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“Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge” Part III
(“A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth”)

(Pro 12:14-21)

Pro 12:14 A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of [his] mouth: and the recompence of a man’s hands shall be rendered unto him.
Pro 12:15 The way of a fool [is] right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel [is] wise.
Pro 12:16 A fool’s wrath is presently known: but a prudent [man] covereth shame.
Pro 12:17 [He that] speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit.
Pro 12:18 There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.
Pro 12:19 The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue [is] but for a moment.
Pro 12:20 Deceit [is] in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace [is] joy.
Pro 12:21 There shall no evil happen to the just: but the wicked shall be filled with mischief.

This second to last section of proverbs chapter twelve that we’ll look at is primarily focused on the subject of the fruit of our mouth, and how we are to rule over our lips. God’s people are a peculiar and zealous people in this world who are warning, through our actions and witnessing with God’s fear within us (1Pe 3:15-16), that the world around us is going to fall (Babylon has fallen Rev 18:2), and that we need to strive towards ‘saving ourselves from this untoward generation’ (Act 2:39-40).

1Pe 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and [be] ready always to [give] an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
1Pe 3:16 Having a good conscience;(1Jn 3:20) that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

It takes God’s cleansing of our temples (Heb 9:23, Rom 2:4) to know that Babylon is falling within us, as the life of Christ increases within us and we decrease (Joh 3:30, 2Co 6:17, Eph 1:6). We all miss it at first but the temple spoken of in (Joh 2:19) does not just represent modern day Christianity that is not torn down, rather Christ is speaking of His own body which is the church that must be torn down and rebuilt in three days, by coming out of her (Joh 2:19, Mat 12:40). This is another witness of how Babylon within us must fall, and a new creation be formed through Christ “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved” (Joh 2:19, 2Co 5:17, Rev 21:5).

If God is working with us in this life we are going to see Babylon falling within us through the chastening and scourging process that we’ve been called unto that will in time bring us to be able to bring our tongue under control, and when our thoughts are under control our tongue will be as well (2Co 10:5-6, Jas 3:8).

2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
2Co 10:6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Jas 3:8 But the tongue can no man tame; [it is] an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

Babylon will be busily trimming their lamps at the end of this age as God’s elect will also be (Mat 25:4-5), and iniquity will abound that can only be overcome by the faith of Christ, or extra oil He has promised those who have been predestined to endure unto the end (Mat 24:13). We know we are unprofitable servants having done that which “was our duty to do” (Luk 17:10) because God wrote those actions in our books, “both to will and to do of his good pleasure” which is to give us the kingdom of God that is now within us (Luk 18:8, Php 2:12-13)

Mat 25:4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
Mat 25:5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

Mat 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Mat 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

God’s elect will be given the ability to wholeheartedly acknowledge the unprofitableness of our flesh and how only Christ can bring us to be scarcely saved (1Pe 4:18, Eph 2:8) vis-a-vis the extra oil that the body of Christ will be granted, making them prepared for those ‘end of age’ moments. If we think otherwise, the man of perdition will be right back on the throne of our hearts telling us surely we were the ones willing and doing the trimming of our own lamps (Rev 19:7-8, Php 2:12-13).

Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.(Luk 5:35, Act 17:11)
Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure.

If we truly are given to love God’s instruction and love God’s knowledge, our diligence will be directed in a path of Godly fear that will have us being about our Father’s business in this life, speaking his words, and doing his works (Eph 2:10), as we lose our life (Mat 10:38-39) in order to build up the body of Christ, the church which is likened unto the ark that Noah built to the saving of his household (Heb 11:7).

Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Mat 10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

Heb 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

With these verses as a backdrop to our study let’s look at the hope that we have today, if Christ is judging us as our hope of glory within (Col 1:27).

Pro 12:14 A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of [his] mouth: and the recompence of a man’s hands shall be rendered unto him.

It takes God’s reproach in our lives to purify our lips, and what He is reproaching is our iniquity (Isa 6:7).

Isa 6:7 And he laid [it] upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

If we are blessed to have this experience of judgement in this life we will know that “the recompence of a man’s hand” that is rendered unto us has nothing to do with us, but rather what God does within us through Christ both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Php 2:12-13).

The “fruit” of God judging His elect in this age is being discussed in type and shadow in these verses (Heb 11:26-27).

Heb 11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
Heb 11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

Pro 12:15 The way of a fool [is] right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel [is] wise.

By God’s estimation a self-righteous man is a fool. A fool in his heart has said there is no God (Psa 14:1), and the believer may say, well that’s not me, but in reality that is you when you deny God as being the one who is doing the works within you, to which we have nothing to boast about (Rom 3:27, Eph 2:8).

Rom 3:27 Where [is] boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:

A fool is self-righteous and has no need to “hearkeneth unto [the] counsel” of the “wise“. We are told several times throughout scripture, being warned and admonished to heed such counsel, because we simply do not by nature (Pro 19:20, Pro 24:5-6).

Pro 19:20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.

Pro 24:5 A wise man [is] strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.
Pro 24:6 For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors [there is] safety.

Pro 12:16 A fool’s wrath is presently known: but a prudent [man] covereth shame.

The prudent man is the brother who mercifully covers the shame of his weaker younger brother who can’t help at this immature stage in his walk to openly or “presently” make known his foolishness that is manifested in wrath that demonstrates he has no control at this point over the entirety of his spirit (Pro 16:32).

Pro 16:32 [He that] is slow to anger [is] better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

But God is merciful who not only bears our iniquity but also gives us the opportunity in due time to bear the iniquity of others in love. Notice how Joseph’s brothers acknowledge that they are the ones who brought this evil upon themselves (Gen 42:21), not yet acknowledging what Joseph is going to say to them in regard to God’s sovereignty (Gen 45:5).

Gen 42:21 And they said one to another, We [are] verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

Gen 45:5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

Pro 12:17 [He that] speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit.

This proverb seems pretty self evident regarding speaking truth that is not possible without Christ in us, who is the truth (Joh 14:6). So too, we can speak the truth as a false witness with a deceitful heart, because speaking the truth in love or in righteousness is only made possible by the righteousness of Christ being shed abroad in our hearts by which we are saved (Rom 5:5, Rom 8:28). Christ, in other words, is our righteousness (1Co 1:30) and only Christ can be Christ! (1Jn 2:20, Mat 13:16)

Rom 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, [Rom 5:5] to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.

1Co 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus [Col 1:27], who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

Pro 12:18 There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise [is] health.

If we look throughout history, it is the basest of men that God has used to demonstrate this spirit of speaking words that pierce like a sword, “There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword“. In that sense, this is the negative example of the two edged sword that witnesses against our flesh, but “the tongue of the wise [is] health“. We pierce the heart of others at first, leaving Mary who represents the true bride of Christ pierced in her heart for the revelation of her son’s plight that we are all guilty of (Luk 2:35).

Luk 2:35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed […”but the tongue of the wise [is] health“].

It takes God bringing us to acknowledge our own personal part in piercing Christ (Zec 12:10) and killing him, in order for us to then be able to have a tongue that is wise and able to bring the health of God’s word to others, “but the tongue of the wise [is] health“. God is dragging us to the tree of life (Joh 6:44) for that very purpose, to fulfill our joy as we “retaineth her” (Rev 1:3), so our earth and heaven can be founded and established through Christ (Pro 3:18-19, Mat 16:18, Mat 6:10).

Zec 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for [his] only [son], and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for [his] firstborn.

Pro 3:18 She [is] a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy [is every one] that retaineth her.
Pro 3:19 The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.

Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven.

With that establishing of our hearts and minds, we can then care for our brothers and sisters both now and in the age to come, with encouraging words and admonitions of Truth that brings the healing we all need, “being oppressed of the devil” (Mal 4:2, Mat 9:35, Act 10:38, Rev 22:2).

Pro 12:18 There is talk that is like stabbings of a sword, Yet the tongue of the wise is healing.” (CLV)

Mal 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Mat 9:35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Act 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Rev 22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, [was there] the tree of life, which bare twelve [manner of] fruits, [and] yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree [were] for the healing of the nations.

Pro 12:19 The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue [is] but for a moment.

The lying tongue, unknowingly to the world, is within themselves, in Babylon (Pro 30:20), as it was with us in our former conversation (Eph 2:2-4). We didn’t believe we were wrong in our convictions of ‘truth’ at that time, but at God’s appointed time we came to learn of His eternal purpose for his children that involved our being strengthened, settled and established, “The lip of truth shall be established for ever” (Mat 16:18) in Christ (1Pe 5:10-11).

1Pe 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle [you].
1Pe 5:11 To him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Pro 12:20 Deceit [is] in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace [is] joy.

It is our own deceitful and wicked hearts (Jer 17:9) that wants us to stop examining ourselves and stop being introspective. However, as we die daily by keeping under ourselves, God will lead us unto repentance by His holy spirit so we can gain victory over sin in our life through Christ our hope of glory within (Rom 2:4, Eph 2:13-15).

Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Eph 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition [between us];
Eph 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, [even] the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, [so] making peace;

We become the fool spoken of in (Pro 26:12) when we stop seeing the need for the body of Christ in our lives and the safety that is found in a multitude of counsellors (Pro 11:14, Pro 24:6, Pro 20:18-19).

Pro 26:12 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? [there is] more hope of a fool than of him.

Pro 11:14 Where no counsel [is], the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors [there is] safety.

Pro 24:6 For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors [there is] safety.

Pro 20:18 [Every] purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.
Pro 20:19 He that goeth about [as] a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.

Conversely, our peace and joy in this life comes when the understanding of His salvation is restored unto us (Psa 51:12-15), and in this we greatly rejoice, “but to the counsellors of peace [is] joy“, knowing that we serve a merciful God in heaven who, in time, will save all of His children, each man in his own order.

Psa 51:9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Psa 51:11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
Psa 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me [with thy] free spirit.
Psa 51:13 [Then] will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
Psa 51:14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: [and] my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
Psa 51:15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

Pro 12:21 There shall no evil happen to the just: but the wicked shall be filled with mischief.

Our former conversation in this world (Eph 2:1-3) was “filled with mischief“, and being the sinning machines we were made to be, it came to us naturally. The result of that mischievous spirit is that evil would happen to us, and if the Lord is working with us in this life He will deliver us from that spirit so that “There shall no evil happen to the just“. That means that the evil which wants to overtake us as it used to, will not be able to do so through Christ, through whom we are more than conquerors (Rom 8:35-39).

Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Through Christ we can now have dominion over sin as we go onto perfection on the third day as God’s little remnant that have been separated from the world, and for this very purpose of demonstrating the power of God that takes the weak of the world and brings them to love knowledge and love instruction, which will be the fruit of the mouth of God’s ‘kind of first fruits’ (Rom 9:27, Rom 11:5, Jas 1:18).

Rom 9:27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:

Rom 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

Jas 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

We’re not perfected, but we are going onto perfection (Php 3:14, Luk 13:32), we are not sinless, but we are sinning less, and confessing our faults, and knowing that the Lord is cleansing us through this great process we’ve been incredibly blessed (Heb 9:23, 1Pe 4:17-18) to be partakers of, for the rest of the world (1Jn 1:8, Rom 7:24-25, Oba 1:21).

Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Oba 1:21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.