Deuteronomy 4:2 says, “You must not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it, so that you may keep the commands of the LORD your God I am giving you” (CSB). Today, let us consider this command to not add to what God says. The Bible mentions elsewhere not to add or subtract to His Word. We read about this in Deuteronomy 12 and Revelation 22 as well.
This command was something that was not followed by the religious leaders of old. The religious leaders had a great deal of additional rules and regulations that they shared with the people. They put such a burden on people. In Proverbs 30:6, we are clearly told not to add to God’s words, because He could reprimand you and let everyone see you are a liar. Think of it this way — if you add something that’s not there, someone could look and find out that you are a liar. With the Bible being so readily available in our generation, this is easy to discover if someone actually looks.
Fear of being caught shouldn’t be the reason we do not add something to God’s Word. Our desire should be to share only what God has revealed to us. Our desire should be to share His Truth. It is His Truth that is freeing. It is His Truth that is daily bread. It is His Truth that is life. To honor God, we should honor His Word. His Word is perfect — flawless, a shield to those who take refuge in Him (Proverbs 30:5).
Tania Gutekunst 