BLUF: Two Things I Ask

Text: Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for 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. (Pr 30:7-9, ESV)

Context, Context, Context: These words from Agur are found near the closing of the Book of Proverbs. He asks of God two things:

• Distance from deception
• Daily bread

Teaching: Proverbs is part of the Wisdom Literature. Its goal is instruction in godly wisdom for daily life. This petition from Agur demonstrates a godly posture of looking to God for sanctification. Specifically, he asks of God to give him a life that is not associated with lies/deception, and to just sustain him/give him enough/his ‘daily bread.’

Encouragement: One of the greatest temptations we face in this life is to gain the world and forfeit our souls. The wise person will battle against that folly. The wise person will seek to inculcate a life unassociated with deception and instead by characterized by transparency and honest. And he will look to the Lord for his daily bread, knowing that luxury oftentimes is a slippery slope into libertinism.