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Dave Burnette's Commentary

Proverbs Chapter 30


Written By: God through Inspiration
Penned By: Solomon, Agur, and Lemuel
Date Penned: (970-931 BC)
Overview: Wisdom to Teach People to Live Godly (c 1-31)
Theme: Wisdom for Leaders (c 25-31)
Message: Wise Sayings of Agur Principles (v 1-33)

Proverbs 30 Commentary 

(30:1) The origin of these sayings is not clear. Nothing is known about Agur except that he was a wise teacher who may have come from Lemuel's kingdom (see the note on 31:1). 

(30:2-4 Because God is infinite, certain aspects of his nature will always remain a mystery. Compare these questions with the questions God asked Job (Job 38-41). Use these questions to probe your own humility and awe before your creator.

(30:4) Creation - Some interpreters feel that the son referred to here is the Son of God, the preincarnate being of the Messiah who, before the foundation of the earth, participated in the creation of our world. Colossians 1:16-17 teaches that through Christ the world was created. 

(30:7-9) Riches - Having too much money can be dangerous, but so can having too little. Being poor can, in fact, be hazardous to spiritual as well as physical health. On the other hand, being rich is not the answer. Both rich and poor people can be preoccupied with money. As Jesus pointed out, rich people have trouble getting into God's kingdom (Matthew 19:23=24). Like Paul, we can learn how to live whether we have little or plenty (Philippians 4:12), but our lives are more likely to be effective if we have "neither poverty nor riches." 

(30:11-14) Honoring Our Parents - This sequence of proverbs contains a fourfold description of arrogance. Notice that a life of pride and abuse of others often begins with a lack of appreciation for one's parents. When a person rejects the command to honor their father and mother, there are negative consequences. 

(30:15:31) Not Complete - "Three things... yea, four" is a poetic way of saying the list is not complete. The writer of these proverbs is observing the world with delighted interest. This passage invites us to look at nature from the perspective of a keen observer, always curious to discover lessons for life.

(30:24-28) Resisting Worry - Ants can teach us about preparation; conies (hyraxes) about wise building; locusts about cooperation and order; spiders about fearlessness. Compare this to Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6:25-34 that an effective way to resist worry involves a careful observation of the birds and the lilies.


Dave Burnette's Life Application

Every Word of God is Pure


Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today, we continue with the Book of Proverbs with Chapter 30. In our text today, we continue with wisdom and wise sayings for a generation. What catches my eye is verse 5, which says that every Word of God is pure, followed by verse 6, which speaks to add, not to His Words. In making an application, we see that this truth is the same today. Still, many do not heed these truths, picking and choosing what to obey, while others add to the Word to meet their own agenda. Through all this, the Bible remains constant, preserved, and the infallible Word of God. How about you? Do you esteem, read, and apply the Word of God to your life? Let us learn from our text today to remember to hold fast to the Word of God, not to add or delete from its text, because every Word of God is pure. 

 

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Proverbs 30

Proverbs 30

 1The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,

 2Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.

 3I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.

 4Who 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?

 5Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

 6Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

 7Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:

 8Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:

 9Lest 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.

 10Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.

 11There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.

 12There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

 13There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.

 14There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

 15The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:

 16The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.

 17The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.

 18There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:

 19The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.

 20Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.

 21For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:

 22For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;

 23For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.

 24There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:

 25The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;

 26The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;

 27The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;

 28The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.

 29There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:

 30A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;

 31A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.

 32If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.

 33Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.