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Proverbs 30:1-17 (NIV)
Sayings of Agur
30 The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh—an inspired utterance. This man’s utterance to Ithiel: “I am weary, God, but I can prevail. 2 Surely I am only a brute, not a man; I do not have human understanding. 3 I have not learned wisdom, nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One. 4 Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Whose hands have gathered up the wind? Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak?
Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is the name of his son? Surely 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, 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 their master, or they will curse you, and you will pay for it. 11 “There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers; 12 those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth; 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 and 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 an aged mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures.
In what ways are the sayings of Agur like Solomon’s? How are they different?
Precious Savior, Thank You for creating each of us as individuals. Each of us has different views, needs, and perspectives. You have spoken Your Words through the voices of multiple individuals. Solomon was mighty wise and knew it. Agur was not wise and knew it. But the words of both point us to You and Your will for our lives. They speak the Word of God and every Word of Yours is flawless. Thank You that You speak in ways that can relate to different people, or to me in different seasons of my life. I realize that I have made many mistakes during my life, especially as I was growing up when I thought I knew it all. I didn’t and still don’t. Thank You that You gave me parents who guided and protected me from myself. Let me protect and guide my kids and grandkids in the same way based on Your Word. Everything You say is true and it’s a shield for all who come to You for safety. I pray that through Your Word I can live in ways that are pleasing to You. Give me the understanding to make decisions that are consistent with Your Word. Help me to be absolutely honest. Give me just as much as I need so that I have enough to satisfy my daily needs but not too much in abundance so that I don’t rely on You. Help me to not look down on others who are poor and homeless but instead to see the needs of others and serve them with the gifts You have given me. Help me to consider that all of Your Word is pure. Allow me to continue to learn in the knowledge of You and grow a closer relationship to You through Your Word until I see You face to face. Amen