Agur’s Choice (Proverbs 30:7-9)
Two things I
request of You (Deprive me not before I die):
Remove falsehood and lies far from me;
Give me neither poverty nor riches-Feed me with the food allotted to me;
Lest I be full and deny You, And say, "Who is the LORD?"
Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God.
Remove falsehood and lies far from me;
Give me neither poverty nor riches-Feed me with the food allotted to me;
Lest I be full and deny You, And say, "Who is the LORD?"
Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God.
Introduction
1.
Prayer
is perhaps the most accurate test and reflection of a man’s heart.
a.
Prayer
betrays how we think of God, ourselves and this world.
b.
If
we are prideful or selfish, our prayers will reveal it. (Lk. 18:11-12)
2.
We
must endeavor to cultivate a spiritual and selfless priority in our prayers. Jas. 4:3
a.
If
we ask for blessings for our own selfish gain, our motives are diseased (kakos).
b.
Rather,
we need to pray for God’s glory and the success of His purpose.
3.
Agur’s
prayer is brief but profound; it is both pious and prudent.
a.
Clearly
Agur had considered his needs before he raised his voice to God.
b.
He
places the requests in their proper order: first the spiritual, then the
temporal.
The First
Request: Remove vanity and lies far from me
1.
Agur
uses two words to characterize that which he seeks to avoid: falsehood and
lies.
a.
The
first word, shav, refers to emptiness, vanity, falsehood.
i. It refers to
that which is done in vain (Ex. 20:7) or done falsely (Ex. 23:1).
ii. It is also
used with reference to idolatry (Ps. 24:4; Jer. 18:15).
b.
These
two words capture the essential character of the world and its promises.
i. The things of
the world are vanity, i.e. empty, meaningless, and temporary.
ii. The promises
and doctrines of the world are lies; they offer false hope.
2.
The
Bible clearly identifies the danger, destruction and delightfulness of the
world.
a.
The
world is opposed to God; we must choose one. (1Jn. 2:15-17; Jas. 4:4)
b.
The
world is alluring; it offers pleasure, but the fun does not last. (Pr. 5:11-12)
3.
Do
we have the wisdom and devotion to make Agur’s first request our own?
a.
The
Psalmist prayed similar words. Ps.
119:37
b.
Jesus
recommended similar thoughts in the Model Prayer. Mt. 6:13
4.
If we ask God
to keep us from the vanity of life, what is our corresponding duty? Ps. 101
The Second Request: Give me
neither poverty nor riches
1.
Most
of us might gladly pray the first request, but how many would pray the second?
a.
This
is contrary to our nature. None desire poverty, but how many shun wealth?
b.
Why
would anyone pray this? Why not ask for the wisdom to handle wealth?
2.
Both
riches and poverty have their own unique temptations.
a.
Riches
have a tendency to make us proud, self-sufficient and irreverent.
i. Moses warned
the Israelites of this danger. Deut.
8:2-14, 17-18
ii. “Too often,
the more we receive from God, the less He receives from us.… And as we prosper
in the flesh, we are impoverished in the spirit.” (Charles Bridges)
b.
Poverty
tempts us to be preoccupied with physical needs, instead of the spiritual.
i. The urgency of
physical concerns may tempt some to justify wrongdoing. (e.g. various forms of
dishonesty: embezzlement, exploitation of opportunity)
ii. Despair
because of one’s hardships may lead others to abdicate their responsibilities.
(e.g. abandonment, drug or alcohol addiction, depression)
3.
Agur
does not pray for a meager existence; he simply desires enough and no more.
a.
This
prayer is typical of God’s provision for His people. Ex. 16:16-21; Mt. 6:11
b.
If
we seek God first, He promises to supply what we need each day. Mt. 6:31-34
4.
Contentment
must be learned by practice. Php.
4:11-13; 1Ti. 6:6-11
a.
Agur’s
prayer is a reflection of his heart. Some may still be poor or rich.
b.
But
we need a spiritual perspective not bound to our material state. Ps. 62:8-12
5.
Do
we have the wisdom and devotion to make Agur’s second request our own?
6.
If we ask God
to give us just our daily bread, what is our corresponding duty?
