Proverb 16:27

Posted under Uncategorized on March 3rd, 2009 by with no responses 

An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.
— Proverb 16:27

Wicked people love the sins of others. They dig for them; they look for them; they listen for them. They are drawn to them like sharks or hyenas to blood. They rejoice when someone falls. They hunt for sins; they eavesdrop on conversations; they snoop. They recall ancient sins. They are always backbiting, slandering, talebearing, or whispering. These sons of Belial justify the fires of hell, which is a fitting punishment for their crime.

Today’s investigative reporting hunts the sins of as many as possible, especially those in authority. They dig up evil, buy betrayals, and blackmail witnesses. They pervert facts, twist motives, stalk victims, and reward tattlers. They rape reputations and race to publish lies. Why? To feed the insatiable appetite of a generation of self-righteous leeches!

A fire burns in their lips: they must repeat sins to others (Ps 39:1-3). The desire to backbite, tattle, whisper, and slander are overpowering urges. They rejoice to expose another’s faults. They have no conscience. They delight to destroy the reputations and peace of others. They are brute beasts with perverse hearts. The blackness of their souls is matched only by the blackness of their eternity (II Pet 2:17; Jude 1:13).

Envy and self-righteousness control these devils. They live in constant envy, for they resent the superiority of others. They are losers; and they can only justify their existence by destroying others. They think themselves righteous, when they can let out the secret sins of another, though their hearts have more wickedness than any of their victims.

Solomon warned often about wicked talkers (6:12-19; 12:18; 16:28; 17:9; 18:8; 26:20-22). So did other Bible writers (Ps 52:2-4; 57:4; Rom 1:29-30; II Cor 12:20; I Tim 6:3-5). Isaiah ripped those that made a man an offender for a word or a thing of nothing (Is 29:20-21). James called the tongue a world of iniquity set on fire of hell (Jas 3:6).

Sons of Belial see David’s adultery and ignore 60 years of wisdom, character, and love of God. Saints have loved David for 3000 years in spite of his sins, because they were exceptions. Jesus was named after him. It is brute beasts that see Peter’s denial of Jesus and ignore the Lord’s forgiveness of Peter. Jesus promoted him over the other apostles!

If you observe someone trying to ruin another’s reputation, you have found an ungodly man. Shut his mouth with righteous anger (25:23) or reject him from your company (Ps 101:1-8). God hates them (6:12-19; Ps 15:1-5), and so should you (Ps 15:4; 139:19-22). Make sure you diligently seek to protect the reputations and souls of others at all times.

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