In Proverbs 30:7-9, the oracle of Agur records this
prayer:
7Two
things I asked of Thee, do not refuse me before I die: 8Keep
deception and lies far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me
with the food that is my portion, 9that I not be full and deny Thee
and say, "Who is the Lord?" or
that I not be in want and steal, and profane the name of my God.
Presently, let us consider these two prayerful
requests so that we may see the wisdom of making these petitions to God for
ourselves.
KEEP DECEPTION AND LIES FAR FROM ME
God hates lies, and lies and liars and lies are
separated from Him.
God Himself
cannot lie as men do (Num. 23:19; Tit. 1:2; Heb. 6:18).His word is truth (John 17:17), and lies are
put far away from Him.
Lies are the product
of the devil, and he is the father of liars.Notice Jesus' words to the Jews who sought to kill Him in John 8:44:
"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do
the desires of your father.He was a
murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is
no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for
he is a liar and the father of lies."
Consequently, God
hates lies as Proverbs 6:16-19 indicates:
16There
are six things which the LORD hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to
Him: 17Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent
blood, 18a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to
evil, 19a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife
among brothers.
Deceivers not only tell lies, but they also mislead
and manipulate others with their words.
A deceiver will
tell lies, but he will also create false impressions by the use of half-truths,
manipulating words, and persuasion.Consider the descriptions of deceivers in these passages:
Jeremiah 9:8 --
"Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceit; with his mouth one speaks
peace to his neighbor, but inwardly he sets an ambush for him."
Romans 16:18 --
For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and
by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the
unsuspecting.
The devil himself
used deceit to beguile Eve (Gen. 3:1-6), and he continues his deceit today.
The devil is still a crafty deceiver.Consider Paul's warning in 2Corinthians 11:3:
But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by
his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of
devotion to Christ.
Satan employs men for his work of deceit as 2Corinthians
11:13-15 describes:
13For such
men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of
Christ.14No wonder, for even
Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.15Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also
disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according
to their deeds.
A severe punishment awaits liars and deceivers.
God has declared
that He is set against those who speak falsehood and lies (Ezek. 13:8).He is a fearsome opponent that none of us
should cross (Heb. 10:31).
The punishment of
an unrepentant liar is certain, for Proverbs 19:5 says,
A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who
tells lies will not escape.
The just end of
liars is described in Revelation 21:8 as a part in "the lake that burns with
fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
Therefore, pray that God keeps deception and lies from
you.
Certainly, we
should pray that God would prevent us from being deceived and believing
lies.Indeed, let us pray that we may receive
"the love of the truth so as to be saved" (2Thess. 2:10).
Likewise, we
should pray that God would prevent us from becoming liars, deceivers, and
agents of Satan.Let us follow the
instruction of Ephesians 4:25, which says,
Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each
one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.
GIVE ME NEITHER POVERTY NOR RICHES
Poverty has its dangers and can be the result of one's
own choices.
The prayer of
Proverbs 30:7-9 recognizes the effect of poverty and desperation.These can drive a man to theft, which is a
violation of God's law and a profane treatment of God's name.
The book of
Proverbs states that poverty puts one at many disadvantages, causing one to
suffer ruin (10:15), hatred (14:20), loss of friends (19:4, 7), and bondage to
creditors (22:7).
Many people are
impoverished by their own doing, so the person who prays to avoid poverty
implicitly commits himself to helping to fulfill his own request and prevent
his own poverty.
The book of Proverbs asserts that some cases of
poverty are self-inflicted.Factors such
as laziness (6:10-11; 24:33-34), negligence (10:4), lack of discipline (13:18),
talk without labor (14:23), love of sleep (20:13), hastiness and lack of planning
(21:5), love of pleasure (21:17), use of unfair advantages and oppression
(22:16), heavy drinking and gluttony (23:21), and the pursuit of worthless
things (28:19).
Those who
practice any of these behaviors cannot expect for God to answer their prayers
and bless them to overcome poverty."Do
not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also
reap" (Gal. 6:7).
The Scripture is replete with warnings about riches.
The prayer of
Proverbs 30:7-9 indicates that satisfaction with riches may cause a man to
forget God.
The nation Israel did exactly that after they took the
promised land (Deut. 8:7-20).
Affluence has
become a plague on our nation as well, for it has left our people with no sense
of need or dependence on God either temporally or spiritually.
Jesus gave many
warnings about the danger of riches, including these:
Matthew 6:24 -- ""No
one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other,
or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."
Matthew 19:24 -- "Again
I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than
for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
Mark 4:18-19 -- 18"And
others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones
who have heard the word, 19but the worries of the world, and the
deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke
the word, and it becomes unfruitful."
Luke 12:15 -- Then He said to them, "Beware, and be on
your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance
does his life consist of his possessions."
Likewise, Paul
warned of the trap of the love of money in 1Timothy 6:9-10:
9But those
who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and
harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.10For the love of money is a root
of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the
faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Therefore, let us ask God for a balance between
poverty and riches.
Wealth can be a
great asset, but we can have too much of a good thing.On the other hand, poverty is not a virtue to
be sought or esteemed.
Seek for
moderation and an understanding of what is truly enough of temporal
things.Most of us will find that God
has given exactly what we need.
Regardless of our
circumstances, let us learn contentment as Paul did in Philippians 4:11-13:
11Not that
I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I
am.12I know how to get along
with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every
circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both
of having abundance and suffering need.13I
can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
CONCLUSION
This prayer challenges us to shake off the world and
take on the values of God.
Whereas liars
often succeed in this world, they are utterly despised by God.
Whereas the world
teaches us to pile up wealth, God teaches us to appreciate moderation.
Take this challenge and adopt the prayer of Agur as
your own.