You Watch Your Mouth!
I’m sure someone has said this to us at one point or another during our lives. This may have been when we said something that another deemed inflammatory or derogatory. Perhaps our parents said this to us when, as a child, we repeated an “unsavory” word or phrase that we had previously heard, and most likely didn’t even understand what we said. Cursing, lewd remarks, and dirty jokes fall into this category. Unfortunately, many fail to realize that unseemly and unwelcome words can be expressed without speaking vulgar and vile words.
For instance, have you heard of the “language of Ashdod”? Sadly, there are many who have not. In the days of Nehemiah, he observed that some of the Jews had married non-Jews. These folks they married were people of the city of Ashdod, and of the nations of Ammon and Moab. Part of the problem with this is found in Neh. 13:24. The consequences of the unions between these Jews is seen in their children. And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people. Some may ask: “What’s the big deal?” The “big deal” is two-fold.
First, God Commanded Israel to NOT marry the people of the Promised Land when Israel came in to possess it. God named them – He called out the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. In Deut. 7:3-4 God warned Israel against this and why. Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. 4 For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly. God’s people were to remain separated from these people so they would not become defiled in the serving of “other gods” as did their ‘new relatives’.
Secondly, God gave His Commandments to Israel, His O.T. people in their own language. God spoke to Israel through Moses, and later through Joshuah and through the prophets. The Words God used were simple, direct and easy for them to understand. After all, if one cannot understand, there’s no way they can be, or remain obedient. The danger was that when their language became defiled, their worship also became improper as they “embraced” many of the practices of those “foreign” to Israel and it’s Laws, given of God to Israel alone. God expected them to follow it, and receiving His Promises to them were dependent upon them being obedient. When they refused, they went into bondage on several occasions.
The “old paths” and the “good way” from Jer. 6:16 were continually offered to the children of Israel. This would involve them living as directed by God in His Holy Word, as well as “watching their mouth” and speaking as God’s Word speaks. The Spirit had the prophet warn of this. Notice how they responded when the warning was given. Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. Their attitude led them to intermingle with the nations of Canaan and their language, and their worship became defiled.
Now, how does this apply today? The “tongue” has long been needed to be controlled, and the “mouth watched”. In Jas. 1:27 we read how the early “scattered” church was directed in this. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. The Spirit in Jas. 3:5-10, had James pen Words to instruct regarding the proper use of the tongue and the difficulty that is realized in the effort to control it. He gave a “real life” example that could be grasped by everyone in Jas. 3:11-12 - Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
Christ’s teaching in Matt. 15:18 in the context of eating with unwashed hands show this as well. What He was teaching was: “what is in the mind is that which will come forth from the mouth”. But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. The Bible “heart” is the mind, and the mind knows only what we teach it or what we have learned. But we must be careful to learn properly so that we will speak properly and obey properly. Jer. 10:23 shows that man can- not “guide” himself. Therefore, he cannot “direct” his own speech and be pleasing to God. O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. In Matt. 4:4, Christ alluded to this when He said: It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
In Rom. 3:14, in the context of “evil people” we see: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:, and in verse 18 we see the reason. There is no fear of God before their eyes. So, what to do? The advice the Spirit had Paul give the brethren in 2Cor. 6:17 really fits. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,. Obey the gospel today! Fill your mind with the Word of God, and live according to it. In so doing, you’ll “watch your mouth”, and you’ll also be pleasing to God.
Dennis Strickland – Mooresville church of Christ
