayer of the upright is His delight.
9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But He loves one who pursues righteousness.
10 Grievous punishment is for him who forsakes the way;
He who hates reproof will die.
11 [f]Sheol and [g]Abaddon lie open before the Lord,
How much more the hearts of [h]men!
Over and over in this passage, Solomon reminds us how important our words are. Ever had an argument that spiraled out of control? Anytime there is conflict, we have two choices, we can rise to the occasion and bump things up another notch (stirring up anger), or we can give a “gentle answer”. Boy, is that hard to do though!
In v. 2 we find that the wise make knowledge acceptable, palatable. We all know knowledge does not equal wisdom, and it takes wise words, and a good amount of thought sometimes, to make the truth palatable. We could just come right out and say it, but then we might find ourselves back in v. 1, stirring up the pot…
We see the contrast again in v. 4, with a soothing tongue vs. a perverse tongue, and in v. 7 where the lips of the wise spread knowledge (again). But what is the common thread here, why do our tongues get out of control? I think it all ties together in v. 11. The very depths of the earth and hell itself are exposed before God, and so are our hearts.
Ever heard, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks…” Yup, there it is, Jesus said it, and he meant it. Maybe your heart isn’t perverse and wicked, maybe you’re not that far off-base, but you just can’t seem to avoid an argument. If we have peace in our hearts, it will show in our words, and if we don’t? Take a cue from vv. 8-9 and seek righteousness and pray.
James told us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all…” Paul wrote, “there is no one righteous, not a one” and Jesus also said, “call no man good” implying that we cannot be who we need to be in our own strength. But, combine what you do have with what God brings to the table? Now that’s a “winning combination”.
In fact, with God, you can make it through anything, even a “battle royale”, and He can calm the storm that is raging. Let His peace invade your very soul, and bring the change needed in your relationships, to speak softly, gently, and with wisdom. Let that wash over you and settle your nerves, and your mind. You can indeed make it through anything with God giving you strength, wisdom, and a “soothing tongue”.