Job 34:3 For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat
There is an observation in Job 34:3 which could be turned into the best advice in the entire book of Job. Elihu is speaking to Job and his friends, and he tells these “wise men” to hear his words. In verse 3 he says, “For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.” So, just like you can put something in your mouth and say, “Oh, I taste a little bit of oregano,” so your ear should discern words. They should have good discernment to try and test the words you are hearing. This is the method I fall back on when I am reading the book of Job. The reason being is that so much of what is said by Job and his friends is true, but they all missed the big picture.
Job is an unusual book where you have God’s own commentary on all the words these men said. Oftentimes when we preach from the Old Testament, we want to make sure that it is an illustration of doctrinal truth. In the book of Job, you actually have God’s commentary in the book itself, what God thought about what Job and his friends had said.
It is judgment that is the question here. Verse 4 says, “Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what is good.” In Job 26:4 Job had said, “To whose spirit came from thee?” For whom are you speaking? That is a good question, and one we should all weigh. Have you ever heard something and said, “I don’t buy that”? When it comes to words, try them before you buy them.
People can have a trained palate to taste the elements of particular foods, and we ought to be able to have a trained ear to know what we are hearing. We ought to have judgment. First, we should know if what we are hearing is true. By the way, is it complete? Sometimes we hear something that is technically true, but it is not complete. That is almost worse than hearing nothing at all because it leaves you with an untrue idea of what is being asserted.
In Philippians 4:8 it says, “Finally, brethren whatsoever things are true,… honest,… just,… pure,… lovely,… of good report; if there be virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” So, thinking is connected to what we say and what we hear. If we are thinking the right things, it will help us to say the right things and judge when we hear the wrong things. I John 4:1 says, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone into the world.”
So, thinking is important, then speaking and hearing, but thinking has to come first. Your thinking has to be judged against a standard. I feel sorry for Job and for his friends because they were at a distinct disadvantage. Everything they said was based on what they thought they knew about God, but they didn’t have the Word of God that we have. They lacked God’s Word, but we do not. So, whether something is true has to be judged against a standard, an absolute and true standard, God’s Word. So, is it true? Try words before you buy words.
Is what you are hearing appropriate? Do the words have due respect and regard to whom it is addressed? In verse 10, Elihu says, “Therefore hearken unto me ye men of understanding.” He says this many times throughout, “Listen to me. Listen to me. Listen to me.” The question is not if these words are palatable or unpalatable. The question is whether you are going to hear words or not, whether you are going to accept the words you hear from others. One good question is if words are said with respect and due regard to whom you are speaking. Elihu was admittedly younger than Job and his friends. That does not mean he had no place to speak, but it does mean he was to guard and weigh his words before he said them.
Are words appropriate in the sense that they are in context? A good sermon needs the right text and the right audience. It would be a little bit off putting to preach on how to view modern dating to a retirement home. Even if it is a true sermon, it may not be to the right crowd. Oftentimes we quote the dead or our opponents as it suits us. In verse 9 Elihu says, “For he [Job] has said.” Elihu listened and quoted Job widely. So, before I quote somebody either to use their own words against them or to bolster my position, we should make sure our words are appropriate and honest to what was intended by who said it.
Third, are your words timely? So many times, we are fighting ghosts instead of fighting our own current demons. In the book Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis a supposed devil is teaching his nephew to tempt people well. One of the things he essentially says is that they were to try to make the sin with which they were tempting people closest to the virtue they think important at the time. For instance, right now everyone agrees we ought to be civil and be tolerant. Though going against sin and giving the truth is always important, sometimes we are going against sins that are not the fashion right now and at the same time we are cowards and dare not go against the sins that are a real problem because they are closest to the virtues that we hold. So, tolerance is a virtue now and it is used as a baseball bat to hit over the head any truth that might be helpful. So, timing is important. Think about when is the right time.
In any event, try words before you buy words. Is it true, appropriate, timely? We can ask God to give us the wisdom and courage to speak timely and appropriate truths and to have a standard against which to judge what we say and hear. So, what are you thinking, saying, and hearing? Are you discerning, judging, and trying words? When it comes to words, try them before you buy them because they do matter.