Posted on 12/21/2020 6:26:30 AM PST by Pilgrim's Progress
“Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles. Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath” (Proverbs 21:23-24).
He is like a doorkeeper. A doorkeeper is a fellow that keeps the door shut and only opens it when authorized folks need to pass through. In the same sense, a wise man keeps his mouth shut and only allows approved words and thoughts to pass through to the hearing of others. Solomon does deal with this in 13:3, “He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction” (Proverbs 13:3).
The best thing to do is just to be quiet. Paul says, “And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you” (I Thessalonians 4:11).
“Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.”
Well is this dealt with in Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” The proud wrath here is the wrath God brings upon the proud. Jesus said, “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted” (Matthew 23:12). A guy that is proud and haughty is fooling with God, and God will deal with him in wrath, and destroy him.
“Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue . . .” Guards the one and bridles the other; is careful of what he says, that it is truth, and without dissimulation and guile; and is not injurious to the characters of men, and is not offensive and provoking; who abstains from ill and wrathful language, and which tends to stir up wrath and contention. Aben Ezra distinguishes between the mouth and tongue, and interprets it, that keeps his mouth from eating, that is, immoderately and intemperately; and his tongue from speaking evil: but it is best to understand both of the same thing, of speech or language, which when a man is careful of, he “keepeth his soul from troubles;” his conscience clear of guilt and distress, and his person from being concerned in quarrels, contentions, and lawsuits, which such who give their tongues too much liberty are involved in.
“Proud and haughty scorner is his name,”. . . He shall be called a proud fool, a haughty fellow, a scornful blockhead; he shall get himself an ill name, and be treated with contempt; “who dealeth in proud wrath;” whose pride shows itself in wrathful expressions and actions; who is proud and passionate in all his dealings with men, and who as it were makes a trade of pride and passion: to none is this character more applicable than to Antichrist, the man of sin, that sits in the seat of the scornful; exalts himself above all that is called God, has a mouth speaking blasphemies, and a look more stout than his fellows, and deals in proud wrath against the saints of the most High.
If anyone would like to be added to the ping list, please let me know either by post or by p.m.
For more books on all topics of the Bible, visit my web site at:
BAPTIST BIBLE BELIEVERS WEBSITE
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.