Words, the Word of God and 'words'
Introduction
Actor David Suchet, well known for his title role in Poirot, tells how a few years ago he was lying in his bath in a hotel in America, when he had a sudden and impulsive desire to read the Bible. He managed to find a Gideon Bible and started to read the New Testament. As he read, he encountered Jesus Christ. He said:
‘From somewhere I got this desire to read the Bible again. That’s the most important part of my conversion. I started with the Acts of the Apostles and then moved to Paul’s Letters – Romans and Corinthians. And it was only after that I came to the Gospels. In the New Testament I suddenly discovered the way that life should be followed.’
The most powerful words ever written are in the Bible. Words are an important theme in it, and the use of the word ‘word’ is used in different senses in today’s passages.
- First, it is used in the sense of our words. The things we say can be good or bad (Proverbs 25:11–20).
- Second, it is also used in the sense of the Word of God. This is supremely Jesus Christ (John 1:1; Hebrews 1:2), but also refers to the Word of God in the Scriptures and in preaching and teaching (1 Timothy 4:1–16).
- Third, the Bible also uses the phrase ‘the word of the LORD’ in the sense of prophecy (Jeremiah 42:7). God continues to speak to the church through prophetic messages (1 Timothy 4:14). Of course, we need to distinguish the Old Testament prophets, whose ‘words’ were definitely ‘the word of the Lord’ and are now part of Scripture, from prophetic ‘words’ today, which need to be tested against Scripture.
Proverbs 25:11-20
11 Like apples of gold in settings of silver
is a ruling rightly given.
12 Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold
is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear.
13 Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time
is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him;
he refreshes the spirit of his master.
14 Like clouds and wind without rain
is one who boasts of gifts never given.
15 Through patience a ruler can be persuaded,
and a gentle tongue can break a bone.
16 If you find honey, eat just enough—
too much of it, and you will vomit.
17 Seldom set foot in your neighbour’s house—
too much of you, and they will hate you.
18 Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow
is one who gives false testimony against a neighbour.
19 Like a broken tooth or a lame foot
is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble.
20 Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day,
or like vinegar poured on a wound,
is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
Commentary
Use your words to good effect
Good words
The words we speak really matter. Sometimes, they have a very good effect. When someone finds the right words for the right occasion there is something very beautiful about it: ‘The right word at the right time is like a custom-made piece of jewelry’ (v.11, MSG).
Something less easy to hear, but equally valuable is ‘a wise rebuke to a listening ear’ (v.12b). Receiving criticism is always hard but, as the writer of Proverbs says, ‘a wise friend’s timely reprimand is like a gold ring slipped on your finger’ (v.12, MSG). Friends who love us enough to challenge us are highly valuable.
Likewise, trustworthy friends or messengers who keep to their word ‘are like cool drinks in sweltering heat – refreshing!’ (v.13, MSG).
The tongue is so powerful: ‘Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone’ (v.15). Or as The Message puts it, ‘gentle speech breaks down rigid defences’.
Bad words
There are some uses of words that the writer of Proverbs warns us against. Empty promises lead to disappointment: ‘Like clouds and wind without rain is one who boasts of gifts never given’ (v.14).
On the whole, it is not good to spend too much time talking to any one person or group of people: ‘When you find a friend, don’t outwear your welcome; show up at all hours and he’ll soon get fed up’ (v.17, MSG). We need a balance in our relationships. Words need to be spread wisely.
Another bad use of words is ‘false testimony’ (v.18) – saying what is untrue. This could be in court or simply in our conversation or online: ‘Anyone who tells lies against their neighbours in court or on the street is a loose cannon’ (v.18, MSG). It is very painful to read or hear things that are simply untrue.
Prayer
1 Timothy 4:1-16
4 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
6 If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. 10 That is why we labour and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Saviour of all people, and especially of those who believe.
11 Command and teach these things. 12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.
15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
Commentary
Devote yourself to the Word of God
It is sad and disappointing when professing Christians stray from their faith. Paul writes that some are giving up on their faith and chasing after ‘demonic illusions put forth by professional liars’ (v.1, MSG).
Guard yourself against deception by studying the truth – which is revealed by the Holy Spirit in the Word of God.
Paul warns against false teaching that tells us ‘not to get married’ or ‘not to eat this or that food’ (v.3, MSG). He writes, ‘The Spirit clearly says…’ (v.1) and ‘everything God created is good, and is to be received with thanks. Nothing is to be sneered at and thrown out. God’s Word and our prayers make every item in creation holy’ (vv.4–5, MSG).
Paul urges Timothy to pass on the ‘good teaching’ he has received (v.6). An example of the good teaching is ‘a trustworthy saying’ (v.9) – that God ‘is the Saviour of all people, and especially of those who believe’ (v.10).
Timothy is called to ‘Get the word out. Teach all these things’ (v.11, MSG). He is to be an example to the believers in speech (as well as in life, in love, in faith and in purity). Paul urges him to devote himself to the public reading of Scripture, of preaching and teaching (v.13). This must always be a high priority for Christian leaders (see 5:17).
All this is part of training ‘yourself to be godly’ (4:7). It is good to exercise and keep fit: ‘Physical training is of some value’ (v.8a), but training in ‘godliness’ is far more important than physical training. ‘Exercise daily in God – no spiritual flabbiness... making you fit both today and forever’ (v.8b, MSG).
In the Christian life, your age does not define your maturity. Paul writes, ‘Don’t let anyone put you down because you’re young’ (v.12, MSG). Whatever your age, you can set an example by your life. Furthermore, age is no bar to teaching the word of God.
Paul urges Timothy to watch his life and doctrine closely (v.16). Watch your life and your lips. ‘Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching’ (v.16, MSG).
He also refers to a gift that was given to Timothy through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid hands on him. This is a New Testament example of a ‘word’ from the Lord given through the gift of prophecy.
Prayer
Jeremiah 40:7–42:22
Gedaliah Assassinated
7 When all the army officers and their men who were still in the open country heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor over the land and had put him in charge of the men, women and children who were the poorest in the land and who had not been carried into exile to Babylon, 8 they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah —Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maakathite, and their men. 9 Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid to serve the Babylonians, ” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you. 10 I myself will stay at Mizpah to represent you before the Babylonians who come to us, but you are to harvest the wine, summer fruit and olive oil, and put them in your storage jars, and live in the towns you have taken over.”
11 When all the Jews in Moab, Ammon, Edom and all the other countries heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, as governor over them, 12 they all came back to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, from all the countries where they had been scattered. And they harvested an abundance of wine and summer fruit.
13 Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers still in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah 14 and said to him, “Don’t you know that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.
15 Then Johanan son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, “Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life and cause all the Jews who are gathered around you to be scattered and the remnant of Judah to perish?”
16 But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, “Don’t do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is not true.”
41 In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood and had been one of the king’s officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating together there, 2 Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land. 3 Ishmael also killed all the men of Judah who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Babylonian soldiers who were there.
4 The day after Gedaliah’s assassination, before anyone knew about it, 5 eighty men who had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes and cut themselves came from Shechem, Shiloh and Samaria, bringing grain offerings and incense with them to the house of the Lord. 6 Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. When he met them, he said, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.” 7 When they went into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men who were with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern. 8 But ten of them said to Ishmael, “Don’t kill us! We have wheat and barley, olive oil and honey, hidden in a field.” So he let them alone and did not kill them with the others. 9 Now the cistern where he threw all the bodies of the men he had killed along with Gedaliah was the one King Asa had made as part of his defense against Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the dead.
10 Ishmael made captives of all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah—the king’s daughters along with all the others who were left there, over whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites.
11 When Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed, 12 they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the great pool in Gibeon. 13 When all the people Ishmael had with him saw Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers who were with him, they were glad. 14 All the people Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah. 15 But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and fled to the Ammonites.
Flight to Egypt
16 Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him led away all the people of Mizpah who had survived, whom Johanan had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had assassinated Gedaliah son of Ahikam—the soldiers, women, children and court officials he had recovered from Gibeon. 17 And they went on, stopping at Geruth Kimham near Bethlehem on their way to Egypt 18 to escape the Babylonians. They were afraid of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land.
42 Then all the army officers, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest approached 2 Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, “Please hear our petition and pray to the Lord your God for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left. 3 Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.”
4 “I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet. “I will certainly pray to the Lord your God as you have requested; I will tell you everything the Lord says and will keep nothing back from you.”
5 Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the Lord your God sends you to tell us. 6 Whether it is favourable or unfavourable, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the Lord our God.”
7 Ten days later the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. 8 So he called together Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him and all the people from the least to the greatest. 9 He said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition, says: 10 ‘If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I have relented concerning the disaster I have inflicted on you. 11 Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear. Do not be afraid of him, declares the Lord, for I am with you and will save you and deliver you from his hands. 12 I will show you compassion so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your land.’
13 “However, if you say, ‘We will not stay in this land,’ and so disobey the Lord your God, 14 and if you say, ‘No, we will go and live in Egypt, where we will not see war or hear the trumpet or be hungry for bread,’ 15 then hear the word of the Lord, you remnant of Judah. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and you do go to settle there, 16 then the sword you fear will overtake you there, and the famine you dread will follow you into Egypt, and there you will die. 17 Indeed, all who are determined to go to Egypt to settle there will die by the sword, famine and plague; not one of them will survive or escape the disaster I will bring on them.’ 18 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘As my anger and wrath have been poured out on those who lived in Jerusalem, so will my wrath be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You will be a curse and an object of horror, a curse and an object of reproach; you will never see this place again.’
19 “Remnant of Judah, the Lord has told you, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ Be sure of this: I warn you today 20 that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the Lord your God and said, ‘Pray to the Lord our God for us; tell us everything he says and we will do it.’ 21 I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the Lord your God in all he sent me to tell you. 22 So now, be sure of this: You will die by the sword, famine and plague in the place where you want to go to settle.”
Commentary
Listen carefully to the ‘words’ of the prophets
Have you ever been in a situation where you decided what you were going to do and then looked for a word from God to confirm what you had already decided in your heart to do?
I’ve been there. It is not a good place to be. This is what happened here. The people of God had decided they wanted to go down to Egypt and they wanted Jeremiah to give them a message from God confirming it was the right thing to do. It led to disaster.
Jeremiah was an Old Testament prophet who had a reputation for being able to hear ‘the word of the Lord’ (42:1–7).
Israel had reached one of the lowest points in its history. Gedaliah, who had been appointed as governor over the remnant of the people who had not gone into exile (40:7), had been murdered (40:7 – 41:15). Since the water supply was so precious in Palestine, the fouling of the cistern was a particularly irresponsible act of vandalism (41:9).
Johanan was thoroughly competent to deal with the situation involving military skill. But his only thought was to escape to Egypt from what he imagined to be the inevitable Babylonian reprisals. In this policy, he was to clash with Jeremiah.
Johanan and all the army officers came to Jeremiah and asked him to ‘pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do’ (42:3).
Jeremiah’s response was ‘I will certainly pray to the Lord your God as requested; I will tell you everything the Lord says and will keep nothing back from you’ (v.4).
They promise, ‘Whether it is favourable or unfavourable, we will obey the Lord our God’ (v.6).
It is interesting to note that, even for Jeremiah, guidance did not come instantly on the spur of the moment. Instead, ‘Ten days later the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah’ (v.7).
He faithfully passed it on: ‘This is what the Lord… says…’ (v.9). He promises blessing if they stay in the land (vv.10–12) and judgment if they go in to Egypt (v.13 onwards).
It turned out that they had already decided what they would do and merely wanted the Lord to confirm it. They made the mistake of not obeying the word of the Lord (v.21). How vital it is to ask the Lord before we make our decisions rather than after!
Prayer
Pippa adds
Proverbs 25:17 it says:
‘Seldom set foot in your neighbour's house – too much of you, and you will be hated.’
COVID-19 has changed many things. I used to think we had almost too many people in our house and then the shutdown came, and I missed everyone. I will never take for granted the freedom to socialise again.
Verse of the Day
1 Timothy 4:12
Set an example… in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.
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References
Bill Bradfield, On Reading the Bible: Thoughts and Reflections of Over 500 Men and Women (Dover Publications, 2005), p.121.
Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicised, Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica, formerly International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. ‘NIV’ is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790.
Scripture marked (MSG) taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.