“Wherefore, my
beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath”
(Jas. 1:19).
Christ Himself
is the model of this, as of all else that is good. As the Holy One of God, none
was so swift as He to hear God’s Word. He says through the prophet, “The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of the
learned that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary.
He wakens morning by morning, He wakens Mine ear to hear as the learned. The
Lord GOD has opened Mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away
back” (Isa. 50:4). Nor was it otherwise with His bearing in the presence of the
tempter:the Word of God was His constant resource, and only the more if Satan
perverted it. “It is written again” (Matt. 4:7) was His lowly, God-honoring
answer. And so it is, and has ever been, with His sheep. They hear His voice
and follow Him; they know not the voice of strangers (John 10:4,5).
The Word of
truth abides in its value. By it we have been begotten of God (Jas. 1:18); by
it the new life is fed, formed, directed, and strengthened. If we rightly heed
all Scripture, we assuredly shall welcome every word that explains the new life
and its duties, and His glory and grace who is its spring and fullness.
“Be … slow to
speak.” We have another nature that is self-confident and impulsive. We need to
be on our guard that, knowing ourselves weak, ignorant, and naturally prone to
evil, we may look up to God and wait dependently on Him. As born of Him, it is
ours to be jealous that we may neither misrepresent nor grieve Him. And
therefore are we warned of another danger when it is added that we should be
“slow to wrath.” How often we manifest impotent and hasty self-will! We are now
sanctified to do His will, to obey as Christ obeyed. There is of course a right
occasion for wrath. So the Lord looked round about on those who misused the
Sabbath to oppose God’s grace in an evil world (Mark 3:2-5). But we are
exhorted to be slow to wrath and to let it soon be over. “Be angry and sin not;
let not the sun go down upon your wrath; neither give place to the devil” (Eph.
4:26,27).
James is
occupied with our practical ways in consistency with God’s sovereign will in
begetting “us with the Word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits
of His creatures” (Jas. 1:18). Thus He looks for conduct according to that new
nature He has given us by faith. Submissiveness of heart becomes us in hearkening
to Him, and in avoiding our natural haste of speech and proneness to wrath.
(From Exposition
of the Epistle of James, Bible Truth Publishers, Addison, Illinois.)
* * *
Scriptural
advice to the overly quiet:
“There is … a
time to speak” (Eccl. 3:1,7).
“If your
brother shall trespass against you, go and tell him his fault between you and
him alone” (Matt. 18:15).
“Grant unto Thy
servants that with all boldness they may speak Thy Word” (Acts 4:29).
“Let no man
despise your youth; but be an example of the believers in word” (1 Tim. 4:12).
* * *
Scriptural
advice to the overly talkative:
“O that you
would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom” (Job 13:5).
“Set a watch, O
LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips” (Psa. 141:3).
In the
multitude of words there wants not sin; but he who refrains his lips is wise”
(Prov. 10:19).
“He who has no
rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls”
(Prov. 25:28).
“There is … a
time to keep silence”(Eccl. 3:1,7).
“A fool’s voice
is known by multitude of words” (Eccl. 5:3).
“In … many
words there are also divers vanities:but fear God” (Eccl. 5:7).
“Hold your
peace at the presence of the Lord GOD:for the day of the LORD is at
hand” (Zeph. 1:7).
“Every idle
word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of
judgment” (Matt. 12:36).
“If any man
among you seem to be religious, and bridles not his tongue, but deceives his
own heart, this man’s religion is vain” (Jas. 1:26).