A Precious Jewel Prov. 20:15 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
In Prov 20:15, the Bible says that “the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.” That is, what comes forth from your lips is more precious than gold and rubies, when you can give another person the exact words he needs to help him at the moment that he needs wisdom. Those lips are more precious than fine jewelry [Job 28:12-18; Prov 8:11]. So, the question is, “How can your lips become a precious jewel?” Your lips are a precious jewel of knowledge when you can give others the words of:
The Gospel you have received – know the gospel well enough so that you can preach it to any lost person you meet. When anyone gets saved, he will appreciate his eternal life more than any jewel you could give.
The Bible you have memorized – memorize scripture so that you can quote a verse correctly when you see that it applies to a situation at hand. The people who hear the scripture, if they want to hear from God, will see more value in what you said than in the jewelry you are wearing.
Books you have read – read as much non-fiction as you can: history, biographies, and so forth. As one preacher said, “You should know a little bit about a lot of things.” This jewel can often be used to open a conversation that leads to you preaching the gospel.
Observations you have made – keep your eyes open at all times. Watch people and learn. You will be able to give some great illustrations of Biblical truth that will help others apply what the Bible says. You talk about a jewel; that’s a treasure.
Experiences you have had – we all learn a great deal from experience. When you can pass along your experience, you can save others the hassle of learning the “hard way.” That can be worth its weight in gold.
Sayings you have heard – keep a list of succinct, profound sayings you have heard. You cannot imagine how many ways and times you will be able to repeat these nuggets. And the people who hear them and follow them will appreciate them more than money.
Conclusion: you can’t spend all your free time in recreation, entertainment, slothfulness, and honey-do’s. You must diligently seek to study so that you can give others the gospel, respond with scripture, and instruct others from things you have read, seen, experienced and heard. Then, your lips of knowledge will be a precious jewel.