by Pastor Steve Ellison
In Proverbs 22:20-21, God asks, “Have I not written to you excellent things of counsels and knowledge, To make you know the certainty of the words of truth, That you may correctly answer him who sent you?” (NASU) God has certainly written to us “excellent things of counsels and knowledge”. We are so blessed that He did not simply create us and leave us to find our own way. God left us a love letter that tells us: how we got here; where we are going; what our purpose is; how we should live our lives; how to get along with others; how to prosper physically, how to make our lives enjoyable and fulfilling; and most importantly how to be rightly related to Him.
We are blessed also because His Written Word serves “to make us know the certainty of the words of truth”. His Word, written and spoken, is truth. The multitude of fulfilled prophecies found in the Word of God is tremendous proof of the certainty of the truth of the whole. Because of the predictions which came true, we can be absolutely sure that all of the other portions of the Bible are also true. Because the Bible accurately predicted the birthplace of Jesus, I can be sure that the Bible’s instructions to me about finances (among other things) are also true. Because the Bible accurately predicted the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, I have complete assurance that the Bible’s instructions about personal relationships (among other things) are true. Because of the Bible’s accurate prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem, I can be sure that it’s pronouncements about morality (and everything else) are also perfect.
The list of examples could go on and on and on, but I want to focus on the most important one. The “words of truth” bring to mind the good news about forgiveness of sin and reconciliation with God and changing our eternal destiny. Because of the Bible’s accurate prediction of future events, we can “know the certainty of the words of truth”. These words of truth tell us in absolutely certain terms that God created us. We rebelled, ran away, and sold ourselves into slavery to sin. God the Father promised to send a Redeemer, Someone to buy us back. The purchase price took us by surprise. God bought us back with the life of His Son. God the Son returned to heaven, with a promise that those who place their trust in Him will live forever with Him in heaven. That is certainly good news.
A third blessing results from the “excellent things” He wrote for us. We are enabled to “correctly answer Him who sent us”. Just before God the Son returned to heaven, He commissioned us. He told us to make disciples of all nations. There is no question that He has sent us into all the world to spread the words of truth. That leads to another absolute certainty. Each of us will be called to account. We will each stand before Him who created us. We will have to answer for our handling of the truth. If we have received the free gift of Christ’s payment upon the cross, we have the answer. If we have rejected Christ, we will have no answer. We will be separated from Him, without hope, for all eternity. Aren’t you glad for the truth of Proverbs 22:20-21, “Have I not written to you excellent things of counsels and knowledge, To make you know the certainty of the words of truth, That you may correctly answer him who sent you?” (NASU) Make no mistake about it, you will have to answer.
