10 Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty. 11-14 There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers. There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth. There are those - how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift! There are those whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, the needy from among mankind.

15-16 The leech has two daughters: “give, give” they cry. Three things are never satisfied; four never say, “Enough”: Sheol, the barren womb, the land never satisfied with water, and the fire that never says, “Enough.” 17 The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures. (Proverbs 30:10-17 English Standard Version)

The New Testament book of James has a strong warning about the words that flow from our tongue. It says: “If anyone does not stumble in what he says - he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. Look at the ships, though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. Every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” (James 3:1-8) What are some ways the tongue is misused according to vs 10-14 of today's reading in Proverbs?

Some use is it to bad mouth people. (vs 10) Others use it to curse a parent, but never to give them praise or thanks. Some use words to take advantage of people who are vulnerable. It's as if they verbally tear them apart. The statements in vs 11-14 all start with the phrase “there are those”, as he speaks of people who curse parents, are self righteous, and have haughty attitudes. But the Hebrew can also be translated as “there is a generation” who do these wicked things. In a letter to his friend Timothy, the apostle Paul said that “in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good.” (2 Timothy 3:1-3) What is it that causes a generation to behave in such ways? Could vs 15-16 be a clue?

He uses picture language to describe an attitude of always demanding, and never being satisfied. Death, barren wombs, unfruitful land, and raging fires are always wanting more. That might sound harsh on the woman with a barren womb, but it was written in days when bearing a child was a major part of a woman's hope. But there have been, and still are, women who've not been able to fall pregnant, but who have trusted God and been content with His will in the matter. The writer was referring to people who have little time for God's will. And is that not a big part of generations that end up like Paul described to Timothy? They are self seeking and always demanding more.

Which brings us to the graphic picture in vs 17. It's the sort of verse that makes some people say the Bible is barbaric and cruel. But, as with many of the previous verses, the writer is using a picture to make a serious point. In the list Paul gave of the difficult times that a self loving generation would bring, he included those who are “disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful.” That sort of rebellious attitude is a serious matter in God's sight, so the writer of Proverbs gives a fearful warning of an unhappy fate for those who will not turn from wickedness. Strong stuff. But he says it because, as he told us in vs 11-14, “There are those who are clean in their own eyes - but are not washed of their filth.”

Do we guard our tongue? Are our words pleasing to God? Are we content with Gods will in our life? Happy the soul who can yes to such things.