A Matter of Life and Death
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." - Proverbs 18:21
"But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." - Matthew 12:36-37
Many times in the past I would complain about my life and spoke emotionally and flippantly. “There's no way I can afford to pay the mortgage and the utilities this month!” “The kids never do as I ask them to do.” “You can't do anything right!” “If you loan me the money, I promise to pay you back.” I carelessly spoke and failed to acknowledge the power that my words carried. In the above text from Proverbs, Solomon pointed out that our words are so powerful that they physically affect our daily lives and can also end in death. In the same way, Jesus warns us in the Matthew’s Gospel that we will give an account of every idle word that we speak. By our words, according to Jesus, we will be either justified or condemned (Matthew 12:36-37).
While reading Genesis 31, the Spirit revealed a few things to me that I had never noticed before. Laban, Jacob's future father-in-law, had vowed that he would give his daughter Rachel to Jacob if he worked for Laban for seven years. After seven years, Laban broke his promise and gave him his other daughter Leah instead secretly. Further, Laban changed Jacob's pay several times because Laban feared that Jacob was gaining to much wealth at his expense. He did not fulfill his word, and God witnessed from heaven. God reduced Laban's wealth and gave it to Jacob. Jacob received so much of his wealth that Laban grew angry, and Jacob ran away by night with his own family and possessions.
While fleeing, Rachel stole her father's household idols. When Laban pursued and eventually overtook them, Jacob vowed that the one who stole the gods would surely die. Although Laban did not find the gods with Jacob, God witnessed the theft and Jacob's vow. Even before Jacob reached Bethel, Rachel died in childbirth (Genesis 35). Jacob spoke rashly and then lost his beloved wife.
In biblical times, a vow was not taken lightly. It was of the utmost importance to fulfill what was vowed (Numbers 30:2). We see the extent that someone would go to fulfill his word exemplified in Jephthah (Judges 11). He vowed that he would sacrifice whatever came out of his house. When his only child, a beloved daughter, was the first out of the house to greet him, Jephthah was saddened. There are differences in the understanding of Jephthah’s vow from faithful biblical scholars. Jephthah may have literally sacrificed his daughter as a burnt offering or dedicated his daughter to God in perpetual virginity which would have meant the end of Jepthah’s line and the shunning of his daughter in society. Regardless of the nature of the sacrifice, he kept his vow.
The Bible reveals that our words are important and have power in the spiritual realm. They influence our very lives and bring life or death. Remember when Jesus cursed the fig tree and it withered and died in Matthew 21? That is one more example of the power of our speech. We speak from the intention of our hearts, and they reveal our character. Our words prove our faith in God or lack thereof, and either offer thanksgiving or discontent. God offers to meet all of our needs, and Jesus promised never to leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). When times are hard, it is important to speak in faith. Instead of lamenting of how we cannot pay the bills, confirm out loud that God will provide for all of my needs. We should give thanks for every blessing and ask God for what we desire instead of complaining. By speaking blessings instead of curses, we reap the fruit of the words we sow.
Today it seems that we are more likely to break our vows than to fulfill them. We pledge “til death”, yet the divorce rate is over 60 percent. We vow to pay our mortgage, car loan, and credit card balances and then file for bankruptcy. Our word is no longer reverenced before God. We are blessed technologically and financially more than any previous generation, yet we complain.
I challenge us to guard our tongues and speak life to each other. God will meet our needs, so have faith and give thanks. It is a matter of life and death.
