Text: Ps 12:3
- Intro:
- This is the third in a series on the unruly evil of the tongue [Jas 3:8].
- There are many things that can come out of our mouths that are contrary to God and harmful to others.
- Today we are going to study the proud, froward, naughty, raging tongue.
- Proud tongue – Ps 12:3 –
- This is the tongue of those who are proud, those whom God resists [Jas 4:6].
- According to Ps 12:3, “The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speakest proud things.”
- David said that the Lord is going to cut that tongue off.
- He’s letting their proud tongues wag right now.
- But he’ll shut them down in due time. Read Ps 2:1-5, 9.
- They’ll be taken in their pride [Ps 59:12].
- You can tell this tongue because it uses the words “I” and “Me” a lot.
- It is a tongue that demands its own way and always speaks as if it is right.
- But do you know what the Lord says?
- It is the tongue of a fool. Prov 14:3 “In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride.”
- Nabal, in 1 Sam 25:10-11, 14-17 is an example of a man with a proud tongue.
- Froward tongue – Prov 10:31 – “the froward tongue shall be cut out.”
- Like the proud tongue, the Lord is going to cut this tongue out, as well.
- A froward tongue is not easily controlled; it’s stubbornly willful, ungovernable.
- James said, “the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison,” [Jas 3:8].
- Job’s three friends are examples of men with froward tongues.
- Look at these references: Job 4:1-2; Job 11:1-3; Job 15:1-3; and Job 20:1-3.
- When Job spoke about his trial, they couldn’t resist commenting.
- And look what the Lord said about them in Job 42:7.
- They weren’t right.
- Naughty tongue – Prov 17:4 – “a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.”
- A naughty tongue is wicked, bad, and evil.
- You see this tongue a lot in Hollywood movies, bars, and politics.
- Stay away from this tongue.
- Eph 5:3-4, 11-12 are excellent verses that warn us from speaking with such a tongue.
- The Pharisees are an example of men with a naughty tongue.
- See Jesus’ comments in Matt 12:31-37.
- Raging tongue – Hos 7:16 – “their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue.”
- This is the uncontrolled, angry tongue.
- This is the tongue that fumes with anger.
- Shimei is an example of a man with a raging tongue [2 Sam 16:5-8, 13].
- Don’t rage at others.
- Get control of your spirit through temperance and then speak without raging [Ecc 7:9].
- And when others are in a rage against you, don’t reply.
- You’ll end up in a rock fight that you cannot win.
- Conclusion:
- These are descriptions of the tongue that is an unruly evil.
- This is the tongue of the natural man.
- When you get saved, the Lord wants to fix your tongue and make it the tongue of a righteous man.
- “The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable,” [Prov 10:32].