Continued from Chapter 42
(Proverbs 30:4)
Christians argue that Proverbs 30:4 is a prooftext for the divine origin of Jesus. But, who says this passage is messianic and who says that even if it were that it refers to Jesus?
Their allegations are self-serving presumptions not based on what the text actually says. Admitting to a self-deficiency in wisdom and understanding, Agur, the son of Jakeh, puts forward a set of rhetorical questions, the answers to which he feels all who seek knowledge should possess. He writes:
Who has ascended up into heaven, and descended?
Who has gathered the wind in his fists?
Who has bound the waters in his garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if you know? (Proverbs 30:4)
One who knows the answer to these questions possesses the fundamentals of all knowledge. The first question, “What is his name?”, is answered in the Bible, where we see that only God, the creator of heaven and earth, is in complete control of the forces of nature. The second question, "What is his son’s name?” is also answered by examining the biblical record, the source of all true knowledge. There we find verses that show conclusively that Israel as a national entity is called the “son of God.” For example, “Israel is My son, My firstborn” (Exodus 4:22); “You are the children of the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 14:1); and “It will be said of them: ‘You are the children of the living God’” (Hosea 2:1). The biblical record is clear in stating that Israel is the name of God’s son, His firstborn. The Bible also teaches that David and Solomon were considered in a filial relationship with God (Psalms 89:27-28; 1 Chronicles 22:10, 28:6). This will also be true of the future Messiah because he like David and Solomon will be the representative personification of Israel as a whole. But, it is Israel as a national unit that is the sole bearer of the title of the “son” or “firstborn” of God.
Some Christians propose that Israel’s filial relationship with God points to what they claim is a greater relationship between God and Jesus. But, who says there is a special filial connection between God and Jesus? Who says this interpretation is right? It is based like so many other claims made on behalf of Jesus, on preconceived tendentious views rather than objective truth derived from the biblical record. The Messiah when he comes will in a figurative sense enter into the “sonship” of God, an honor he will share with all of God’s chosen servants.
Continued