But what does it mean that the Word of God is trustworthy? Merriam-Webster defines it as “worthy of confidence: dependable.”[1] This speaks a lot about how one can feel when reading, meditating on, and incorporating the Word of God into one’s life. Do we guard ourselves whenever we read a news clip or something from social media? Hopefully, we are careful about what we read. When God promised the earthly kingdom forever to King David, David’s loving response was: “Your [the LORD’s] covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant” (2 Samuel 7:28). This was accomplished through David’s lineage down to the birth of Jesus Christ, who lives forever. David had a close relationship with God, but that relationship depended on David’s confidence in what God said. When David later wrote his psalms, he recalled that “The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple” (Psalm 19:7). David realized that the Word of God was, and still is, absolute. It has innumerable powers, which can make a simple person wise. When people subject themselves to the Word of God, they are elevated to a life of contentment and understanding. They see things from God’s perspective rather than a human perspective. God’s Word is so powerful that it can even save sinners from eternal separation from God. Note the words here from the apostle Paul as he wrote to his protégé Timothy: “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst” (1 Timothy 1:15). We can depend on God’s Word to give us eternal life when we confess our sins, accept the mercy for us that Christ paid by dying on the cross for our sins, and placing our trust in His Word. His Word, because it is trustworthy, guarantees this. We can also appreciate the trustworthiness of God’s Word because it uncovers immoral acts done by some of the biblical heroes. God inspired authors to write not only about the heroes of old, but also their imperfections.[2] One example is Moses’ brother, Aaron. When Moses was on top of Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments, Aaron lost control of the crowd at the bottom of the mountain. Aaron was responsible for a golden calf that was created, and thus, fell into idolatry, a grievous sin against God (Exodus 32:1). In another example, we recognize King Solomon as one of the most endeared forefathers in Israel. God gave him wisdom and riches beyond imagination. He wrote numerous spiritual psalms and articles on all sorts of topics of nature. He was devoted to God early in his reign, but faltered later on as some of his numerous concubines turned his soul to worship idols: “Then did Solomon build a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the Children of Amon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods” (1 Kings 11:7, 8). Do we tend to think of George Washington’s moral failures, or that of Abraham Lincoln? We hold these men in high regard, as we should. But we all have “sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). However, the Bible is trustworthy, because it records both the heroic feats and the moral misgivings of its leaders.
[1] “Merriam-Webster Since 1828,” Merriam-Webster, accessed November 22, 2021, https://www.merriam-webster.com/.
[2] Arthur W. Pink, The Divine Inspiration of the Bible, (Swengel, PA: Bible Truth Depot, 1917), 17.