Job 15 What We Say Matters

What We Say Matters!

Here we go saints! Another adventure through the depths of God’s word. He amazes me every day when I look at these verses in the book of Job and in my mind I have not the first clue about where the Lord will take us. As I begin to open the Bibles in my house and look at what He wants to show me personally; as I read the passage for the day, His message begins to unfold just like unwrapping a gift from His own hand – hallelujah! Give Him a shout of praise! After all, who really knows or understands anything compared to God? Who has wisdom like Him? Who can know the things He knows and traverse the ways of righteousness like He does in the heavens, the earth and under the earth? How awesome are His ways! But thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ that He always causes us to triumph and gives us the victory! Where would anyone be without Him? Sadly, because we have read His book of life, we know the answer to that question and it is not good.

What indeed is man O God, that You are mindful of us? Yet, You have called us friends. Speaking of friends, Job’s buddies were still with him, and they still had plenty they wanted to say. In our previous study we looked at boundaries and a proper time to leave a friend to go to God on their own. That said, it looks like that won’t be the case for this and 23 more chapters. So let’s open up our hearts and prepare for another great journey in the wonderful word of God - amen!

Father, I thank You for each and every person who is receiving this study. Lord, I ask You to speak to me and through me to touch their hearts in just the way You know they need it. Help them to gain Your wisdom and understanding and show them how to apply this lesson to their own lives. Lord, we all purpose in our hearts to be doers of Your word and not hearers only. We thank You in advance for the answers to this prayer in Jesus name! Amen! 

In his opening statements to Job, Eliphaz holds nothing back in telling his friend that his own words are a snare to him. He is accusing Job of speaking like an empty wind toward God and his own speech is trapping him. Well, that can be true enough. Look at this…

Proverbs 6:2

You are snared by the words of your mouth; you are taken by the words of your mouth.

In the book of Ecclesiastes we have a wonderful counterpart to what Eliphaz was saying to Job…

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil.

Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes through much activity, and a fool’s voice is known by his many words.

When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; for He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed— better not to vow than to vow and not pay.

Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands? For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity. But fear God.

That packs a powerful punch, doesn’t it? We can see that talking too much will always get us into trouble. And how many times have we made a promise to God and did not keep it? Friends, this is very serious. As the scriptures tell us, we are far better off in God’s eyes if we don’t make a vow than we are to make a vow and not keep it. If we say we are going to do something, we need to do it. And where there is an Old Testament command, there is most certainly a New Testament word to back it up and confirm it. Here is what Jesus said about that…

Matthew 5:33-37

“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

In other words, say what you mean and mean what you say. How often do we get into conversations with others and say we are going to do this or that – and this without yet knowing the will of God in the situation we are discussing? All such talk is boasting and evil… 

James 4:13-16

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

I will give you an example of a vow I made to God probably back in 2008. One day it just came out of my mouth. I believe it came from God’s heart through mine and right out of my mouth. I made a vow. What did I say? I said to the Lord that I would weigh a certain amount for the rest of my life and no more. So I committed to Him that weight and because I said that, I have made a legal and binding commitment to Him that I cannot break. Have I always kept my weight at that level? No, I confess that I have not. Was that OK? Certainly not! I have had to repent more than once on this matter. And I cannot regret what I promised to Him. I must cheerfully give Him what I have said from my heart through my mouth. So when I have slipped up and gone over, I have had to repent and turn to Him.

There was a very good purpose in drawing a line on my weight because of the struggle I had with eating and sugar addiction. A person has to know what the healthy level is and maintain it. I believe with all my heart that the Lord was helping me that day when I spoke that vow out of my mouth. One cannot take these things lightly, because the Lord takes them very seriously. If we tell Him we are going to do something, we must indeed do it. Otherwise we are sinning…

James 4:17

Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Let’s look at Hosea 14:1-9 on this subject also…

O Israel, return to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity; take words with you,
and return to the Lord. Say to Him, “Take away all iniquity; receive us graciously, for we will offer the sacrifice of our lips. Assyria shall not save us, we will not ride on horses, nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, ‘You are our gods.’ for in You the fatherless finds mercy.”

“I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, for My anger has turned away from him.  I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall grow like the lily, and lengthen his roots like Lebanon. His branches shall spread; his beauty shall be like an olive tree, and his fragrance like Lebanon.

Those who dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall be revived like grain, and grow like a vine. Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

“Ephraim shall say, ‘What have I to do anymore with idols?’ I have heard and observed him. I am like a green cypress tree; your fruit is found in Me.”

Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.

Isn’t this another wonderful parallel to what we are studying today? Glory to God. Our words carry just as much weight as God’s words! We were created in His image and we are called to do the same things our Master did. Jesus said so Himself. If He can speak to a fig tree and cause them to wither and die, then so can we. Saints, what we say really matters. The things that come from our own lips will happen, whether good or bad. We must watch what we say, and mean what we say. Fortunately in the Hosea passage, the Lord shows us that He Himself will heal us from our backsliding and love us freely. Hallelujah!

We can see that men can’t save us – no matter who they are or how wise they are. Eliphaz thought he really knew something because he had learned from older and wiser men than he. In essence he was telling Job, “Who do you think you are pal? Do you think you alone have cornered the market on wisdom? Don’t you know that we know these things also and have even wiser men on our side?” Wow! While it is good to get wise counsel from others who have walked the paths of righteousness before us, the only one we can truly depend on for pure wisdom is God.

In Hosea, the Lord himself said that if we are wise and prudent we will understand what He was telling us in these verses. Idols (whether people or things) can’t help us. Our own efforts won’t save us. There is no god but our God. And He is our Helper and Healer in time of need.

If only these guys would have stopped all this foolish talk and listened long enough to hear what the Lord had to say about the whole thing, right? But we can’t point any fingers, can we saints? 

I look back at my own storm and think, “Wow, if only I had really stopped in my tracks and been quiet with the Lord long enough to really hear Him out!” If in fact I had done that it would have been a sign of true wisdom. All my words and rambling were getting me nowhere! I needed to hear what He would tell me to do. And then if I proceeded to do it, I would see miracles unfold right before my eyes. It is so simple. Listen to what God says. Then do it. Then watch your miracle happen. The Old Testament told us to do what He says. Jesus own mother told us to do whatever He said. Friends that is the key to miracles. Let’s review that again…

1.    Hear from God

2.    Do what He says

3.    Receive your miracle

Pretty awesome, isn’t it? We see this over and over in the Bible. Do what God says and be blessed beyond anything you or I can imagine. What a deal! 

In the following verse, we see that while God conceals a matter, it is our job to search it out. This is in the sayings of wisdom – the book of Proverbs.

Proverbs 25:2

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

And the right words at the right time? How precious they are…

Proverbs 25:11

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

Do you think Job was feeling like he was getting silver and gold that day? Hardly!  One of the things I have been learning as I go to a church where the pastor does not mince the words of the Bible is that I have to watch what I confess out of my mouth. I never heard some of the things we have been learning. Religion has a tendency to leave those nuggets out. Many do not want to face the truth as it is really taught in the Bible so they focus on the surface, not wanting to get in too deep. But those who are mature and wanting to really grow up will look to the Lord for His ways and keep them. Hallelujah! We who desire to be mature and wise will heed the following…

Proverbs 8

Does not wisdom cry out, and understanding lift up her voice? She takes her stand on the top of the high hill,
beside the way, where the paths meet. She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, at the entrance of the doors:
“To you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men. O you simple ones, understand prudence, and you fools, be of an understanding heart. Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, and from the opening of my lips will come right things; for my mouth will speak truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; nothing crooked or perverse is in them. They are all plain to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge. Receive my instruction, and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold;

For wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her. “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge and discretion. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength. By me kings reign, and rulers decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, all the judges of the earth.

I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me. Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring riches and righteousness.

My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, and my revenue than choice silver. I traverse the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice, that I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, that I may fill their treasuries.

“The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth; while as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, or the primal dust of the world.

When He prepared the heavens, I was there, when He drew a circle on the face of the deep, when He established the clouds above, when He strengthened the fountains of the deep, when He assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters would not transgress His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside Him as a master craftsman;

And I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him, rejoicing in His inhabited world, and my delight was with the sons of men.

“Now therefore, listen to me, my children, for blessed are those who keep my ways.
Hear instruction and be wise, and do not disdain it.

Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the Lord; but he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; all those who hate me love death.”

Who is Wisdom? It is God! Jesus; always there before any of this world was ever spoken into existence, there was Wisdom, because Wisdom is God. If we listen to Him and watch daily at His gates we will find life, favor, and prosperity in every aspect of our lives. Only He knows how to guide us each day. It should be the prayer of every Christian on a daily basis to cry out for wisdom. We need it to address every situation we will face in a day. Solomon was wise already to ask the Lord for wisdom because without that he would be unable to hold anything else in his life or rulership together, amen?

Knowing what to say, when to say it and how to say it really matters in our day to day affairs. This is a process we all need to embrace – learning how to do more listening than speaking. How do I know this? I think of the many times I would just talk to break the silence. If I was with someone who was quiet I would get really uncomfortable and talk even more. And the more I spoke, the worse it got. Ugh! Being a ‘chatty Cathy’ for the sake of just keeping conversation going is useless and easily leads us into sin. As we continue on our journey with Job, we will see that all of these fella’s were treading into deeper water with their mouths than they should and would live to regret it!

Here is another verse that would make a good daily prayer (I need to get my prayer list in order ASAP! How about you? 

Psalm 19:14

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

Saints, there are some things we need to pray from God’s word each and every day – not as vain repetitions like Jesus warned us about, but as an earnest heartfelt desire to be more Christ-like. Some things we say have to be said over and over again. That’s why the Lord told us to hide His word in our heart so that we would not sin against Him…

Psalm 119:11

Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.

Psalm 39:1

I said, “I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, while the wicked are before me.”

The psalmist was used to give us some real wisdom about our words here, wasn’t he? The chapter we are studying today talks a lot about the destination of the wicked, but the Lord wanted to tell us a lot about watching what we are saying, like the chapter started off. And He showed me this Psalm again, one that we looked at yesterday…

Psalm 16:5-11

O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance.

I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; my heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

When we say what our Father leads us to say we have a good boundary line for our tongue. He doesn’t leave us in a heap of trouble with no way out. He always comes to our rescue. He is all the wisdom we truly need. Let’s remember to do a lot more listening and a lot less talking, amen?

Questions:

What was Eliphaz accusing Job of?

What did Eliphaz think he had going for himself?

Where does true wisdom come from? Who is Wisdom?

Why is it important not to make a hasty vow to the Lord?  

In what way have you been snared by your words lately? 

 Proverbs 16:24

Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

There are four main points to consider from today’s study…

When we make a commitment to God, it is critical that we keep it

Seeking wisdom is the first place to start our day

We must choose our words very carefully

What we say really does matter

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for giving wisdom in Your presence and in Your written word. Lord I ask You to forgive me for the times I have not fulfilled my promises to You. I also ask You to forgive me for any words I have said that I should not have. If I have offended anyone, especially You, or sinned with my mouth in a way I can’t see, I ask You to show me so I can repent and make it right. Thank You for Your love, Your ways and Your wisdom that can guide my every step when I stop and listen to You through Holy Spirit. Bring glory to Yourself in my life as I make it my aim and my goal to speak only words that bring life and blessings and not death and cursing in Jesus name! Amen. 

Are you doing what you said you will do?  

And God Said… You fill in the blanks.

 Proverbs 16:16

How much better to get wisdom than gold!
And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.