Guarding our Mouth

It is written in the proverb:

Proverbs 13:3 - He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.

Here are some scriptures to consider:

Ecclesiastes 5:3 - For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.

Proverbs 15:2 - The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.3 - The eyes of YAHWEH are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. 4 - A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.

Do you desire life?

Psalms 34:12 - What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? 13 - Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. 14 - Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

Guarding our mouth is nearly impossible apart from Yahweh:

James 3:1 - My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 2 - For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.

If we can bridle the tongue, we can also bridle the whole body!

James 3:3 - Indeed, we put bits in horses' mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5 - Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6 - And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.

Even so, the tongue is so set that it defiles our whole body!!

Proverbs 16:27 - A worthless man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.

continuing in James..

James 3:7 - For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 - But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 - With it we bless YAHWEH our Father and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of YAHWEH. 10 - Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. 11 - Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? 12 - Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh. 13 - Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct [that] his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.

So in context, there is a certain danger that exists for those who are teachers of Yahweh as well as all of Yahweh's servants. Let us heed Yahushua's warning:

Matthew 12:35 - A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 36 - But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37 - For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Truly this is a powerful saying! We need to always consider that every word we speak will be brought before the Judge. Can we stand before the Son of Man? If we can't bridle the tongue, who can? Surely we must be humble and ask Yahweh to put a guard on our mouths...

Psalms 141:3 - Set a watch, O YAHWEH, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. 4 - Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.

With Yahweh guarding our mouth, we can be preserved.

Proverbs 13:3 - He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.

Our own mouth can be a snare!

Proverbs 12:13 - The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips: but the just shall come out of trouble.

When we guard our lips, we preserve ourselves from potential troubles:

Proverbs 21:23 - Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.

David knew this wise saying:

Psalms 39:1 - I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. 2 - I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.

Yahushua also knew this:

Isaiah 53:7 - He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8 - And when Herod saw Yahushua, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. 9 - Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.

We need to ask Yahweh to help us be like Yahushua and hold back the tongue.

Proverbs 29:20 - Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

Consider that! Of all the times that the word "fool" occurs in the scriptures, 55% of them are in the book of Proverbs where foolishness is condemned on no uncertain terms! And yet there is more hope for a FOOL than for one who is hasty in his words!!! Now let's look closely at another passage in James:

James 1:26 - If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion [is] useless.

The greek lexicon reveals that in this passage, 'religious' means to 'fear Yahweh'. "Religion" in this passage means 'Worship'. Therefore, a more accurate translation would be:

"If any man among you seem to be Yahweh-fearing, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's worship is vain."

Wow brethren, this is SERIOUS! Consider Yahushua's words:

Mark 7:7 - Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctines the commandments of men.

The words and teachings of the scribes and pharisees were not of Yahweh. Therefore their worship was vain! So if anyone says they fear Yahweh but bridles not their tongue, then they deceive themselves and their "WORSHIP IS VAIN!"

Proverbs 10:18 - He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool. 19 - In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.

James 1:19 - So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;

Proverbs 10:20 - The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth. 21 - The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.

Our words need to be like spiritual food. If we speak, to what should our speech be likened unto?

1Peter 4:11 - If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of YAHWEH. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which YAHWEH supplies, that in all things YAHWEH may be glorified through Yahushua the Messiah, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever.

Yes, if and when we do speak, it should be as the oracles of Yahweh!

Ephesians 4:29 - Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart favor to the hearers.

Colossians 4:6 - Let your speech be alway with favor, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Yahushua commented on the speech of one:

John 1:46 - And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. 47 - Yahushua saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

Ephesians 5:3 - But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 - neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

Jesting is a popular thing today. But Yahweh says:

Proverbs 26:18 - As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death, 19 - So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?

We need to pay particular attention to our words on Yahweh's Sabbath day:

Isaiah 58:13 - If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of YAHWEH, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:

"Nor speaking thine own words." Speak the oracles of Yahweh! Spiritual food! Like choice silver..refined 7 times!

Isaiah 58:14 - Then shalt thou delight thyself in YAHWEH; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of YAHWEH hath spoken it.

The heritage of Jacob is eternal life!!

Psalms 12:6 - The words of YAHWEH are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

Therefore.. Let us beware lest we fall into condemnation!

Ecclesiastes 12:14 - For Elohim shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. .

So consider the ways in which you walk. Consider the words that you speak. Are they acceptable unto Yahweh? If not? Repent! Right now. I now repent. This is my prayer:

Psalms 19:14 - Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O YAHWEH, my strength, and my redeemer.