James 3 The Untamable Tongue
[1] “The apostle here reproves ambition, and an arrogant magisterial tongue; and shows the duty and advantage of bridling it because of its power to do mischief. Those who profess religion ought especially to govern their tongues. True wisdom makes men meek, and avoiders of strife and envy: and hereby it may easily be distinguished from a wisdom that is earthly and hypocritical.” (Henry)
The gift of teaching is limited
James 3:1 (KJV), “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.”
Strong’s Concordance (1320)_ – didaskalos: an instructor. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon – a teacher; in the N. T. one who teaches concerning the things of God, and the duties of man; 6. of those who in the religious assemblies of Christians undertake the work of teaching, with the special assistance of the Holy Spirit.
Strong’s Concordance (2917) – krima: a judgment. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon – 2. judgment; i. e. condemnation of wrong, the decision (whether severe or mild) which one passes on the faults of others; condemnatory sentence, penal judgment, sentence.
Anyone who desires to teach needs to take the following very seriously
After Jesus healed a deomon-posessed, blind and mute man, the pharisees approached Him
Matthew 12:34-37 (KJV), “34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”
No teacher, on earth, is perfect in his teaching
James 3:2 (KJV), “For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.”
Thayer’s Greek Lexicon – 2. with a reference to age, and to distinguish an adult man from a boy.
As we know, the tongue is the most vile part of our bodies
James 3:6 (KJV), “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.”
James 3:8-10 (KJV), “8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”
Heavenly Versus Demonic Wisdom
James 3:13-18 (KJV), “13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”
Hebrews 2
We cannot escape judgement from neglecting what Jesus told us on salvation
Hebrews 2:3-4 (KJV), “3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him. 4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?”
Matthew 4:17 (KJV), “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Jesus’ death on the cross released the fear of death mankind had
Hebrews 2:14-15 (KJV), “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
Jeremiah 6 Impending Destruction from the North
Israel is split
After the death of Solomon, a schism over taxation divided the nation into two kingdoms. Rehoboam, Solomon’s son and anointed successor, ruled over the Southern Kingdom, which was composed of the territory belonging to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.
| Kingdoms | King | Tribes | Prophets |
| Southern Kingdom (Judah) | Rehoboam | Judah & Benjamin | Isaiah, Joel, Micah, Zephaniah, and Habakkuk |
| Northern Kingdom (Israel) | Jeroboam | Reuben, Simeon, Manasseh, Issachar, Zebulun, Ephraim, Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Gad | Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Elijah, Elisha, Amos, and Hosea |
Ahijah tells Jeroboam
1 Kings 11:31-35 (KJV), “31 And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee: 32 (But he shall have one tribe for my servant David’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:) 33 Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father. 34 Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant’s sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes: 35 But I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes.”
There are seven men in the Bible with the name Ahijah, but most of them are only briefly mentioned
This Ahijah was a prophet from Shiloh during the time of Solomon. Through Ahijah, God had a message that would change the kingdom of Israel forever. This message was relayed to Jeroboam, one of King Solomon’s officials.
While the two men spoke alone in the countryside, Ahijah took hold of his new cloak and tore it into twelve pieces, giving Jeroboam ten of the pieces. He then prophesied that the kingdom would be divided, with Jeroboam becoming king over ten of the tribes. Ahijah told Jeroboam that, if he followed the Lord and was faithful to the Law, then he would have God’s promise: “I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you”.
1 Kings 11:38 (KJV), “8 And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee.”
Jeroboam returned to warn Solomon’s son Rehoboam to lighten the load of labor Solomon had imposed upon the people of Israel
1 Kings 12:4 (KJV), “Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.”
1 Kings 11:26 (KJV), “And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon’s servant, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king.”
The war initiated between the Southern and Northern tribes
Jeremiah 6:4-5 (KJV), “4 Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out. 5 Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces.”
Southern kingdom set out to destroy the Norther kingdom (Jerusalem)
Jeremiah 6:6-8 (KJV), “6 For thus hath the Lord of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her. 7 As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually is grief and wounds. 8 Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.”
The Lord instructs Judah to walk in righteousness
Jeremiah 6:16 (KJV), “Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.”
Proverbs 23 Remove yourself from evil
Ezekiel 4 Northern while exiled in Babylon
Ezekiel 4:1-2 (KJV), “Thou also, son of man, take thee a tile, and lay it before thee, and pourtray upon it the city, even Jerusalem. 2 And lay siege against it, and build a fort against it, and cast a mount against it; set the camp also against it, and set battering rams against it round about.”
Ezekiel to hold the burdens of both Kingdoms
Ezekiel 4:4-6 (KJV), “4 Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity. 5 For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. 6 And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.”
During the iniquity of the Northern kingdom
Ezekiel 4:9-13 (KJV), “9 Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof, according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side, three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof. 10 And thy meat which thou shalt eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day: from time to time shalt thou eat it. 11 Thou shalt drink also water by measure, the sixth part of an hin: from time to time shalt thou drink. 12 And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man, in their sight. 13 And the Lord said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them.”
God gives Ezekiel favor over Jerusalem
Ezekiel 4:15 (KJV), “Then he said unto me, Lo, I have given thee cow’s dung for man’s dung, and thou shalt prepare thy bread therewith.”
Jesus to the scribes and Pharisees
Matthew 15:11 (KJV), “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.”
More misery to Jerusalem due to their neglect
Ezekiel 4:16-17 (KJV), “16 Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight, and with care; and they shall drink water by measure, and with astonishment: 17 That they may want bread and water, and be astonied one with another, and consume away for their iniquity.”
[1] Matthew Henry
Grow in the Word of the Lord 