The Teacher looks at Words

Introduction

Every day we speak many words. Our words win us great victories. And our words get us into trouble.

Our words bring us the riches of relationships. We welcome with them, we marry, we say goodbye. We express our love, our concern.

But we also cut and kill with them. We say things that can’t be unsaid. Words that forever float out in God’s world, like shaving cream once brought from the can. And when it gets out, you cannot get it back in.

They are a litmus test of what is within. They show what is in the wells of our hearts. Jesus says, ‘from the overflow of our hearts, the mouth speaks’. Our words express our love and our hate. They show what is there that should be, and what is there that shouldn’t be. They express our glory and our shame. They come from within, out of our heart. And though we might say, ‘stick and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me’, we know deep down it’s not true. That names do hurt.

The Wise Speaker

This is our last look at Ecclesiastes for the year. What are Solomon’s words about words?

Wise words are gracious

Let’s go to chapter 10 verses 12 to 13.

The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his mouth is wicked madness. A fool also multiplies words. (Ecclesiastes 10:12-13)

Here Solomon observes what we have already seen. Words are an index, a litmus test, a yardstick, on the soul within. How do we make ourselves really known? What are we really, on the inside? It is our words that do it. They betray what we really are. The reveal what is inside. From the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.

A wise man from his heart brings wise things from his mouth. And an idiot brings idiocy from his mouth. And the mouth is linked directly to our heart. Why do you and I say such stupid, thoughtless, insensitive and cruel things sometimes? Because deep within you and I are stupid, thoughtless, insensitive and cruel.

The wise man will bring gracious words from his mouth. They give grace to others. They bring grace to himself. But the foolish man’s words destroy himself and others. No wonder Paul says in Colossians 4:6:

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.(NIV)

Silence is golden…

Because of the power of words, the wise man uses them advisedly and sparingly. One of the great themes of the wisdom literature is knowing when to shut up. Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps his mouth shut.

Mum told us, ‘if you can’t say anything good about someone, don’t say anything at all’. And Ecclesiastes tells us that in chapter 3 verse 7, that 'there is …a time to keep silence, and a time to speak'.

Sometimes multiplying words is just to dig yourself a deeper hole. So we are told in Ecclesiastes 10:14 that 'a fool also multiplies words.' He never knows when to shut up.

Don’t be hasty with your words, but faithful

The longest passage that the teacher writes about words is in chapter 5 verses 1 to 7. Why don’t you dig that passage up with me.

Watch your steps when you go to the house of God; for to draw near to listen is better than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they do not know that they are doing evil. ² Be not rash with your mouth, and do not let your heart be hasty to utter anything before God. For God is in heaven, and you are upon earth. Therefore, let your words be few. ³ For a dream comes with much business; and a fool's voice with many words. ⁴ When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it. For he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. ⁵ It is better that you should not vow, than that you vow and not pay. ⁶ Do not let your mouth to cause you to sin, and don’t say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Should God for this reason be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands? ⁷ For this comes about through many dreams and vapours and many words. But as for you, fear God. (Ecclesiastes 5:1-7)

It is better not to make a promise, than make it and not fulfill. For God sees and knows everything. And is an avenger of all such sins.

The fool of course multiplies his words. It doesn’t matter what you say, as it’s just words. You just say them to get you out of a tight spot when necessary.

But God holds us to our words. Our words are our bond, as far as God is concerned. When we went down the aisle to promise, ‘for better or worse, richer for poorer, in sickness and health, until we are parted by death’, we bound ourselves. We burnt our bridges. So every wandering look is sin to be judged and the adultery of our hearts. ‘A man’s word is his bond’, as far as God is concerned. How many things that we’ve promised do we let fall to the ground, because we forget, we are busy, we made the promise hastily.

But God’s word to us is, keep your vow. Do what you’ve promised. If you promised to do something, do it. If you said you would pray, pray! If you spoke undying love with your words, do it. If you promised to help someone do the thing that you’ve promised, even if it’s hard and onerous, and you ask yourself a hundred times, ‘Why did I say yes!’

So Jesus says to us in Matthew 5:33-37 (NIV):

“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. (Matthew 5:33-37 NIV)

Patience not anger

There is another area of our words that also causes us problems. That is our anger. It is so easy to be grumpy and angry and bitter in spirit. Even if we don’t swear with our mouths, we wish we could. We wish we could say what we really think, and cut people down to size. In fact, the heart that murders is the mouth that verbally abuses.

21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. (Matthew 5:21-22 NIV)

But where does all this start? The root of the problem is anger. It overflows in how we speak, our tone of voice, our demeanor, our countenance, our angry expression, our looks that kill, our yelling and raised voices. So we look sullen and angry and we make our families miserable when the cloud of our anger descends upon us. What does the Teacher tell us? Look at chapter 7 verses 8 and 9 with me.

Better is the end of a matter than its beginning. Also, the patient in spirit is better off than the proud in spirit. ⁹ Don’t be quick to be angry in your spirit. For anger rests in the bosom of fools. (Ecclesiastes 7:8-9 NIV)

The problem is the anger that has overtaken us. We are not patient, but proud. Why should I have to do this? Why is it taking so long? I’m doing more than my fair share here. Don’t they know all the work I have to do? And then of course, it all comes out in our bitter and twisted words.

9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. (James 3:9-12 NIV)

The Wise Listener

Not heeding others curses

That is why the teacher wants us to be wise listeners. He does not want us to curse in anger. But he doesn’t want us to take other’s curses to heart.

Also, don’t listen to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you. ²² For your own heart knows that often you yourself have similarly cursed others. (Ecclesiastes 7:21-22)

You know the stupid things that you’ve muttered under your breath, that you’ve said in anger. So why should you be surprised if someone else says the same thing about you. Toughen up. Be thick skinned. Not every word people say can be believed. Sometimes, as you know, because you’ve done it, people speak in anger and bitterness, but when they’ve calmed down, things get back to normal.

It is God’s job to call to account every word. Not yours and mine. So relax, take a chill pill. And remember the stupid things you think and say.

Heeding a wise rebuke

Wisdom is to learn from others words. And the teacher wants us to learn from the words that cut. When we are cut by others words, we need to remember that we have cut others, and pay no attention.

But sometimes the cutting words must be heeded. It is not just the angry bite of someone feeling bitter towards us. It is the rebuke of the wise.

It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools. ⁶ For as the crackling of thorns under a cauldron, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vapour. (Ecclesiastes 7:5-6)

This calls for wisdom. Some words we are not to listen to. For example, the curses of the bitter. But others we are to listen to. The rebukes of the wise. One we don’t listen to, knowing that we have spoken the same way, in anger. The other we listen to, knowing that they’ve spoken for our good.

The Last Word: Truth & Judgment

Well friends, we’ve come to the end of our look at Ecclesiastes. And the last word on words is the same as his last word on everything. The very last paragraph.

13 This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

One of those works to be brought into judgment is the work of mouth, lip and tongue. The work of words will also be weighed by God. Jesus says:

33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. 35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:33-37 NIV)

So our first word to God needs to be sorry. Sorry for all those stupid words we’ve spoken.

And our second word needs to be Jesus is Lord. Because there is hope for us:

9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:9-12 NIV)