Posted 5/5/2009
An Angry Countenance
Pr 25:23
"The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a
backbiting tongue."
Does the Lord really mean that it is not only OK but a positive good to get
angry with those who destroy other's reputations by backbiting? Surely not. We
must be patient, forgiving, kind, charitable, while our neighbor's reputations
go up in flames--or so the message is in many churches. How long has it been
since anyone in your church was disciplined by the elders for this unspeakable
crime against God, the very sin of the devil himself against the church?
"Angry" means to "abhor," "indignation." In the
form used here it means to "show anger" or "indignation."
You are not only to be angry, but you are to show it. Your love for your
neighbor's reputation requires it, and your love for the sinner requires it.
"Countenance" means the presence or person. It is translated often
"before" as in Ex. 20:3 in the First Commandment, "Thou shalt
have no other Gods before me." The slanderer ought to be ashamed and
fearful of uttering a slander in our presence. What we think about defamation
of ministers, elders, Christians, and people in general ought to be abundantly
clear. If we lose friends because of it, so be it. We must not aid and abet the
devil's work.
"backbiting" literally means "secret." It is what is said
in secret. The slanderer speaks in secret and then lies about saying it. Those
who aid and abet the slanderer cover for their lies, lying to cover lies and
cover sins. It is the sin of the "whisperer" in Romans 1:29, one of
the sins that shows the soul abandoned of God and given over to wickedness and
reprobation of mind.
"Tongue" means "tongue." The slanderer speaks abominable
things about those he hates and wishes to destroy, but then denies that he said
them.
Those who cover for slanderers are as bad as those who slander. Solomon showed
us the way of righteousness. It is such a shame that there are so few who will
bear faithful witness, but will cover for the evil. This evil will continue in
our churches until Christians get mad about it.
Note on the
above blog: Posted 5-7-2009
Concerning the last post.
Many of the recent translations miss the point of Proverbs 25:23. They usually
go something like this "As a north wind brings rain, so a sly tongue
brings angry looks." Not only does "sly" miss the point, but
also the comparison is off. The comparison is this "As the north wind is
to rain, so the backbiting tongue is to anger."
But in Palestine the north wind did never bring rain. Rain never came from the
north. The north wind drove away the rain. So then, we must say that backbiting
drives away anger, which is stupid, or we must say anger drives away
backbiting. It is the only thing that makes sense.
The translators have fits with this passage because of the word "north."
I think that some were so afraid of the word anger--the idea that it is godly
to be angry with backbiting--that they turned the Scripture upside down. Shall
I say they were false witnesses? No, I dasn't say that, should I? Could a
milk-toast view of Christianity have influenced this translation? hmmmm.
But, on the other hand [don't you love it] it is possible to get a valid
interpretation from the NIV. The lying tongue spreads anger everywhere, pits
brother against brother, husband against wife, etc. But the value of the
traditional KJV is that it directs the anger where it belongs--against the
slanderer, so that his slander comes back against him, even though he or she
wants people to get mad at each other. It is the backbiter who is the culprit,
not all the ones who are backbitten. There is where the anger should go:
against the devil-tongued one.
