WORDS-Psalm 140-141

Video (12/1/24): WORDS-Poisonous Delicacies. Powerpoint: Psalm 140-141-WORDS-poison-delicacy. Prayer: Psalm 140:1-8, 12-13.

POISONOUS DELICACIES (Psalm 140-141). Poisonous, malicious, slanderous words used to destroy others: “Rescue me, Lord, from evildoers; protect me from the violent, ² who devise evil plans in their hearts and stir up war every day. ³ They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent’s; the poison of vipers is on their lips” (Ps 140:1-3).

Guard my words and my heart: “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies” (Ps 141:3-4).

Malicious intrigue is the single theme that dominates Psalm 140, as it has dominated many others, especially those of David. The N.T. treats the Psalms as a major witness to people’s depravity as most of Romans 3:10–18 is from the Psalms, largely because it exposes sheer malice in us. It is a poison which can arise in us not only without provocation (Ps 35:19; 69:4), but even in the face of generosity and love (Ps 35:12-16; 55:12-14).

False accusations. Psalm 140 is an individual lament, with appeals to God to listen and rescue (Ps 140:1, 4, 8). He complains about the wicked who intend to harm him (Ps 140:2-3, 5) with imprecation (Ps 140:9-11) and confidence (Ps 140:6-7, 12-13). His distress appears to be because of false accusations in a court of low (Ps 140:12-13), which explains the threatening speech of evildoers (Ps 140:3). The use of war imagery (Ps 140:2, 7) could be taken metaphorically. Thus, the enemy attacks and accuses the psalmist by making false accusations against him in court.

Using the legal system to take advantage of the weak. The story of Naboth’s vineyard (1 Kings 21) illustrates the vulnerability of an ordinary Israelite to powerful people (King Ahab and Queen Jezebel) with resources who pervert the legal system to get their way at the cost of an ordinary person’s life.

You are my God, my strong deliverer (Ps 140:6-7) [Poison. Malice. Slander. The tongue of vipers. Justice for the poor. Crafty foes, hidden snares. The cry and confidence of a slandered soul. Deliver me from violent men.]

1. Poisonous words (Ps 140:1-5).
2. Divine deliverance (Ps 140:6-11).
3. Confident certainty (Ps 140:12-13).

Psalm 141 is a prayer against insincerity and compromise, and a plea for survival under savage attacks. This could be the days when David became persona non grata at the court of Saul. It would be natural for the whole court, including the judiciary, to side with the king. David ponders throughout the psalm how to act and react while the stress lasts (Ps 141:1-2), how to respond (Ps 141:3-4), and where his safety rests in the meantime (Ps 141:8-10).

My eyes are fixed on you (Ps 141:8) [No compromise. Provocation. Help me stay on the right path. Incessant threat, ceaseless safety. Speaking and listening. My prayer like incense. Christ as the incense of prayer.] Ps 141:2; Rev 5:8; Jas 5:16. Ps 141:3; Jas 3:7-10. Ps 141:4; Mt 6:13. Ps 141:8; 1 Sam 26:19.

1. Passionate prayer (Ps 141:1-2).
2. Practical prayer (Ps 141:6-11).
3. Pointed prayer (Ps 141:12-13). Focused faith.

4 spiritual lessons on how our prayers should be like incense (John Owen) (Ps 141:2):

1. The incense needs to be crushed. Jesus was crushed (Lk 22:44).
2. The incense needs fire. Jesus brought fire on the earth (Lk 12:49).
3. The incense ascended to heaven (Col 3:1-2). Jesus ascended into the heavenly places to intercede for us (Ac 1:9).
4. The incense is a pleasing aroma.  Jesus’ prayer was a pleasing aroma (Eph 5:2).

** How important is your tongue?

2 Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

5 …the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 

6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. (James 3:2, 5-6, 7-8)

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21).

3 guidelines about your words: 1. Some words are hurtful. 2. Other words are helpful. 3. All words are consequential. [On overage a person opens his mouth 700x to speak, using between 7K-20K words. ]

I. Hurtful speech. 3 types: 1. Sharp ‘poisonous’ words (Ps 140:3; Prov 12:18, 6, 13, 22)*. 2. Spiteful / evil / troublesome words (Ps 140:9). Words deleted from “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946): jerk, dang, God, lousy, impotent, garlic–eaters. These words were censored from the original script because they were deemed unacceptable at that time for movie audiences. 3. Slanderous words (Ps 140:11; Prov 18:8). 5 questions to ask a gossiper: 1. Why are you telling me this? 2. Who did you hear it from. 3. Have you gone directly to the person. 3. Have you personally verified all the facts. 5. Can I quote you on this with your permission. [*How long a person can live after being bitten by a venomous snake depends on how quickly they receive medical care: Ideally within 30 min of being bitten–known as the “golden hour. In the US, the risk of dying from a venomous snakebite is low because of the availability of high-quality medical care and antivenin Rx. <1 in 37,500 people are bitten by venomous snakes each year, and only 1 in 50 million people die from snakebite.]

II. Helpful words (Col 4:6): 1. Real prayer–pray honestly (Ps 140:1-5), even imprecatory prayers (Ps 140:9-11). An honest prayer is better than dishonest piety. Also, praise (Ps 140:13; 141:2; Eph 5:19-20). Praise is the highest use of the tongue. 2. Regular petition (Ps 141:3-4). It takes 2 years to learn how to talk, and the rest of his life to keep his mouth shut. Speaking without thinking is like shooting without aiming. Jas 3:8. THINK: Is it true, helpful, inspiring, necessary, kind? 3. Righteous rebuke (Ps 141:5; Pr 27:5-6). Your words can either be a BALM or a BOMB. It can either heal or hurt.

III. All words are consequential (Ps 140:2; Lk 6:45). Your words are an outward gaze of what is going on inside of you. One who repeatedly says “damn” and “hell” may simply be describing his condition and his destination. Whatever is inside you will eventually come out. A man reaps what he sows. Garbage in. Garbage out. Philippians 4:8.

While browsing I learned 2 new words–Italian slang words: stunards and chooches. “Stunad“ is an Italian American slang term that means “stupid” or “dimwit.” “Chooch“ is an Italian slang term that means “dummy”, “idiot”, “jackass”, or “moron.”

It’s a grace to be disgraced because of Christ. It’s an honor to be dishonored because of Him.

How does Psalm 140, 141 point to Christ?

* “…the poison of vipers is on their lips” (140:3).

1. Jesus faced poisonous lies and dies the most humiliating, shameful, excruciating execution.
2. When facing deadly lies, Jesus trusted God.“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Lk 23:46; Ps 31:5).
3. Jesus is the ultimate word that sustains the weary.

“The Sovereign LORD has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed” (Isa 50:4).

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt 11:28-29).

• “Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you” (Prov 9:8).
• “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses” (Prov 27:6).
• “Let God be true, and every human being a liar” (Rom 3:4).

One of Rudyard Kipling’s most famous quotations is from a speech made to the Royal College of Surgeons in London in 1923. He compares words to drugs to describe the persuasive effect words can have on people. The next sentence says, “Not only do words infect, egotize, narcotize, and paralyze, but they enter into and colour the minutest cells of the brain. . . .” He describes the ability of a person’s words to change how another person thinks and feels, to influence that person to do or feel things that are not normal for that person — just as drugs would. Perhaps Kipling was thinking of Europe during the 1920s with the rise of the Nazi party in Germany to threaten the security of all of Europe. Hitler used his ability to persuade people with his words to take control of the Nazi party in 1921, and his book Mein Kampf would become one of the most influential documents in the 20th century, serving as the cornerstone of Nazism and German socialism.