He
layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous (Prov 2:7)
The Proverbs Of Agur: Great Horrors Upon
Humanity: Proverbs 30:21-23
21) For three [things] the
earth is disquieted, and for four [which]
it cannot bear:
22) For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with
meat;
23) For an odious [woman]
when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
In
this chapter we may have a new author, a man by the name of Agur. Very little is known about this man but, from
the context of our text, it seems as if he is a teacher who is instructing his
two students Ithiel and Ucal.
EXPOSITION:
Agur
now gives to us a listing of some things that are great, fearful, burdens upon
humanity …
21) For three [things] the
earth is disquieted, and for four [which]
it cannot bear:
1. There are three things that cause mankind to
violently shake in fear
2. There are four things that cannot be borne by
mankind.
In
the following listing, we find things that are heavy burdens that bring fear of
great harm upon mankind…
“Behold, I will make
Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall
be in the siege both against Judah [and] against Jerusalem. And in that day will I
make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves
with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered
together against it.” (Zechariah 12:2-3)
22) For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with
meat;
1.
A bondservant given authority to rule over all
2.
A person who does not apply the Word to his life and is filled with goods that
please his fleshly desires.
Agur
understood that:
1. Rulers who are not prepared to rule
2. Those who are content rejecting the Word and
living to fulfill their fleshly desires…
Both
are great dangers to humanity. In both
cases, they work great acts of evil by leading men astray and abusing others
for personal satisfaction.
“And I will give children
[to be] their princes, and babes shall rule over them. And the people shall be
oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child
shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the
honourable.” (Isaiah 3:4-5)
“For I was envious at the
foolish, [when] I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For [there are] no bands
in their death: but their strength [is] firm. They [are] not in trouble [as other] men; neither are they plagued like
[other] men. Therefore pride compasseth
them about as a chain; violence covereth them [as] a garment. Their eyes stand out with
fatness: they have more than heart could wish. They are corrupt, and speak wickedly [concerning] oppression: they speak
loftily. They set their mouth
against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. Therefore his people
return hither: and waters of a full [cup] are wrung out to them.” (Psalms 73:3-10)
23) For an odious [woman]
when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
1. A hateful, argumentative woman when she enters
the marital covenant
2. A female
bondservant who is given the position of her mistress through inheritance or
marriage to the husband of her mistress.
Both
of these are harmful to society by causing a breakdown in the family unit:
1. The argumentative married person stirs up,
and sustains, turmoil and unrest in the family.
Instead of peace, love and happiness ruling in the family, they only
produce discord, animosity and grief to control the day.
2. The bondservant who replaces those who rule
over them will possess pride in their hearts and will cause jealousy, hatred
and bitterness among others in the family.
(In
many cases, the bondservant was motivated by selfishness and greed. They obtained
the inheritance through deception, cunning, and the abuse of those originally
meant to receive the inheritance.)
All
of this is working to bring great division and antagonism between the family
members.
“[It is] better to dwell in
the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.” (Proverbs 21:19)
“He that delicately bringeth up his servant
from a child shall have him become [his] son at the length.” (Proverbs 29:21)
SUMMARY:
When
men are abused and mistreated by foolish rulers, they lose the respect and
trust of those under their authority.
Instead of working for the good of their subjects leading to peace and
satisfaction among the masses, their selfish actions produce only hostility and
skepticism.
The
family unit is perhaps the most important tool that can be used to glorify the
Lord throughout the ongoing generations of humanity. When the family unit is hindered, the coming
generation is robbed of the opportunity to receive the Word of the Lord through
the teachings and examples of their parents.
Instead of the family being a refuge of peace and comfort it is made
into a place of turmoil and upheaval.
These
things are a great danger to society and should be feared and abhorred by all
mankind.
By
God’s grace, let us all study these proverbs diligently, giving them the value
that they deserve.
May the
Lord bless us as we receive this sound wisdom and then “Think On These Things”.
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