Proverbs 30

Introduction

Last week our focus was on having the same heart and soul

How to get to the one heart and soul as a church. This is crucial for God’s success.

The answer to the question was we need God. He is the one the energizes and synthesizes us.

2 Chronicles 30:12 “Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of the Lord.”

Jeremiah 32:39 “And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:”

How does God do this?

Should we just sit down and wait in God to synthesize us into one heart and one soul or is there something that we should be doing that prepares us for the synthesizing?

God moves and works mightily with humble heart

Micah 6:8 “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; And what doth the Lord require of thee, But to do justly, and to love mercy, And to walk humbly with thy God?”

Matthew 23:12 “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”

Proverbs 22:4 “By humility and the fear of the Lord Are riches, and honour, and life.”

James 4:10 “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”

Humbleness demonstrates that we are dependent upon God and His word. His word whether in 1 Corinthians or Hebrews points to the dependent nature we should have for our church.

Sadly, today churches are dependent upon people coming, but people are not dependent upon the church.

We are good at making excuses - but are excuses warp God’s intention for the church and screams arrogance.

Self awareness - Proverbs 30:2-4

Proverbs 30:2–4 KJV 1900

Surely I am more brutish than any man, And have not the understanding of a man. I neither learned wisdom, Nor have the knowledge of the holy. 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, if thou canst tell?

Definition - conscious knowledge of one's own character, feelings, motives, and desires: In oder to interpret your conscious knowledge of yourself, you need comparison.

A handful of times, I have heard an evangelist say something like - I am a stupid hillbilly from the hills of Tennessee or North Carolina. The problem is they say it with pride and arrogance. As if they are happy to be in this condition.

This was not Augur - He did not think he was better than other men.

Brutish means stupid

No understanding

Did not learn wisdom

Did not know God

Even though this is in poetical form - there is something amazing to see about Augur’s self-awareness

He has not arrived

He is still pursuing

Still knowing

Still learning

Still in need of correction and reproving.

The ability to learn, know and improve is not within himself.

Why did Augur have this self awareness about him?

The key in self-awareness is who do you contrast yourself with.

Unfortunately many people compare themselves with others.

2 Corinthians 10:12 “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”

2 reasons we should compare ourselves to others:

It will corrupt our attitude towards others - Philippians 2:3 “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”

Vainglory - empty glorying self-conceit.

It will corrupt our perception of others - Matthew 7:3-5 “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”

He compared himself to God

He is brute, lacks understanding, has not learned, and not knowing God becasue he cannot comprehend God.

The questions he asked: The questions are similar to the ones asked by God to Job in Job 38-39

Who hath ascended and descended?

Context - That has been thither to fetch knowledge of God and divine things, and has returned to communicate it.

“No man hath risen into the region of absolute and eternal truth, so as to look upon it face to face, and in the possession of that knowledge declare it to men.”

Who has the ability to comprehend and communicate the most secret truths about God and Heaven?

Bible people have had revelations of Heaven, John, in the spirit, was invited into Heaven but the information they relayed is not connected with the context of Proverbs 30:4

People have ascended into Heaven

Enoch

Elijah

Paul - 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 “I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”

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?

The difference between Job and Augur - Job lost sight of his comparison, Augur did not.

The context of these verses is becasue I cannot compare to God - I am a brute - I need revelation to understand God!

The need for God’s word - Proverbs 30:5-6

Proverbs 30:5–6 KJV 1900

Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, Lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

Every word of God is pure. Within this 1 line 2 truths come to the forefront

God’s words are true

All of God’s words are true.

Everything Augur writes to his students in verse 5-9 is built upon the first line.

He is a shield to them that trust Him

That is, His words are a seal to them that trust Him.

The importance of rightly dividing truth.

Therefore, do not add to what God says.

He prays - Proverbs 30:7-9

Proverbs 30:7–9 KJV 1900

Two things have I required of thee; Deny me them not before I die: Remove far from me vanity and lies: Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with food convenient for me: Lest 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.

He is not demanding but begging and pleading.

He wants these request on this side of eternity.

Requests

Remove far from me vanity and lies - Understands his weaknesses. Personal integrity, marked by truth.

The ‘falsehood and lies’ of v. 8 are the deceptiveness of both wealth and poverty. The former convinces one that God is not necessary; and the latter, that either he is of no help or that his laws are impossible to keep.” (Garrett)

Give me neither poverty or riches - He wanted to be satisfied with God’s provisions for his life.

1 Timothy 6:6 “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”