1 The
words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel,
even unto Ithiel and Ucal, 2 Surely I am more brutish than any man, and
have not the understanding of a man. 3 I neither learned wisdom, nor have
the knowledge of the holy. 4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, or
descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters
in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name,
and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell? 5 Every word of God is
pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. 6 Add thou not
unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. 7 Two
things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: 8 Remove
far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with
food convenient for me: 9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is
the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain. (Proverbs
30:1-9)
We are coming quickly to the end of Proverbs. This section (Proverbs 30) will
be covered in three parts - then the final chapter which is full of beauty. It
may occur to some that these commentaries of the Proverbs are often related to
civil government as well as personal conduct. Some timid souls may believe that
I meddle too much in political government in my remarks. To those souls, I will
say the Christian never removes the mantle of faith whether at the bar of
justice, inside the voting booth, at political rallies, or anywhere else. He is
first a Christian, and only secondarily a citizen of a civil government. The U.
S. constitution was designed to protect religion FROM civil government, not
civil government from religion. This is the clear meaning and intent of the
wording of the Articles thereof themselves notwithstanding the semantic
word-games of a corrupt Federal Judiciary. So why do the Proverbs apply so profoundly
to our present age? It is because we in America have forgotten knowledge and
wisdom. "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that
keepeth the law, happy is he." (Prov 29:18) "My people
are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I
will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast
forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. "
(Hosea 4:6) To those who fear to speak out against governmental violations
against virtue and morals, I have no comment. May your eyes be opened ere the
Judgment. I speak to those who take the Word of God in all seriousness.
1 "The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy:
the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal." Though
the credit line goes to Agur, we may rest assured that they are the Proverbs of
Solomon just as John's Gospel is the Gospel of Christ. Solomon, being wise, may
have recognized the value and included them in his Book of Proverbs, or, as the
Talmud suggests, Agur could have been another name for Solomon. The other names
of Ithiel and Ucal are unknown barring any reliance on non-canonical sources.
2" Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the
understanding of a man. 3 I neither learned wisdom, nor have the
knowledge of the holy." The writer speaks out of a deep sense
of humility, I believe, though there are others who believe these verses
accurately define the lack of wisdom of the author. I do not believe so because
all that he writes later in the chapter is full of wisdom. Compared to God, we
are all brutish in our knowledge and wisdom - even Solomon. It seems that
wisdom came as a gift of God to Solomon - not acquired only through knowledge
and experience. Neither Solomon, nor you, or I, have an accomplished knowledge
of the Holy. Point me to the coordinates of the Throne of God if you are able;
or tell me the appearance of God's countenance. If you can tell me neither,
than you know very little about God. We only have God's Word as recorded, and
His Word as manifested in His only Begotten Son, to know God. But there is so
much more mystery to God to which man is not privy. Let it be said that we know
as much as God would have us know if we study diligently and seek His face.
4 "Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath
gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who
hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his
son's name, if thou canst tell?" We have no record of any man
ascending to heaven and returning to live among us. There is only One who has
descended down from Heaven and who has ascended up to Heaven - the Lord Jesus
Christ. "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led
captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what
is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He
that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he
might fill all things.) (Eph 4:8-10) All of the books of fantasy and
sensation, designed to satisfy the itching ear, are worth no more than the
cheap paper upon which they are written.
Ninety Minutes is Heaven is a fraud, and so are all others that purport to have
visited heaven and returned. The scriptures are too full of evidence to the
contrary to enumerate here, but if any need empirical evidence further, please
let me know. Why do so many, seeking some new popular notions, abandon the sure
foundation of scripture to study some work written for profit? Have we become
so fickle as to abandon a sure truth for a popular lie? This verse goes on to
ask some very meaningful questions. Who has either descended or ascended? Who
can gather the winds in His fist? Who can establish the waters as a garment for
the earth and establish their tidal limits? Who has, at Creation, established
all of the earth - every hidden crevice and pearl at the bottom of the sea? Do
you know His Name? Do you know His Son's Name, for they were both present,
along with the Holy Ghost, at Creation? Hopefully, we will all know His Son's
Name, at least.
Here follows a profound truth for our day! 5" Every word of
God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him."
If EVERY WORD is pure, where do men, posing as scholars, get the credentials to
change a single word or line in the proliferating new and apostate bibles. Who
gave them charge to change the "only Begotten Son" of God to the
"one and only Son" in the NIV and other atrocious and kindred
translations? (see NIV, ESV, New World Translation of Jehovah Witnesses, RSV,
NRSV, Living bible Paraphrase, etc). To change that wording makes God to be a
liar when He assures us that we, too, are the sons and daughters of God; and it
places Christ on a par with sinful man. EVERY WORD means EVERY WORD is pure and
not subject to manipulation by so-called scholars or proud higher critics (they
are actually as near the bottom of the barrel as possible without winding up in
China.)
6 "Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and
thou be found a liar." The fires of Hell are reserved to all
who add to, or take away from, the Word of God. God provides dire warning
in His last Words of Inspiration to us: "If any man shall add unto
these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this
prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the
holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."
(Rev 22:18-19) A few verses to check in your Bible if you have not a KJV, or
Geneva Bible - Matthew 17:21, Matthew 23:14, Mark 9:44 & 46, & John
3:16 to name only a few of the egregious changes made in the error-laden new
versions. No man can boast of the education or knowledge of God, but that does
not prevent the proud and the hypocritical from trying to present themselves
so. "For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the
faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a
liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and
mightest overcome when thou art judged." (Romans
3:3-4)
7 "Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not
before I die." This may seem presumptuous of one who prays
before God, but be aware that the one praying knows God very well and has known
His Word and His wisdom. What he asks will surely be in the Lord's Will to
grant. Do we pray with a like conviction? There are actually six requests, and
six reasons for the request, in the PRESNT AND following verses: "7 Two
things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: 8 Remove
far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with
food convenient for me"
SIX REQUESTS:
1)
Deny not my petitions before I die;
2)
Remove vanity far from me;
3)
Remove lies far from me;
4)
Give me not poverty;
5)
Give me not riches (have you heard that one prayed lately?); and,
6)
Feed me only with food necessary for me.
Can you see that the author pleads for these before he dies?
Why does he? Because each Christian is being sanctified day by day. It is our
final state that establishes our eternal relationship with God. If we receive those
things which the Lord knows is our most beneficial food, then we shall be as
strong and healthy as need be to die in faith.
SIX REASONS FOR THE REQUESTS:
1) Lest I be full. When we are full and fat, we lose our
vigor and interest in the things of God. 2) Lest I deny the Lord because of
plenty. 3) Lest I say, who is the Lord? When we have all earthly riches, we do
not feel the need to call upon God. We are satisfied in our opulence. 4) Lest I
be poor. Poverty tempts men to steal as the next reason stipulates. 5) Lest I
steal, lie, and cheat. and, 6) Take the name of God in vain. This is a great
sin of the present day. Men pray for riches in God's name. They pray for power.
They pray for revenge, and they pray without devotion to the name they claim.
When we recite the communal prayer, "Our Father" how deeply do we
contemplate the name of the One to whom we make our petition, and the meaning
of the words of our petition. Do we truly desire that His Kingdom come? Do we
pray for HIS Will to be done, or do we pray that our own will be done? Do we
pray for more than the needs of the coming day? Do we desire our sins be
forgiven in the same way that we forgive the trespasses of others against us?
Do not take the Name of the Lord in vain either in prayer, or in careless
language.
There is no better way to learn wisdom than through an inspired teacher.
Solomon was directly inspired of God to provide us these proverbs. How much
better if we learn these words and place them on permanent deposit in our
hearts to guide our actions rather than going through life as a fool and
learning wisdom from the hard teacher of experience?
