Political Correctness
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Proverbs 10:11 NASB
Violence – The world with God’s present sovereignty is a very violent place. Imagine what it would be like without His sovereignty! If the world as we know it is under the final sovereignty of God, what would this place be like if God removed His hand? Perhaps this gives us more appreciation of the plagues in Egypt. If this world is what it’s like with God’s restraint of Man’s evil, I can barely conceive of a world without any of God’s restraining intervention.
But Solomon gives us a hint. What is hidden in the mouth of the wicked is hamas—violence, wrong, hatred, maliciousness, cruelty, sinful treatment. hamas is the opposite of the fountain of life that pours forth from the righteous. hamas is death.
We wouldn’t have much trouble understanding that today. After all, we even have a political terrorists organization called hamas. But what we must pay attention to is the biblical connection between violence, wrong and sin and the opposite of a fountain of life. The only thing that prevents the entire world from becoming the result of the mouth of the wicked is righteousness; that is, the righteous acts of those who follow YHVH and the righteousness of YHVH Himself. If righteousness should cease, hamas would cover the earth like water.
Several biblical connections become visible through Solomon’s insight. First, we learn that words produce deeds. Out of a man’s mouth proceeds the basis and motivation of his acts. I become what I speak. Secondly, we learn that the wicked conceal their true intent with misdirecting words. Although we will ultimately discover their deception, we are cautioned by Solomon not to place all of our trust in what a man says. We are to look at what a man does in order to see the true intent of his words. A life that does not reflect the words of YHVH is wicked no matter what is spoken. In biblical thought, word and deed are two sides of the same coin. Finally, we realize that any righteous act is a bulwark against wickedness and every righteous act has eternal value on the earth. The smallest good deed defers the tidal wave of violence from breaking over that particular event. This helps us see that God’s righteousness restrains evil in the world. Despite our inability to explain how a good God can allow such horror to exist, we must recognize that this same good God is actively engaged in restraining the full impact of evil. Things could be much, much worse but God intercedes. Even in such terrible moral evil like the Holocaust.
In the end, those who speak God’s words and live according to His instructions pour life into the world. Those who speak but do not live accordingly are like the serpent bent on deception. And those who embrace hamas are evil. No amount of political correctness can erase their disregard for life. The violent man is a man against God.
Topical Index: hamas, violence, evil, Proverbs 10:11
I have often wondered sometimes how nice it would be if the devil weren’t a liar. How nice it would be if he went around telling us the truth, the full truth, and nothing but the truth. Why, what truth could the devil tell us? Isn’t Truth the Man of YHVH’s Word? But, still, if, for every sin in my life I had been told the real reason the devil wanted me to do it, what it REALLY was he wanted me to accomplish, and what the end result was going to be, it would have really been nice! I would have clearly seen the terrible rip in the fabric of reality (there’s that violence!); seen ahead of time the ripple effect to the end of time that the choice would have caused, and how many people, including myself, would have been hurt, or even destroyed if I chose it. Then I would have been utterly revolted and ashamed and very, very angry, and I would have been afraid, like the angels are, to tread off the Way. But wait! The Man of YHVH’s Truth HAS already told me all these things: I have been warned, instructed, and given copious examples of, all these things, and, further, equally importantly, I have been told WHAT TO DO INSTEAD! Instead of straining my ears to hear the truth on the wrong channel I need to stay tuned in to the right one. I haven’t been told everything, but I know that is because the truth gets horribly mangled in my hands: the more I know, the more I mess up! But, I know I HAVE been told enough to trust the rest. And that should be enough for me!
One Prayer
May we pray?
Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and You have promised these good things to Your servant. (2 Samuel 7:28)
The Prayer of the Teacher (our Teacher) for His talmudim..
~ They are not of the world, even as I AM not of the world.
“Sanctify them in the Truth; Your word is Truth.
“As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world..”
~ Therefore, we are the Messiah’s representatives, as though God were pleading through us. We plead on the Messiah’s behalf: “Be reconciled to God!” ~ (2 Corinthians 5.20)
One wonders. Will GOD step in when Iran launches its first nuclear weapon at Jerusalem? Tom
Given the history, I am not sure He would. The evil of men seems to run rampant until judgment comes upon us all. Nevertheless, we pray for intervention BEFORE it comes to this.
Praises to YHWH for His mercies for hearing the cries of His people in distress. Amein!
” A life that does not reflect the words of YHVH is wicked no matter what is spoken.” And no matter how much knowledge he has ‘gained’- ever learning, but never coming to the knowledge of what is righteous/clean and what is not. That is false witnessing.
” we must recognize that this same good God is actively engaged in restraining the full impact of evil”, is likened to having a cancer surgically removed to prevent further spreading that may destroy the body.
“Finally, we realize that any righteous act is a bulwark against wickedness and every righteous act has eternal value on the earth.” Amein v’amein!
What is interesting to me is Hamas is the name of the terrorist group from the Gaza strip. I know hamas is guttural on the h in this passage and not in the name for the Islamic group but they are spelled the same in English. Both have violence, hatred etc weaved into their meaning.
@Skip, please tell me if this is accurate. Chamas begins with cham, which means hot. Add to this the samach, which is a picture of, “to uphold, to lift up and support.” So, the resulting meaning is, “to support and lift up being controlled by one’s passions, without restraint.” The mind set on the flesh is death.
An interesting breakdown of the word. Thanks.