PROVERB PRACTICALS   blabbermouth 101, Proverbs 12:23, Audio

 

Proverbs 12:23, A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.

God's word as given to us in written form is contained in 66 books beginning with Genesis and ending with Revelation.

And in the last chapter of the last book God warns of additions or subtractions to this book and with this warning we then know that He has spoken all and now chooses to be silent.

God has, in his word completed His message to us from A to Z, from the Creation to Eternity and at this time has nothing more to say.

So for almost 2000 years God has kept silent and left us to absorb his written word for all we need to know is what has already been given. 

There are times when God speaks and there are times when God is silent.

There are times when God reveals knowledge and there are times when God conceals or withholds knowledge.

God imparted his nature to us when he created us in his image and because we are to be "like father like son" he expects us at times to be revealers of knowledge and at times to be concealers or withholders of knowledge.

That is a part of his nature and he expects that to also be a part of the nature of his children.

God intends for his children to be disciplined in their speech and to use words as if what was said would come about simply because it was said.  

How would your speech be governed or altered if you had this power, as God has this power for when He spoke, the world’s obeyed and came into existence?

Would you make statements so casually if what you said automatically came about?  

So we, being made in God’s image are to think this way and govern our words, for words have power and can be used for good or can be used for evil.

Words, as shown us by God’s word, are designed to bring things about.

When God speaks, what he says comes about.

There is no one or no system to successfully oppose his word.

If God were careless in his speaking the universe would not sustain, the planets would run amuck, and man would be destroyed.

God has been silent since the revelation of Jesus Christ was given to John around 90 AD.

And we know God is silent most of the time.

When he speaks, his word brings great events into being.

God's word is powerful and he speaks only when needed.

We are also to be silent most of the time.

As the Apostle James instructs, we are to be swift to hear, but slow to speak:

In Psalm 141:3, David asks God, Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

God's word pictures a door that opens and closes our mouth thereby regulating our speech.

You may choose who opens and closes the door.

The doorkeeper of the door can be the Lord.

You may choose the opening of the door to be in keeping with the word of God or you may not.

If it is regulated by the word of God it opens at the right time and it closes at the right time.

If it is regulated by the Word of God, most likely it is more closed than open.

Being guarded by the Lord causes a good man out of the good treasure of the heart to bring forth good things.

It is like Mother bringing out the good silver for special occasions. 

Being guarded by the Lord causes a good man out of the treasure of his heart, to not bring forth evil things.

Words fitly spoken are precious treasures and like all treasures are to be used judiciously and carefully.

They are not to be wasted.

Proverbs 15:23 says, A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!

Ecclesiastics 3:1 says, To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

And in Ecclesiastics 3:7 we are told there is , A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A prudent man knows the time because he knows the Lord and he knows the word of the Lord.

Ecclesiastes 8:5,6 tells us, .....a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment. Because to every purpose there is time and judgment,

There is a time to speak and a time not to speak.

And judgment must be used at all times. 

A prudent man knows when to proclaim knowledge and when not to proclaim knowledge.

A prudent man will make his knowledge known when he knows it will be helpful, when he knows it will edify.

The prudent man knows what his duty is but he also knows the when and where and who of speaking. 

He knows the proper manner in which to accomplish the task and he considers the consequences of his words. 

He knows that timing is important in that the hearer must be allowed to consider seriously that which is spoken.   

A prudent man will not use his knowledge to elevate himself in the eyes of another.

Pride of knowledge will not motivate the prudent man.

He will not try to top other's knowledge by his own knowledge in hopes of impressing others or putting others down.

So many use words as if they are engaged in a contest. 

So many use words to vanquish others instead of edifying others.

Is there value in winning arguments? 

You may win the argument but do you win your opponent? 

You may feel fine about using superior words to make another feel inferior, perhaps insulting his intelligence in the victory but what does that do for him. 

Speaking always considers those who are hearing your words.

And the prudent man will not jump at the chance to look superior at the cost of humiliating others.

He will not use his knowledge to win arguments in order to feel good about himself.

He knows that it is a vain use of the gift of knowledge and words that God has given him.

Jesus Christ refused to speak before his enemies and judges because it would be in vain to men of closed minds and fixed hearts.

He could have astounded them with all knowledge of all subjects and caused them to worship his knowledge.

He even kept knowledge to himself in the treatment of his own disciples because he knew they were not prepared to receive its treasures.

He has told us in Matthew 7:6, Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

Here Jesus brings to the mind in strong words, a time to conceal knowledge. 

Not all men are ready to examine God’s pearls, and to reveal His pearls to them will bring them to turn on the messenger and cause him harm.

Charles Spurgeon wrote the following about this command of Christ:  

When men are evidently unable to perceive the purity of a great truth, do not set it before them. They are like mere dogs, and if you set holy things before them they will be provoked to “turn again and rend you”: holy things are not for the profane. “Without are dogs”: they must not be allowed to enter the holy place. When you are in the midst of the vicious, who are like “swine” do not bring forth the precious mysteries of the faith, for they will despise them, and “trample them under their feet” in the mire. You are not needlessly to provoke attack upon yourself, or upon the higher truths of the gospel. You are not to judge, but you are not to act without judgment. Count not men to be dogs or swine; but when they avow themselves to be such, or by their conduct act as if they were such, do not put occasions in their way for displaying their evil character. Saints are not to be simpletons; they are not to be judges, but, also, they are not to be fools.

The Apostle Peter tells us to always be ready to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. 

But notice the setting here, it is not in the setting of dogs and swine. 

We are not to engage in arguments and debates using the word of God as a means to win contests and overcome others. 

Jesus compared his word to a pearl of great price and as such God expects us to see His truth as we would see a valuable, precious jewel.

And when we see it as a jewel, we are to be wise in its display.

And therefore we are called upon to conceal knowledge from the scorner because it will simply bring hate and shame to ourselves.

We are not to speak in the ears of a fool for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

To the Christian all is holy, all is separated unto God and that includes the knowledge that God has given.

The knowledge that God has given is to dwell with prudence and its use is to be used for the glory of God, not for vain or self-elevating purposes.

That is what the fool does as the last part of our proverb tells us:  the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.

The word of God is still true in 2013!

Solomon must have watched the television talk shows!

Solomon must have listened to the radio talk shows!

Solomon must have visited our time in a time capsule and visited America and listened to the fools of today proclaim their foolishness.

Solomon! The same is true today as what you wrote 3000 years ago.

The fool now can proclaim foolishness so that the whole world can hear and the world loves to hear.

It cannot get enough!

The Hebrew word translated for us as "proclaim" means the idea of accosting a person, it means to call out by name, to preach, to pronounce, to publish.

The fool does not wait until he is asked.

He accosts. He grabs hold of in order to get his foolishness pronounced.

He desires notice! That is what he is after!

He opens up his heart without prudence.

He tries to teach when he ought to be the student.

He instructs those who ought to be the instructor.

So God in this proverb has given us another distinguishing mark in which to identify the fool.

And that is the mark of always talking, but not talking of serious or important matters but talk that is just foolishness, and that foolishness comes from the heart.

We speak here of a prating fool, prating meaning to talk too much about things that have no weight, or to talk too much on things of little purpose.

It is the talk of always passing the time instead of redeeming the time. 

To redeem the time is to pay for the time that God gives you by the speaking and doing of things of worth. 

For what other reason are you kept here to breathe God’s air and to use up God’s resources?

We are not just to pass the time in worthless conversation but we are to speak that which edifies, helps and blesses.

But the fool passes the time in the extended talk of the trivial. 

He or she is loquacious, which means to run on and on and on and on about matters of little or no worth. 

It is the kind of talk that receives nothing but the nodding of the head of the listener who soon appears in a trance like state.

For most times the prating fool has few listening skills and is so engaged in his foolishness he cannot even see or is interested in the reaction of the listener.

So a mark of a fool is one who is satisfied with himself and cannot learn because he is only hearing what he has to say for what he says is generated in his heart, a heart that is desperately wicked, no man can know it.

For when you speak it is simply that which you already know so how can you learn anything if you don’t listen?

Fools are occupied with shallowness and are satisfied only with the transmitting side of broadcasting.

In their quest to keep their mouth exercised they forget that there is also a need to keep the ear exercised in listening and if not exercised the ears will soon lose their purpose.

And proclaiming foolishness usually results in proud and boasting words, senseless words, hateful words, provoking words, words that will definitely bring much trouble.

And God warns the fool in Proverbs 10:8, The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.

The wise in heart is a listener but the fool is too busy to listen to no one but himself.

God’s Word says that fool shall fall!

 

Previous Lesson - Somewhat shorter

Proverbs 12:23,  A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.

God's word as given to us in written form begins with Genesis and ends with Revelation.

There are times when God speaks and there are times when God is silent.

There are times when God reveals knowledge and there are times when God conceals knowledge.

God imparted his nature to us when he created us in his image and because we are to be "like father like son" he expects us at times to be revealers of knowledge and at times to be concealers of knowledge.

That is a part of his nature and he expects that to be a part of the nature of his children also.

God intends for his children to be disciplined in their speech and to use words as if what was said would come about simply because it was said.

Words have power and can be used for good or can be used for evil. Words are designed to bring things about.

When God speaks, what he says comes about. God spoke the worlds into existence.

There is no one or no system to successfully oppose his word.

If God were careless in his speaking the universe would not sustain, the planets would run amuck, and man would be destroyed.

God has been silent since the revelation of Jesus Christ was given to John around 90 AD.

God is silent most of the time. When he speaks, his word brings great events into being.

God's word is powerful and he speaks only when needed.

We are also to be silent most of the time. We are to be swift to hear, but slow to speak:

Psalm 141:3 David asks God,  Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

God's word pictures a door that opens and closes our mouth thereby regulating our speech.

The doorkeeper of the door can be the Lord. You may choose who opens and closes the door.

You may choose the opening of the door to be in keeping with the word of God or you may not.

If it is regulated by the word of God it opens at the right time and it closes at the right time.

It is not always open. Most likely it is more closed than open.

Being guarded by the Lord causes a good man out of the good treasure of the heart to bring forth good things.

Being guarded by the Lord causes a good man out of the treasure of his heart, to not bring forth evil things.

Words fitly spoken are precious treasures and like all treasures are to be used judiciously and carefully.

They are not to be wasted.

Proverbs 15:23,  A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!

Ecclesiastics 3:1,  To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Ecclesiastics 3:7,  A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A prudent man knows the time because he knows the Lord and he knows the word of the Lord.

See what Ecclesiastics 8:5,6, .....a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment. Because to every purpose there is time and judgment,

There is a time to speak and a time not to speak. And judgment must be used at all those times.

A prudent man knows when to keep silent and when to speak.

A prudent man knows when to conceal knowledge.

A prudent man knows when to proclaim knowledge and when not to proclaim knowledge.

A prudent man will make his knowledge known when he knows it will be helpful, when he knows it will edify.

A prudent man will not use his knowledge to elevate himself in the eyes of another.

Pride of knowledge will not motivate the prudent man.

He will not try to top other's knowledge by his own knowledge in hopes of impressing others or putting others down.

He will not use his knowledge to win arguments in order to feel good about himself.

He knows that it is a vain use of the gift of knowledge that God has given him.

Jesus Christ refused to speak before his enemies and judges because it would be in vain to men of closed minds and fixed hearts.

He could have astounded them with all knowledge of all subjects and caused them to worship his knowledge.

He even kept knowledge to himself in the treatment of his own disciples because he knew they were not prepared to receive its treasures.

He has told us in Matthews 7:6,  Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

We are to conceal knowledge from a scorner because it will simply bring hate and shame to ourselves.

We are assured of a blot when we reprove a wicked man.

We are not to speak in the ears of a fool for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

To the Christian all is holy, all is separated unto God and that includes the knowledge that God has given.

The knowledge that God has given is to dwell with prudence and its use is to be used for the glory of God, not for vain or self elevating purposes.

That is what the fool does as the last part of our proverb tells us:  the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.

The word of God is still true in 1995!

Solomon must have watched the television talk shows!

Solomon must have listened to the radio talk shows!

Solomon must have visited our time period in a time capsule and visited America and listened to the fools of today proclaim their foolishness.

Solomon! the same is true today as what you wrote 3000 years ago.

The fool now can proclaim foolishness so that the whole world can hear and the world loves to hear. It can not get enough!

The Hebrew word translated for us as "proclaim" means the idea of accosting a person, it means to call out by name, to preach, to pronounce, to publish.

The fool does not wait until he is asked.

He accosts. He grabs hold of in order to get his foolishness pronounced. He desires notice! That is what he is after!

He opens up his heart without prudence. He trys to teach when he ought to be the student.

He instructs those who ought to be the instructor.

So God in this proverb has given us another distinguishing mark in which to identify the fool.  the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.

A Christian ought not to have this mark!

"PROVERB PRACTICALS" Article in "The Projector" for Proverbs 12:23, slow to speak