Deuteronomy 5:20 - The Decalogue The Basis Of The Covenant, The Essence Of The Whole Law, And The Condition Of Life And

The ninth commandment. The religion of the tongue.

This command gives us a precept touching our words. Inasmuch, however, as it is here given to us in barest, briefest, most elementary form, it would not be well if in the homiletic treatment of it we did not place side by side therewith the varied Scriptures which set before us the duty of regulating our speech. We will ask, and endeavor to answer, five questions concerning this commandment.

I. WHAT IS HERE PROHIBITED ? Just as the sixth commandment throws a guard around human life, the seventh around purity, the eighth around the rights of property and labor, so this ninth throws a shield over every man's reputation. A stern "Thou shalt not injure thy neighbor's fair name" is one of the mandates of Sinai, issued amidst thunder and fire! The immediate reference would seem to be to bearing testimony in a court of justice. A part of the judicial code of Moses had reference to this ( Deuteronomy 19:16-19 ). But the precept goes further than this in its spirit. We read in Exodus 23:1 , "Thou shalt not raise (or receive) a false report;" literally, " Thou shalt not bear it; ' i . e . you are to have nothing to do, either in making or taking it. Further (Le Exodus 19:16 ), we are not to give way to gossip and scandal (see Psalms 15:3 ). Nor are we to make any statement that is prejudicial to the interests of another, unless we are sure of its accuracy, and unless also the good of society requires us to make it. Further ( Psalms 34:13 ), our lips are to speak no deceit nor guile of any kind, either in what is said or in the manner of saying it. If we needlessly tell of another's wrong act, instead of seeking to cover it, under the appearance of virtue in denouncing it, God may see a spirit of malice or revenge in naming it; and any act of another's mentioned in such a spirit is sure not to be construed by us in perfect fairness, and therefore it will certainly become, so far as it is unfair, a false report, whatever foundation of fact there may be in it. The precept, moreover, forbids sitting in judgment on individuals, so as to denounce them when we are contending against what we consider to be unsound in their faith, or unright in their practice. But further still does the precept reach. It forbids any thoughtless word which might unwillingly injure another (see Matthew 12:33-37 ). How true is Hebrews 4:12 ! Every uncharitable thought of another, which might prompt an uncharitable word respecting him, is condemned by the holy Law of God!

II. WHAT IS THE POSITIVE DUTY TO BE OBSERVED ? We have only to look at gospel law, as brought out by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:25-32 , to see this.

1. Truth is ever to mark our speech. The true in thought is to be aimed at, in order that there may be truth, absolute truth, on the tongue. No "pious frauds" are allowable.

2. Love is to rule. While a supreme regard to truth will guard us from violating it consciously, a due cultivation of the spirit of love will guard us from forming those harsh judgments of others which might lead us to violate truth unconsciously by misjudging their actions.

3. Where truth and love reign, there will be self-restraint . A check will be put on unkind feeling of every sort. "Love beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." Note further. In this ninth command the relations between men are supposed to be reciprocal. "Thy neighbor." If any ask, Who is my neighbor? let Christ give the answer," You may make yourself neighbor to any man by cherishing a readiness of disposition to do him a kindness " (see Luke 10:29-37 ). No distinction of race, color, or clime is to be allowed to stand in the way of our being true neighbors to men, the wide world over.

III. BY WHAT RULE , STANDARD , OR MODEL , SHOULD WE BE GUIDED ?

1. "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself ." That, applied to this command, would mean, "Be as careful of another's reputation as you are of your own." There is another rule.

2. Be imitators of God . "Let all evil-speaking … be put away from you … and be kind to one another … even as God in Christ hath forgiven you." The world's rule is: exalt yourself at the expense of others. Christ's rule is: exalt others at the sacrifice of yourself.

IV. WHAT REASONS SHOULD WEIGH ON US IN LEADING US TO RESTRAIN THE TONGUE IN THE INTERESTS OF OTHERS ?

1. The fact urged by Paul, that "we are members one of another"' In social life we are dependent on each other for the enjoyments which sweeten it, the luxuries which enrich it, the comforts which gladden it, and for the necessaries which make it possible; and, excepting so far as truth governs words and acts, the very props of social life are wanting, and its cohesive force is gone. If the eye refused to be true to the brain, or if the ear, the hand, or the foot resolved to be at variance with the decisions of the will, life would soon be intolerable, and must ere long come to an end. Even so, we cannot tamper with the law of truth in speech without doing our part towards poisoning the currents of thought, feeling, and action which flow through society, and so far as we bear false witness of any kind with the view of gaining advantage at another's cost, we are aiding the infernal work of setting men at variance with each other, by loosening the bonds of mutual confidence which should unite them all!

2. If the tongue is duly bridled , the whole body will be under command . So the Apostle James declares ( James 3:2 ). Our whole being is to be in subjection to God, body, soul, and spirit. And that means that we are to guard our lips. If we are successful here, that indicates so far a mastery over ourselves. We can bridle the whole body if we can but curb the tongue. "Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak." A man may do very much to make or mar himself according as he has learned the right government of the tongue.

3. If the tongue is not bridled , we have no religion at all! So the same apostle ( James 1:26 ). Let us lay that word to heart. Whatever may be the outside profession, if we do not govern our tongue for God, if we use it for gossip, trifling, scandal, slander, our very profession of Christ's name is a cheat and a lie.

4. The thought of the coming judgment should lead us to govern our tongue ( Matthew 12:37 ). One would think that such words as these would make men more careful how they use the tongue! Are we so governing our words that we should confront without shame all those that we have ever spoken, when set in array before us? "We must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ." How will backbiters, slanderers, and retailers of gossip meet the eye of the Great Judge of all?

V. HOW ARE WE TO LEARN OBEDIENCE TO THE PRECEPT OF THE TEXT ?

1. Let us awake to the importance, as before God, of remembering his perfect knowledge of our words ( Psalms 139:4 ). Let us cultivate the impression such a thought is calculated to produce.

2. Let us resolve and act (see Psalms 39:1 ). So said David. Let such a resolution be formed and carried out.

3. Much may be done by auxiliary means, in the way of lessening the temptation to offend with the tongue. Very much of the habit of idle gossip results from unintelligence. Some have nothing to talk about, and for want of a well-stored mind, they fall a-slandering their neighbors. Over and above other means which are more directly religious of reducing the evil of an unbridled tongue, there is this serviceable one: furnish the mind with so much valuable knowledge, that you will be so occupied with useful talk that you have no time for idle words.

4. Let there also be devout attention to the more spiritual aspects of the case. Let the earnest prayer go up ( Psalms 141:3 ), and, remembering the Savior's words, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh," let us earnestly plead with God for daily renewal in the spirit of our mind, since, when the heart is right, the words cannot be wrong. Maybe some of us used to think concerning the Ten Commandments, "All these have! kept from my youth up." But, alas, so far from that, unless we are converted and renewed, we shall never keep even this one. Under its severe tests we have broken down thousands of times, and have abundant reason to cry, "God be merciful to me the sinner!" A tree is known by its fruit. The righteousness of the Law never will be fulfilled in us as it must be if we are to enter heaven, unless our hearts are so sanctified, and so imbued with the spirit of love, that by never violating charity in the thoughts we think, we never violate it in the words we speak. May God thus sanctify us! " Lord , have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law."