Some things in life are beyond our abilities to understand and because God is infinite our finite minds cannot comprehend all the aspects of His divine supernatural nature; many things will remain a mystery to human beings. A man named, Job, came to that revelation, an oracle named, Agur, came to that revelation, and you and I need to come to that revelation, as well (Job 38-41). Truly, God’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours (Is 55:8-9).
In our passage, today, from the Book of Proverbs, Agur makes two requests of God, because he wants to gain greater understanding of things that he struggles to comprehend. So, Agur asks God: 1) For the ability to be completely honest and free from deception, and 2) To be neither poor nor rich; simply satisfied. This oracle knows uncontrolled appetites will lead a person to act wickedly and he has chosen to pursue Wisdom—the Lord.
When we look at the world, we must use the lens of Christ to see properly. In order to have the proper perspective, we have to consult our Maker—the Creator of heaven and earth. Only then, will we know how the world was designed to work. Therefore, our passage is set up to reveal three important truths: 1) Looking to Christ our Wisdom [vv.1-9], 2) Looking to Christ for Salvation from Sin [vv.10-24], and 3) Looking at the world through the Lens of Christ [vv.15-33].
First, although we do not know anything about Agur other than what is written in Proverbs, we know this man is a follower of the Most High God and that the Holy Spirit placed inside him the messages found in these passages for our benefit. The humility of Agur is refreshing; he admits his ignorance of God’s nature; he admits he needs more Wisdom. He does not know God’s son is Jesus, but we do. Jesus is the Source of divine Wisdom, so we all need more and more of him, don’t we? How do we gain this Wisdom? We gain divine Wisdom by simply praying, asking, and applying to life the Truth of God’s Word. The Word of God is enough and the Spirit speaks perfect Truth to believing and receiving hearts. We have problems, when we try to use our human minds, ideas, or appetites to rewrite the Word of God.
Second, we should NEVER slander another person, because in doing so we bring judgment upon ourselves—to slander is to sin. To come to salvation means we recognize we are not clean and need Christ for cleansing. Only Christ can cleanse us from our hidden sin; it is for this reason Jesus died and took the curse for us. Believers are vindicated by our holy Christ, so we must go to him for forgiveness of sin. NOTE: For our understanding, God’s judgment is sometimes described in Scripture as being eaten by birds (Rev 19:17-18).
Third, human beings can have all kinds of wrong appetites: excessive quest for wealth, illicit sex, or prestigious social status just to name a few. These sins can drain righteous energy, because when we empower sin, we are never satisfied or content. We must live by the Word of God or we will self-slaughter by our own uncontrolled appetites. And, just for truth’s sake, this is not the will of God for us. He loves us and invites us into salvation. The decisions we make can have huge effects on our relationship with God. We can receive God’s blessings or curses and we must only look at ourselves, because we set things in motion by our choices. What we ‘eat’ of this world comes with huge consequences. Even though the culture may accept these things as “natural appetites,” God is the Judge and has the last Word.
So, not only does Agur look at the world and observes uncontrolled appetites, he moves onto the skill of wise living. I love his example of wise animals (vv.24-28; 29-31). Wisdom is a skill for living in spite of the challenges. We, like our Messiah must humble ourselves and live in dependence on God, because we need the transformation only Christ can bring our lives. We must be Christ-centered, friends!
Proverbs 30 NLT The Sayings of Agur
1
The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh contain this message.[an oracle/delivers divine revelation]
I am weary, O God;
I am weary and worn out, O God.
2
I am too stupid to be human,
and I lack common sense.
3
I have not mastered human wisdom,
nor do I know the Holy One.
4
Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down?
Who holds the wind in his fists?
Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak?
Who has created the whole wide world?
What is his name—and his son’s name? [pre-incarnate Messiah/Jesus]
Tell me if you know!
5
Every word of God proves true.
He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.
6
Do not add to his words,
or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar.
7
O God, I beg two favors from you;
let me have them before I die.
8
First, help me never to tell a lie.
Second, give me neither poverty nor riches!
Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.
9
For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?”
And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.
10
Never slander a worker to the employer,
or the person will curse you, and you will pay for it.
11
Some people curse their father
and do not thank their mother.
12
They are pure in their own eyes,
but they are filthy and unwashed.
13
They look proudly around,
casting disdainful glances.
14
They have teeth like swords
and fangs like knives.
They devour the poor from the earth
and the needy from among humanity.
15
The leech has two suckers
that cry out, “More, more!”[give, give]
There are three things that are never satisfied—
no, four that never say, “Enough!”:
16
the grave,[Sheol]
the barren womb,
the thirsty desert,
the blazing fire.
17
The eye that mocks a father
and despises a mother’s instructions
will be plucked out by ravens of the valley
and eaten by vultures.
18
There are three things that amaze me—
no, four things that I don’t understand:
19
how an eagle glides through the sky,
how a snake slithers on a rock,
how a ship navigates the ocean,
how a man loves a woman.
20
An adulterous woman consumes a man,
then wipes her mouth and says, “What’s wrong with that?”
21
There are three things that make the earth tremble—
no, four it cannot endure:
22
a slave who becomes a king,
an overbearing fool who prospers,
23
a bitter woman who finally gets a husband,
a servant girl who supplants her mistress.
24
There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise:
25
Ants—they aren’t strong,
but they store up food all summer.
26
Hyraxes[e]—they aren’t powerful,
but they make their homes among the rocks.
27
Locusts—they have no king,
but they march in formation.
28
Lizards—they are easy to catch,
but they are found even in kings’ palaces.
29
There are three things that walk with stately stride—
no, four that strut about:
30
the lion, king of animals, who won’t turn aside for anything,
31
the strutting rooster,
the male goat,
a king as he leads his army.
32
If you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil,
cover your mouth in shame.
33
As the beating of cream yields butter
and striking the nose causes bleeding,
so stirring up anger causes quarrels.
Prayer: Lord, you are the Designer of all things and we need to honor your position of authority over all creation, as well as over our lives. We, like Agur, recognize our limitations and seek your grace to make us wise. Help us practice Wisdom as we live in Christ each day. We trust your Word and know it has been given to love and protect us from our innate destructive patterns. Without you, we would self-slaughter. You, alone, can satisfy our longings and needs. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.