Look to the Lord

Gossip is a Dangerous Weapon

Proverbs 25:18 “A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour Is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.”

This proverb highlights one of the ten commandments:

Exodus 20:16 “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.”

Gossip is deadlier when it is not true, but even true gossip is wicked and ungodly.

We should not listen to gossip

Whispers are wrong. If you must speak it in quiet, in secret, or behind someone’s back then it is not to be entertained. In fact, it is to be boldly repudiated. If the matter does not involve you then you are to move beyond it.

We should rebuke false witnesses

Gossip is often false, exaggerated, and spoken with intent to hurt and cause division. The weapons of false witness must be rebuked and dismissed. Accusations without evidence and without personal knowledge is false witness.

We should not participate in either gossip or false witness.

The Unreliable Causes Pain

Proverbs 25:19 “Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble Is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.”

Dependence on an unfaithful man or someone that is unreliable leads to pain. In the time that you need that person they are nowhere to be found. When we rely upon people that refuse to help us, love us, care for us, and defend us when the necessity arises then we are left with the pain of such disloyalty.

We must learn to rely on the reliable. Praise the Lord that despite our shortcoming and our own unreliability that he is faithful to us. We can depend upon him. Even when people gossip and tell lies and speak of things that they have no knowledge of we can rely upon the Lord. Even when others in our lives show themselves unfaithful, disloyal, and deceitful we can rely upon the Lord God of heaven.

While the unfaithful spread their lies, their gossip, and their pain around we can turn to the Lord and wholly rely upon his goodness, his grace, his love, and his compassion. God is good, he is good all the time, and he is ever faithful. Rely upon the Lord.

The Insensitive are without Discernment

Proverbs 25:20 “As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, And as vinegar upon nitre, So is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.”

A person that does not wear a coat in the cold lacks discernment.

A person that mixes vinegar with soap lacks discernment.

A person that sings songs of merriment to someone that is in sorrow lacks discernment.

These people are full of insensitivity to people in need of help, care, and love. We need to learn to sorrow with the sorrowing. We need to learn to read the room and understand other people’s feelings.

All of these verses are wound together. Insensitive people gossip, lie, and are unreliable in times of difficulty and time of pain and time of attack.

Conclusion

These proverbs warn us against the false witness with gossip in their mouth and lies on their tongues. They warn us of unfaithful people that cannot be relied upon in times of distress, times of attack, and times of pain. They warn us about insensitive people that lack discernment and bring embarrassment and pain upon those around them.

Let us not depend on these people or give ear to their tales and their gossip. Let us rebuke those that engage in such painful gossip and lies. Let us seek to be sensitive and faithful to our friends, our family, and our brothers and sisters in Christ. Let us depend upon Christ for our comfort, for help, for compassion, and for love even when some do not show it to us.

God is faithful. God is good. God is dependable. God is absolutely amazing. Let us look to him rather than immerse ourselves in the tales of the gossiper, rely upon the unreliable, or indulge the insensitive. God is faithful and we can rely upon him.