Proverbs 30:5-6 Every Word
Every word contained in our Bible is from God. He imparted EVERY WORD to man through His Holy Spirit, to be recorded for us. Yesterday, today and forever!
God DOES NOT change. His words stand forever. And EVERY promise He has made WILL come to pass. If you don’t believe these three foundational truths then why even read the Bible? It’s not merely a history book for the nation of Israel. It’s not some far fetched fairy tale with impossible made-up events. It not even a good guidebook for clean living. It IS the very breath of God, spoken to man.
There is SO MUCH contained in this book. It is the number one seller of all time for a reason. There has not been a single generation that has not looked to it for answers since it was first written down. Moses was the first to put pen to paper, but even before that, God’s principles and stories were passed on by word of mouth; testimony.
Moses never met Noah. Noah never met Adam. Yet the stories of these men’s lives have been provided for us; both the good and the bad. It is quite possible that there were some written accounts that were kept before Moses. Each story weaves a tapestry for us of God’s love for His creation; man. It shows His dogged determination to see His plan through of restoring the relationship He created with man, come hell or high water!
Jesus quoted the very works that the Spirit has provided. His life was a direct reflection of God’s words WITHOUT the slant of man’s interpretation or bias. He KNEW the heart of the Father and He passed that knowledge on to His disciples. From there, they brought it to us. They asked for direction any time there was uncertainty and they listened to the Holy Spirit as He settled the truth in their hearts. This was their ‘go-to’ position at all times. They didn’t flip a coin or make something up on the fly. Each letter and book was penned for a purpose and under the instruction of the Holy Spirit.
If this were not so, then reading God’s word would be no more instructive that reading a good story book. Even a “cookbook” leaves room for improvement or personal substitutions. Not so with God’s word. We are neither to add to it or take away from it. Three times we are told this. One of them is by Jesus Himself.
When God first gave His Law to Moses, He instructed that NO ONE was to add or remove even the smallest character from it (Deuteronomy 4:2). The religious leaders of the time thought they knew better. Buy the time Jesus arrived there were MANY additions and a few places were watered down or gave less importance to other areas. They had covered God’s original Law with their own traditions, obscuring the Spirit of His Law.
Jesus told all those who were listing to Him on the mountain top that He was the fulfillment of the Law. He would fulfill EVERY portion of it. NOTHING would be left undone. “ For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:18). Jesus fulfilled the Law in FULL but that didn’t remove God’s Spirit behind the Law. Jesus provided the FOREVER sacrifice required of the Law but didn’t discard the desire for relationship it was set up to facilitate. Jesus’ fulfillment of the Law opened the way for personal relationship with God. NOTHING was left out.
When John finished writing the revelation he received from the Spirit, he was instructed to include the same warning God had given to Moses. This warning came with clear and permanent consequences for altering what was contained. God even promised to remove the name of the person who dis so from the rolls of the Book of Live and their share in the gifts of the Tree of Life. FIRM and dire consequences!
I may get in trouble here, but as I read it, these admonishments apply to a specific portion of God’s word, not the compilation as a whole. However, EVERYTHING included MUST agree. Throwing something in and calling it “scripture” does NOT make it the words God imparted through His Spirit. He WILL NEVER contradict Himself or cause confusion. Those who have chosen to include additional books/letters have to be CERTAIN those additions meet with God’s requirements of continuity of Spirit are met.
I personally use the English Standard Version, which was translated from the original King James Bible’s compiled books, using the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek writings for translation. Mine is considered a Protestant Bible. The Catholic Bible includes seven additional books and a few additional stories included in other books of the Protestant bible. The Mormon church has adopted a second book they claim as ‘gospel’. I won’t even go into the details of that book, other than to say it is NOT one I would EVER have on my shelf.
We come full circle and add our voice to Agur’s is saying that EVERY word of GOD proves true and if you add your own as His, He will rebuke you and you will also be found to be a liar. God’s promises ALWAYS come true. Ours don’t.
Father God, THANK YOU for preserving Your word for me over the centuries. I KNOW they are just as true and relevant as the day You spoke them. Your words are a sure foundation on which our relationship is built upon. NOTHING else will do!!!
