The Phoenix Galaxy Cluster
The thirtieth chapter is quite different from the previous ones. First, the author of these proverbs is Agur, son of Jakeh. Who’s that, you ask? Well, scholars don’t really know, other than to say that they do know he wasn’t an Israelite. Besides that, there are some interesting sayings within this chapter. If you have time, check it out, and see for yourself.
Here’s the proverb that intrigued me.
5 Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.
6 Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar.
If there’s one thing I am learning as I grow older, it’s the realization that I don’t know as much as I would like others to believe. What has particularly intrigued me the vastness of the cosmos. One of my side interests is astronomy. I love learning about what astronomers and astrophysicists are discovering day in and day out. The knowledge that is being gained is phenomenal! However, even the vast majority of scientists will acknowledge that there is so much more that they don’t know, then what they do know. I love that humility when I encounter it. I am reminded again and again of just how little I really do know. If scientists can make the admission that with what they’re able to see, there is so much they don’t know, then just how much of God, who I can’t see, do I really comprehend? Like, really!!
I find it odd that us pastors/preachers talk like we know more about God than others. Sometimes I catch myself when I am speaking in that ‘all-knowing’ tone. If I am honest with myself and with others, then all I can really tell you is what I discern from Scripture and how that speaks to us in the time we live in. Outside of that, I really don’t know the mind of God. His mind is infinite…mine is finite. Sometimes I think it is better if I remain quiet.
And that is the whole point of this proverb. Every word of God is truth. Or perhaps another way to put it is, all truth is God’s…and belongs to God. Most of the time I try to be aware of how I come across when I speak. I never want to convey that I have the inside scoop…because I know that I don’t!
While there are many things that I don’t know about God, the one thing I do know is that it is always better to be with God, than it is to just talk about him. As Agur writes, he is a shield from all that comes at us from life. While we may not know and understand everything about him, the one thing God has made sure we do know is his passionate love for humanity. At the end of the day, is that not enough? If so, then let’s speak of that!
