LaShone Hara: The Sword and Scalpel - Introduction
Introduction
LaShone Hara, The Evil Tongue: a common buzz word for anyone who has
navigated Messianic or Natsari Jewish circles for any significant length of
time. It is a word that tends to be used by people who knows the word and the
general concept of the word, yet does not fully understand what the word really
means. A lot of people just like to say it because it is a Jewish word and it
makes them sound Jewish, mystical or educated, especially in front of Rabbis or
religious leaders. It’s like a child who learns a new word and tries to use it
every chance he gets by interjecting it into any everyday conversation he
possibly can, especially around adults, so as to impress. Most do not know what
principles govern what is and what is not LaShone Hara. All too often, in a childish,
finger pointing, accusatory way when “LaShone Hara” is even slightly suspected,
like kindergarteners on the playground the tattle-tales among us gasped with
eyes wide and arm and finger extended, “Ommmm! They spoke LaShone Hara!” But
what is it really!? And what defines it!? How do I know if and when I am
speaking LaShone Hara!?
In this book I hope to dispel any and all confusing surrounding this
vitally important topic. If Believers worldwide could grasp, understand and
live by these Biblical principles in regards to guarding the tongue, quite
possibly unity of Believers and Tikkun Olam (Fixing/Repairing the World) could
be achieved virtually overnight.
The Tongue Seems to Have a Mind
of its Own
Messiah
Yeshua’s brother and the leader of the Natsari Sanhedrin of believers in the
first century was a well versed and educated Jewish man, who knew full well the
potentials, good and evil, regarding the tongue.
James 3:1-13 My
brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
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. Behold, we put bits in the
horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce
winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the
governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great
things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 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. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things
in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man
tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even
the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of
God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these
things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet
water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? Either a
vine, figs? So can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. 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.
Ya’akov (James) describes the tongue as if
it was a whole other entity that had a mind of its own; a creature that was
prone to extremes like a person with a bi-polar disorder; sweet one minute and
hellishly nasty the next and thus needed to be controlled and tamed like a wild
animal.
We are made in the image of God (Gen.
1:27, 9:6) and used words; usually associated with the organ we call the
tongue, to create, to give life, to speak things into existence (Gen. 1, John
1). So too we have the power to create and destroy with out tongue (our
speech). As King Solomon said:
Prov. 18:21 Death and life are
in the power of the tongue: and they that love
it shall eat the fruit thereof.
One
gets the impression that King Solomon was referring to the tongue as a double
edged sword, one edge, like a weapon kills and the other like a surgical
scalpel heals.
Job
spoke of the killing capacity of the tongue.
Job 5:15
But he saveth the poor from the sword, from
their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.
The
Psalmist describes the tongue, when used in praise is able to slay the enemy.
Psalm 149:6
Let the high praises of God be in their mouth,
and a twoedged sword in their hand;
So we
see the tongue as a deadly weapon. And with any deadly weapon one must be
trained to use it properly so as not to harm oneself or the innocent. Any
swordsmen trains, any hunter or police officer goes to a firing range to
practice and improve one’s aim and handling of the firearm; so spiritual
warfare and praise takes practice.
King
Solomon knew that the power of life and death, the capacity to build up and
destroy another resides in the tongue (Prov. 18:21). We can bless or
curse, create or destroy; it’s all in the delivery. We especially see this in
our dealings with our own children.
Here is
an example of using our tongue to kill: “Darn it son! You can’t do anything
right! You’ll never amount to anything! How can you be so stupid?”
Here is
an example of using our tongue to heal: “Whoa son, what happened buddy? You
gave it a good try and I appreciate your desire to help, but let me show you another
way to do it.”
See the
difference? One is considered a curse, and the other is a blessing and an
encouragement. We can make and break our kids and other like people like our
familial or spiritual relatives, employees, co-workers or even strangers for
that matter by what we say.
We have
seen already how our tongue can be used as a sword to kill. Let us now see how
the tongue can be used as a scalpel to heal.
Prov. 12:18 There
is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is
health.
Prov.
15:4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach
in the spirit.
Matt. 18:15
Moreover if thy brother shall trespass
against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall
hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
When
one has cancer or dead tissue that needs to be removed, or serious risk to
one’s health that could result in death could ensue; one goes to a surgeon who
has training and skill with an extremely sharp instrument called a scalpel. The
surgeon uses the scalpel to remove harmful things from the body and in such a
way promotes healing and well-being. This is why the tongue is referred to as
double edges sword that can be used to kill or heal.
So with
God, so with us.
Rev. 1:16
… out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword:
and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing
asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of
the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Where
ADONAI is infinite, omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent and thus has total
control over His speech and actions we on the other hand are fallen and finite
and thus lack total control over our speech and actions. Yes, we are made in
the image and likeness of Almighty God, but the tricky part is knowing when and
how and having the control when needed to use our tongue as a sword or a
scalpel.
If we
can fully learn how to use and control our tongue we will be blessed with a
good full life as the Psalmist promised.
Psalm
34:12-14 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may
see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart
from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
After
the Psalmist, King Solomon said:
Prov. 21:23 Whoso
keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.
Sheliach
Kefa (Apostle Peter) urged us…
I Peter
2:1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and
envies, and all evil speakings,
In order
to please HaShem (The LORD) and live a long and peaceful life with our fellow
man it behooves us to fully realize not only the power of our tongue, but more
importantly how to control and properly use it.
