Proverbs 26:23-28
Like a coating of glaze over earthenware
are fervent lips with an evil heart.
The one who hates others disguises it with his lips,
but he stores up deceit within him.
When he speaks graciously, do not believe him,
for there are seven abominations within him.
Though his hatred may be concealed by deceit,
his evil will be uncovered in the assembly.
The one who digs a pit will fall into it;
the one who rolls a stone—it will come back on him.
A lying tongue hates those crushed by it,
and a flattering mouth works ruin.
From 1932 – 1964 the quarter was made of 90% silver and 10% copper. If you had one of these quarter then you had something that had actual worth to it. In other words, it didn’t just represent value, but had value in and of itself. Now the quarter is comprised of 8.33% nickel and the remainder is copper. Now, the quarter merely represents the value of 25 cents and has little to no value itself.
This is the same for someone who speaks kind words but has an evil heart. I’m sure you’ve come across this kind of person. They are full of praises, but their hearts are evil. They will speak highly of you, but have evil thoughts about you. They will praise you but secretly be hating you.
This proverb starts with the earthenware being glazed. Oftentimes this glaze would be silver. So, you’d have a bowl that looked silver, but was actually only clay covered with silver. And when you drop one of these dishes, they break. When you drop a silver bowl it doesn’t break, it might dent, but it wouldn’t break. But a clay dish covered in silver would break. That’s because the core of the dish is made of clay.
When someone speaks words of praise, but in their hearts they are thinking evil, hateful and selfish thoughts they are like this dish. When they break it will be revealed that they were full of clay and only covered with silver. When they break, it will be revealed to the world that they were actually hateful.
Often times, when someone says all the right things, it’s a sign that there is a facade that shrouds their real identity. And eventually the shroud will be pulled away and the world will see the real person inside.
What’s the point? The point isn’t to say all the hateful things you are thinking because they will eventually come out. The point is to stop being a person filled with hateful thoughts. Don’t think of others as evil. Think of them as exactly who you are – flawed and in need of grace. Let the work of grace change you from the inside out, so that the inside matches the shiny outside.
