Proverbial Wisdom: Wisdom of Agur

 Read Proverbs 30

Verses 1-4:  There is only one God Who knows all, Who has made everything, Who is in control of everything, and Who has the power to both descend to earth and ascend back again.  The Lord God is the only Being with all knowledge, power, strength, and wisdom.  Man apart from Christ has no wisdom, but in Christ he can learn wisdom and grow in knowledge so that his otherwise stupid, blind, and foolish heart can be trained in righteousness and honor.  Agur recognizes his weakness apart from God and how small his understanding is against the backdrop of God’s omniscience.  He is not proud of his intellect, but he trusts in God to give him wisdom worth sharing. 

Verse 5:  Every word of God is given by inspiration of the Spirit and profitable for teaching, correction, reproof, and training in righteousness in order to make the Christian ready, equipped, and able to do what God has asked of him (2 Timothy 3:16-17).   God cannot lie (Titus 1:2), and His Word is sure.  It will sanctify (John 17:17) and rightly judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).  Those who follow His Word will find it to be a shield and a refuge to them, keeping them from doing so much harm and destruction that sin would otherwise do (Psalm 119:105).  God’s Word has never failed or been proven wrong, and it will endure forever.

Verse 6:  God has preserved His Word (Matthew 5:18), for it will endure forever (1 Peter 1:25).  A curse awaits any who add to or take away from the Scriptures (Revelation 22:18-19).  Scripture stands alone above all other literature because it is God-breathed, pure, true, and authoritative, the very Word of God to man.  It is imperative that believers study the Word diligently so that they can share it and teach it rightly (2 Timothy 2:15). 

Verses 7-9:  Two great prayers, desires, and ambitions are given here.  First, he prays that God would keep deceit and lies far from his heart and mind.  Lying is very often the first step into a multitude of sins, and it is imperative for those who wish to be sanctified to start speaking truthfully with others and being truthful with themselves.  Second, he prays that he would have just what he needs.  He is concerned that if he has too much that he might deny God because of pride and a false feeling of self-sufficiency.  He also doesn’t want to be so poor that he is tempted to steal and profane God’s name.  A life that is devoted to the truth and to honesty as well as one that has found contentment and isn’t enslaved to any of the lusts of the world is a noble ambition and something wise to pray for.   

Verses 11-14:  Here he describes four different kinds of wickedness that all have pride in common.  The first type of person isn’t respectful to his parents and violates the command of God to honor one’s father and mother.  The second type of person is so blinded by pride and arrogance that he cannot see the reality of his filthiness and sin.  The third type looks down on others and exalts himself.  He doesn’t bow before God but scoffs at Him and mocks Him.  The look of his eyes with the raised eyelids speaks of elitism, condescension, and extreme arrogance.  The fourth type is a person who will do anything and everything by word and deed to steal, kill, and destroy for his own gain.  He would just assume to see the “worthless eaters” be gone off the earth so that he can have more to himself.  He has no compassion for the poor and weak, for he is full of pride, arrogance, and haughtiness.  Pride manifests in different ways, but it is fundamental to all sin (1 John 2:16). 

Verses 18-19:  He speaks of four things that are too wonderful for him and beyond understanding, things that constantly move him to marvel at how the world is so much more than a cosmic accident and a freak result of impossible natural causations.  God’s creative genius is on display in an eagle soaring through the sky, in a snake slithering on a rock, in a ship sailing along endless waters, and the romantic affection between a man and his lover.  All of these reflect something more and a God Who created it all.  As Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.”  With God, there is always more to marvel at and for which we can give Him praise and thanks.           

Verse 32-33:  Boasting that is not in Christ is characteristic of exalting oneself, and pride is sin.  Those who have fallen into pride need to repent immediately, and those who have plotted evil need to be ashamed and stop what they have started.  The end of sin is always going to be strife and destruction, and wisdom stops and turns the other way.