What are the consequences of altering God's words in Proverbs 30:6? Opening the Verse Proverbs 30:6: “Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you and prove you a liar.” The instruction is clear and direct. Agur, under the Spirit’s guidance, warns that tampering with God’s revelation brings immediate and severe consequences. What “Do Not Add” Communicates • A prohibition against changing, embellishing, softening, or expanding divine revelation • A call to preserve the purity and integrity of Scripture exactly as given • A reminder that God alone holds ultimate authority over truth Immediate Consequence: Divine Rebuke • “Lest He rebuke you” signals an active, personal response from God • Rebuke involves correction, exposure, and discipline (Hebrews 12:5–6) • It underscores God’s jealousy for His own words and His intolerance of human alteration Public Exposure as a Liar • “And prove you a liar” highlights public disgrace, not merely private conviction • God’s verdict overrides human claims, revealing any altered message as false • Falsehood undermines credibility and can disqualify a ministry or testimony (1 Timothy 1:6–7) Broader Biblical Witness • Deuteronomy 4:2: “Do not add to the word that I am commanding you or take away from it, so that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God.” – Alteration breaks obedience at its root • Revelation 22:18–19: those who add or subtract face plagues and loss of eternal inheritance – A sobering end-time echo of Proverbs 30:6 • Galatians 1:8–9: preaching a different gospel invites a divine curse – Any distortion, even by an angel, brings condemnation • 2 Peter 3:16: the unstable twist Scriptures “to their own destruction” – Mishandling truth damages both teacher and hearer Practical Implications Today • Guard against diluting difficult doctrines to fit cultural preferences • Resist embellishing prophecies or experiences to gain attention • Refuse to tamper with moral commands to justify sin • Stand firm on the sufficiency and finality of the biblical canon Guardrails for Faithful Handling of Scripture • Stay anchored in literal, grammatical, and historical interpretation • Compare Scripture with Scripture before drawing conclusions • Submit personal insights to the whole counsel of God’s Word • Embrace humility, knowing teachers “will incur a stricter judgment” (James 3:1) The consequences outlined in Proverbs 30:6—divine rebuke and exposure as a liar—remain as weighty today as when first penned. Fidelity to God’s unaltered Word safeguards both our witness and our walk. |
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