In our last post, we talked about it being important you are able to recognize a fool. The Bible has a lot to say about a fool – the word is in the Bible over 300 times – so it’s an important Biblical issue for all of us.
Now, one of the ways to perceive a fool is by what they say – the fool’s utterance – and one of the key ways to spot a fool by what they say, and one of the key things that a fool does is slander people with their words. Proverbs 10.18 says that “He that utters a slander is a fool”.
We have a kingdom obligation to avoid slander – both spreading it and receiving it. Leviticus 19.16 is very explicit: Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Yet, even in the light of this, some people – even those who name the name of Christ – will speak idle things about others, they will exaggerate things, paint pictures to make them the victim, say malicious, spiteful things, and talk gossip about others. Those people are fools.
Now, the word devil, a title for satan, in Greek is the word diabolos, which literally translates as slanderer. When someone is slandering someone else, it is literally devillish behaviour. If you are a gossip, if you are telling tales about others, you are working for satan. No wonder Proverbs said that slandering is what a fool does. Working for satan is foolish!
Now we have an obligation to perceive slanderers as foolish, not just to avoid slandering others with our own mouths, but we also have a responsibility to avoid slander with our ears.
It’s difficult because gossip tastes good to our flesh. In fact, Proverbs 18.8 tells us that the words of a gossip are like choice morsels, they go down to a man’s inmost parts. Part of our flesh is that when we hear something about someone that exposes how bad they are or paints them in a bad light – we love it. We see it as choice morsels and we gobble up the gossip! But understand it might look like good food, but it is actually poisoned – and if you eat them – you will absolutely poison yourself.
What should we do? Keep reading Proverbs! A gossip betrays confidence, so avoid a man who talks too much! (Proverbs 20.19). You avoid people who slander others! It’s not enough that you do not slander, you need to actively recognize that the slanderer is a fool, and avoid them.
Some of you have failed to perceive fools, you have honoured them, eaten their slander like a tasty morsel, and in doing so, have listened to the words of satan himself and extending satan’s kingdom – and by honouring the slanderer you have now got yourself in a position where they are drawing close to you. And they are poisoning you and your walk with God.
I have seen the symptoms of the poison from people listening to slander. Their spiritual immune system gets weak – so they get discouraged and they get offended much quicker than usual, they get so tired they cannot serve or even attend church regularly. They stop praying and stop studying the Word. Their only time spent with other people is spent slandering or listening to slander.
There are people reading this that need to repent. You need to ask the Lord to forgive you for listening to slander and eating it up like choice morsels. You need to close your ears to slander and learn to perceive the fools that slander and keep your distance.
It will make you healthier, your family healthier and your church healthier. Selah!
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