Courtesy of Agur’s Proverb
“Every word of God is flawless;
Proverbs 30:5-6 (NIV)
He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
6Do not add to His words,
or He will rebuke you and prove you a liar.”
In the previous post, “Words for the Weary,” I wrote about biblical ways to deal with weariness. I focused on applying words from Proverbs 30:1-4, by Agur, and threw in a little of Psalm 73, by Asaph. Now I’m making good on my promise to go back to some verses I skipped over in Proverbs 30.
*Click here to read Proverbs 30 in it’s entirety.
Every Word
“Every word of God proves true;
Proverbs 30:5-6 (ESV)
He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
6Do not add to His words,
lest He rebuke you and you be found a liar.”
The ESV says, “Every word of God proves true.”
The NIV says, “Every word of God is flawless.”
The ESV Study Bible notes explain their translation this way:
“(cf. II Sam. 22:31; Ps. 18:30) ‘Proves true’ can also mean ‘refined’ (cf. Ps. 12:6 or ‘well tried’ Ps. 119:140); the implication is that God’s words are a proven foundation for one’s life.”
The ESV Study Bible, 2016 Text Ed., p.1187
| prove: | “1. Demonstrate the truth or existence of (something) by evidence or argument;” “2. Demonstrate to be the specified thing by evidence or argument;” “2.1 Be seen or found to be.” |
| true: | “1. In accordance with fact or reality.” |
God’s Word can be demonstrated as true by evidence or argument. It can be seen or found to be in accordance with fact or reality.
Proved True
According to the apologetics reference book Evidence That Demands a Verdict (Josh McDowell & Sean McDowell, PhD, 2017), at least five principles or “tests” can be discerned from the writings of biblical and church history “that guided the recognition and collection of the true divinely inspired books” for inclusion in the Bible Canon.
- Was the book written by a prophet of God?
- Was the writer confirmed by acts of God?
- Did the message tell the truth about God?
- Does it come with the power of God?
- Was it accepted by the people of God?
Evidence That Demands a Verdict, p.27
There’s a lot more to this — a LOT more! — but I want to focus in on #4, “Does it come with the power of God?”
“‘The [Church] Fathers believed the Word of God is ‘living and active’ (Heb. 4:12) and consequently ought to have a transforming force for edification (2 Tim. 3:17) and evangelization (1 Pet. 1:23). If the message of a book did not effect its stated goal, if it did not have the power to change a life, then God was apparently not behind its message,’ (Geisler and Nix, GIB [A General Introduction to the Bible, p.] 228). The presence of God’s transforming power was a strong indication that a given book had His stamp of approval.”
Evidence That Demands a Verdict, p.27-8
Can you prove it?
If you are a Christian, you can prove at least some of God’s Word is true even now by the evidence of His power at work in your life. I’m not talking miraculous healings (though you could have been miraculously healed) or signs from heaven (though you could have received a type of sign from God). What I’m talking about is, well, like The Chosen quote: “I was one way, and now I am completely different, and the thing that happened in between was Him.” In our case today, more specifically, “the thing that happened in between was…” His Word.
The Bath Towel Test
I’ll give you an example that may seem kind of silly or oversimplified, but it saved my marriage from additional strife and helped me grow from “nagging wife potential” to “gracious wife potential.”
Our first year of marriage — correction, our first months of marriage! — my eyes were not only opened to my brand new hubby’s quirks, they seemed intent on seeking them out! Of all things, I got hung up on my bath towel not being hung where I left it because that handsome, precious love-of-my-life would use his towel once, leave it in the bedroom (if memory serves — our 20th anniversary is in 3 months 😉 ), then use my towel which was hanging where I left it on the rack, where his should have been hanging beside, discarding it in the bedroom with his towel from the previous shower.
I warned you it was silly. What was not silly or simple was how mad I got about it! Then one day I read the following:
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
I Peter 4:8 (NIV)
I thought I did love my husband deeply… until he kept taking my towels!!! But this verse convicted me. I knew I was supposed to overlook the towel thing, to “cover over” my husband’s “sin” against me with love if I were to truly love my husband deeply.
With intentionality, I repeated I Peter 4:8 every time my eyes spied out the towel rack or the used towels in the bedroom. I began, if memory serves, checking the towel rack and replenishing towels instead of trying to change my hubby’s ways (at least on that issue!).
I’ve been cha-a-a-a-a-anged.
God’s Word changed me. I have the proof! I know personally I Peter 4:8 is part of the inspired Word of God. On my own, left to my own devices, I would have gone with my feelings and sense of entitlement and unleashed nagging, passive-aggressive punishments, a negative thought-life that painted my husband as the oppressor and me as his victim…
All that over bath towels! Think of it: Causing foundational damage to my young marriage because I felt entitled to the bath towel I hung on the rack for myself. (Without God, I am seriously more pathetic and sinister than anyone realizes, including myself.)
God’s Word also helped me not to kill my husband the first time I mentioned the bath towel issue to him, when I’m pretty sure he responded, “I thought, ‘What’s mine is yours, what’s yours is mine,’ right?” with a big grin on his face. I guess I can credit “Thou shalt not kill” for that one. 😀
His Flawless Words Can Correct My Flaws.
“Every word of God is flawless;
Proverbs 30:5-6 (NIV)
He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
6Do not add to His words,
or He will rebuke you and prove you a liar.”
| flawless: | “1. Without any blemishes or imperfections; perfect;” “1.1 Without any mistakes or shortcomings.” |
| flaw1: | “1. A mark, fault, or other imperfection that mars a substance or object;” “1.1 A fault or weakness in a person’s character.” |
God’s Word is true; it is also flawless, as the NIV translates v.5. I’m not.
I like Agur’s warning in v.6: “Do not add to His words.” As a flawed human being, I am tempted to add to God’s Words. Using my bath towel illustration again, I could have added: “‘…love covers over a multitude of sins,’ but not stolen, misplaced bath towels! That’s not part of the ‘multitude’! God doesn’t want me to put up with that, or enable behavior like that.”
You can easily, clearly see that addition would be WRONG. Whew! I sure am glad I didn’t give God the opportunity to rebuke me and prove me a liar on that one. Praise God, the Holy Spirit worked on me from within, revealed the truth of I Peter 4:8 to me, and slowly, gradually changed me and my messed-up heart over time.
God’s Word doesn’t need my help!
In a previous post I mentioned that I often pray from Psalm 141:4, “Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil…” That includes adding my own two cents to God’s Word. His Word doesn’t need my help or my opinions — It is true, and It is flawless. Test it out for yourself today, then you can join me in saying to God:
“Your promise is well tried,
Psalm 119:140 (ESV)
and your servant loves it.”
Let’s pray.
PRAYER
Father God,
We are flawed people who desperately need Your flawless Word.
Thank You for Your Word; thank You that Your Word proves true!
“Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes;
Psalm 119:33-40 (ESV)
and I will keep it to the end.
34Give me understanding, that I may keep Your law
and observe it with my whole heart.
35Lead me in the path of Your commandments,
for I delight in it.
36Incline my heart to Your testimonies,
and not to selfish gain!
37Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;
and give me life in Your ways.
38Confirm to Your servant Your promise,
that You may be feared.
39Turn away the reproach that I dread,
for Your rules are good.
40Behold, I long for Your precepts;
in Your righteousness give me life!”
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Look for more from Proverbs 30 next post.
Today’s post reminded me of the worship song “Ancient Words” by Michael W. Smith. It’s probably not coincidental that this song was released in 2002, the same year I got married. I actually attended MWS’s “Worship Together” tour that year and still have the t-shirt to prove it, though it’s a little worse for wear. 🙂
I love your work!
Thank you so much, Lauryn! 🙂