Posted on 12/25/2022 12:24:46 AM PST by Pilgrim's Progress
“The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue. It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house. As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country” (Proverbs 25:23-25).
“The north wind driveth away rain,” that’s the cold wind. When you have a north wind, it gets cold. You don't have any rain, but you might have ice and snow, but you don’t get any rain.
“. . . so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue,” here is the time to be angry, I guess, what it is here, is somebody is gossiping to you or in front of you and you want to stop it. Immediately you show a countenance that does not accept it, that shows its disapproval. The Bible says, “be angry and sin not” (Ephesians 4:26). Now, here's a good time to be angry.
“But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire” (Matthew 5:22).
Christ spoke of being angry “without a cause,” well, here is a good cause. This is the proper time.
“The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance,” I mean, somebody starts backbiting the preacher, or is backbiting your brother or sister in Christ; you show anger, “I don't want to hear that! That's not right! You got a problem with them? you go to them.” You won't hear much more from them on this issue.
But now, don't let the sun go down on your wrath. Don't stay angry. Let them take care of their problem on their own. That’s between them and God. You’ve done all you can do. So, it’s time to get let it go, unless they approach you on the subject again. They probably won’t.
We already discussed this: “It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house” (Proverbs 21:9).
We discussed this back in verse 13. This is a great gospel text; preaching text, missionary text. This world thirsty for something good. All they've got is Hinduism and Buddhism, Brahmanism, and Taoism, and Communism, and hedonism. They are dying, they are lost, they've been ravaged, they've had their wealth taken by religion.
When that missionary goes over and wins some of to Christ, and they begin to realize how wonderful is to be saved, and to know that you can be saved, and begin to get a burden for their own people, “as cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.”
The lost and longing are looking for the real water: “Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water” (John 4:10).
Jesus said if you drink of this water, you'll never thirst again in verse 14.
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