A2: The Treasures and Troubles of Toil and Tongue
The core theme of this unit is that wealth and speech aren't minor things in the kingdom, but matters of life and death. Consider the concluding quatrain (10:15-16) and the way wealth and life are connected.
But don't start (or make the main emphasis) the frame (vv 2-5 & vv 15-16). The heart of the section is vv. 6-14, concerning speech. And the Janus would be a good verse to start with as it kind of lies at the heart of the unit:
"Whoever winks the eye causes trouble, and a babbling fool will come to ruin." (v. 10)
It's good because it's short and memorable and not paired with another verse. It has the cause-consequence nexus, mentions speech, and implicitly, wealth & life/death.
Not to mention, it's a synthetic verse, rare in this section. So, it's an easy theme verse. The image, or title of the sermon could be something off of the "fountain" theme of the next verse. "An unexpected fountain." And would make an easy connector to the theme of the gospel.
Sermon illustration for v. 10 could be the careless words of someone on Twitter and how their career was ruined (though it would probably be too political to really be a good idea).
The power of the tongue is picked up in James as well.
Then, I think I would just take these verses consecutively as the outline for the sermon:
1. v. 10 (Janus)
Point 1. The tongue can make or break you
2. vv. 6-7: Blessings for yourself.
3. vv. 8-9: Security & silence
4. Pause here for a gospel application and use 10:3: God rewards.
Point 2. The tongue nourishes or scorches your community
5. vv. 11-12: Nourish community (what are you using your words to cover? offenses or your own wickedness?)
6. vv 13-14: The community storage of wise lips vs the sabotage of the fool's mouth.
7. Pause here for a gospel application: 10:1, Father & Mother
Point 3. Industry & True Honor/Wealth
8.vv. 4-5: Diligence and honor
9. vv. 15-16: Spiritual vs Material wealth/honor.
10. v 10.2. Pause here for a gospel application ("what does a man gain if...?") But also the point of the law: he who sleeps in harvest brings shame. The wage of righteousness is life. The wage of wickedness is sin.
Conclusion: Righteousness delivers from death.
Whose righteousness am I seeking?
----
Writings:
11-12
One of my favorite proverb pairs in this section is vv 11-12:
11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
12 Hatred stirs up strife,
but love covers all offenses.
Notice all the parallels:
- Speech of the righteous (11a)
- Covering of the wicked (11b)
- Speech of the wicked (12a)
- Covering of the righteous (12b)
It's one thing to understand how we should be forgiving and forgive those who have done us wrong. But it is another to go on from there and also contribute positive speech and nourish those who have offended us. Not just enduring the wrong, but going on to bless. I think 11a (watering) isn't fully appreciated without understanding verse 12b (suffering), and likewise, 12b is likely to be understood myopically unless 11a is also understood along with it.
I'm also intrigued by the contrast of concealment. There are those who "conceal" things and it may appear that all is well. It may seem that they are practicing 12b, when in fact they are practicing 11b. I just read the account of Absalom and Amnon this morning. As soon as Absalom learned about the incident with Tamar, he treated Amnon no differently. 2 Samuel 13:22 says "But Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad." In fact, he had planned for two long years on how to kill Amnon. I am kind of wondering whether 11a is sometimes the "tell". Absalom spoke "neither good." In other words, you don't see him being a "fountain of life".
But don't start (or make the main emphasis) the frame (vv 2-5 & vv 15-16). The heart of the section is vv. 6-14, concerning speech. And the Janus would be a good verse to start with as it kind of lies at the heart of the unit:
"Whoever winks the eye causes trouble, and a babbling fool will come to ruin." (v. 10)
It's good because it's short and memorable and not paired with another verse. It has the cause-consequence nexus, mentions speech, and implicitly, wealth & life/death.
Not to mention, it's a synthetic verse, rare in this section. So, it's an easy theme verse. The image, or title of the sermon could be something off of the "fountain" theme of the next verse. "An unexpected fountain." And would make an easy connector to the theme of the gospel.
Sermon illustration for v. 10 could be the careless words of someone on Twitter and how their career was ruined (though it would probably be too political to really be a good idea).
The power of the tongue is picked up in James as well.
Then, I think I would just take these verses consecutively as the outline for the sermon:
1. v. 10 (Janus)
Point 1. The tongue can make or break you
2. vv. 6-7: Blessings for yourself.
3. vv. 8-9: Security & silence
4. Pause here for a gospel application and use 10:3: God rewards.
Point 2. The tongue nourishes or scorches your community
5. vv. 11-12: Nourish community (what are you using your words to cover? offenses or your own wickedness?)
6. vv 13-14: The community storage of wise lips vs the sabotage of the fool's mouth.
7. Pause here for a gospel application: 10:1, Father & Mother
Point 3. Industry & True Honor/Wealth
8.vv. 4-5: Diligence and honor
9. vv. 15-16: Spiritual vs Material wealth/honor.
10. v 10.2. Pause here for a gospel application ("what does a man gain if...?") But also the point of the law: he who sleeps in harvest brings shame. The wage of righteousness is life. The wage of wickedness is sin.
Conclusion: Righteousness delivers from death.
Whose righteousness am I seeking?
----
Writings:
11-12
One of my favorite proverb pairs in this section is vv 11-12:
11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
12 Hatred stirs up strife,
but love covers all offenses.
Notice all the parallels:
- Speech of the righteous (11a)
- Covering of the wicked (11b)
- Speech of the wicked (12a)
- Covering of the righteous (12b)
It's one thing to understand how we should be forgiving and forgive those who have done us wrong. But it is another to go on from there and also contribute positive speech and nourish those who have offended us. Not just enduring the wrong, but going on to bless. I think 11a (watering) isn't fully appreciated without understanding verse 12b (suffering), and likewise, 12b is likely to be understood myopically unless 11a is also understood along with it.
I'm also intrigued by the contrast of concealment. There are those who "conceal" things and it may appear that all is well. It may seem that they are practicing 12b, when in fact they are practicing 11b. I just read the account of Absalom and Amnon this morning. As soon as Absalom learned about the incident with Tamar, he treated Amnon no differently. 2 Samuel 13:22 says "But Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad." In fact, he had planned for two long years on how to kill Amnon. I am kind of wondering whether 11a is sometimes the "tell". Absalom spoke "neither good." In other words, you don't see him being a "fountain of life".
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