Sealed Lips Can Sink Ships

(Proverbs 16:30 KJV)  He shutteth his eyes to devise froward things: moving his lips he bringeth evil to pass.

It is a good possibility that “moving” (compress NASB) (7169) does not mean to purse your lips but to keep quiet when something “evil” (perverse NASB) (8419) is being planned or carried out.  If there is a sin in the modern Christian church it is being quiet in the face of evil.  I am not talking about the quiet of a rabbit hiding in the bush while a wolf walks by.  I am talking about the quiet of the watchman when the enemy sneaks over the wall.  We have had leaders and intellectuals that have told us we should not be involved in the world.  We have been told not to judge.  There are times when that is the right thing to do but we have allowed the forces of evil to take over our schools, the media and many of our government offices by doing nothing.

The KJV has a poor translation here when it says “moving”.  The word means to compress.  Technically when you press you lips together they are moving but that is not what is being conveyed.

So?  Use a bit of discernment to know the difference between judging and proclaiming truth in the face of evil.  It is not comfortable.  It may be dangerous.  It must be done.