Proverbs 22:
17 Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your heart to my knowledge;
18 For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you;
Let them all be fixed upon your lips,
19 So that your trust may be in the LORD;
I have instructed you today, even you.
20 Have I not written to you excellent things
Of counsels and knowledge,
21 That I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth,
That you may answer words of truth
To those who send to you?
The writer of this passage of scripture is instructing the reader to listen to the words of the wise with his ears, to take them to heart and apply them, to keep them within him to speak them constantly, so he may trust in the LORD. The writer of scripture also says he has written the reader excellent things of counsels and knowledge so he can know the certainty of the words of truth and also answer words of truth to those who ask of him.
It seems that the words the reader must listen to are the same words that the writer has written for his instruction. He can both listen to them aloud and also read them and study them. Since the writer is writing inspired scripture, it is actually the LORD Himself who is speaking through the writer. It is His truth, knowledge, and wisdom that we are to listen to and read.
It says 'I have instructed you today, even you.' This means that He has instructed each of us by His word directly when we listen to and read it. It says 'that I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth.' This means that we who trust in His word can understand His word. It is designed by Him to be understandable by us. He, by His Spirit, teaches us directly as we seek Him in scripture.
'The perspicuity of scripture' means that the scripture is understandable by the common reader who is seeking the truth and who is trusting in God.
No comments:
Post a Comment