October 22, 2018: Day 72 – Proverbs 30

If you look at this chapter and check out the footnotes that accompany this chapter you will see this statement in a few places: “Meaning of Hebrew uncertain.”  There are certain places in Scripture where we frankly do not know what word or what phrase the author was trying to get to.  Either the Hebrew is damaged in the manuscripts that we have, or we simply do not know the root of the word which is being used.  

I think I have said in the past that Scripture for me is the authority and the lamp unto my feet.  I do not use my experience to trump Scripture, and Scripture is that upon which I base my life.  That is not to say that this is a blind following that I have.  No, I know that when we read in Leviticus the codes for what we should and should not eat, that when Peter  had his dream God said all things that I have made are clean for you to eat.  So there are things that are found in Scripture which we need to take within the full context of the Bible.  There are also events and statements that are made that we know are simply the product of the first century and not of the Word of God.  

This next to last chapter contains a series of statements that have four things which the author uses to describe his current day realities which are unacceptable in some cases, and to be exemplified in other cases.  It is within these statements that we find the unclear phrases.  Interestingly enough we also read in vs.5 and 6 that “every word of God proves true…do not add to his words.”  This reminds me a bit of the verses that we find in Revelation 22:18-19 which gives similar counsel that we are not to add or subtract to the words of Scripture.  They are given to us as a guide unto our feet.