In act five of Romeo and Juliet, Juliet’s in the tomb. Romeo approaches her body, gives a speech ending with, “Here’s to my love…” He then drinks the poison… and says, “Thus with a kiss I die.” And he does just that.

Why does Romeo die?
Romeo doesn’t die because of his true love, he doesn’t die because of the conflict between the houses Montague and Capulet, he doesn’t even die because of some policy of the Bush Administration. Romeo actually dies simply because he doesn’t know the truth about Juliet’s induced coma.

Our longing for truth is no less potent than Romeo’s. Without a foundation of truth, decisions are made poorly:

  • Who should I marry?
  • Should I take this job?
  • Should I expect God to heal?
  • Why is there suffering?

For just a moment let me take you back to my childhood Sunday school class where the teacher is asking us where truth comes from, we’d all raise our fat little hands and answer that truth comes from God. Yes, we knew this even as eight year olds, but before the impact of it really sunk in, it was snatched away from us. Sure, I believed that God was the ultimate source of all truth, but I also believed in the scientific method. I believed truth to be a formula with inputs and outputs. I thought truth should be provable, applicable and… generally functional. Unfortunately for most of my years I misunderstood the very nature and purpose of truth.

God is the source of truth but He’s also the very purpose for truth.

Psalm 19: 7-11
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

What’s it mean?:
• The word for God here is Yahweh, or “God, the One who’s covenanted with us.”
• Law (torah, God’s written law) is perfect (complete or sufficient) → restorative and transforming
• Testimony (a first-hand account, a personal story) is sure (trustworthy, reliable, unmistakable) → wisdom (truth applied)
• Statutes (precepts, principles, guidelines) are right (a true or enlightened path) → rejoicing (a low-stress life)
• Commandments (those things that are non-negotiable) are pure (lucid or clear) → enlightening (clarity, understanding)
• Fear (reverence, awe, respect) is clean (without impurity or imperfection) → enduring (impurities cause corrosion and decay)
• Judgments (decisions or answers to questions) are true (reliable standard) → righteous altogether (exhaustive, comprehensive correctness)
Above list mostly from John MacAurthur book indicated below.

So my own paraphrase would be:
• The written law of God, the One who’s covenanted with us is sufficient for transforming and restoring the soul;
• The first-hand accounts of the One who’s covenanted with us are trustworthy, making wisdom available to even the least intelligent of us;
• The life guiding principles of the One who’s covenanted with us are a better way to live, resulting in a joyful spirit;
• The non-negotiable rules laid out by the One who’s covenanted with us are clear, enlightening us;
• Reverent respect for the One who’s covenanted with us is pure, preserving us from decay and corrosion;
• The answers the One who’s covenanted with us provides are exhaustively correct.
• God’s truths are even more valuable than gold,
• Yeah, more desirable than a heap of gold;
• They’re also sweeter than honey.
• Moreover, by them we are warned,
• And in keeping them there is great reward.

How could David say the written law of the Lord is complete?
What about the writings attributed to Solomon, Paul, John, Peter and the rest? Did you know your parents when you were a child? Do you know your parents more completely now? How could this be? I thought you knew your parents when you were a kid? Did they change into someone else? No? Obviously the years you’ve spent with them have deepened your knowing of them. This is the same in any relationship. David knew his Lord as completely as he could but certainly not as completely as he knows Him now.

Truth’s Purpose
So yes, God’s truth is so reliable it can also be used for practical purposes but what is truth’s true purpose? Truth’s purpose is not transactional, like an equation. Truth’s purpose to help us know our Creator and have a loving friendship with him. Sin blocks our relationship with Him so he tells us not to sin. Time spent in prayer or reading scripture or enjoying the company of other believers helps us grow closer to Him so He tells us to do these things. Serving others makes us more like Him, so He tells us to do this too.

And what about the big questions?
God doesn’t promise to answer all our questions. He doesn’t offer a 10-year, 1-year or even a 6-month plan for our lives. He offers to do life with us and to be a lamp for our feet. That’s pretty sort term. Our problems with the big questions are mostly due to unrealistic expectations about our life with Christ.

Additional Reading/Listening: