Pro 30:7-9 | KingComments | STEP | After God’s revelation in creation ( ) and His Word ( ) comes prayer ( ). Word and prayer always go together. Agur has expressed his absolute confidence in God’s Word. Now he turns to God in prayer. He lives with the God Whom he trusts and in Whom he takes refuge. Through his prayer, he assumes the position of one who depends on God. He has no confidence in himself, but all confidence in God. In that trust, he prays a short and powerful prayer. He has asked for “two things”. He will call these in a moment, but first he asks that God not refuse him these two things before he dies. “Before I die”, means as long as I live. By saying it this way, Agur shows that he lives in the realization that life on earth is finite, and also that it comes down to perseverance until the end. Also, the thought of dying implies that he is aware that he will have to account for the things he has done in his life. Agur wants to live to the glory of God and not be condemned by Him. What Agur says in shows great self-knowledge. He is aware of dangers of sinning. First, he recognizes the danger of “deception” in his heart and “lies” in his mouth ( ). Here it is about the mind, the inner self, the motives. It is about sin and lies through which sin is expressed, deception in thought and lies in speech. His prayer is that God will keep that far from him. He instructed his children or disciples Ithiel and Ucal in that they should not add anything to God’s Word, lest they prove to be liars. Now he himself acknowledges his weakness and tendency to sin and asks God not to lead him into temptation, but to preserve him from the evil one and his influences ( ). Those who warn others must pray that they themselves are preserved from the evil they warn others about. Agur recognizes that only God’s grace can preserve him from this. He knows that he is capable of deception and lies and that he has no power in himself to resist it. But with God that strength is present. Thus he finds rest in God in regard to these dangers. There are also other dangers, dangers that are more in the circumstances that may endanger motives or character ( ). He desires balance in his material circumstances. He does not seek great things in life. Specifically, he asks that God give him neither poverty nor riches. What he would like is for God to “feed” him “with the food that is” his “portion”. The portion is the daily bread, which is needed daily. It corresponds to what the Lord Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” ( ). More is riches, less is poverty (cf. ). Agur is not concerned with poverty or riches per se, for God can make rich and poor, but with what is associated with it, what it can lead to. He speaks of that in . Agur desires the happiest way to live. Poverty and riches both have their dangers. He wants to be free from the worries associated with poverty and he does not want to be vulnerable to temptations associated with riches. Freedom from both dangers he sees as the best way to serve God. He does not prescribe, as if this is the only way a person can be happy and serve God. God can make someone rich. Then such a person may serve God with his riches. If God makes someone poor, he may trust God in his circumstances. Paul learned in his life to deal with both circumstances ( ). In he says what the dangers of both riches and poverty are. If he fell into either danger, it could lead him to sin. As a result, his life would no longer produce fruit for God. He then resembles seed sown among thorns, about which the Lord Jesus tells in the parable of the sower: “And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” ( ). “The deceitfulness of wealth” we have in the word “full” and “the worry of world” we have in the words “in want”. Agur recognizes that he is in danger of becoming independent of God, no longer needing Him and thereby denying Him when he has too much ( ). He would thereby act as if he were a rebellious unbeliever like Pharaoh, who also said: “Who is the LORD?” ( ). The defiant question: “Who is the LORD?” implies that a person does not feel obligated to Him, can live without Him and is content with himself. The desire of Agur not to have too much is related to his dealings with the LORD. His thinking revolves around God. The danger associated with poverty lies more in doing what is wrong. Poverty involves the great temptation to be dishonest and steal. If you have a gnawing hunger and see something edible somewhere that belongs to someone else. Thereby, you can also tell yourself that the other person can miss it and you need it to stay alive. Maybe it is even for your children who are starving. Then it seems all justified. But stealing can never be justified, no matter how much one can sometimes understand it in cases of hunger ( ). Why is Agur afraid to steal? Because otherwise he will end up in prison? No, he is afraid to steal because then the Name of God will be profaned by it. Agur was known as a faithful, God-fearing believer. What defamation he would cast on the Name of God if he were to steal. He emphatically calls God “my God”, indicating that he lives in a personal and living relationship with Him. Therefore, he cannot bear the thought of profaning his confession of that Name by a sinful act. For this reason, he asks God not to put him in such a situation of poverty. As with the danger of riches, we see that with the danger of poverty, his thinking revolves around God. Agur is the rare example of someone who knows his weakness and openly confesses it. He expresses that he does not trust himself. We are quite capable of speaking in general terms and saying that man cannot be trusted, but it is another thing to say: ‘I do not trust myself.’ Agur did not trust himself, but he did trust God. We have seen that Agur acknowledges his own ignorance ( ) and that he appeals to God’s Word for the safety in life ( ). We have also seen that he prays that God will keep him from falling into temptation ( ). He has spoken of his ignorance, but his appeal to God’s Word and his prayer demonstrate great wisdom and knowledge. In this he is much wiser and has much more knowledge than man in general. He recognizes the danger of poverty and he knows the grave dangers of riches, on which man so easily relies and which makes him forget that he owes everything to God. This prayer is reminiscent of that of Jabez ( ), but as an opposite prayer. Perhaps we should admit that we are more inclined to pray the prayer of Jabez than this prayer of Agur.

‏ Proverbs 30:7-9

The Prayer of Agur

After God’s revelation in creation (Pro 30:4) and His Word (Pro 30:5-6) comes prayer (Pro 30:7). Word and prayer always go together. Agur has expressed his absolute confidence in God’s Word. Now he turns to God in prayer. He lives with the God Whom he trusts and in Whom he takes refuge. Through his prayer, he assumes the position of one who depends on God. He has no confidence in himself, but all confidence in God. In that trust, he prays a short and powerful prayer.

He has asked for “two things”. He will call these in a moment, but first he asks that God not refuse him these two things before he dies. “Before I die”, means as long as I live. By saying it this way, Agur shows that he lives in the realization that life on earth is finite, and also that it comes down to perseverance until the end. Also, the thought of dying implies that he is aware that he will have to account for the things he has done in his life. Agur wants to live to the glory of God and not be condemned by Him.

What Agur says in Pro 30:8-9 shows great self-knowledge. He is aware of dangers of sinning. First, he recognizes the danger of “deception” in his heart and “lies” in his mouth (Pro 30:8a). Here it is about the mind, the inner self, the motives. It is about sin and lies through which sin is expressed, deception in thought and lies in speech.

His prayer is that God will keep that far from him. He instructed his children or disciples Ithiel and Ucal in Pro 30:6 that they should not add anything to God’s Word, lest they prove to be liars. Now he himself acknowledges his weakness and tendency to sin and asks God not to lead him into temptation, but to preserve him from the evil one and his influences (Mt 6:13). Those who warn others must pray that they themselves are preserved from the evil they warn others about.

Agur recognizes that only God’s grace can preserve him from this. He knows that he is capable of deception and lies and that he has no power in himself to resist it. But with God that strength is present. Thus he finds rest in God in regard to these dangers.

There are also other dangers, dangers that are more in the circumstances that may endanger motives or character (Pro 30:8b). He desires balance in his material circumstances. He does not seek great things in life. Specifically, he asks that God give him neither poverty nor riches. What he would like is for God to “feed” him “with the food that is” his “portion”.

The portion is the daily bread, which is needed daily. It corresponds to what the Lord Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Mt 6:11). More is riches, less is poverty (cf. 1Tim 6:8). Agur is not concerned with poverty or riches per se, for God can make rich and poor, but with what is associated with it, what it can lead to. He speaks of that in Pro 30:9.

Agur desires the happiest way to live. Poverty and riches both have their dangers. He wants to be free from the worries associated with poverty and he does not want to be vulnerable to temptations associated with riches. Freedom from both dangers he sees as the best way to serve God.

He does not prescribe, as if this is the only way a person can be happy and serve God. God can make someone rich. Then such a person may serve God with his riches. If God makes someone poor, he may trust God in his circumstances. Paul learned in his life to deal with both circumstances (Phil 4:12).

In Pro 30:9 he says what the dangers of both riches and poverty are. If he fell into either danger, it could lead him to sin. As a result, his life would no longer produce fruit for God. He then resembles seed sown among thorns, about which the Lord Jesus tells in the parable of the sower: “And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” (Mt 13:22). “The deceitfulness of wealth” we have in the word “full” and “the worry of world” we have in the words “in want”.

Agur recognizes that he is in danger of becoming independent of God, no longer needing Him and thereby denying Him when he has too much (Deu 8:11-14). He would thereby act as if he were a rebellious unbeliever like Pharaoh, who also said: “Who is the LORD?” (Exo 5:2). The defiant question: “Who is the LORD?” implies that a person does not feel obligated to Him, can live without Him and is content with himself. The desire of Agur not to have too much is related to his dealings with the LORD. His thinking revolves around God.

The danger associated with poverty lies more in doing what is wrong. Poverty involves the great temptation to be dishonest and steal. If you have a gnawing hunger and see something edible somewhere that belongs to someone else. Thereby, you can also tell yourself that the other person can miss it and you need it to stay alive. Maybe it is even for your children who are starving. Then it seems all justified. But stealing can never be justified, no matter how much one can sometimes understand it in cases of hunger (Pro 6:30-31).

Why is Agur afraid to steal? Because otherwise he will end up in prison? No, he is afraid to steal because then the Name of God will be profaned by it. Agur was known as a faithful, God-fearing believer. What defamation he would cast on the Name of God if he were to steal. He emphatically calls God “my God”, indicating that he lives in a personal and living relationship with Him. Therefore, he cannot bear the thought of profaning his confession of that Name by a sinful act. For this reason, he asks God not to put him in such a situation of poverty. As with the danger of riches, we see that with the danger of poverty, his thinking revolves around God.

Agur is the rare example of someone who knows his weakness and openly confesses it. He expresses that he does not trust himself. We are quite capable of speaking in general terms and saying that man cannot be trusted, but it is another thing to say: ‘I do not trust myself.’ Agur did not trust himself, but he did trust God.

We have seen that Agur acknowledges his own ignorance (Pro 30:2-3) and that he appeals to God’s Word for the safety in life (Pro 30:5-6). We have also seen that he prays that God will keep him from falling into temptation (Pro 30:7-9). He has spoken of his ignorance, but his appeal to God’s Word and his prayer demonstrate great wisdom and knowledge. In this he is much wiser and has much more knowledge than man in general. He recognizes the danger of poverty and he knows the grave dangers of riches, on which man so easily relies and which makes him forget that he owes everything to God.

This prayer is reminiscent of that of Jabez (1Chr 4:10), but as an opposite prayer. Perhaps we should admit that we are more inclined to pray the prayer of Jabez than this prayer of Agur.