God Speaks
The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh contain this message.
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?
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!”
There are three things that are never satisfied—
no, four that never say, “Enough!”:
16 the grave,
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—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.
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
[TBR 136: Psalms 3-4, 12-13, 28, 55 (May 16, 2023) Prayers and action points for these psalms are covered in the PTTB archives. Therefore, we will go back and present prayers and action points for Proverbs 30.]
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Proverbs 30:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to Him for protection.
2. It is best for people not to tell lies or to have too much or too little money. All three conditions might each cause a person to disobey or dishonor God,
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Proverbs 30?
Dear LORD God, You are the source of all wisdom. You are the One who makes one person wise and another foolish, but any fool can become wise if they will only turn to You and ask. I find it interesting that centuries before He came to earth, someone was asking for Your name and the name of Your Son. Thank You that Your Word is true and reliable, and thanks for shielding and protecting me from enemies and dangers seen and unseen. Please grant me as well the two favors asked for in this oracle. Please also protect me and other people from people who slander workers to their employers, those who curse or dishonor their parents, those who are pure in their own eyes but have filthy hearts [and mouths], those who look down on others and devour the defenseless. They will suffer the consequences of their actions that You mete out in Your time and in Your way. May I always be amazed at various aspects of Your creation. Hold people (including me) accountable for their actions. May I learn wisdom by observing Your creation. Please show me wise ways to avoid quarrels. I want to live in such a way that I bring You glory, LORD. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Proverbs 30? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will use a concordance or other bible helps to provide answers for the questions in verse 4.
- I will thank God that His word is true and that He is my shield and protection.
- I will ask the LORD God to expose those who are adding to or manipulating His words and rebuke them as liars.
- I will make the same requests of the LORD as the writer of this chapter regarding lying, riches, and poverty.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.