Proverbs

Wisdom of Agur
The words of King Lemuel's mother

Proverbs 30

(1); Agur, the son of Jakeh could be read as two proper names or it can be seen as two general words.  Agur meaning 'gatherer' and Jakeh meaning 'obedient'.  This gives a general intepretation of:

The words of the gatherer, the son of the obedient.

This might mean some unknown soul gathered this information from many sources into this writing, to be preserved for us. 

 

If the names are to be read as proper names, then we ask who they are.  Many believe Agur is a fancy name for Solomon and Jakeh is a reference to David.  The simple explanaion is that Agur was an anonymous man given this name.  He was inspired to write and record scripture. 

 

(2-3); Agur, whatever his identity, presents himself as being just as stupid as any other man apart from God.  This isn't a false modesty or self-deprecation but only a stated fact that he wasn't smart enough to think these things up and put them together.  He didn't spend a lifetime educating immself to come to write these things.  He's simply an uneducated man.with no inherrant wisdom.

 

(4); You can't hardly help but to think of Job 38&39 when you read this.  We tend to think more highly of our self than we ought.  No mere man could answer these questions by human knowledge.  Mankind pushes the limits, studies, invents; looking higher than he's ever looked, looking deeper than ever before, looking in to the foundations of matter; yet, all the time looking past God's design, artistry and majesty built into it all.  The quesitons presented bring man back to humility from his self congratulatory highs. 

• We may have put a man on the moon, but who ascended to heaven, and descended (John 3:13; Eph 4:9-10)? Likewise, we might ask who made the moon and the stars and all the heavens.
• We can predict the formation of a tornado and plot the path of devistation, but we can't stop it, control it or harness it in any way.
• We can sail over the waters and explore the deep, mostly but not entirely.  But we we don't se the bounds, we don't control it and we certainly couldn't gather them up at our will.
• We explored the entirety of earth and know it is not flat and there is no 'end' as they would have understood at that time.  But we are still at the mercy of God's moving and shaking of the ground.  Volcanoes, earthquakes; shifting and moving, the earth is the Lords and everything in it.
• What is His name?  What is His Son's name?  His name, to them was Yahweh.  His Son's name, they would discover much later to be Jesus of Nazereth. 

Consider the story of "I wore the juice".  We don't know what we don't know causing us to think more highly of ourself in our ignorance.  As we learn and are educated, the first thing we come to learn is our ignorance on a matter.  We descover how little we really know and how much more there is to learn.  The more we learn, the more we underestimate our knowledge.   

 

(5-6); God's word is unfailing, He doesn't lie to us.  He is unswayed by man or emotion.  His Word is true, pure and everlasting; reliable and can be trusted today as it was then and as it always can be.  Why would we ever trust run to the shield of another?  He is our shield when we trust in Him.  What an amazing promise. 

 

Adding to God's words, or giving them our own understanding or meaning sets us up for correction.  When we claim a meaning that isn't intended by God, we don't make Him a liar, or His words unworthy, it is your words that are wrong and you will be the liar.  God won't support our twists of His scripture.

 

Also consider Psalms 12:6; Psalm 119; Deut 4:2, 12:32; Col 1:25; Rev 22:18,19.

 

(7-9); Agur has two requests:

• That falsehoods and lies would be far from him
• Moderation in finances.

Who gets the glory if these reqeusts are granted?  Falsehoods and lies are in contrast to the truth of God.  When we are associated with these deceptions, we won't appear Christlike.  In poverty, Agur knows he might be tempted to steal.  In wealth, he knows he would find his sufficiency in money and deny the Lord.  He asks that God would only provide what was needed; anything more might lead him to profane the name of the Lord. 

 

Is this a request that might apply to every person?  Or, is it just Agur's prayer based on the inclination of his heart?

 

(10); The life of a servant was only to serve his master.  This is a hard life.  To bring accusation against a servant, whether true or false, can be life-changing for that servant.  What are the charges?  Is there value in making the accusation?  To what outcome?  Who gets the glory? 

Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. (Romans 14:4)

 

So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. ¹³ Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way. (Romans 14:13)

 

(11-14); The word 'generation' should be understood as a group, type or class of people.  The first type are those that have no respect for their parents.  They don't feel any family loyalty or indebtedness toward their parents.  They believe themselves self-sufficient and arrogantly disregard anything associated with their parents.

 

There is also a type that are pure in their own eyes.  They can do no wrong; if they stand alone on a matter, it's because everyone else got it wrong.  They have dark hearts and delude them.  They fail to regognize the sin that is all around them, yet they perceive themselves as being observant

 

There is also a type that set themselves on high.  They are haughty in their ways and demeanor.  No one would dare approach them and offer to correct them in any way. 

 

There is a type who will be cruel and treachorous, even to the poorest of poor and needy.  They devour and tear and feed off the weak to support their need for power and authority. 

 

Are all these 'types' the same type or different?  Can we be broken to the two types, the sinfallen and sin-forgiven; darkness & light, righteous & unrighteous? 

 

(15-16); The leech attaches to another sucks the lifeblood from the host.  The two daughters are probleme representative of the two suckers.  It is never satisfied and constantly craves more.    The three & four are used to make the point regarding the nature of sin in this world.  The grave is never full, death doesn't ever seem to become satisfied.  The barren womb is never satisfied, always longing to do that for which it was created.  The dirt of the earth has never had enough water.  And the fourth, the fire never says it's had enough.  All these are pictures of the restless heart of sinfallen man.  We were created to be complete, content and find our rest in Him; but our sinfallen hearts are always searching, never finding enough to rest and say, "Enough!"

 

(17); Goes well with verse 11.  The ravens, eagles and other birds began an attack by instinctually pecking out the eyes of the victim.  With sight gone, they flailed, lost in the dark and became a helpless victim of their enemy.  This person who mocks their father and scorns their mother is likewise becoming a blind victim of the enemy.  In their foolishness their ability to have vision and understand will be lost.  They will flail in the dark, a helpless victim to their enemy.

 

(18-19); Three things are shown alike and the fourth is added to liken it to the three.  These first three things are wonderful;

• The way the eagle soars through the air, knowing how to take flight; knowing how to take advantage of the air currents and thermals.    All this by instinct, with no lessons.
• How does the snake move about with no legs?  With no lessons, it just figured it out.  It knows where it can go and where it can't.
• How does the ship move across the water without sinking?  It's something mysterious that isn't readily evident to us.
• Then, equally mysterious, is the way a man will be drawn to a woman so as to take her as his wife.  And a woman will be drawn to that same man.  Non one had to instruct them; help them locate each other.  It just happens. 

 

Can we say these show God's design in the creation in four different places?  His handiwork is shown as he wrote those things into our being.

 

(20); Strangely enough, some join this verse with 18 & 19.  But the fourth thing of verse 19 seemed to be the end of the matter.  There is no wonder or mystery in the way of the adulterous woman.  She has a hardened conscience.  Like eating and wiping her mouth and then claiming she didn't eat, she commits her adultery and claims to have no wickedness. 

 

(21-23); The three things are offered as objects that upse the course of things.

• The servant who suddenly find himself in a position of power to rule over others is often a hard taskmaster.  Suddenly he forgets what it is like to serve; but is focused on being served.
• The fool filled with food quickly forgets what it was like to be hungry.  Any lesson of benefit from pursuing this feast is long forgotten.  He enjoys his fulness as if he deserved it.
• The hateful woman probably wasn't hateful until she was married.  She couldn't show her hatred until she has a husband.  Now she forgets that unleashed her hatred on this family. 
• The fourth speaks of the maidservant.  She was to serve in the household, suddenly she, by attracting the affections of the man, displaces the mistress.  This may seem like a Cindarella story to her.  But she will quickly become the mistress of the house and always wonder about her maidens!

 (24-28); The little but wise:

• The ants, small but wise enough to lay up food in the summer. 
• The rock badger is feeble; not strong, not large, not equiped to dig or climb.  Yet it lives among the rocks.
• The locusts have no king, no leader of any kind.  Yet they advance like a well trained and disciplined army following their general.
• The small spider is wise.  It climbs the walls with ease and enters the palace of the king.  Of all the walls, it knew which to climb.

We can obvously learn from these creatures, finding our sufficiency not in the strong, the mighty or the educated, but in Christ alone who equps us and gives us all good things. 

 

(29-31); The majestic and stately in their walk:

• The lion; (the translation to lion is questionaable) clearly majestic & kingly: he is bold and unflinching, never turning away from any one or thing.  He epitomizes courage.
• A greyhound (NIV – Strutting rooster); while the translation is uncertain the picture is similar to the lion.   With the greyhound, some add the characteristic of running tirelessly to the prize.
• A male goat; The he goat is the climber, going ever higher and higher, never satisfied until he reaches the peak. 
• The first three give us a similar pictures, all to add to the fourth picture, that of the king with his army following him.  He is the balance of upright, but humble; one of great courage, but not arrogant; climbing higher, but not for his benefit but seeking God on high.  He is the bold and unflinching, running all the way to the end.  In this, I see none other but the King of all Kings, Jesus. 

(32-33); The final word from Agur is a warning.  It is a warning against stirring up anger in other folks.  Strife doesn't just happen unprovoked; as butter doesn't happen without churning and the nose doesn't bleed without twisting.  If you are foolish enough to exalt yourself or plan evil, quickly silence your self before you stir up wrath in your pride. 

 

Proverbs 31

 

(1); Most would believe that Lemuel was his mother's name for Solomon.  The name means 'devoted to God' or 'by God'.  Most of these proverbs indicate the words of a father spoken to his son.  As the proverbs speak of the son respecting the father and mother, we often see the mother in quiet agreement with the father.  However, in this chapter we see the wisdom of mother to her son.

 

(2); What?  What?  What?  The repeated question shows how much importance mom places on these words she is about to speak.  She doesn't want to waste any words; she feels the need to use them wisely and get them right the first time. 

 

'Son of my vows' is somewhat telling.  It's not hard to imagine that Bathsheba had been in prayer regarding her son.  What could she say to him?  How could she advise after the sin in which she took part with David?  It is likely her vows were that of bringing her child up in the ways of the Lord. 

 

(3); The authority and power of the king is transferred to the hands of a woman by the king that doesn't maintain his sobriety and dabbles with lecentiousness.  Solomon was not to multiply wives to himself (Deut 17:17) and he did well in his younger years.  Later, however, he took many wives and they turned his heart away from the Lord.

 

(4-9); Lemuel's mother warns the king to avoid the pitfalls of alcohol.  The drunken king will become a self-indulgent king and ignore the people.  See also Eccl 10:16-17.  Alcohol impairs judgment; the ability to judge wisely is harmed.  The law is forgotten by the drunken king.  This memory lapse might be acceptable to the bitter of heart, to forget their bitterness.  It might also be fine to forget poverty and misery, but it wasn't acceptable to forget the law and justice.  The king had to remain sober to bring word on behal of the speechless and plead the cause of the poor and needy.

 

(10-31) is an acrostic describing the excellent wife.

(10-12; Aleph, Beth, Gimel); This wife described is virtuous for many reasons.  While chastity is part of it, it is not all spoken of.  It speaks of her devotion and commitment.  Her value is incomparable; not equated to even rubies.  The husband trusts her, knowing she won't betray him.  Every day, day in and out, she is faithful and devoted.

 

(13-15; Daleth, He, Vau); This woman is a servant, hard at work providing for the family.  The wool and flax were used to make clothing.  She does the shopping; or at that time she bought and traded in the marketplace to bring home food.  She is also known to be up early, before the light, grinding on the mill to provide food.  It is love that moves her and motivates her to have the heart of a servant.

 

(16-18; Zain, Cheth, Teth); The prudent woman also is a business woman and a farmer.  She adds to the family's investments and possessions.  She is no weakling at the mercy of others.  She is strong, in her will and physically as she manages the household. 

 

(19-21; Yod, Caph, Lamed); This woman puts her hands to work to spinning of fibers to make clothing.  This was a manual spinning process.  Her hands are also extended to the poor.  So, we see her hands at work for her own family, but they are also at work for the poor.  The scarlett cloths were of expensive material that were warm. 

 

(22-24; Mem, Nun, Samech); We can easily see this woman didn't have any spare time.  Her life was full.  The purple and fine linen were not just average clothes.  This woman clothed herself well.  Her husband was known at the gates; this likely means he held a seat among the elders.  He was certainly clothed well in his seat of honor.  Not only did the virtuous woman cloth her family well and provide for the poor, she was also a business woman, selling garments and providing them to others who sold them.

 

(25-27; Ayin, Pe, Tsaddi); While she does man things, the Proverbs 31 woman is known for her strength and honor.  Integrity has a way of solidifying the future.  She shall rejoice in time to come seems to speak of stability. There's a feel of seasoning or maturity in this woman.  She is kind and chooses her words wisely, not babbling for the sake of talking.  She doesn't feel the need to fill every moment with words but fills the right moments with the right words.  This woman oversees all the affairs of the household.  I can't imagine she would ever be idle in doing so. 

 

(28-29; Koph, Resh); Imagine the children growing up and then showing appreciation to their mother for all she did for them.  This is their expression of love.  Its not hard to see that the husband would also praise and appreciate his wife.  He believes she excels beyond all other women.  We can also consider this an expression of deep love for his wife.

 

(30-31; Schin, Tau); Charm can be faked; even beauty can be faked these days.  But the heart of a woman who fears the Lord cannot be.  Her heart will show in every aspect of her life and she'll be accordingly praised.  Her works and the attitude of heart will be her identity.  We might see these as a regenerated heart, the heart of a servant that serves for Jesus.  These works done, in the fear of the Lord, for His glory, are the works that will precede us to heaven.  They will bear heavenly fruit.

 

©2017 Doug Ford