“How do we know that the Bible is reliable?” This question addresses what scholars call the doctrine of inerrancy. The doctrine of inerrancy teaches that the Bible is reliable, without error, and teaches truth. This question of inerrancy is, without a doubt, one of the most important questions we can answer. If the Bible is reliable or inerrant, and it is, then it changes everything.
The author of Proverbs 30 wrote about the reliability of God’s word. As he contemplated the reliability of God’s word, he wrote, “every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to Him for protection” (verse 5). Every word of God proves true. This means that all of Scripture is trustworthy and reliable, from the first word of Genesis to the final word of Revelation. In other words, Scripture is inerrant. It is without error. There is no fault in its teaching.
What is the implication of the inerrancy of Scripture? If Scripture is without error and reliable, the implication must be that it can be trusted. The words found in Scripture can be trusted to teach us, lead us, guide us, encourage us, and rebuke us when we are wrong. We can stake our very lives on it. Furthermore, it will never lead us astray. This is the reliability of God’s word.
When you open your Bible every day, you can be sure that God’s word is reliable. You can trust what it says. You can trust its guidance. You can trust its teachings. You can center your life around it. Praise God for the gift of His inerrant Word.
We can trust the Bible. It is inerrant. This makes all of the difference. Every time that we open our Bibles, we are opening the inerrant word of God. We can trust it to lead us and guide us. Write down Proverbs 30:5 on a notecard as a reminder of the Bible’s reliability. Keep that notecard in your Bible for you to reflect on it every time you open it.
The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh contain this message.
I am weary, O God;
I am weary and worn out, O God.
I am too stupid to be human,
and I lack common sense.
I have not mastered human wisdom,
nor do I know the Holy One.
Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down?
Who holds the wind in his fists?
Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak?
Who has created the whole wide world?
What is his name—and his son’s name?
Tell me if you know!
Every word of God proves true.
He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.
Do not add to his words,
or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar.
O God, I beg two favors from you;
let me have them before I die.
First, help me never to tell a lie.
Second, give me neither poverty nor riches!
Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.
For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?”
And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.
Never slander a worker to the employer,
or the person will curse you, and you will pay for it.
Some people curse their father
and do not thank their mother.
They are pure in their own eyes,
but they are filthy and unwashed.
They look proudly around,
casting disdainful glances.
They have teeth like swords
and fangs like knives.
They devour the poor from the earth
and the needy from among humanity.
The leech has two suckers
that cry out, “More, more!”
There are three things that are never satisfied—
no, four that never say, “Enough!”:
the grave,
the barren womb,
the thirsty desert,
the blazing fire.
The eye that mocks a father
and despises a mother’s instructions
will be plucked out by ravens of the valley
and eaten by vultures.
There are three things that amaze me—
no, four things that I don’t understand:
how an eagle glides through the sky,
how a snake slithers on a rock,
how a ship navigates the ocean,
how a man loves a woman.
An adulterous woman consumes a man,
then wipes her mouth and says, “What’s wrong with that?”
There are three things that make the earth tremble—
no, four it cannot endure:
a slave who becomes a king,
an overbearing fool who prospers,
a bitter woman who finally gets a husband,
a servant girl who supplants her mistress.
There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise:
Ants—they aren’t strong,
but they store up food all summer.
Hyraxes—they aren’t powerful,
but they make their homes among the rocks.
Locusts—they have no king,
but they march in formation.
Lizards—they are easy to catch,
but they are found even in kings’ palaces.
There are three things that walk with stately stride—
no, four that strut about:
the lion, king of animals, who won’t turn aside for anything,
the strutting rooster,
the male goat,
a king as he leads his army.
If you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil,
cover your mouth in shame.
As the beating of cream yields butter
and striking the nose causes bleeding,
so stirring up anger causes quarrels.
