Thursday, June 30, 2011

The Proverbs Challenge - Day 30

Today's Proverbs change authors. Instead of Solomon, we are hearing from a guy named Agur. He was speaking these proverbs to Ithiel and Ucal. Nothing else is known about them (according to the footnotes in my fancy study Bible) But the ones who compiled the book of Proverbs obviously found the words of Agur to be on par with those of Solomon since they are included.

Verses 5-6
5 Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. 6 Don't add to His words, or He will rebuke you, and you will be proved a liar. Holman Christian Standard

The New American Standard Bible (NASB) translates v. 5 this way "Every word of God is tested"The NIV says, "flawless."

I think that has the same meaning when you think of pure metals and how they are tested with fire and made pure.

Either way, Agur is reminding us that we can totally trust in God's word because it is pure, tested, flawless.

There has been a consistent attack on the Word of God over the past 30-40 years. Many who want to justify their personal sins will say something like "Well. That just applied to people of the time when the Bible was written. Times have changed. Paul wouldn't say that now."

These people should heed the warning found in v.6 "Don't add to His words, or He will rebuke you, and you will be proved a liar."

The Apostle John in Revelation gave this warning.
22:18 I testify to everyone who hears the prophetic words of this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. 19 And if anyone takes away from the words of this prophetic book, God will take away his share of the tree of life and the holy city, written in this book.

God is serious about His Word. We should be too.

1 comment:

Phyllis Hobson said...

This one was hard. There wasn't any one thing that really resounded with me. Then I realized a lot of it is like a "top 10" list or a recipe - three of these, four of those, two things....

And I recalled three verses from other passages that I have grown to love and incorporate into a top "3-2-1" list of my own:

(3) - Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

(2) - Matthew 22:36-40 - Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

(1) - Philippians 3:13-14 - Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.


I think the (3) gives an overview of how I strive to live my live in general. The (2) gets down to daily and personal relationships. The (1) is my focus (I would hope) on God.

So with all the things that are listed in Proverbs 30 as being asked, or not satisfied, or wonderful, or small but wise... all those have merit and are thought provoking. They provoked my thoughts, though, to my top 3-2-1 verses.