Proverbs 30:5 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Proverbs 30:5

Comments

This ancient king who has wandered so far says this: ‘You must learn from God’s word.’ We cannot find out about him; we cannot figure out how he will save us. Here is a summary of God’s dealings with us: ‘He is a shield to them that put their trust in him.’ How can I come back to him after I have rebelled against him? ’He is a shield.’ We don’t come by trying to earn our way into his presence. Our hope is that he will come and be a protective God to us. First, he tells us how darkened we are and void of any feeling for God, but then he pardons us and rebuilds our lives.It is by his word that we know him, through the only authoritative revelation he has given us of his will. That word is not a mixture to truth and error as if God expected us to sort the one from the other and separate out what is of value. Then it would be we who were the ones responsible for producing the truth. But no, God gives us his word ready formed, and it is already pure from the start. We do not need to approach any part of it with doubt; instead we should open our hearts to receive it all. It is pure in itself, and it is pure because it produces purity in those who believe it. It teaches every good path and warns us of every evil way. It instructs conscience and searches deeply into our motive so that our own hearts are revealed to us by the lamp of God’s word.

Application

By his word we see what we are, and we are ready to despair and condemn ourselves justly before God. But then the word shows us God’s grace and dead hope comes to life as we understand that what we could never have dared hope for is true: that God is gracious to sinners and has designed a scheme of salvation that works even for such hopeless cases as we are. The reality of grace overwhelms us and we fall into the everlasting arms of our God and Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ becomes our shield, sufficient for the battle, able to withstand all the blows that the enemy rains down upon us. He is a shield from despair, from guilt, from the penalty of the law, from error, from temptation. He is a sufficient shield for helpless men and women, for those who face an enemy, the devil, who is vastly superior to them in strength and intelligence. The Lord’s protection brings every one of his children safely home to the Father in heaven.

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Proverbs 30:5 Commentary and Bible Study