Have you ever seen the devastating results of a fire which had raged through a forest? Have you ever seen a vicious wild animal seeking to attack it's prey? If so, you can better visualize what James has to say as we continue our study of the tongue, small, but powerful.

Last week we began this study as we looked at two other pictures, pictures of a bit and a rudder being compared to a tongue. These illustrated the power to direct. Now, in this second part of our study we see two more pictures of fire and of animals, which like the tongue, have the power to destroy.

Picture 3 - Fire

Several years ago our family had the privilege of going to spend a few days on a ranch in Colorado.. Since this opportunity opened up just before we were leaving we did not receive detailed directions. After worshipping on Sunday morning in a southern suburb of Denver we took off on a good road into the mountains as we headed for Woodland Park. We were told that due to construction delays on the Interstate we might like to take a scenic route. Well, we did. And after driving for a while on curving mountainous road and enjoying the scenery of the mountains we saw many large signs thanking the fire fighters. Soon we were driving through an area that had had devastated by a raging forest fire just a few weeks earlier. What a tragedy! Because of the severe draught in Colorado we also saw highway signs alerting traveler of the high danger of fire.

The area along the Gunflint Trail in Northern Minnesota is another favorite place of mine to visit, to enjoy the breathtaking scenes from a car, a canoe, or by foot. However, I was also saddened a number of years ago. Someone's carelessness caused unnecessary destruction as a fire destroyed a forest near Hungry Jack Lake. A small spark is all it takes.

Listen again to what the Bible says: "Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell."

We used to bring up our children introducing them to Smokey the Bear and his slogan, "Only you can prevent forest fires." We would do well also to teach our children how destructive the tongue can be.

The devastation of the tongue may be far-reaching. By a careless word, a nasty rumor, a bit of slander, we may bring great harm and destroy the reputation of a person. We cannot get the spark back and undo the wrong once the fire has begun to spread.

James may have been thinking of the tinder dry wood and brush of Palestine where once a spark fell, a fire was almost immediately out of control. Solomon wrote Proverbs 26:20-21. "For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down. Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindle strife."

In churches we sometimes find persons who cannot control their tongues, thereby stirring up contention and strife. Fiery words can defile a home, a marriage, a Sunday school class, or a church fellowship. We can compare this defilement to a minor fire confined to a small area of a house, but as a result, fire and smoke damage spreads throughout the entire house and a complete renovation and cleaning may be necessary. Likewise, an uncontrolled tongue can pollute a person's entire personality and damage interpersonal relationships, even within a church. Satan loves to have this happen.

The fire of the tongue of which James writes is associated here with Hell. In the Bible we also read of the fire of the Holy Spirit which illuminates and purifies our lives. The fire kindled by the devil is clearly what James is writing about in this passage. It is the fire that has the power to destroy. James goes on with another picture of the tongue showing the power to destroy.

Picture 4 - Animals

The fourth picture is a picture of animals. Some of you have traveled through a park in which animals were living in a somewhat normal habitat. If so, you probably also saw some warning signs. "Do not leave your car!" Do not open your windows!" "Do not feed the animals!" These animals that may have looked peaceful were capable of doing a great deal of damage and even killing.

Read: ⁷For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures from the sea is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. ⁸But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.

In the creation story we see the idea of taming the animal kingdom to serve humankind.

In Genesis 1:28 we read: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.

Speaking of man in Psalm 8:6-8 we read: "Thou dost make him to rule over the works of thy hands; Thou dost put all thing under his feet, all sheep and oxen. And also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens and the fish of the seas.

So we read the in the beginning God put us human beings over the control over other living creatures. Here James is telling us that animals can be tamed and brought under human control. Yet the irony is that fallen man has lost control of himself. He is no longer the master of himself, including his tongue. God gave us tongues to communicate with Him, to praise Him, to talk with other people, yet with the tongue we sometimes dishonor our God and deceive our fellowman.

The untamed tongue, like the untamed animal, is restless - restless evil - not sufficiently at rest for it to be brought fully under control. While I was growing up our family had a horse. Once we had the horse bridled and saddled we could generally keep him under our control. However, frequently our horse did not want to be caught and we had to chase it around the pasture until we could corner him. Our horse was so restless that he often found a way to get out of the fence. When we kept our horse on the edge of town in grandpa's pasture it was not at all unusual for us to get a call that our horse was loose and my sisters and I would run al over town until we caught him. The horse was restless.

I verse 8 James also refers to some animals poisonous, of course with the implication that some tongues spread poison. Poison may work secretly, slowly or quickly, and then kill. Who would recommend turning loose a hungry lion or a poisonous snake in a church building. No one, I hope. But think of the destruction that may be caused by an uncontrolled poisonous tongue.

Yes, like fire and animals, the small tongue has the power to destroy. However, animals and fire can be brought under control. A tame animal may be a useful worker rather than a destroyer. Where would we be without the power of controlled fire for heating, cooking. Electricity, and automobile engines?

Man alone cannot tame the tongue, but we can voluntarily yield our tongue to God's control. Our tongues need not be "set on fire by hell." Instead, we may allow the fire of the Holy Spirit to illuminate and purify our lives, turning our tongue into mighty tools for Jesus Christ.

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