Proverbs 22:12 The Guarantor
Solomon is sharing an enormous amount of wisdom and knowledge with us. It a gift from God. But GOD is the guarantor of the promises made herein.
We are back to one verse at a time again for a little while. This one had me scratching my head as to its meaning. So guess where I turned. You guessed it! My bible helps. It states that “God’s eyes … watch over knowledge in the sense that He is the guarantor that the teachings of wisdom will be vindicated” (ESV Study notes on Proverbs 22:12).
Ok… So what does this mean? I asked myself that question too. What I received is that God is putting HIS name behind ALL the knowledge He has imparted. He is promising to keep EVERY promise made within Solomon’s writings, and whoever else He gifted with such knowledge. He watches closely those who are proclaiming His promises.
God created this world and ALL that is in it. He set the laws of ‘nature’ in motion. He designed our personalities. He knows us intimately. He CERTAINLY knows HOW and WHEN to make the ‘universe skip a beat’ to be in time with His plans and boundaries for all of creation. Being that He gave Solomon the wisdom in the first place, you can bank on the fact that HE will hold whatever needs to be held together and in perfect order to meet HIS plans. His plans WILL come to pass. He backs it all up with His name.
The second part of this verse is a promise and a threat. To those who are a following His ways and living in His promises. He will also stop those who are distorting or blatantly ignoring His words. He will NOT be mocked. He CANNOT be proven wrong. We may not see His justice on this side of the grave or see how He actually measure it out but we can KNOW WITHOUT a single doubt that He WILL settle the accounts. Refuse His name; Ensure the flame.
Father God, THANK YOU that I can trust in ALL the proverbs You passed on through You people. I can DEPEND on them working exactly as You have stated. Sometimes I have to wonder if I’m putting words in Your mouth (misinterpreting Your actual words). Even if I have to re-examine my understanding I can trust You to make my world behave as You designed it.
These proverbs I am reading are NOT simply ‘good ideas’ or even ‘wise words’; they are Your promises to me. And You ALWAYS keep Your promises. Not ‘wives tales’, ‘traditions’ or even ‘learned behavior’. They are straight from You lips for my ears. And YOUR name backs them up!
