SAYINGS OF AGUR PROVERBS 30:1-33

Transcription

1 1 SAYINGS OF AGUR PROVERBS 30:1-33

2 2 Sayings of Agur Text: Proverbs 30:1-33, 1. The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh an oracle: This man declared to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ucal: 2. I am the most ignorant of men; I do not have a man s understanding. 3. I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One. 4. Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and the name of his son? Tell me if you know! 5. Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. 6. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar. 7. Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die: 8. Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. 9. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, Who is the LORD? Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. 10. Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will pay for it. 11. There are those who curse their fathers do not bless their mothers; 12. those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth;

3 3 13. those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful; 14. those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from among mankind. 15. The leech has two daughters. Give! Give! they cry. There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, Enough! : 16. the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, Enough! 17. The eye that mocks a father, that scorns obedience to a mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures. 18. There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand: 19. the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a maiden. 20. This is the way of an adulteress: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, I ve done nothing wrong. 21. Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: 22. a servant who becomes king, a fool who is full of food, 23. an unloved woman who is married, and a maidservant who displaces her mistress. 24. Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: 25. Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; 26. coneys are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; 27. locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; 28. a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings palaces. 29. There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing:

4 4 30. a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing; 31. a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king with his army around him. 32. If you have played the fool and exalted yourself, or if you have planned evil, clap your hand over your mouth! 33. For as churning the milk produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife. (NIV 1984) Introduction: I. Smith advised that chapters 30 and 31 are set aside from the rest of the book of Proverbs as a kind of appendix by the headings, Sayings of Agur and Sayings of King Lemuel. A. Smith further stated that differences of style, language and content confirm the fact that this material has been appended to the Solomonic collections. B. Smith, Youngblood, etc., all agree that Agur and Lemuel cannot be positively identified other than by what is said regarding them in Proverbs 30 and 31. II. These final two chapters are remarkably different from the rest of the book, Coffman wrote quoting the International Critical Commentary. Commentary: Proverbs 30:1, The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh an oracle: This man declared to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ucal:. (NIV 1984) I. The sayings of Agur (gatherer, convener) son of Jakeh (obedient, pious) an oracle (a prophecy):

5 5 A. Agur claimed his words here are a divinely revealed prophetic utterance. (Smith). 1. A Burden was a prophetic utterance. a. Isaiah 13:1, An oracle concerning Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz saw: (NIV 1984) b. Isaiah 15:1, An oracle concerning Moab: Ar in Moab is ruined, destroyed in a night! Kir in Moab is ruined, destroyed in a night! (NIV 1984) c. An oracle is an utterance resulting from divine inspiration. d. The sayings of the gatherer, the son of the pious, is a possible translation according to McGee. e. The Pulpit Commentary suggests oracle may be understood as an expression or search for wisdom. B. Bland suggested oracle could be translated Massa which was a tribe in northern Arabia. Agur appears to be a non-israelite sage who, nonetheless, had a relationship with Israel s God, Yahweh. 1. I Kings 4:30, Solomon s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. (NIV 1984) 2. Genesis 25:14, Mishma, Dumah, Massa (NIV 1984) 3. Who Agur and Jakeh were is utterly unknown. (Clarke)

6 6 C. Coffman, etc. all suggested the words of Agur could include the entire chapter or be limited to the first paragraph. D. No further information is available to further identify Agur and Jakeh. 1. Clarke concluded, Solomon was not the author of this chapter; and it was designed to be distinguished from his work by this very preface. 2. Clarke further concluded, I believe Agur, Jakeh, Ithiel, and Ucal are the names of real persons who did exist, but of whom we know nothing but what is mentioned here. E. Agur means Gatherer or Convener. (Clarke) 1. Ecclesiastes 12:11, The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails given by one Shepherd (NIV 1984) F. Jakeh means Obedient or Pious. II. This man declared to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ucal: A. Agur addressed his words in particular to two people; Wiz., Ithiel and Ucal of whom nothing further is known with certainty. 1. Clarke regarded Agur as a prophet, a teacher, and Ithiel and Ucal as his students. 2. The Pulpit Commentary suggested Ithiel and Ucal were likely two of Agur s sons, pupils, or companions. B. Youngblood wrote, Some scholars, however, do not believe Ithiel and Ucal are proper names.

7 7 1. Therefore, to Ithiel to Ithiel and Ucal in the New King James Version becomes, I am weary, O God, I am weary and work out in the Revised English Bible. Proverbs 30:2, I am the most ignorant of men; I do not have a man s understanding. (NIV 1984) I. I am the most ignorant (brutish) of men; A. This scribe has often been greatly impressed with his inadequacies. 1. However, God expects only of us what his divinely given talents enable us to do. a. The two talent man was held responsible for two talents, not five talents which he did not possess. 2. Agur did not pretend to be an expert in the knowledge of God, but demonstrated admirable humility. a. Psalm 73:22, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. (NIV 1984) b. Proverbs 16:1-9, To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue. All a man s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD. Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. The LORD works out everything for his own ends even the wicked for a day of disaster. The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished. Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the

8 8 LORD a man avoids evil. When a man s ways are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him. Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice. In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. (NIV 1984) c. Proverbs 21:30-31, There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD. The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD. (NIV 1984) d. I Corinthians 8:2, The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. (NIV 1984) e. Job 38:1-10, Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. Where were you when I laid the earth s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, (NIV 1984) f. Matthew 11:25-26, At that time Jesus said, I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise

9 9 and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. (NIV 1984) II. I do not have a man s understanding. A. Agur was not wise in his own eyes, Bland wrote. 1. Proverbs 26:12, Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. (NIV 1984) 2. Agur strove to know God s mysteries, but found his efforts futile. (Bland) 3. Agur confessed awe and reverence of Almighty God, Yahweh. B. Clarke noted that the words of this verse could not have been said by Solomon, the wise king, and, therefore, this chapter could not have been written by Solomon. Proverbs 30:3, I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One. (NIV 1984) I. I have not learned wisdom, nor have I learned knowledge of the Holy One. A. Understanding God s holiness was totally beyond Agur and is beyond the rest of us as well. B. The LXX reads differently; viz., God hath taught me wisdom, and the knowledge of the (holy) saints I have known.

10 10 C. References regarding wisdom and divine knowledge include the following: 1. Proverbs 9:10, The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (NIV 1984) 2. Proverbs 1:20-21, Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech: (NIV 1984) 3. Job 11:7-9, Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens what can you do? They are deeper than the depths of the grave what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea. (NIV 1984) Proverbs 30:4, Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and the name of his son? Tell me if you know! (NIV 1984) I. Who has gone up to heaven and come down? A. Agur now asks five (5) questions which point to reasons no one truly understands God fully. B. No one has gone to heaven, learned about God, and then returned to earth to teach us the nature of God except Jesus Christ.

11 11 1. Genesis 11:7, Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other. (NIV 1984) 2. Exodus 19:18, Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, (NIV 1984) 3. John 3:13, No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven the Son of Man.. (NIV 1984) 4. Deuteronomy 30:11-12, Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?. (NIV 1984) 5. Ephesians 4:9, (What does he ascended mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? (NIV 1984) Note 1: Verse 4 contains four who and one what questions designed to show that a huge gulf exists between human ignorance and divine understanding, Bland wrote. Note 2: These questions remind the reader of Job (See Bland. McGee and Smith.) Job 38:1-41, Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. Where were you when I laid the earth s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line

12 12 across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt? Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place, that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it? The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its features stand out like those of a garment. The wicked are denied their light, and their upraised arm is broken. Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death? Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this. What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside? Can you take them to their places? Do you know the paths to their dwellings? Surely you know, for you were already born! You have lived so many years! Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail, which I reserve for times of trouble, for days of war and battle? What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed, or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth? Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain, and a path for the thunderstorm, to water a land where no man lives, a desert with no one in it, to satisfy a desolate wasteland and make it sprout with grass? Does the rain have a father? Who fathers the drops of dew? From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens when the waters become hard as stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen? Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades? Can you loose the cords of Orion? Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs? Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set up God s dominion over the earth? Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water? Do you send the

13 13 lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, Here we are? Who endowed the heart with wisdom or gave understanding to the mind? Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens when the dust becomes hard and the clods of earth stick together? Do you hunt the prey for the lioness and satisfy the hunger of the lions when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in a thicket? Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food? (NIV 1984) Job 39:1-30, Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn? Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth? They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labor pains are ended. Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds; they leave and do not return. Who let the wild donkey go free? Who untied his ropes? I gave him the wasteland as his home, the salt flats as his habitat. He laughs at the commotion in the town; he does not hear a driver s shout. He ranges the hills for his pasture and searches for any green thing. Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will he stay by your manger at night? Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness? Will he till the valleys behind you? Will you rely on him for his great strength? Will you leave your heavy work to him? Can you trust him to bring in your grain and gather it to your threshing floor? The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but they cannot compare with the pinions and feathers of the stork. She lays her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand, unmindful that a foot may crush them, that some wild animal may trample them. She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers; she cares not that her labor was in vain, for God did not endow her with wisdom or give her a share of good sense. Yet when she spreads her feathers to run, she laughs at horse and rider. Do you give the horse his strength or clothe his neck with a flowing mane? Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting? He paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength, and charges into the fray. He

14 14 laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; he does not shy away from the sword. The quiver rattles against his side, with the flashing spear and lance. In frenzied excitement he eats up the ground; he cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds. At the blast of the trumpet he snorts, Aha! He catches the scent of battle from afar, the shout of commanders and the battle cry. Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread his wings toward the south? Does the eagle soar at your command and build his nest on high? He dwells on a cliff and stays there at night; a rocky crag is his stronghold. From there he seeks out his food; his eyes detect it from afar. His young ones feast on blood, and where the slain are, there is he. (NIV 1984) C. God is said to come down from heaven in order to punish, to aid, to reveal his will, etc., The Pulpit Commentary reads. 1. Genesis 11:7, Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other. 2. Psalm 18:9, He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. 3. Genesis 17:22, When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him. 4. Genesis 35:13, Then God went up from him at the place where he had talked with him. II. Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands (his fists)? A. No human can control the wind, stop hurricanes, tornadoes and cyclones. 1. Amos 4:13, He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns

15 15 dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth the LORD God Almighty is his name. 2. Psalm 135:7, He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses. 3. John 3:8, The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. III. Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? A. Job 26:8, He wraps up the waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight. B. Can man store up the waters which provide rain on earth? Obviously not! C. Only God can make the heavens a cloak which contains the extremely heavy water which falls as rain upon the earth. 1. Job 38:37, Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens. (NIV 1984) 2. Psalm 104:6, You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. (NIV 1984) 3. Proverbs 8:27-29, I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep, he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep, when he gave the sea

16 16 its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth. (NIV 1984) IV. Who has established all the ends of the earth? A. Smith wrote that this sentence refers to the fixing of the boundaries of the earth as the habitation of the human race, across which the ocean does not trespass. 1. Only God can do this! V. What is his name, and the name of his son? A. If you think that some man can do the things mentioned in questions 1-4, identify him, give his name, and the name of his son, descendants. B. Coffman took the position that his Name is Yahweh, Jehovah, and that his Son s name is Jesus Christ! 1. Agur presents God as a person, not simply an abstraction, a force, a quality. (The Pulpit Commentary) 2. God s son is wisdom personified, the Logos (Word) VI. Tell me if you know! A. Man cannot by his own wisdom come to fully know God! B. Bland wrote, Agur s confession of weariness and ignorance is a way of expressing amazement, awe, and homage to the God who created the world.

17 17 Proverbs 30:5, Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. (NIV 1984) I. Every word of God is flawless (has stood the test, is free from evil, is pure); A. We learn about God through his Word. B. While verses 1-4 speak to human ignorance in regard to the wondrous nature of divine mysterious, verses 5-6 speak of God s revelation, Bland wrote. C. God s word stands sure! (Bland) D. Scriptural reference: 1. Psalm 18:30, As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him Samuel 22:31, As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. 3. Psalm 12:6, And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times. 4. Psalm 119:140, Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them. E. Every word of God as delivered to the saints is true, inerrant, accurate! II. he is a shield (defense) to those who take refuge in him.

18 18 A. God perfectly protects those who take refuge in Him. 1. Proverbs 2:7-8, He holds victory in store for the upright, is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Proverbs 30:6, Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar. (NIV 1984) I. Do not add to his words, A. Deuteronomy 4:2, Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you. (NIV 1984) B. Deuteronomy 12:32, See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it. (NIV 1984) C. God s Word is sufficient! (Bland) D. Revelations 22:18-19, I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. (NIV 1984) E. God s Word is complete as is and to his Word we must neither add nor subtract. 1. It must not be watered down! (The Pulpit Commentary)

19 19 2. It must be preached exactly as God gave it, every word of it! II. or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar. A. Don t speculate about God beyond what is written because any who go beyond what has been revealed will be divinely rebuked and proved to be a liar. B. It is deadly serious to mishandle God! 1. James 3:1-2, Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. 2. God will punish those, all those, who would in any way change God s Word. C. Those who attempt to modify in any way the holy Scripture are liars who will be rebuked by Almighty God! 1. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God! 2. Don t mess with God s Word! Proverbs 30:7, Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die: (NIV 1984) I. Two things I ask of you, O Lord; A. Agur asked two principal things of the Lord. B. This is the only prayer recorded in the book Proverbs. (Bland)

20 20 II. do not refuse me before I die: A. If you had two things only for which you could ask God before you die, for what two (2) things would you ask? B. Grant me these two things for the rest of my life. (The Pulpit Commentary) Proverbs 30:8, Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. (NIV 1984) I. Keep falsehood (vanity) and lies far from me; A. Agur prayed that he would be protected from, free of falsehood and lies, that he would know truth and be far from that which was not true. 1. Clarke wrote that this includes all false appearances and every vain expectations. 2. Lies include all kinds of lies, religious and otherwise. B. Agur prayed that God would help him develop integrity and inner purity of life. (See Coffman.) C. McGee understood this to mean that Agur was asking that he would be spared living among vain, flattering and lying people. 1. McGee well wrote, It is like living in a rattlesnake den to live with folk like that. D. The Pulpit Commentary defines falsehood, vanity as hollowness, worthlessness and lies are expressions of this vanity.

21 21 II. give me neither poverty nor riches, A. Agur wanted to be a person of the middle socio-economic class. 1. Riches carry with them certain problems and temptations. 2. Poverty certainly involves hardships and deprivation. B. Would you pray this prayer or would you agree with the idea that a person can t have too much money? C. Agur did not want to be rich lest he become covetous nor poor lest he resort to thievery to secure his essential basic needs. III. but give me only my daily bread (my portion). A. Agur wanted his daily needs, but otherwise neither too much or too little lest he be tempted, lured with sinful living. (See Smith.) 1. Matthew 6:11, Give us today our daily bread. (NIV 1984) 2. 1 Timothy 6:8, But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. (NIV 1984) 3. Genesis 47:22, However, he did not buy the land of the priests, because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land. (NIV 1984) 4. Proverbs 31:15, She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls. (NIV 1984)

22 22 B. The Pulpit Commentary states the ideas in Matthew 6:11 and 1 Timothy 6:8 are somewhat different than Proverbs 30:8 which is more indefinite, a casting of one s self on the Divine love, in readiness to take what that love assigns. Proverbs 30:9, Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, Who is the LORD? Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. (NIV 1984) I. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, Who is the Lord? A. Our faith must be in God, not in deceitful riches. 1. Deuteronomy 8:10-18, When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may say to yourself, My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me. But remember the LORD your God, for it

23 23 is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. (NIV 1984) 2. Deuteronomy 32:15, Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; filled with food, he became heavy and sleek. He abandoned the God who made him and rejected the Rock his Savior. (NIV 1984) B. Take from me riches which lead to vanity, and poverty which leads to lying and deceit. (The Pulpit Commentary) C. Great wealth may lead people to depend on possessions and fail to depend on God. 1. Exodus 5:2, Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go. (NIV 1984) 2. Deuteronomy 8:12, Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, (NIV 1984) 3. Job 21:7-21, Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power? They see their children established around them, their offspring before their eyes. Their homes are safe and free from fear; the rod of God is not upon them. Their bulls never fail to breed; their cows calve and do not miscarry. They send forth their children as a flock; their little ones dance about. They sing to the music of tambourine and harp; they make merry to the sound of the flute. They spend their years in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace. Yet they say to God,

24 24 Leave us alone! We have no desire to know your ways. Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What would we gain by praying to him? But their prosperity is not in their own hands, so I stand aloof from the counsel of the wicked. Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out? often does calamity come upon them, the fate God allots in his anger? How often are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a gale? It is said, God stores up a man s punishment for his sons. Let him repay the man himself, so that he will know it! Let his own eyes see his destruction; let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty. For what does he care about the family he leaves behind when his allotted months come to an end? (NIV 1984) 4. Psalm 14:1, The fool says in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. (NIV 1984) II. Or I may become (abjectly) poor and steal, A. Agur prayed that he would not become poor (desperately hungry) lest this also lead him into sin, lest his necessities lead to dishonesty. 1. Proverbs 15:16-17, Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil. Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred. (NIV 1984) III. and so dishonor the name of my God, take the name of my God in vain.

25 25 A. By stealing, even to avoid starvation, he would dishonor God and he didn t want this to happen. B. Isaiah 8:21, Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. (NIV 1984) C. Proverbs 19:3, A man s own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD. (NIV 1984) Note 1: Verses 1-9 reflect a worshipful reverence toward God. (Bland) Note 2: Verses contain five (5) sections that use numeration. This use of numeration is used throughout the Old Testament. (Bland) A. Proverbs 6:16-19, There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. (NIV 1984) B. Amos 1:3-15, This is what the LORD says: For three sins of Damascus, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because she threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth, I will send fire upon the house of Hazael that will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad. I will break down the gate of Damascus; I will destroy the king who is in the Valley of Aven and the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden. The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir, says the LORD. This is what the LORD says: For three sins of Gaza, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because she took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom, I will send fire upon the walls of Gaza that will consume her fortresses. I will destroy

26 26 the king of Ashdod and the one who holds the scepter in Ashkelon. I will turn my hand against Ekron, till the last of the Philistines is dead, says the Sovereign LORD. This is what the LORD says: For three sins of Tyre, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because she sold whole communities of captives to Edom, disregarding a treaty of brotherhood, I will send fire upon the walls of Tyre that will consume her fortresses. This is what the LORD says: For three sins of Edom, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because he pursued his brother with a sword, stifling all compassion, because his anger raged continually and his fury flamed unchecked, I will send fire upon Teman that will consume the fortresses of Bozrah. This is what the LORD says: For three sins of Ammon, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because he ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders, I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah that will consume her fortresses amid war cries on the day of battle, amid violent winds on a stormy day. Her king will go into exile, he and his officials together, says the LORD. (NIV 1984) C. Amos 2:1-5, This is what the LORD says: For three sins of Moab, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because he burned, as if to lime, the bones of Edom s king, I will send fire upon Moab that will consume the fortresses of Kerioth. Moab will go down in great tumult amid war cries and the blast of the trumpet. I will destroy her ruler and kill all her officials with him, says the LORD. This is what the LORD says: For three sins of Judah, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because they have rejected the law of the LORD and have not kept his decrees, because they have been led astray by false gods, the gods their ancestors followed, I will send fire upon Judah that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem. (NIV 1984)

27 27 Proverbs 30:10, Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will pay for it. (NIV 1984) I. Do not slander (falsely accuse) a servant to his master, A. The slave would not be believed and would be punished unjustly. B. This could be extended to say in principle, Don t bad mouth your fellow employees to your boss, employer, supervisor. 1. Does whistle blowing violate this passage? C. Agur urges that a kindly feeling be maintained for those in lowly conditions. (Smith) Note: An aphorism is a concise statement of a principle, a terse formulation of a truth or a sentiment. (Webster) D. Slander is the utterance of false charges or misrepresentations which defame and damage another s reputation, a false and defamatory oral statement about a person. (Webster) E. The Pulpit Commentary reads, Do not secretly bring a charge against a man s slave, and make his master suspicious of him; have a kind feeling for those in lowly condition, and do not render their lot more unbearable by insinuating false or frivolous accusations against them. II. or he will curse you, and you will pay for it, be found guilty. A. God will see to it that the slanderer reaps what he sows. 1. The slanderer, meddler will be found to be what he is and will be punished. (Clarke)

28 28 B. Bland wrote that this proverb warns against interfering in the domestic affairs of others, meddling in other men s matters. C. The slandered slave imprecates a curse on his slanderer and that slanderer will pay for his actions while the slandered slave suffers no long term harm. (See The Pulpit Commentary.) Note 1: Verses contain six groups of four sentences each, each quaternion having a certain connection in language and concinnity of idea. (The Pulpit Commentary) Note 2: This section (verses 11-14) consists of a series of tetrads, wise sayings with four lines of four elements. Jesus used this technique in the Sermon on the Mount. (Coffman) Matthew 5:3-6, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. (NIV 1984) Matthew 5:7-10, Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (NIV 1984) Proverbs 30:11, There are those who curse their fathers do not bless their mothers; (NIV 1984) I. There are those (a generation) who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers;

29 29 A. Cursing or failing to bless parents was a capital crime under the law of Moses. (See Smith.) 1. Exodus 21:17, Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death. (NIV 1984) 2. Proverbs 20:20, If a man curses his father or mother, his lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness. (NIV 1984) 3. Failing to bless is the equivalent of cursing. B. The expression, a generation, is interesting. 1. The generation referenced was abominable in its disrespect for parents. 2. A wicked generation curseth its father. (The Pulpit Commentary) Note: Bland observed that verse 11 speaks of the disrespectful, verse 12 of the self-righteous, verse 13 of the arrogant and verse 14 of the oppressor. Proverbs 30:12, those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth; (NIV 1984) I. those (a generation) who are pure in their own eyes A. Many, because they observe certain rituals or attend services every time the church doors are open, believe they are pure. 1. Smith wrote, The sins here are hypocrisy and Pharisaical self-righteousness.

30 30 a. Proverbs 20:9, Who can say, I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin? (NIV 1984) b. Luke 18:11, The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: God, I thank you that I am not like other men robbers, evildoers, adulterers or even like this tax collector. (NIV 1984) 2. Religious and righteous are two altogether different things. II. and yet are not cleansed of their filth; A. However, these people neglect certain other teachings of Scripture which leaves them filthy dirty in God s sight. B. These people have not cleansed their heart by complete repentance. (The Pulpit Commentary) 1. Isaiah 4:4 in the LXX reads, A wicked generation judgeth themselves to be just, but have not washed themselves clean. Proverbs 30:13, those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful; (NIV 1984) I. those whose eyes are ever so haughty, A. One thing that is lacking with these people is humility! B. These haughty people were full of vanity, pride, and insolence. (See Clarke.)

31 31 1. Proverbs 6:16-17, There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, (NIV 1984) 2. Proverbs 21:4, Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin! (NIV 1984) 3. Psalm 131:1, My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. (NIV 1984) 4. Isaiah 10:12, When the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes. (NIV 1984) II. Where glances are so disdainful; A. Sinful pride, haughty disdain are wicked and condemn a person s soul. Proverbs 30:14, those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from among mankind. (NIV 1984) I. those (a generation) whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives A. These sinners, as with swords and knives, devour the poor and needy. 1. Psalm 57:4, I am in the midst of lions; I lie among ravenous beasts men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords. (NIV 1984)

32 32 2. Amos 8:4, Hear this, you who trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land, (NIV 1984) 3. Isaiah 9:12, Arameans from the east and Philistines from the west have devoured Israel with open mouth.yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. (NIV 1984) 4. Jeremiah 5:17, They will devour your harvests and food, devour your sons and daughters; they will devour your flocks and herds, devour your vines and fig trees. With the sword they will destroy the fortified cities in which you trust. (NIV 1984) B. Clarke described these people as greedy, cruel, oppressive, and especially harmful to the poor. C. The Pulpit Commentary reads, The fourth evil is insatiable cupidity, which leads to oppression and injurious treatment of the helpless and poor, which makes men cruel and remorseless in destroying others and despoiling them of their substance. II. to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from among mankind. A. These wicked people show no mercy to the helpless, but are set on their destruction. (See Smith.) B. Psalm 14:4, Will evildoers never learn those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on the LORD? (NIV 1984) Note: Agur in verses uses numerical sayings, a literacy feature found earlier in Solomon s writings. Proverbs 6:16-19, There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that

33 33 devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. (NIV 1984) Proverbs 30:15. The leech has two daughters. Give! Give! they cry. There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, Enough! : (NIV 1984) I. The leech (horse leech) has two daughters. Give! Give! they cry. A. Smith wrote, The horse leech, a common bloodsucking pest in Palestine, is used here as a symbol for that which has an insatiable appetite. B. Bland wrote that the leech has two suckers on each end of its body with which it could attach itself. 1. Here they are referenced as two daughters whose names are Give and Give. (See Bland.) 2. Do you know anybody like that who is never satisfied! a. This type person cries for more. C. Clarke, quoting Calmet, defined the leech as covetousness and her two daughters as Avarice and Ambition. 1. These are never satisfied, never contented. More is never enough. (See Clarke.) 2. Clarke further wrote, There are persons so excessively covetous and greedy that they will scarcely let any live but themselves; and when they lay hold of any thing by which they may profit, they never let go their hold till they have extracted the last portion of good from it.

34 34 II. There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, Enough! : A. There are more than three or four things that are never satisfied. 1. These four are simply the things on which Agur focuses at this time. Proverbs 30:16. the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, Enough! (NIV 1984) I. the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, A. Sheol: the grave, the abode of the dead. 1. Proverbs 27:20, Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are the eyes of man. (NIV 1984) 2. McGee vividly wrote that we all live in a funeral procession. B. Barren womb: the desire for children by the typical childless Israelite wife was intense. (See Smith.) 1. Genesis 20:18, for the LORD had closed up every womb in Abimelech s household because of Abraham s wife Sarah. (NIV 1984) 2. Isaiah 66:9, Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery? says the LORD. Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery? says your God. (NIV 1984)

35 Samuel 1:1-28, There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the LORD Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the LORD. Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb. And because the LORD had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. Elkanah her husband would say to her, Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don t I mean more to you than ten sons? Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the LORD s temple. In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD. And she made a vow, saying, O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head. As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine. Not

36 36 so, my lord, Hannah replied, I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief. Eli answered, Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him. She said, May your servant find favor in your eyes. Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast. Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the LORD and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah lay with Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her. So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, Because I asked the LORD for him. When the man Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow, Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the LORD, and he will live there always. Do what seems best to you, Elkanah her husband told her. Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the LORD make good his word. So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him. After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. When they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli, and she said to him, As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD. And he worshiped the LORD there. (NIV 1984)

37 37 4. Genesis 30:1, When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, Give me children, or I ll die! (NIV 1984) C. Earth: agricultural land that will always need water for fertility. (See Smith.) 1. Bland wrote that this especially refers to the arid desert land of the region. II. and fire, which never says, Enough! A. Fire: left to its own devices, will burn as long as it has fuel. Note: This instruction, according to Bland, speaks of the power of greed to consume the life of a person making him a parasite. This picture is the opposite of that depicted in Proverbs 30:7-9, Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, Who is the LORD? Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. (NIV 1984) Proverbs 30:17. The eye that mocks a father, that scorns obedience to a mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures. (NIV 1984) I. The eye that mocks a father, A. Here Agur speaks of a son who arrogantly mocks his father s advice. (Smith)

38 38 B. The eye is the mind s instrument for expressing scorn and insubordination. (The Pulpit Commentary) Note: This is an independent proverb not connected with the surrounding proverbs involving numerical sequences. II. that scorns (despiseth) obedience to a mother, A. Scorning a righteous mother and refusing to obey her commands are acts of a profligate son on his way to destruction. 1. Proverbs 30:11, There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers; (NIV 1984) B. This person regards obedience of parents as a matter of no importance. (The Pulpit Commentary) III. will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures. A. Smith concluded, the punishment here implies that the rebellious son will meet with a violent death and his body will be left unburied. 1. Having the body left unburied was disgraceful to Israelites. B. Such a rebellious son will suffer death without burial and be left for the vultures, scavengers to devour, a disgrace among Israelites, a dehumanizing situation. (Bland) 1. Bland further wrote that, in view of the number of passages addressed to this subject, parental disrespect was a serious problem in Israel.