We read in Jeremiah 18:18 that after Jeremiah finished his preaching on repentance, the people did not like what they heard. Therefore, they decided to carry a malicious report of what he had said to King Jehoiakim to make the king angry toward Jeremiah. They attacked Jeremiah’s character and his message from the Lord. These people knew that the tongue is a weapon that is more powerful than any other weapon known to humans.
One of the evils of the tongue is gossip. Gossip is defined as “a person who chatters or repeats idle talk and rumors about the private affairs of others.”
Rick Warren gave a great definition of gossip and how we know when we are gossiping. He said, “When we are talking about a situation with somebody who is neither part of the problem or part of the solution, then we are probably gossiping.” Notice what the Bible teaches about gossip.
- Leviticus 19:16, “You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord” (NKJV).
- Proverbs 11:13, “A talebearer reveals secrets, But he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.”
- Proverbs 16:28, “A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends.”
- Proverbs 17:9, “He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends.”
- Proverbs 20:19, “Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.”
- Proverbs 26:20, “Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.”
The Bible teaches that gossip comes from an evil heart (Luke 6:45), often arises from hatred (Psalms 109:3) and happens when people are idle (1 Timothy 5:13). It is a characteristic of the devil (Revelation 12:10). The Bible also reminds us to keep private matters private (Proverbs 11:13; 25:9-10).
Knowing this to be true, why would anyone, especially a Christian want to gossip? Yet, many still do like Harriet. Harriet, the church gossip and self-appointed supervisor of the church’s morals kept sticking her nose into other people’s business. Several church members were unappreciative of her activities but feared her enough to maintain their silence. She made a mistake, however, when she accused George, a new member, of being an alcoholic after she saw his pickup truck parked all afternoon in front of the town’s only bar. She commented to George and to others that everyone seeing it there would know that he was an alcoholic. George, a man of few words, stared at her for a moment and then just walked away. He said nothing. Later that evening, George quietly parked his pickup in front of Harriet’s house and left it there all night.
