Thursday
Read – Hebrews 4:12-13, Proverbs 30:5-6
SOAP – Proverbs 30:5-6
Every word of God is purified;
he is like a shield for those who take refuge in him.
Do not add to his words,
lest he reprove you, and prove you to be a liar.
What does it mean to be purified? Rites of cleansing aren’t as much a part of our modern culture as they were for the Israelites. The Jewish people were very familiar with ceremonial rights of purification and what it meant to be clean and unclean. They spent a lot of their time performing these rites. Immediately they would have understood the meaning of “every word of God was purified”: Anything impure or evil would not be attached to God’s words.
Today we can relate to purity through metals that we own or buy. For example, 10-karat gold is an alloy made up of ten parts gold and fourteen parts other metals such as copper, zinc, silver, or nickel. In percentage terms, 10-karat gold contains 41.7% pure gold. Eighteen-karat gold is 75% gold. God’s word is not like the metals we use. It is 100% pure!
Thank You, Lord, that Your Word is pure; uncontaminated, perfect, true and flawless. Help us to be true to Your Word, neither adding to it or taking from it. Thank You that we can always find refuge and safety in You and Your Word. Amen.