OCTOBER 13, 2014
Timely
Words
Read: Proverbs 25:11-15
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of
silver. —Proverbs 25:11
You may have heard the adage, “Timing is
everything.” According to the Bible, good timing applies to our words and speech
too. Think of a time when God used you to bring a timely word to refresh
someone, or when you wanted to speak, but it was wiser for you to remain
silent.
The Bible says that there is an appropriate
time to speak (Eccl. 3:7). Solomon compared properly timed and well-spoken
words with golden apples in a silver setting—beautiful, valuable, and carefully
crafted (Prov. 25:11-12). Knowing the right time to speak is beneficial for
both the speaker and hearer, whether they are words of love, encouragement, or
rebuke. Keeping silent also has its place and time. When tempted to deride,
belittle, or slander a neighbor, Solomon said that it is wise to hold our
tongue, recognizing the appropriate time for silence (11:12-13). When
talkativeness or anger tempts us to sin against God or another human being,
resistance comes by being slow to speak (10:19; James 1:19).
It’s often hard to know what to say and when
to say it. The Spirit will help us to be discerning. He will help us use the
right words at the right time and in the right manner, for the good of others
and for His honor.
Heavenly
Father, thank You for using others to
speak
words of encouragement and challenge to
me. Help
me to be wise in how and when my words
or my
silence may be helpful to someone else.
Timely
words are works of art.
Insight
Hebrew poetry (such as psalms and proverbs)
differs greatly from Western poetry. Where Western poetry often depends upon
rhyme and meter to artistically tell its tale, Hebrew poetry is dependent upon
linguistic devices to paint the picture of the ideas it is seeking to convey.
One such device, synonymous parallelism, is found in verse 15. Here, the idea
of the first half of the verse is reinforced through a reworded repetition of
that idea in the second half of the verse. Another common poetic device is
found in verses 11-14, where analogies (notice the word like) form the
word-pictures that carry the meaning.
Source:
Our Daily Bread 2012