The phrase “God put words in your mouth” comes from Isaiah 59:21 which says, “As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever,” says the Lord.”
In the broader context of Isaiah 59, God is promising that even though Israel had sinned and separated themselves from God, He would one day restore them and establish an everlasting covenant with them. Part of this covenant included God promising to put His words directly into the mouths of His people.
There are a few key things we can understand from this verse about what it means for God to put His words in someone’s mouth:
1. It refers to divine inspiration and revelation
God putting His words in someone’s mouth means He is divinely inspiring and revealing His message to that person. It is God supernaturally imparting His words and message to an individual. This divine inspiration extended to the prophets and authors of Scripture. God put His words in their mouths and guided them to proclaim His message exactly as He wanted it communicated (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:21).
2. It results in God’s message being spoken through the person
When God puts His words in your mouth, it means you then speak God’s message. The words that come out of your mouth are not your own words or ideas, but rather you speak what God has told you to speak. You become the mouthpiece to verbally communicate God’s words.
We see this with the Old Testament prophets who consistently said, “The word of the Lord came to me saying…” (Jeremiah 1:4, Ezekiel 6:1, Zechariah 1:1). God put His words in their mouths and they in turn spoke exactly what God revealed to them.
3. It ensures the accuracy and authority of God’s message
Because it is God directly revealing and speaking through the person, it ensures the words spoken are completely accurate and carry full divine authority. When God puts the message in your mouth, you can be confident the words spoken are absolutely true and authoritative, as they originate from God Himself.
4. It continues through all generations
Isaiah 59:21 emphasizes that this promise of God putting His words directly into the mouths of His people continues for all generations. It does not stop with just Isaiah or a select few prophets. From that point on and forever, God would continue to reveal His words through people.
We see this today through the Holy Spirit inspiring and guiding followers of Christ to communicate God’s truth (Mark 13:11, Luke 12:12). The divine revelation did not stop with the last book of the Bible, but continues by the Spirit imparting God’s words to His people.
5. It comes through the Spirit’s enabling
Isaiah 59:21 highlights that it is God’s Spirit who enables the words to be put in the person’s mouth. The impartation of God’s words is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. It is not possible by human effort and skill, but only happens by the Spirit’s empowering and equipping.
When Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to His disciples, He said the Spirit would teach them what to say (Luke 12:12). It is the Spirit’s inspiration that allows God’s words to be put in our mouths and spoken through us (2 Corinthians 13:3).
6. It is a great privilege and responsibility
Having God put His words in your mouth is a great honor and privilege. It means God has specifically chosen you to deliver His message and entrusted you with accurately proclaiming His words. It is evidence of God’s confidence in you to be His spokesperson.
At the same time, it is a great responsibility. Since the words find their origin in God Himself, it carries great weight and consequence. Those given this privilege are responsible to speak God’s words faithfully and not distort or misrepresent the message (Jeremiah 23:16, Ezekiel 3:17-18).
7. It requires humility and obedience
For God to put His words in your mouth requires genuine humility and obedience. You must put aside your own ideas, opinions, and agenda in order to fully receive God’s words and simply speak exactly what He has told you. It is not about injecting your own spin, but being obedient to communicate God’s unfiltered words.
Jesus emphasized that He only spoke what the Father commanded Him (John 12:49). This same attitude must define those who have God’s words put in their mouths. There must be humility and obedience to speak only what God has revealed.
8. It results in the pure preaching and teaching of God’s truth
A key outcome of God putting His words in people’s mouths is that it results in the pure and undefiled preaching and teaching of God’s uncompromised truth. When the Spirit inspires the message, the content will be nothing but the clear communication of biblical truth that glorifies Jesus Christ.
The church desperately needs more of this pure, Spirit-inspired preaching that makes full and clear declaration of God’s Word (Colossians 1:25, 2 Timothy 4:2). Only through the Spirit’s enablement can preachers speak words that originate from God Himself.
9. It equips God’s people to defend and confirm the gospel
God putting His words in people’s mouths equips Christians to defend the truth of the gospel and confirm its validity against objections or accusations. Jesus told His disciples He would give them a mouth that adversaries could not refute or resist (Luke 21:15).
When standing for the gospel, believers do not just rely on their own intellect and debating skills. God puts His words in their mouth, allowing them to speak in a way that is irrefutable and affirming of the truth of Christ. It provides a powerful testimony (Acts 6:10).
10. It allows us to speak God’s truth boldly and courageously
Knowing God is the One who has put the words in our mouths emboldens us to share His message more boldly and courageously. We can have confidence that as we are speaking what God has told us to say, He will use our words in a powerful way far beyond our own ability (1 Thessalonians 2:2).
Relying on God’s imparted words allows us to speak the truth boldly even in the face of opposition, resistance, and persecution. When we know we are echoing God’s words through the enabling of the Spirit, we can declare the message with courage and conviction.
11. It is a fulfillment of God’s promise
Every time God puts His words into the mouth of one of His followers, it is a direct fulfillment of His promise in Isaiah 59:21. It is evidence that God remains faithful to His covenant commitment to divinely impart and reveal His message through His people by His Spirit.
This promise still stands today for all those who are in Christ. We can have assurance that God desires to put His words in our mouths so we can faithfully proclaim the glory, beauty and truth of the gospel message.
In summary, God putting His words in someone’s mouth represents His supernatural revelation and inspiration by the Spirit to impart divine truth. It is a great blessing and responsibility. This promise continues to be experienced by Christ-followers today as God equips them to share His gospel truth accurately and powerfully.