Proverbs 30:6
"Do not add to His words or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar"
This proverb on not adding to God's words follows a section on God's revelation about Himself. There is regularly speculation about God. This speculation often goes to bizarre lengths in trying to understand God. It is better to realize that God is past figuring out and that anything that we compare Him to He is utterly unlike. As Isaiah says many years later: To whom will you liken God and to what will you compare Him, has it not been revealed. The only reliable guide to discussions of who God is, is God's self-revelation in the Bible. Do not go beyond God's self-description in the Bible, speculating upon all kinds of things about God that we do not know.
This proverb has both a large application to every part and aspect of the word of God, but also a particular application to any speculation about the nature and person of God. He has told us what we need to know about Him in the Scriptures, and we would do well to pay attention to His own testimony about Himself. A long time ago I had read a number of theological works about God which caused me great concern. I remember being prompted to just read the Bible and let God tell me about Himself rather than getting all twisted in knots by the speculation and distortions of men. The God who reveals Himself in the plain text of the Bible is more mysterious and more straightforward and more awesome than the speculations of men. I can believe and follow the God of the Bible while the speculations of men about God can create a God that is impossible to believe in and trust. I read the Bible from cover to cover paying special attention to the sections that cast light on who God is and what is He like. What kind of God is He and what does He do? What doesn't He do? The picture that emerged of God was wonderful and terrifying and believable.
Like Agur, I would recommend to you that you let God tell you who He is in the Bible.
There are people who want to add to the Scriptures other books and other writings and treat them as though they are on a par with the Scriptures. This is always a mistake. There have been some monumental works down through the centuries, but they do not compare with the revelation of God through common people as contained in the Scriptures.
This verse does not mean that one should not write about Scripture or provide commentary even as we are doing here. But one should not in any way pretend that our writing is on a par with Scripture. We should always make sure that we go back to the source: Scripture.
He will reprove you
God does rebuke and correct people – their words especially. Words of correction to the Bible will be corrected either in this life or in the Judgment. It will be a frightful thing to have God comb through the things you wrote and point out its error.
Many people are writing thousands of pages of speculation and fantasy about God or His lack of existence or the supernatural realm. Their drivel has no connection to Scripture except to disregard it. These folks will be rebuked by the Almighty.
you will be proved a liar
This is a very strong statement: You will be proved a liar. I am aware of numerous groups that have offered up various books as on a par with Scripture. These books will be proven to be inaccurate and without truth. A number have already been shown to be falsifications and having no connection to reality.
What will it be like when God evaluates them and He says, "You said I was like this, but that is clearly not what I am like." Just as He questioned Job, so will God evaluate and rebuke those who speculate about Him beyond Scripture.
I do not want to be in that position.
We would like to know more about the God we worship, but let us not go beyond Scriptures. He has told us all that we can handle knowing or He would have told us more. If we try and close the gaps in our knowledge of God, we will jump into the realm of speculation that will surely distort our understanding of Him.
Until tomorrow,
Gil Stieglitz