WE now take up the study of the words of Agur, a wise man who keenly felt his ignorance, as is generally the case with the truly enlightened. In the first verse we learn all we are permitted to know as to his parentage.
1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh;
The prophecy that man spake unto Ithiel,
Even unto Ithiel and Ucal.
The first two proper names in this passage have been read by some as common nouns; in which case we would have to understand, “The words of a gatherer, the son of [the] pious.” This might imply that the contents of the chapter have been gathered by an editor from various sources, that they might be preserved for our instruction. It is evident, however, that neither our translators nor the Masoretic scribes so understood it. In the Chaldee and Syriac translations the capitalized words are found as given in the text of our Authorized Bibles.
One learned Hebraist, by changing the vowelpoints, renders the whole verse thus: “The words of Agur, the son of her who was obeyed in Massa. Thus spake the man: I have toiled for God, I have toiled for God, and have ceased.”
Some commentators have supposed Agur to stand for Solomon, and Jakeh for David; but the more sober accept what seems the most straightforward explanation, that Agur was an inspired man of whom we have no record elsewhere in Scripture; while his father’s name gives no clue to his family or tribe in Israel. Ithiel, which is taken to mean “God is with me”; and Ucal, “able,” are apparently his companions, or possibly persons who received instruction from him.
He begins his oracle by declaring his own ignorance, apart from divine enlightenment—that “vision” of Proverbs 29:1818Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. (Proverbs 29:18) which is essential to fit a man to be a teacher of holy things.
2 Truly I am more stupid than any man,
And have not the understanding of a man.
3 I neither learned wisdom,
Nor have the knowledge of the Holy.
It is not affectation and prudery that causes him to use such language as this, but a deep sense in his soul of his limitations and lack of intelligence in the great matters about which he is exercised. He has been compared with Amos, who was no prophet, nor yet the son of a prophet, but was taken up by the Lord when engaged in his ordinary occupation and given the gift that enabled him to be even a rebuker of kings. Agur was a plain, simple man, of little natural ability, perhaps even below the average of human intelligence; yet the Lord opened his understanding, revealing to him great and precious things, and giving him the wisdom to impart them to, not only Ithiel and Ucal, but untold thousands who have found, and still find, them to be of great profit. He was one of those holy men of God of whom Peter tells us, who “spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” Inspiration is just God’s taking up a poor, feeble instrument, and so controlling his mind, tongue and pen as to cause him to give forth the very words of the Eternal One.
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?
[Tell me,] if thou knowest.
How vast the ignorance of the most learned man, when confronted with questions like these! We are at once reminded of the Lord’s challenge to Job, in the 38th and 39th chapters of the wonderful book that bears his name. At the best, human knowledge is most circumscribed and contracted. No man, apart from divine revelation, could reply to the questions here asked. The first never found an answer until the words of our Lord concerning Himself, as recorded in John 3:1313And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. (John 3:13): “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven.” He it was who descended likewise, as it is written, “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. 4:9, 109(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) (Ephesians 4:9‑10)).
How much there is for the believer in the precious truth connected with the Lord’s descent and ascension! Because of our sins He died upon the cross, bearing the righteous judgment of God. There He drank the dreadful cup of wrath which we could never have completely drained to all eternity. But because of who He was, He could drink the cup, and exhaust the wrath, leaving naught but blessing for all who trust in Him. He died, and was buried, but God raised Him from the dead, and in triumph He ascended to glory. Enoch was translated that he should not see death. Elijah was caught up in a flaming chariot, and carried by a whirlwind to heaven. But neither of these went up in his own power. Jesus, His work finished, and His ministry on earth accomplished, ascended of His own volition, passing through the upper air as easily as He had walked upon the water.
The fact of His having gone up and having been received by the Shekinah—the cloud of divine Majesty—testifies to the perfection of His work in putting away forever the believer’s sins. When on the tree, “Jehovah laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” He could not be now in the presence of God if one sin remained upon Him. But all have been righteously settled for and put away, never to come up again: therefore He has gone in, in the power of His own blood, having accomplished eternal redemption. “Wherefore He saith, When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men” (Eph. 4:88Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Ephesians 4:8)). He had “destroyed Him that had the power of death, that is, the devil,” that He might “deliver them who, through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Heb. 2:14, 1514Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (Hebrews 2:14‑15)).
The trembling, anxious sinner is pointed by the Holy Ghost, not to Church or sacraments, not to ordinances or legal enactments, not to frames or feelings, but to a risen and ascended Christ seated in highest glory! “The righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thy heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith which we preach; that, if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:6-106But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) 7Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) 8But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:6‑10)). Christ bore our sins on the cross. He died for them. He has been raised from the dead in token of God’s infinite satisfaction in His work. He has ascended up to heaven, and His place on the throne of God as a Man in glory, is proof positive, that our sins are gone forever. This it is that, believed, gives deep and lasting peace.
When the believer realizes that all has been done in a way that suits God; that He who accomplished it is one with the Father; that man as a fallen creature had no part in that work save to commit the sins for which the Saviour died: then, and not till then, does the majesty of the work of the cross dawn upon the soul.
The question, “What is His name, and what is His Son’s name?” followed by the challenge, “Declare, if thou canst tell,” finds its answer in the New Testament revelation of the Father and the Son.
5 Every word (or, saying) of God is pure (or, tried):
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.
There are two great facts enunciated in these verses. The first is the perfection, and the second, the all-sufficiency of the words, or sayings of God. The Scriptures, as a whole, are called the word of God. Any portion taken separately is a word, or saying of God. Now just, as “all Scripture is God-breathed,” so is every part of it, yea, every jot and tittle, divinely-inspired. It is therefore pure and perfect in itself. All who rest upon it, find its great Author a shield and refuge for their souls from the enemy’s assaults. He will be the protection of those who confide in Him; but no one really trusts Him who doubts, or casts reflections upon the integrity of His words.
To attempt to add unto what He has caused to be written is to deny the all-sufficiency of Scripture to meet and provide for every circumstance of life, and to enlighten as to all that belongs to the faith once delivered to the saints. There have not been wanting, in every age, visionaries and enthusiasts, as well as frauds and charlatans, who have sought to supplement the Bible with revelations and compilations of their own, claiming for their wretched productions divine authority. But as compared with all these poor attempts, the Holy Scripture shines forth like a diamond of beauty and value surrounded by worthless bits of glass and paste. It alone is the truth. All imitations are but lies that deceive and befog him who credits and follows them.
The apocryphal books to both Testaments are, at the best, but of this class; particularly is this the case in regard to the wild legends of Tobit and Judith, the apocalyptic visions of Hermes, and the ghostly records of the pseudo-gospels of the Infancy, St. Thomas, Nicodemus, and such like.
The Jewish Talmud and the vagaries of the Kabbalah belong to the same kind, “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
In the Christian era, especially in the last two centuries, many imitations have been palmed off on the credulous as of the same character as Holy Scripture, but judged by this text, we unhesitatingly declare them to be lies of Satan. Of this number are the pretended revelations and wild hallucinations of Emanuel Swedenborg; the Book of Mormon and kindred works of Joseph Smith and his followers; the Flying Roll of the Jezreelites; the prophecies and visions of Ellen White, regarded by the Seventh-day Adventists as of equal authority with the Bible; the unchristian and unscientific theories of Mary Baker Eddy, as set forth in “Science and Health,” which professes to be a key to the Scriptures; to which may be added any and every book or teaching that claims a divine origin, but has not been included in the Law, the Prophets, the Psalms, or the New Testament. In this grand collection, God has made known His holy will and revealed all that He will reveal as to Himself, His purpose, and His ways, until the ushering in of the glory for the saints, and the day of doom for those who refuse His sure testimony, trampling it beneath their feet, or adding to it the poor thoughts of sinful man!
Compare Psalms 12:66The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. (Psalm 12:6) and 119 in its entirety; as also Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:322Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you. (Deuteronomy 4:2)
32What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. (Deuteronomy 12:32); Colossians 1:2525Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; (Colossians 1:25) and Revelation 22:18, 1918For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19And 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. (Revelation 22:18‑19).
7 Two things have I required of Thee;
Withhold them not from me 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 Jehovah?
Or, lest I be poor, and steal,
And take the name of my God in vain.
This prayer of Agur appeals to the heart of the saint in all dispensations. Like the touching prayer of Jabez recorded in 1 Chronicles 4:1010And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested. (1 Chronicles 4:10), to which it has a strong resemblance, it is a suited utterance for any child of God, even though grace has taught the soul to say, “I have learned in whatsoever state I am, to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere, and in all things, I am instructed both to be full, and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need” (Phil. 4:11, 1211Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. (Philippians 4:11‑12)). It is only as the heart is occupied with Christ that one can thus triumph over all circumstances. He who knows himself understands well why Agur could pray for moderate circumstances, if it were the will of God. He did not distrust divine power to keep him in any state. He did distrust himself.
The first of the “two things” which he required of the Lord, was to be kept from iniquity. He desired that vanity and lies be far removed from him. The man of God fears sin and hates it. The new nature within him makes it impossible that he should be happy while walking in an evil way. Holiness is his joy and delight, therefore he groans for full deliverance from the flesh, that lawless principle within his breast that wars against the new nature. He who, professing to be a Christian, yet finds pleasure in vanity and lies, manifests thereby his true condition, and makes it plain to every Spirit-taught soul that he is still a stranger to the new birth. This detestation of iniquity and yearning to be delivered, not only from its power, but from its very presence, is one of the surest evidences that a work of God has been wrought in the soul, even though there may be great darkness, and little understanding of the precious, peace-giving truths of the gospel. The youngest saint, and the oldest, may therefore very properly take up the cry of Agur, “Remove far from me vanity and lies.”
The second petition has to do with temporal things, and is worthy of careful notice. We can well understand a man praying against poverty, but it is most unusual to find one who dreads wealth and prays to be kept from riches. He dreaded abject poverty, lest in his weakness, it afford occasion for the working of the flesh, causing dishonesty, and bringing reproach upon the name of his God. But riches, too, were equally to be feared, because it is a common thing for men to grow more and more independent of God as their worldly goods are increased: “Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked” (Deut. 32:1515But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation. (Deuteronomy 32:15)). The wealthy are exposed to many a snare that those in moderate circumstances know little of. This, Agur had observed; therefore he would not desire to revel in luxury, but would be fed with food befitting his station in life, and would choose, if such were the will of God for him, to occupy a middle position between the two extremes of deep need and overflowing abundance. The wisdom and piety that suggested such a petition become increasingly evident, the more it is considered.
10 Accuse not a servant to his master,
Lest he curse thee and thou be found guilty.
The lot of a servant in the East, who was often a slave, was hard enough at the best. Therefore he who took it upon himself to accuse such an one to his master, whether the accusation were true or false, was likely to be hated by the poor wretch he had informed upon; and if he were proven to have had no just grounds for his charge he should be put to shame by one of inferior station. Applying the principle to Christians, we are reminded of the impertinence and lack of thoughtfulness and care, one for another, which would lead one saint to judge the service of his fellow-laborer. “Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? To his own Master he standeth or falleth.” “Let us not therefore judge one another any more; but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling-block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way” (Rom. 14:4, 134Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. (Romans 14:4)
13Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. (Romans 14:13)).
11 There is a generation that curseth their father,
And doth not bless their mother.
12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes,
Yet are not washed from their filthiness.
13 There is a generation—oh how lofty are their eyes!
And their eyelids are lifted up.
14 There 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.
The word generation is here used, as in many other parts of Scripture, to describe a particular class of mankind having certain characteristics in common; as when our Lord spoke of the Jews as an evil and adulterous generation, and declared that that generation should not pass away prior to His return from heaven. To suppose He meant a generation of thirty to forty years is to throw the entire prophecy into confusion. The so frequent use of the word in the sense indicated above, might have suggested to any sober reader the true teaching of the passage.
It is the generation of the children of pride that Agur so graphically sketches for our instruction and warning. Self-sufficient, they recognize no indebtedness to father and mother, but curse the one and do not bless the other. Contaminated with the horrible pollution of their sins, they are nevertheless pure in their own sight, declaring every one his own goodness. See Proverbs 20:66Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find? (Proverbs 20:6).
Lifting up their eyes and elevating their eyebrows, they manifest their supercilious insolence and haughtiness; while, if any seek to correct them, or make them conscious of their true condition in the sight of God, they turn angrily upon him, as wild beasts, ready to rend with their teeth, which are like swords and knives. Even where there is no provocation, they can be cruel and treacherous, devouring the poor and the needy. See Proverbs 6:1717A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, (Proverbs 6:17) and 21:4.
It is the generation afterward headed up in the typical Pharisee, cold and proud, outwardly correct and pious, while secretly devouring widows’ houses, and heeding not the cry of the poor.
Such is man in his self-righteousness. Such would be characteristic of all, had not the matchless grace of God made some to differ!
15 The horse-leech hath two daughters;
Give! Give! [are their names].
There are three things that are never satisfied,
Yea, four things say not,
It is enough:
16 Sheol; and the barren womb;
The earth that is not filled with water;
And the fire that saith not, It is enough.
Proud and self-sufficient though he be, yet the heart of man is never satisfied. “Like a leech voracious of his food,” he never feeds to satiety. The two daughters are perhaps simply a symbolical way of declaring this characteristic of the blood-sucker of Arabia. But I have followed Prof. Noyes and Prof. Stuart in regarding the words “Give! Give!” as their names. The name is the index to their wretched habits.
Notice the peculiar yet exact use of the numbers three and four. Three things are never satisfied, namely, the unseen world, into which disembodied spirits are constantly descending; the barren womb; and the earth upon which rain falls incessantly somewhere. But four things say not, “It is enough.” Therefore to the three already given, he adds the fire. It devours until all that it can reach has been destroyed, when it has to cease, and is, in a sense, satisfied, but only because it must be; for were there more material to feed upon, it would go on destroying still.
All of these are but pictures of the restless yearning, implanted in man’s bosom by the Fall. The world and all that it contains is not enough to fill and satisfy it. “Thou hast made us for Thyself,” said Augustine of Hippo, “and our hearts will never be at rest, until they rest in Thee.” How slow we are to learn the lesson!
17 The 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.
See verse 11 above. It is a well-known fact that ravens, eagles, and many other birds of carrion and of prey begin their attack upon either a carcass or a living animal, or person, by plucking out the eyes. Instinct seems to tell them that, the power of sight gone, their victims are quite disabled. “The crow shall one day pick out thine eyes!” is an Eastern imprecation of dire import, which may indeed be founded upon this very proverb.
The disobedient mocker shall come to grief in a similar way to what is here described. Suddenly, but surely, he shall be bereft of the power of vision, and stumble in the darkness, vainly trying to beat off the foes that have destroyed his happiness, and would further ruin his life. It is the law of retribution which all have to bow to. How many a parent, when shamed and heart-broken, because of the waywardness of an unfilial son or daughter, has remembered in an agony of remorse similar disobedience on his own part, when parents, long since departed, were harassed and distressed by his refusal to be controlled. These things come back in later years with crushing force.
18 There be three things too wonderful for me,
Yea, four which I know not:
19 The 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.
20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman,
She eateth, and wipeth her mouth,
And saith, I have done no wickedness.
Again we have a three and a four carefully distinguished. All the causes of wonder are beyond a man’s ability to explain, but only three are impossible for him. The several ways or paths of an eagle in the air, a serpent on a rock, or a ship in the sea, he cannot trace. The way of a man with a maid—completely controlling her mind and will—though none may explain it, there are yet too many examples of it, to permit its being considered as too wonderful for him.
Such is the way of an adulterous woman. Hardened in conscience, she lives in her sin, but like the eater who wipes his mouth, and removes all evidence of his eating, she hides her guilt and boldly says, “I have done no wickedness.”
“Lest any of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin,” is a word to be profitably kept in mind. Sin is often excused as though it were something for which men were not morally accountable. People are fond of considering it more as a mental and physical disease, than as iniquity for which the wrong-doer shall be called to account. But God has declared plainly, He will “bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecc. 12:14).
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 a handmaid that dispossesseth her mistress.
The first three of these obnoxious things are very disquieting. The fourth completely overturns the order of the household.
A servant reigning is like the sweeping storm of Proverbs 28:33A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food. (Proverbs 28:3). It was not an infrequent occurrence in the East for a slave or a servant to be, through some remarkable turn of events, suddenly elevated to great power; sometimes through treachery, as in the case of Zimri (1 Kings 16:1-201Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying, 2Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee prince over my people Israel; and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and hast made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to anger with their sins; 3Behold, I will take away the posterity of Baasha, and the posterity of his house; and will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 4Him that dieth of Baasha in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth of his in the fields shall the fowls of the air eat. 5Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, and what he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 6So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah: and Elah his son reigned in his stead. 7And also by the hand of the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani came the word of the Lord against Baasha, and against his house, even for all the evil that he did in the sight of the Lord, in provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam; and because he killed him. 8In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, two years. 9And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him, as he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza steward of his house in Tirzah. 10And Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead. 11And it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he slew all the house of Baasha: he left him not one that pisseth against a wall, neither of his kinsfolks, nor of his friends. 12Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake against Baasha by Jehu the prophet, 13For all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, by which they sinned, and by which they made Israel to sin, in provoking the Lord God of Israel to anger with their vanities. 14Now the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 15In the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah did Zimri reign seven days in Tirzah. And the people were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. 16And the people that were encamped heard say, Zimri hath conspired, and hath also slain the king: wherefore all Israel made Omri, the captain of the host, king over Israel that day in the camp. 17And Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah. 18And it came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the palace of the king's house, and burnt the king's house over him with fire, and died, 19For his sins which he sinned in doing evil in the sight of the Lord, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did, to make Israel to sin. 20Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his treason that he wrought, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? (1 Kings 16:1‑20)), or through favoritism as in that of the undeserving Haman. Persons of low birth so exalted are often far harder on the populace than those born in high station. One has said that a servant ruling becomes “the most insolent, imperious, cruel, and tyrannical of masters.” Equally disquieting is a fool or a churl who is filled with meat; that is, has all that heart can wish. Rolling in plenty, he despises the needy, and considers that his possessions entitle him to respect, though he be bereft of every virtue, as was Nabal the husband of Abigail to whom we have before referred.
A fitting completion to this wretched trinity is an odious woman when married. Unamiable and vindictive in her disposition, she destroys the peace and happiness of her husband and dependents.
The fourth instance, however, is more to be dreaded than all, so far as interfering with the order of the home is concerned. The Septuagint renders the clause “A handmaid when she hath supplanted her mistress.” When it happens that one taken into the home as a menial, wins the husband’s affections, alienating his wife and children, utter ruin has come in. Unhappily, such instances are far from rare, and have wrecked thousands of families.
How important it is to watch for the first beginnings of an unholy familiarity that may result so fatally!
24 There are four things which are little upon the earth,
But they are exceeding wise:
25 The ants are a people not strong,
Yet they prepare their meat in the summer;
26 The conies are but a feeble folk,
Yet make they their houses in the rocks;
27 The locusts have no king,
Yet go they forth all of them by bands;
28 The lizard taketh hold with her hands,
And is in kings’ palaces.
In these four wise things, as many have long since noticed, we have a beautiful gospel-picture.
We have already remarked the provident habits of the grain-eating ant of Palestine, in the notes on Proverbs 6:6-86Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: 7Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, 8Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. (Proverbs 6:6‑8). We are therefore prepared at once to recognize the fact that its wisdom consists in making due preparation for the future. Taught by instinct to make use of present opportunities, in order to supply coming needs, it carefully stores away that which will be its food when the bright days of summer are past and gone, and the cold of winter renders it too late to go out and search for provision to sustain life.
In material things, man readily shows the same wisdom as this tiny creature. He, too, provides against the coming days when ill health or old age will forbid his going forth to labor. But is it not an amazing thing that men who display remarkable foresight in regard to matters that pertain to this life, will yet forget altogether to make due preparation for that unending eternity to which every moment bears them nearer?
Forgetful of the ages to follow this short life on earth, they allow golden opportunities to slip by, never to return, and rush carelessly on, ignoring the need of their souls and the fearful danger that lies just beyond death. “As it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment; so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time, without sin, unto salvation” (Heb. 9:27, 2827And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:27‑28)). Here we learn of the fast-approaching danger, as also of the One who alone can give deliverance from it. But the majority of mankind are so insanely concerned about the fleeting present that they utterly ignore the everlasting future.
To all such, the insignificant little ant preaches loudly, crying in the ears of any who will listen, “Flee from the wrath to come; prepare to meet thy God!” It is a practical preacher too, for it teaches by action. Refusing to idle away the golden hours of summer, like human triflers on every hand who allow childhood, youth, and middle age to slip by, leaving them still unprepared for eternity, the ant faithfully uses the present in view of the future.
This is wisdom indeed, and pictures what all may well take to heart. If the reader is unsaved, if he has not yet settled his eternal matters by coming to Christ, let me shout in his ears the cry of the shipmaster to the runaway prophet: “What meanest thou, O sleeper? Arise, call upon thy God!” (Jonah 1:66So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. (Jonah 1:6)). If you are not awakened soon, you will be aroused too late; only to learn that preparation-days are over and eternity has begun with your soul still unsaved, and to abide Christless forever!
To him who desires to escape coming judgment the “coney” has also a message telling of the only safe refuge. Properly speaking, the little animal of the 26th verse is not a coney at all, but a very timid defenseless creature of the marmot type, known to naturalists as the Syrian hyrax. The true coney belongs to the rabbit family, and does not seek a habitation in the rocks. But the hyrax does. It is described as “a small animal found in Lebanon, Palestine, Arabia Petra, Upper Egypt, and Abyssinia. It is about the size, figure, and brownish color of the rabbit, with long hind legs adapted to leaping, but is of a clumsier structure than that quadruped. It is without a tail, and has long bristly hairs scattered over the general fur; as to its ears (which are small and roundish instead of long, like the rabbit), its feet, and snout, it resembles the hedge-hog. From the structure of its feet, which are round, and of a soft, pulpy, tender substance, it cannot dig, and hence is not fitted to live in burrows like the rabbit, but in the clefts of the rocks. It lives in families; is timid, lively, and quick to retreat at the approach of danger; and hence is difficult to capture. In its habits it is gregarious, and feeds on grain, fruits and vegetables.” In the Hebrew it is called Shaphan, and is included in the lists of unclean animals in Leviticus 11:55And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. (Leviticus 11:5) and Deuteronomy 14:77Nevertheless these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the cloven hoof; as the camel, and the hare, and the coney: for they chew the cud, but divide not the hoof; therefore they are unclean unto you. (Deuteronomy 14:7), because, though its jaws work with a cud-chewing motion, it does not divide the hoof. In Psalm 104:1818The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies. (Psalm 104:18) the same fact is referred to that is brought to our attention here in the Proverbs: “The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats, and the rocks for the conies.”
Feeble and defenseless in the presence of its enemies, unable too to burrow and make a house for itself, the hyrax finds in the clefts of the rocks a suitable dwelling-place where it is safe from the power of the marauder and protected from the fury of the elements. Surely the picture is plain. “That Rock was Christ,” says the apostle, when writing of the rock from which flowed the living water in the wilderness. Here too the rock speaks of Him; for He alone is the sinner’s refuge. The little unclean hyrax, weak and feeble, flees to the rocks and is safe.
So, too, the helpless unclean sinner, awakened to a sense of his dire need and aroused by the signs of the storm that is soon to break over the heads of all who neglect God’s salvation, flees for refuge to the Lord Jesus Christ, and finds in Him a safe and blessed shelter where no foe can ever reach him and judgment can never come.
It is in the clefts of the rock that the hyrax bides, and it is in a Saviour, pierced for our sins and bruised by the awful vengeance of the Holy One, that the believing soul finds a hiding-place.
“On Him almighty vengeance fell,
Which would have sunk a world to hell;
He bore it for a chosen race
And thus became their hiding-place.”
Has my reader found a refuge in Him? Oh, be persuaded, I pray you, if still exposed to the wrath of God, to cease from all effort to save yourself ( which can only result in bitter disappointment in the end) and flee to Jesus, while He still sounds out the peace-giving invitation, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:2828Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)).
The third of these wise things is the locust. Having no visible head, no leader, yet they go forth by bands, like soldiers in their respective regiments. So methodical are they that they seem to be acting under definite instructions and in strictest discipline. To those who have found a refuge in Christ they furnish an example of that subjection one to another, and to our unseen Head in heaven, that might well shame us as we contemplate the broken, scattered condition of the people of God, and reflect upon our share in the terrible ruin.
To the world and the world-church, the body of Christ must seem like a heterogeneous, miscellaneous company, with no leader and no bond of union; but the same Jesus who died for His people’s sins is now seated in highest glory, and made by God the Head of all who have been redeemed by His precious blood. The Holy Spirit, sent down from heaven upon His ascension there as Man, is now indwelling every believer, thus binding all together in one great company, every one “members one of another.”
This is most blessed, and when the soul enters into it, will lead to judgment of all that is opposed to the truth of the Church as revealed in Scripture. If “there is one body,” and the Word of God knows no other, I should own my membership in that alone, and by obedience to the truth, walk worthy of the vocation wherewith I am called.
The locusts all act together, and this it is that declares their wisdom. So should it be with the body of Christ. Divisions and schisms are declared plainly to be sinful and works of the flesh. “For ye are yet carnal; for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” (1 Cor. 3:33For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? (1 Corinthians 3:3)).
Earnestly the saints are exhorted to walk together in love and fellowship, “striving together for the faith of the gospel.” Throughout the letter to the Philippians this precious unity is ever insisted on; and in 1 Corinthians likewise. In chapter 1 of the latter epistle, the apostle writes: “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:1010Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. (1 Corinthians 1:10)). Such is the lesson of the locusts. May we have grace to learn it in the presence of God.
It is now pretty generally acknowledged that the Hebrew word shemameth in verse 28 refers not to the spider, but to a little house-lizard called the gekko, which is very common in Palestine, and has a peculiar idiosyncrasy for fine hangings and palatial homes. It uses its forefeet very much as though they were indeed “hands,” catching its food, chiefly flies and spiders, therewith, and securely holding them while it devours them. On the underside of each toe is a tiny sponge-like sac, containing an adhesive liquid. As it runs up marble walls, or out upon tesselated ceilings, this substance oozes out, and enables it to “take hold with its hands” upon the smooth, slippery surfaces, whence it is not easily dislodged.
May it not speak to us of the power of faith, which is indeed the hand by which the believing sinner takes hold of the precious truth of God, thus entering into the blessing He would have all His own enjoy? This it is that gives us to be at home in the King’s palace, and ensures an eternal abode in the Father’s house.
Amazing is the grace which gives to all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ a place by faith even now in “the heavenlies”; yet such is our happy portion. For “God who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace are ye saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace, in his kindness toward us, through Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:4-74But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4‑7)). Now we are there in Him. He has gone up on high as our representative. Soon we shall be there with Him, to enjoy His companionship for eternity!
Happy is the soul who has learned aright the message of these four wise things!
Passing on from them, we next are instructed as to the Christian’s walk and behavior, in the four comely things that follow:
29 There be three things that go well,
Yea, four that are comely in going:
30 A lion, that is strongest among beasts,
And turneth not away for any;
31 A [beast] girt in the loins; a he-goat also;
And a king, against whom there is no rising up.
It is quite proper to speak of the first three creatures as going well, or excelling in going; though it would hardly apply to a king. Majestic and glorious, he is comely in his goings-forth, and therefore comes under the second head.
The lion is characterized by unflinching boldness, and speaks of that holy courage which should mark the Christian soldier as he contends earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints. In his faith, he is to have virtue (true courage), that he may withstand in the evil day, and turn not aside for any. It is not mere natural forwardness, or dogged determination, that is contemplated, but “the irresistible might of weakness” that leans upon God, that led Paul to write, “When I am weak, then am I strong.”
The second in the series has been variously understood as the greyhound, the girded horse, the zebra, and even the cock! The latter is preferred in the Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, and Chaldee versions. But the word simply means, girded as to the loins, according to the best authorities, and may therefore be applied to any slender creature characterized by swiftness. The translators of the Authorized Version preferred greyhound, as most fully expressing the idea of an animal adapted to running. It matters little what beast is signified. The lesson for us is clear enough. As a loin-girt animal rests not till it reaches its prey, or the goal to which it is running, so the saint is to press swiftly on, refusing to be turned aside by the attractions of this world. It is as the racer he is viewed in Philippians 3: “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the calling of God on high in Christ Jesus” (verses 13, 14). This should ever be the Christian’s attitude. Having here no continuing city, he halts not to dally with the trifling things of earth, but, with girded loins and the eye fixed on Christ, he hastens on to the judgment-seat where the prize is to be awarded. “Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:1, 21Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1‑2)). He was the great pattern-pilgrim, ever “girt in the loins,” passing through this world as a stranger; finding here only sorrow and grief, but whose joy is now full in glory!
The he goat is the “climber.” Refusing the low and often unhealthful valleys, he mounts up, higher and higher, to the rocky hills and the peaks of the mountains, as we have already been reminded in the psalm (Psa. 104:1818The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies. (Psalm 104:18)). Breathing the exhilarating air of “the top of the rocks,” he finds both pleasure and safety in his retreat. The lesson is simple. It is the Christian who, like Habakkuk, walks upon the high places, that will be able to rejoice in the day of trouble, and joy in the God of his salvation when everything of earth seems to fail (Hab. 3:17-1917Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: 18Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 19The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments. (Habakkuk 3:17‑19)). From the soul of the climbing saint there will ever be melody “for the Chief Singer on the stringed instruments.”
Heavenly-mindedness lifts the soul above all the mists of this poor world, and enables one to view all from God’s standpoint. “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:1-31If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1‑3)). This is the lesson of the he goat. Would that every believer did enter into it!
The last in the list of these comely things is the king going forth in his might, against whom there is no rising up. It is the overcomer, the man of faith, made unto God a king, whose dignity is never greater than when he walks in lowliness and meekness through this scene, drawing his supplies from above, not from below. Great is the honor conferred upon all who have been redeemed. No longer children of the night, but of the day, they are called to overcome the world in the power of the truth made good to the soul by faith. Such a “king” was Abraham as he went from Melchizedek’s presence to meet Sodom’s fawning monarch, whom he vanquished in a different way from that in which he had defeated the confederacy headed by Chedorlaomer (Gen. 14). Such would God have every saved one to be; but if we would enter into it, we must take sides with Him, counting the richest treasures of earth as dung and dross. “This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:44For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. (1 John 5:4)). Strong in faith, the man of God views the present in the light of the future, and so, even though accounted as sheep for the slaughter, can exclaim, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through Him that loved us” (Rom. 8:3737Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (Romans 8:37)).
32 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself,
Or if thou hast thought evil, lay thy hand upon thy mouth.
33 Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter,
And the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood:
So the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.
Having depicted in parable the dignity of the saint, and the behavior that becomes him, Agur’s last word is an exhortation to self-judgment, in case any have so far forgotten their holy calling as to foolishly exalt themselves, or have spoken or acted with evil intent. If the thoughts be not pure, speech is exceedingly dangerous; it is better far to lay the hand upon the mouth than to persist in what is unrighteous.
It is so easy to force wrath; that is, to provoke another to anger. To do so betrays a soul out of communion with God, and a spirit insubject to His Word. As butter is produced by churning, and blood by pressing the nose, so strife results from unnecessary provocation. “The servant of the Lord must not strive.” He is exhorted to meekness and that fine courtesy which marked all that Jesus said and did. Coarse, ungenerous words and ways are very unbecoming in one who is a subject of divine clemency, and who is therefore expected to manifest towards even his enemies the compassions of Christ.
With this message Agur’s ministry for us comes to a close. Unknown though he be, save for this precious collection of wise sayings preserved for our edification in this one chapter, how much should we have lost if the Spirit of God had not included his ministry in the sacred volume!