Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar. (Proverbs 30:5-6)

The Wisdom Of Agur

An unknown Hebrew sage named Agur had some things to say to two unknown men named Ithiel and Ucal. These three men are not found anywhere in scripture, but the wisdom laid forth by Agur is timeless. Among the many admonitions the sage offered, he began by showing the power and authority of the word of God. He recognized that he was not the smartest man and lacked common sense. However, Agur respected the word of God and considered its message divine and without equal. Human wisdom can deny the validity of truth found in the word of God but for those who have humble hearts, the word of God is tried and found true and pure. There is a flawless nature to the word of God.

The character of the word of God has been the same from the beginning. Agur was writing from a perspective that did not include the known word as revealed today in the pages of the Bible. With the limited revelation given to men like Agur, he recognized that God’s word was holy, divine and should not be tampered with. Every word of God is pure. Agur knew he could not pick and choose which words he liked and those he could ignore. Whatever measure of revelation he referred to was all he needed to understand his obedience to the word of God. His view of scripture was flawless and true.

Believing the word of God was pure enabled Agur to trust in the power of its message to guide his life. The word of God was not given for oratory displays of wisdom but life-changing messages that move the heart to be a person like the Father. If the word of God does not change the person, the soul has not accepted the power of the word of God to change their lives. Agur calls the word of God a shield to those who put their trust in the protection of God. A shield is used for offense and defense. Any soldier going into battle without a shield would quickly be defeated. Fighting against the wiles of Satan demands the shield of faith which can stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Trusting in the word of God shields the heart from the power of temptation, doubt, and fear.

One common theme since the beginning of time is the warning of changing the word of God. The first word out of the serpent’s mouth to Eve was to challenge the word of God. Moses declared a curse on any who would add or take away from the word of God. John in writing the Revelation pronounced judgment upon all who would add or subtract from the word of God. Agur affirmed the word of God was true and adding to the word of God would bring the judgment of the Lord upon the rebellious heart. Any man who adds or takes away from the word of God is a liar. The word of God is settled in heaven and no man has the right or authority to change the word of God.

There is a grave penalty for those who preach a gospel not found in the word of God. A greater consequence will come upon those who ignore the word of God. Many will lose their eternal life because they followed doctrines not found in the scriptures. All liars will be cast into the lake of fire including those who sought to change the word of God. The seriousness of God’s authority in His word is without question. Every word given by God is true and righteous and anyone would do well to heed the words of God. Failing to obey the word of God will bring eternal judgment with darkness and the weeping and gnashing of teeth. The words of Agur remain intact today as part of the word of God. He declares the truthfulness of God’s word and men today would do well to heed the commands, statutes, judgments, and laws of the word of God. Every word of God is pure.