Mouth, Ears, Heart

[Proverbs 18:15, 20-21]

What do you think about Jesus’ words, “What comes out of a person’s mouth defiles them” (Mark 7:20)? Jesus said that “whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile them” (verse 18), but what comes out of a person defiles them (verse 20). The reason is that “what comes out of a person’s heart are ‘evil thoughts’” (verse 21) and “all kinds of evil” (verse 23). Therefore, Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Friends, are you guarding your heart well? How can we know if we are guarding our hearts properly? One way is to reflect on how we use our own mouths and ears. That is, if we evaluate how quickly we speak and how quickly we listen to sounds with our ears, we can get an idea of the current state of our heart.

Looking at today’s passage, Proverbs 18:15 and 20-21, King Solomon, the writer of Proverbs, talks about the heart, ears, and mouth of a person. Today, focusing on this passage, I want to think about the “mouth,” “ears,” and “heart” and receive the lessons God gives to you and me.

First, let us think about the “mouth.”

Look at Proverbs 18:20-21:
“A person’s stomach is filled with the fruit of their mouth; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied. The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

We have already received many teachings about the tongue and mouth up to chapter 17 of Proverbs. I have summarized these teachings into three points:

1. God loves a truthful tongue that speaks truth (8:7-8) and a faithful tongue (12:19), but He hates a lying tongue (6:17). We should avoid crooked or perverse speech (4:24; 6:12).

2. The mouth of the wise spreads knowledge kindly, but the mouth of fools pours out foolishness (15:2). In other words, the mouth of the wise (righteous) is like a spring of life that leads to salvation (11:9; 10:11), but the mouth of fools (the wicked) is close to destruction (10:14; 18:7). This is because the mouth of the wise produces wisdom (10:31), but the mouth of the wicked is full of poison (10:6, 11), speaks rebellion (10:32), and pours out evil (15:28).

3. We must control our lips because too much talk makes it hard to avoid sin (10:19). In other words, we should know when to be silent (11:12; 17:28) and not stir up quarrels like the lips of fools (18:6).

In today’s Proverbs 18:20-21, King Solomon speaks about the “fruit of the mouth,” that is, “the fruit of the tongue.” What is this fruit? If we are the wise or righteous that the Proverbs writer talks about, our mouths will produce truth and we will be satisfied with the fruit of that truth. But if we are foolish and crooked, with twisted or false speech coming from our mouth, we will perish because of that fruit of falsehood. Therefore, King Solomon says that “death and life are in the power of the tongue.” That is, the tongue’s influence is great. If we use our tongue wisely, we can give life to others and to ourselves; but if we use our tongue foolishly and wrongly, we can kill others and even ourselves.

Friends, we must use our tongues wisely. To do that, we need to carefully consider the “power of the tongue” mentioned in verse 21. In other words, we must wisely control the power of the tongue. We must never recklessly wield our tongues just because we have power or want to show off. In short, the power of the tongue must be restrained. From that perspective, as King Solomon said in Proverbs 10:19, we must control our lips. Again, we should not talk too much (10:19). Especially within the church, we should not speak excessively. We should not talk too much nor enjoy talking about others (18:8). Otherwise, whether intentionally or not, our excessive talk and mistakes with words can deeply hurt the hearts of our brothers and sisters (15:4). Especially, as Proverbs 12:18 warns, we should not speak carelessly with words like “stabs of a sword.” In other words, we must not make harsh or cutting remarks about others. Otherwise, as Proverbs 18:21 says, we will eat the fruit of our tongues. That is, if we misuse our tongues, both ourselves and others will suffer destruction.

Let us all speak words that make for peace. We are God’s children who make peace. Therefore, from our mouths, fitting words that bring harmony must come out. This is the proper speech that we Christians must have (10:32). Look at 2 Corinthians 5:19:
“For God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them, and he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.”

Because of this, by speaking words that make peace, “if it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18). As King Solomon said in Proverbs 17:1, “Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.”

Secondly, let us think about the “ear.”

Look at the latter half of Proverbs 18:15 in today’s passage:
“… the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.”

If we look back at the book of Proverbs we have already meditated on, King Solomon said that the wise store up knowledge (10:14) and obtain salvation through their knowledge (11:9). Solomon also said that the tongue of the wise gives good instruction (15:2). So, the wise love knowledge. Therefore, the ears of the wise seek knowledge. That’s why Proverbs 23:12 tells us: “Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge.”

However, the times we are living in are as the apostle Paul predicted in 2 Timothy 4:3-4: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

Nowadays, many people do not believe that the Bible is the Word of God or that God’s Word is absolute truth. As Paul predicted, people’s ears have already turned away from the truth. They dislike hearing God’s truth, turn their backs, and cover their ears so as not to listen (Zechariah 7:11).

Why is this? Because their ears have not been circumcised (spiritually). That’s why they cannot hear (Jeremiah 6:10). They consider the Word of God offensive to themselves, so they do not enjoy listening to it (verse 10).

Friends, listen to what King Solomon says in Proverbs 17:4:
“The wicked listens to the lips of the wicked, and a liar listens to a mischievous tongue.”

What does this mean? It means that those who do evil or lie pay attention to wicked or harmful speech. Why? Because those who do evil and lie are themselves wicked and evil. Therefore, they listen to wicked and harmful words.

But you and I are Christians who believe in Jesus. We are neither doers of evil nor liars. Rather, we are doers of good and speakers of truth. Therefore, we ought to give our ears to good knowledge and truth.

Like Mary in Luke chapter 10, we should sit at the Lord’s feet and listen to His word (verse 39). So, we must earnestly seek to know the Lord (Hosea 6:3), and grow in the knowledge of God (Colossians 1:10).

I pray that we all become united in believing and knowing the Son of God, that we may be made mature and reach the full measure of the stature of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).

Finally, thirdly, let us think about the “heart.”

Look at the first half of Proverbs 18:15 in today’s passage:
“The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge…”

Friends, what kind of heart is the heart of the discerning that acquires knowledge? When I think about this question, the Parable of the Sower that Jesus told comes to mind. Especially, I recall the “good soil” in that parable. Look at Luke 8:15:
“But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.”

The good soil that Jesus mentioned refers to a noble and good heart that listens to God’s Word, keeps it, and produces fruit with patience. I believe this heart is exactly the heart of the discerning, in other words, the heart of the wise. A heart that listens to God’s Word, keeps it, and produces fruit with patience. This kind of heart is the heart of the discerning and the wise.

The wise acquire knowledge, as the writer of Proverbs, King Solomon, says in today’s passage, Proverbs 18:15 (first half). Solomon had already said something similar in Proverbs 15:14:
“The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of the fool feeds on folly.”

What does this mean? It means that the heart of the discerning, the wise, longs for and seeks knowledge. Therefore, his ears are quick to listen to the knowledge of God. As a result, “the wise listen and increase in learning” (1:5).

According to Proverbs 18:15 (first half) in today’s passage, he acquires knowledge. When he does so, the knowledge of God will give joy to his soul (2:10).

Friends, we must listen attentively to the Lord’s Word and keep the knowledge of the Lord in our hearts (22:17). We must hear and obey the Lord’s Word. Because we fear God (the “beginning of knowledge,” 1:7), we must keep and do His commandments. That is our wisdom and knowledge (Deuteronomy 4:6). By doing so, we will be able to make our words wise (Proverbs 16:23).

To conclude this meditation, remember that what comes out of a person defiles the person (Mark 7:20). What comes out of the human heart… should no longer be evil thoughts or all kinds of evil things but rather good things and good thoughts. To become that, our hearts must long for the knowledge of God. And we must fill our hearts with the knowledge of God.

To do this, our ears must listen attentively to the voice of God. Our ears must be quick to hear God’s Word. Therefore, from our mouths should come God’s Word, and with our mouths, we must speak the knowledge of God.

May God govern the hearts, ears, and mouths of you and me.