Proverbs 11:13
A talebearer revealeth secrets:
But he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.
Our text today makes a distinction between he that reveals confidences and he that conceals them. This text also teaches us of the contrast between he that is called in a more literal translation the ‘walking busybody’, and he that is of a faithful spirit.
Going about revealing the juicy details of another’s confidence is explicitly forbidden. In his divinely inspired Instruction, Moses has tale bearing lumped up with lying. He says, Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:16. (Note: ‘stand against the blood of thy neighbour’ is a Hebraic expression for being a false witness in a death sentence sin). In this instruction, a colon follows God’s command against such actions. This means that the following clause is an attribute to the fist one. A colon also follows this attribute and then we have the statement, I am the Lord, a strong reminder of the reason, and of the authority behind the Instruction.
Revelatory details revealed to us in confidence make us feel so important. Mostly they feed our egos: they tell us that someone has confidence in us. By revealing them, we also prop ourselves up in the eyes of others: we actually inform people that someone else trusted us, and that therefore we are ‘safe territory’ for them to also spill their precious nuggets on our plate. The facts are, that the moment someone unnecessarily reveals another’s secrets, they are dangerous territory for our confidences. They will unscrupulously and in a, oh so secretive way, tell someone else all the intimate things you simply needed to get off your chest. The problem is that by the time we do that, our personal spin has twisted the issue, and we are liable to be found ‘false witnesses’ which we are forbidden to be.
Who in this world is a faithful person who is secure enough in themselves? Who doesn’t need to use the crutch of other’s confidences to boost their own sense of importance? The word ‘secretary’ means ‘keeper of secrets’. Secretaries are privy to the affairs of the company, and they are not supposed to go about revealing them. We are meant to become a nation of ‘priests’. We are a bit like God’s ‘secretaries’ to people. We need therefore to start learning to faithfully keep the confidences of others. Sometimes, these confidences are heavy to bear, but that is why we have God.
A talebearer revealeth secrets:
But he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.
Our text today makes a distinction between he that reveals confidences and he that conceals them. This text also teaches us of the contrast between he that is called in a more literal translation the ‘walking busybody’, and he that is of a faithful spirit.
Going about revealing the juicy details of another’s confidence is explicitly forbidden. In his divinely inspired Instruction, Moses has tale bearing lumped up with lying. He says, Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:16. (Note: ‘stand against the blood of thy neighbour’ is a Hebraic expression for being a false witness in a death sentence sin). In this instruction, a colon follows God’s command against such actions. This means that the following clause is an attribute to the fist one. A colon also follows this attribute and then we have the statement, I am the Lord, a strong reminder of the reason, and of the authority behind the Instruction.
Revelatory details revealed to us in confidence make us feel so important. Mostly they feed our egos: they tell us that someone has confidence in us. By revealing them, we also prop ourselves up in the eyes of others: we actually inform people that someone else trusted us, and that therefore we are ‘safe territory’ for them to also spill their precious nuggets on our plate. The facts are, that the moment someone unnecessarily reveals another’s secrets, they are dangerous territory for our confidences. They will unscrupulously and in a, oh so secretive way, tell someone else all the intimate things you simply needed to get off your chest. The problem is that by the time we do that, our personal spin has twisted the issue, and we are liable to be found ‘false witnesses’ which we are forbidden to be.
Who in this world is a faithful person who is secure enough in themselves? Who doesn’t need to use the crutch of other’s confidences to boost their own sense of importance? The word ‘secretary’ means ‘keeper of secrets’. Secretaries are privy to the affairs of the company, and they are not supposed to go about revealing them. We are meant to become a nation of ‘priests’. We are a bit like God’s ‘secretaries’ to people. We need therefore to start learning to faithfully keep the confidences of others. Sometimes, these confidences are heavy to bear, but that is why we have God.
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