We conclude the sayings of Agur today.
"There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, 'Enough!': the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, 'Enough!'" (Proverbs 30:15b-16) Agur spoke about greed yesterday, and today he compares the greed of mankind with other things that are never satisfied. A greedy spirit will never say, 'Enough!'
"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." (Proverbs 30:17) Agur is threatening the one who disrespects his parents with a fate considered worse than death in ancient times: having one's body remain unburied. This often happened to criminals, who were left hanging so that the citizens could see what happens to lawbreakers. Agur correctly believes that the person who has no respect for the authority of parents will have no respect for any authority.
"There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand: 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 young woman." (Proverbs 30:18-19) This passage is a bit confusing, but several of the commentaries I studied give it a sinister note, saying that Agur is speaking of things that leave no trace behind. The eagle, the snake, and the ship leave no path behind them to let us know they were ever there. And apparently Agur is saying in the final sentence that virginity is difficult to prove or disprove. He's asking, "Who can say whether this particular man and woman slept together? It's not written on their faces. No more than the eagle leaves a trail behind it in the sky can we be certain of anyone's purity."
The reason scholars believe that's what Agur means by "a man with a young woman" is because our next verse deals with sexual immorality. "This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, 'I've done nothing wrong.'" (Proverbs 30:20) He compares casual sexuality with the eating of a meal. We eat a meal and then go on with our lives, thinking little of it. He says the person with low morals has the same attitude toward intercourse with someone else's spouse. They treat such a sin as casually as the satisfying of the stomach's hunger, committing their act and going about their business as if they've done nothing wrong.
"Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: a servant who becomes king, a godless fool who gets plenty to eat, a contemptible woman who gets married, and a servant who displaces her mistress." (Proverbs 30:21-23) Agur mentions several incidents of unfair promotion and of the types of people who will become unbearably conceited by their new status in life. As Solomon once said, "Honor is not fitting for a fool." (Proverbs 26:1b)
"Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; hyraxes are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in king's palaces." (Proverbs 30:24-28) God has built instincts into these creatures. He has also built something into mankind which yearns for fellowship with Him. Let's at least be as smart as these bugs and reptiles and do what we were made to do. Our destiny is to know our Creator; let's not miss our destiny!
"There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing: a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing; a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king secure against revolt." (Proverbs 30:29-31) These four are confident in their power. I'm reminded of what Solomon said earlier in the book of Proverbs, "The righteous are as bold as a lion." (Proverbs 28:1b) We, as Christians, can walk securely in the power of our God. This is not a prideful confidence, but a grateful confidence. The prophet Isaiah made this promise to the people of God, "The Lord will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard." (Isaiah 52:12b) Our God is so mighty that at the same time He can go before us into battle and protect us from attack from behind. He surrounds us on every side, therefore we can boldly say what David said, "The Lord is my light and my salvation---whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life---of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27:1)
Agur concludes his writings with these words, "If you play the fool and exalt yourself, or if you plan evil, clap your hand over your mouth! For as churning cream produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife." (Proverbs 30:32-33) It's inevitable that trouble will ensue if we stir up anger, if we are gossips and talebearers and busybodies. Agur says, "Cover your mouth! Don't say something that will start an argument. Don't devise wickedness in your heart to pit one person against another." The Apostle Paul said that discord is one of the symptoms of living according to the flesh and not according to the Spirit. (Galatians 5:19-21) We are not walking in a way that honors our Savior when we enjoy stirring things up, and this is why Agur cautions us, "Don't play the fool!" Ah, this Agur is a man after Solomon's own heart! If Solomon's sayings could be summed up under one theme, I think it would be, "Don't play the fool!" Solomon would say, "Don't mess up your life by living it apart from God. Don't separate yourself from the wisdom and the power that comes from living in fellowship with the Lord."
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