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- Proverbs 15:1
It was President Theodore Roosevelt who repeated the old adage "Speak
softly and carry a big stick" as an expression of his foreign policy. I
believe what he meant by this was that America should be a gentle
nation, but one with such strength that no one would dare threaten it.
As a foreign policy, Mr. Roosevelt's statement is sound. In the lives
of individuals, however, it is contrary to sound doctrine (1 Timothy
1:10). In fact, our text teaches us a different policy by way of
observation: "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir
up anger."
The Hebrew word Solomon used, translated in our text as soft, is rak.
It means tender and comes from rakak (raw-kak'), a primary root meaning
to soften. He used the same word in Proverbs 25:15: "By long forbearing
is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone." Rather
than merely speaking in a whisper, Solomon refers to speaking in a
gentle tone: one that is quiet, measured, even. He tells us that
speaking in such a way "turneth away wrath."
Wrath, as translated in our text, is chemah (khay-maw') or chema (same
pronunciation), and means heat. It comes from yacham (yaw-kham'),
meanning to be hot. It is anger of extreme intensity, much like the
phrase "hot with anger." It is well expressed by the English word fury.
Solomon is saying that responding in a gentle tone turns away wrath,
cools the heat, calms the fury.
Solomon, as he often does in his proverbs, contrasts the soft answer's
effect on wrath: "but grievous words stir up anger." The word Solomon
used here is etseb (eh'-tseb). It means an earthen vessel, toil or
pang. It comes from atsab (aw-tsab'), a primary root meaning to carve
that is used as a verb meaning to worry, pain or anger. It's similar to
the Chaldean word atsab (ats-ab'), meaning to afflict. Grievous words
are words that cut, words that inflict wounds. Such words, Solomon
tells us, stir up anger.
The truth revealed in our text is one that we can easily observe in our
own lives and in our modern world. Soft, quiet words, gentle tones,
have a soothing, calming effect on the person who has exploded in a
fury. Grievous words, cutting, wound-inflicting words, insults, cause
their target to become angry. It's as simple as that; but the deep
truths of God's word often are.
What does this mean for us today? Jesus said in Matthew 7:12 that
"whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so to them:
for this is the law and the prophets." And Brother Jacob (erroneously
called James in the New Testament) observed in James 2:10 that "[o]ut of
the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these
things ought not so to be." We need to make sure that our words are
soft words, not grievous ones. Brother Paul tells us in Colossians 4:6:
"Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may
know how ye ought to answer every man."
Speak softly and forget the stick.
1. Our text teaches us by way of what method?
Rev. Chancellor C. Roberts, II, is an ordained minister in the National Gay
Pentecostal Alliance, serving God and that denomination in the ministry of
New Testament prophet (Ephesians 4:11). He manages an e-mail discussion
group for Apostolic/Pentecostal gays. He also edits the online newsletter The Apostolic Standard.
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Theology of the Old Testament : Testimony, Dispute, Advocacy Walter Brueggemann
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Other Articles By Rev. Chancellor Carlyle Roberts, II:
Of the Lord's Mercies:
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