THE MOUTH AND TONGUE

By Mary M. Bodie (1869-1959)

“A GOOD MAN OUT OF THE GOOD TREASURE OF HIS HEART BRINGETH FORTH THAT WHICH IS GOOD; AND AN EVIL MAN OUT OF THE EVIL TREASURE OF HIS HEART BRINGETH FORTH THAT WHICH IS EVIL; FOR OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART HIS MOUTH SPEAKETH” – Luke 6:45

The mouth is the most useful member of the body of man, for good or evil. God uses it more than any other of our members; but so, can Satan. It is mighty as holding within it the tongue “a little member, and boasted great things.” It is an index of the state of the heart as the words above indicate, “OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART HIS MOUTH SPEAKETH.” It tells forth what is within; even in the natural, it declares our physical condition. Do you not remember how the doctor would always say, when asked to diagnose the sickness, “Put out your tongue?”

We say it is expressive of the state of the man, either for or against Jehovah. There are many references to the mouth and tongue, and both of these are used interchangeably in Scripture. It has always been God’s way to use man’s mouth to make know His will to man. We read in Exodus 4:11,12 when He was sending Moses to deliver His people from the hand of Pharaoh, that He said, “Go and I will be with thy mouth.” Pharaoh heard the Lord’s will from the tongues of Moses and Aaron.

God gets glory from the tongue. In fact, it is called “glory” in Psalm 30:12. Many of these sacred songs tell us of the use of the tongue to praise the Lord. “Out of the mouth of babes and suckling has Thou ordained strength” (Psalm 8:2), or perfected praise; which words are taken up by the Lord Jesus Christ when the scribes and Pharisees objected to the motley crowd that praised Him in the day that He entered Jerusalem as the King -Matt. 21:16.

Isaiah steps forth to declare that the publisher or preacher of Good Tidings of peace (the Gospel of Grace) has beautiful feet … Isaiah 52:7. The mouth is used to preach; and the feet are beautiful in the sight of God, which carry such evangelists around. Jeremiah tells us that he was not willing to preach to Israel. He pleaded that he was but a child, and not sufficiently able for such an undertaking; but the Lord would have none of his excuses. “Then the Lord put forth His hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put My Words in thy mouth” Jeremiah 1:4-9.

Matthew 3:1, 2 informs us of another mouth speaking for God. “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching … saying, Repent ye for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Then a short while after, came the Lord Himself preaching – Matt. 4:1, 7. The next chapter tells us that “Seeing the multitudes, He went up into a mountain: and when He was set, His disciples came unto Him: and He opened His mouth, and taught them” – Matt. 5:1,2. Later, He sends them out to preach. Their mouths were to be used to advance His Kingdom. It is marvelous that the great God, possessor of Heaven and earth, will use a man’s tongue for His glory. It is not difficult to understand why the proud and self-sufficient old creation refuses to bow to the edict of God that he must hear the preaching of the Cross and be saved thereby. It is such a little thing. When Jesus was raised from the dead, He commissioned His apostles to go forth to all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature, saying “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” – Mark 16:16.

Later, the Holy Spirit descended from Heaven upon the disciples as “a rushing mighty wind,” and there appeared cloven tongues as of fire, and “it sat upon each of them.” Every one of the hundred and twenty disciples had a cloven tongue upon him, an evidence and seal of the tongue in his mouth that was set on fire for God. “They were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” – Acts 2:2-4. The whole of the inspired history of Acts emphasizes the use that the Lord made of the tongues of His people. When the Lord healed the man at the beautiful gate of the Temple, the rulers arrested Peter and John and commanded them to speak no more in the Name of Jesus; but they could not silence those tongues of fire. “We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard,” they declared – Acts 4:20.

Notice also Stephen’s address before the Sanhedrin. His mouth was opened and he spoke such words of power, that those men were put under such conviction, that they stoned him to death. The tongue is a small member, but mighty when in the control of the Spirit of God. Saul, later called Paul, became the chief speaker of the age after he had surrendered to the Lord. Immediately we read that “he preached Christ …. that He is the Son of God” -Acts 9:20. If his mouth had not been yielded to God, he could not have been the great Apostle Paul.

Also, we find that the whole church was “scattered abroad”…and went every- where preaching the Word (Acts 8:4). And Philip went down to Samaria, where the Lord used his mouth, and a great revival began. It is marvelous what God can do with a consecrated tongue.

Furthermore, Peter opened his mouth in the house of Cornelius ten years after the opening day of Pentecost and preached Jesus to the friends gathered there. He and the centurion of the Italian band, each was prepared by a vision for the meeting, and great results followed; for awhile Peter’s mouth was still open, “the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the Word.” Then their mouths were opened and “they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God” – Acts 10:44,46. There are many other instances, but we can only briefly mention a few.

In I Corinthians, we read many times of the Apostle Paul opening his mouth. He says, “Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel”; declaring also that “the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish, foolishness”; but brings salvation to those that believe – I Cor. 1:17,18. His mouth was a mighty weapon in the hands of the Spirit of God to knock down the barriers of the Mosaic Law which had been set up everywhere by the Jews. Even among the Gentiles where Paul journeyed, “the Jews’ religion” also came.

But Paul preached Christ and Him crucified … the end of all man’s doings, his religious pretenses, and performances It was a stumbling block to the religious and foolishness to the educated, cultured Greek – I Cor. 1:23. Nevertheless, he preached the Cross and the Christ of Calvary. It is the power of God and the wisdom of God to all those that believe. The tongue and mouth are the mightiest weapons that we have for good. God is able to take hold of these members of our bodies make them effective messengers for the salvation of souls and the building up of believers. Paul requested the Ephesians saints to pray that utterance might be given him that he might open his mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the Gospel. He declared, “I am an ambassador in bonds.” His desire was that…. “I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak” … to proclaim the wonderful message of grace … Eph. 6:20. He knew that Satan would hinder him, if possible, by holding his mouth shut. He seeks to hinder all of the saints, by intimidating them and by discouraging them from witnessing and preaching the Gospel.

We, too, should pray for boldness to open our mouths and let the Holy Spirit have His way with us that we may be useful. We are the only light of this dark world, since Jesus Christ left it. He has given the Church the privilege of witnessing for Him until He comes again. We can open our mouth for Him, and He will fill it with words of power; or, we may keep it shut and deny the Lord the right to use our tongue for His glory. We make the choice as to whether we will be useful or not. What shall it be?

Satan gets his folk to open their mouths for him. They yield to his suggestion and power, and curse and blaspheme God’s Holy Name. They have no difficulty in proclaiming his words. At the present time, there is an international league of the militant godless, numbering multitudes within its ranks. They blaspheme God and ridicule the Bible, mocking those who read and believe its sacred writings. They lecture, opening their mouths, and let Satan fill them with devilish propaganda against God and His Truth. They do not hesitate to take advantage of every opportunity to speak the dreadful lies of which the devil is the author. In yielding to him, they allow their tongues to be instruments for evil. Their mouths are open sepulchers, their tongues speaking lies and hypocrisies.

But the point we are making is, that Satan gets his people to use their mouths and tongues for him. He appears to have no difficult in this respect. It is sad but true. The anti-Christ will be of this character, for we read that he “shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods” – Dan. 11:36. Also this same prophecy tells us of a “little horn” which represents the anti-Christ, and that his eyes were “like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things” – Dan. 7:8. That is, his words were greater than man’s words. He will speak with devilish power and authority. His mouth will be open to defy God.

Revelation thirteen gives us another view of this superman, whose tongue will be absolutely in the control of Satan. We read that he will be beastly in character; “and his mouth as the mouth of a lion,” powerful and piercing, bringing fear to all that hear him. The Scripture says, “The lion hath roared, who will not fear?” Amos 3:8. The anti-Christ will have authority from the dragon. His mouth will demonstrate his power. His tongue will speak forth his commands with no uncertain sound.

Again, in Revelation sixteen, we have some other instances of the devilish power of the mouth and tongue when yielded to evil. It develops more and more into the uttermost of yieldedness to all that is wicked and vile. John declares that he “saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty” – Rev. 16:13,14.

The great battle of Armageddon will result from the loud speaking of the above trinity of evil. When they open their mouth, strife and trouble are fermented. These latter are here now, and are the effect of satanic propaganda. Nation is set against nation, by demon spirits that are already sent forth to work wickedness; but these will increase more and more, until the whole world is represented in Megiddo …in the hill of slaughter.

These wars and rumors of wars, which are becoming more insistent every passing day, are all the work of demons. Three terrific mouths will soon be bellowing forth the command to the nations, to come up to Palestine and get some of the wealth or something else of that rich land. Whatever the lure, their armies will be there, and that will be their doom. Satan will lead them on to their death. His rewards are meager and of little worth. His crowns are corruptible and pass away. How sad that he can get so many to do his bidding and open their mouths for him; while the Lord has so few that are outstanding and fearless for the Truth. Nevertheless, He will have the last word, at that; and defeat all His enemies.

“And I saw Heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. And out of His mouth goethe a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations” – Rev. 19:11, 15.

We say that the Lord’s mouth will be opened, as well as Heaven; and He will come forth and speak the final word. It will be an effectual utterance, powerful and penetrating. Things will begin to happen, when the two-edged sword is manipulated in wholesale fashion by the expert Swordsman. The mealy mouthed and weak-kneed professor of religion will be far away. Only the faithful and true saints, who opened their mouths and delivered the message without fear or favor, will be manifested with the Living Word in that day when the sword is cutting right and left. His enemies will bite the dust, for He will tread “the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” – Rev. 19:15.

We will be glad then that we opened our mouths and let the Lord use our tongues to witness for Him or preach His Word. The talkers for God will be kings and lords in that day, when the Christ is King of all and Lord of all. How is it with us? Are we silent in a scene where Satan is sovereign … the god of this world? Do we keep still, when the devil’s dupes are doing their utmost to defeat and dethrone God and His Son? If men can be fiery and effective talkers for communism, atheism, and nationalism, surely the saints should be flaming evangelists of salvation for the perishing world; for only through the Gospel has God the power to save sinners – Rom. 1:16