A Jot From John
“11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? 13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. 14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it”. [Psa. 34:11-14].
The Psalmist has been speaking to persons in general, giving comfort and good advice; but in these verses he turns to children, to the young, that he may state to them the result of his own experience and teach them from that experience how they may find happiness and prosperity.
He begins much like parents talk to their children, “Listen!” The Psalmist said, “Hearken!” Attend to what I have to say, I will show you, young people, how you may so love and serve God as to enjoy his favor and obtain length of days on the earth. All people love life and naturally, desire to live long, which desire is founded in our nature and is not wrong. That is the way the writer of the psalm is talking. Then he goes on: “What man is he that desireth life and loveth many days, that he may see good?” In other words, “Who is he, man or woman, boy or girl who would not wish to understand the way by which life may be lengthened out to old age, and by which it can be made happy and prosperous”? Who would not wish to know how it can be done? The psalmist proposes to answer this question – which he does in the following verses: 13 “Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. 14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it”. What he advises is this, that we love the truth, speak the truth, avoid falsehood, slander and deceit. When he says to keep our lips from speaking, he means, Do not deceive others by statements that are not true, or promise that which you cannot keep, and do not flatter them, nor ever give utterance to slander. Be a lover of truth and let your words convey helpful things. And when he says, “Depart from evil” he means to include the bad in every form.
[Words of Florence Aiken Banks] In the central part of Japan, on the island of Nippon, is a small town called Nikko. There in Nikko, over the door of a sacred stable, is a very ancient and curious wood-carving of three little monkeys. It is wondrously well carved, too. [Some of you may have a replica or have seen one in stores. Words mine, JBD]
[Banks con’t] There they sit—those three wise monkeys of Nikko! Bright-eyed little fellows they are—at least two are bright-eyed, and I am sure the third one is, though he has held his little hands tightly over his eyes these many, many years. This is what he would say to us: “I will see no evil!” This is the way Banks puts his thoughts into verse for us: “I will see no evil: There’s so much that is good, And the world’s so lovely, If we look where we should.”
In the middle of the group sits the wise little fellow who keeps his lips tightly shut. His tiny hands are over his mouth and he looks us straight in the eyes. He is very determined. This is what he is thinking: “I will speak no evil!” [These thoughts are for us too. Words mine JBD] “I will speak no evil: Ah, my lips closed shall be – You will hear no gossip, And no bad words from me!”
Then there is the wise monkey who sits on the left, with his hands pressed tightly against his ears. How sad and serious he looks! He is very sure of this: “I will hear no evil!” Let us be wise like the monkeys three! Onward Rejoicing,
Associate Minister, John B. Daniels
