English
Português
Español
Français
Answer
In Ecclesiastes 3:1–8, King Solomon confirms that God is sovereignly in control and actively working in our individual lives. God has a specific time and purpose for everything that occurs. As stated in Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” With “a time to be silent and a time to speak,” Solomon directs our focus to human speech.
A recurring theme in Scripture is the concept of knowing when to be silent and when to speak in life. In wisdom literature, the fool is depicted as someone who talks excessively and often at inappropriate times, while the wise person discerns the right moments for silence and speech. Proverbs 18:6-7 warns, “The lips of fools bring them strife, and their mouths invite a beating. The mouths of fools are their undoing, and their lips are a snare to their very lives.”
Proverbs 10:19 cautions, “When there are many words, sin is unavoidable, but the one who controls his lips is prudent” (CSB), also see Psalm 39:1. In times of great adversity and evil, “the prudent keep quiet in such times” (Amos 5:13; see also 2 Kings 2:3,5). Solomon advises in Proverbs 21:23, “Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.” “Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues,” as mentioned in Proverbs 17:28.
Jesus demonstrated the wisdom of silence when He stood before Pontius Pilate (Matthew 27:11-14). To His followers, Jesus said, “You must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you” (Matthew 12:36-37;NLT). For this reason, James taught those who genuinely want to be godly examples in the church to learn to control their tongues (James 3:1-12).
The apostle Paul stressed the importance of letting our “conversation be gracious and attractive so” we might “have the right response for everyone” «Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man.», (Colossians 4:6). The proper word spoken at the right time, “how good it is!” says Proverbs 15:23. Our words contain “the power of life and death,” states Proverbs 18:21. What we say can either save lives or destroy them «The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: But the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.», (Proverbs 12:6).
A time to be silent is sometimes associated with grief and mourning. Often the best comfort to offer a person suffering through a tremendous loss is to sit with him or her in silence. When Job’s three friends heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they came and sat with him for a week in silence. They recognized that Job’s anguish was too overwhelming for words (Job 2:11-13).
Silence is golden, says the proverbial expression, but there are times when God’s people must speak. The Bible commands us to speak out against injustice (Isaiah 1:17; Isaiah 10:1-3). Believers should not remain silent about their faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:17-20; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20; 1 Peter 3:15).
When the Jews faced national annihilation, the courageous Queen Esther recognized her God-appointed purpose and the right time to speak. Her cousin Mordecai urged, “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:12-14). Esther obeyed, risking her life to save her people. She understood it was “a time to speak,” and she received God’s abundant blessing.
Solomon’s emphasis on “a time to be silent and a time to speak” should remind us that it is generally wise to keep our mouths shut, let our words be few, and learn to control our tongues «Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. », (Ecclesiastes 5:2). Nevertheless, we must discern when it is time to speak out on the Lord’s behalf «Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. », (Isaiah 58:1) for the glory of God (Joshua 6:16; Psalm 34:1; Luke 19:37-40) and the building up of His church (Ephesians 4:29; Ephesians 5:17-21)
Thank you for visiting our website. We appreciate your interest in our products. If you have any questions or need further information, please contact us. We are here to help you.
