Psalm 59

The other day I was looking at our table setting and pondered the place mats. On the front, as I was looking at it, is a border with a paisley design running down the center.

The back is the same fabric as the border, uniform and without any extra design.

The place mat performs the same function, no matter which side is up; but the two sides are definitely different.

It made me think of what people say, and how sometimes they say one thing when, immediately thereafter, they say something else. Or, they may say the same words on two occasions, but the meaning is very different. For example, consider the words “Bless her heart!” Said with a loving spirit, the words can be comforting, to be sure. But, said with a condescending tone (as sometimes occurs in the South!), those same words indicate anything but blessing!

Scripture says much about our speech. Indeed, a search for the word “word” reveals hundreds of instances of its use in the text of Scripture. Here are some illustrations of speech and its ramifications:

Words can bring about thanksgiving and praise to the Lord, such as when Abraham’s servant found Rebekah and she was given to him to take to Isaac as his wife:

“When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the earth before the LORD.”

Genesis 24:52

Other words can bring sorrow and strife within the family, as when Esau found out that Jacob, his twin brother, had taken Esau’s birthright blessing.

“As soon as Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!””

Genesis 27:34

The Psalmist wrote of the power of words on multiple occasions. Here are a couple for consideration:

“And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, while his heart gathers iniquity; when he goes out, he tells it abroad.”

Psalm 41:6

“For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips, let them be trapped in their pride. …”

Psalm 59:12

In these verses we see the one who comes and brings platitudes, probably with a smile on his face, but the real purpose of the visit is to gain information, not to bring comfort. Then, when the visit is over, the phone line lights up with the “dirt” discovered during the “comforting” visit!

There are many references to words in the Book of Proverbs as well.

“The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge, but he overthrows the words of the traitor.”

Proverbs 22:12

“Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”

Proverbs 29:20

Lest we think only harsh pronouncements are made in Proverbs, we also read:

“Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.”

Proverbs 16:24

In today’s American culture, this proverb may not have much meaning to the general reader. But, I well remember when my own Father would get a jar of honey, which included the honeycomb. He would relish the sweetness of the honeycomb, including eating it in front of me with his eyes closed and a soft “Mmmmm” sounding from the depths of his being.

Such is the picture of one uttering gracious words to another who is in need of love and encouragement.

We seem to capitalize on the flippant, hasty word, but such is not the perspective of Scripture. Indeed, the Lord takes what we say seriously, often more seriously than we take our own words! This truth is evident in Jesus’ words in Matthew 12:

“I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Matthew 12:36-37

Considering the number of words that I speak each day, Jesus’ words cause me to stop and contemplate what I have said or what I am in the process of saying. My prayer is that of David, so long ago, as recorded in Psalm 19:

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.”

Psalm 19:14

Father, I speak so carelessly, and there are times that I want to retract what I have said but I cannot put my mouth in reverse! Forgive me, Lord, when I have spewed forth things that are unloving, unhelpful, or even untrue. May my words be acceptable to You, my loving Lord and Savior.

We were traveling through East Tennessee doing errands and found ourselves in Morgan County, near the Frozen Head State Park. I have heard of this park for years but had never visited the location, so we took the opportunity to do so. The park was beautiful and we were very glad to have taken this side-trip.

frozen-head-state-park-trees-forming-arch-2 — Frozen Head State Park, Morgan County, Tennessee.

However, on the way to and from the park, we passed the Morgan County correctional facility.

morgan-county-correctional-institution — Morgan County Correctional Facility, Morgan County, Tennessee

As we drove by, we could not help but notice the “razor wire” in multiple layers that surrounded the facility.

morgan-county-correctional-institution-3 — Morgan County Correctional Facility, razor wire surrounding facility.

The sight put me in a somber, introspective mood. Being incarcerated and seeing the outside world but not being able to get to it would be terribly difficult. I have had occasion to work with female prisoners in various facilities and I believe that it is fair to say that life there is hard, both physically and emotionally.

While I have not been in jail, I have experienced a period of time when I could not move off my bed. Many years ago, I was in a body cast that ran from my head to my left knee. I was immobile in bed, unable to move my body, for over 7 months. I gained some measure of “freedom” when the leg part of the cast was cut off and I could sit up and walk again, while wearing the body part of the cast. All in all, the cast experience was almost 14 months.

My experience was not pleasant by any means, but even on my darkest days, I knew the time of my inactivity was limited. I had an end date when the cast would come off and I could, slowly, return to normal activity for a 10 year old.

That is not the case for many of those incarcerated in the jails of our country. There is no certain end date for their release to the outside world.

As bad and as dreary as that scenario is, there is one scenario that is far worse. We know that Adam and Eve disobeyed God and were cast out of the Garden of Eden because their union with God was broken by their disobedience. And, as a result, Adam’s descendants live in sin.

According to Strong’s Lexicon, in Hebrew, the root word “sin” is the Hebrew word חַטָּא chaṭṭâʼ, khat-taw’; that refers to “a criminal, or one accounted guilty:—offender, sinful, sinner.” Generally speaking, to sin is to miss the mark; to violate God’s law thereby bringing judgment on yourself. In short, disobedience is the crux of sin … we disobey God’s law and we all must pay the penalty for it. Sin is the ultimate bondage and enslavement for all mankind.

The first time the word “sin” is stated in Scripture is found all the way back at the beginning. In Genesis 4:7 we read God speaking to Cain after his offering was not accepted by God:

“If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”

Genesis 4:7 ESV

Shortly after these words were spoken, Cain did not rule over sin. Rather, he gave in to it and murdered his brother Abel.

Scripture talks of sin as putting us in bondage.

“For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips, let them be trapped in their pride. For the cursing and lies that they utter,”

Psalm 59:12 ESV

“The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.”

Proverbs 5:22 ESV

In the New Testament, Jesus told those who were feeling free because of their status as children of Abraham:

“They answered Him, ‘We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.’”

John 8:33-34 ESV

We, in the modern world, intrinsically know the truth of these statements from Scripture. Notwithstanding the bravado from the thrill of repeated criminal activity or from the high brought on by illicit drugs, when the excitement is gone, what remains is the sure awareness that we have done wrong, that is, we experience guilt. Whether we want to admit it or not, we know that we have violated God’s law.

We don’t have to be imprisoned in a jail with razor wire to be in bondage. We might be a slave to drug or alcohol addiction. We might be a slave to smoking or overeating. Sin can even be hidden in respectable clothing … it can come in the form of gossip or malicious speech, both of which can be subtle but dangerous addictions. It can come in the form of doing good things for others for the purpose of praise and glory to you, instead of doing those same things for the glory of God. Any time we rob God of the glory that is properly His, we have committed sin. And, the more often we sin, the more sin becomes our master.

How do we get out of the razor-wire confinement imposed by sin? We look to the One who took our sin on Himself. We must repent and cling to the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. He has paid the price for our sin. We don’t need to keep sinning because He has broken its power over us. Paul says it like this:

“For the death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives He lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”

Romans 6:10-14 ESV

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Corinthians 15:56-57 ESV

Listen as the Centurymen sing the beautiful hymn “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name” from their album The Centurymen Silver Anniversary,

The power of Jesus’ name is the answer to the bondage of sin. While sin eradicates, obliterates, and otherwise destroys our freedom, the Lord Jesus Christ has broken sin’s shackles and replaces that bondage with freedom in Him. Praise His Holy Name!

Father, I thank You that Your Son has conquered death and sin; that He died so that Your children could have freedom from sin and could live with You eternally. I praise Your Holy Name!