Proverbs 30                                                                                                         

Good morning Son,

In every man's life there are seasons. And for me the season of this life is aptly described by the writer in today's reading – Proverbs 30.

Proverbs 30:2-3 “I am the most ignorant of men; I do not have a man's understanding. I have not learned wisdom nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.”

Proverbs 30:5-6 “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.”

Oftentimes when we feel like we are the most intelligent of men, we become painfully aware of our ignorance. The writer here proclaims from the beginning his ignorance, indeed that he is “the most ignorant of men.” He puts himself on the bottom of the heap. And yet, we are reading the words that he put to papyrus (the paper of the day). To be so ignorant why would he attempt to put anything down for us to read? Why would I want to read the ramblings of an ignorant man? Why would I care to know what he thinks if he is so stupid? If he is indeed the lowest of the low, that puts him below me. That would mean that I am smarter than him. Why then should I listen to him? And if that were not enough of a reason not to listen to him, he further proclaims: “I do not have a man's understanding.”

Although I don't know what a “man's understanding” is, it certainly sounds like something that I should have, and something I would want. Oh, but don't stop, he further tells us that he “has not learned wisdom” and he has no “knowledge of the Holy One.” Wow! Why should I be listening to him? If I were to proclaim that to you, would you have reason to listen to me? Would you care what I had to say?

I wonder what you would have gathered about him if you looked at his life, his family, his friends and even his enemies. If you looked at the fruit of his life, what would you know. If you examined what he said he would do and what he did.

I know persons that should have been born in Missouri. Missouri is known as the “show me” state. Don't tell me about it, don't promise you are going to do something – show me. Indeed I receive no accolades from those persons for a promise to do, if I do not immediately do. I both love and hate those folks. Why? Love them because they call me to account – and we all need people in our lives that do so. Hate them because they often can only see the past performance – more like failures – and until completion, and continued walking in something for a long time, have no belief in the promised result, in that any change has occurred at all. The question becomes whether there is fruit. Ahh and what does that fruit look like? What is the evidence of that fruit? What evidence do you have to show?

The problem with the evidence is that some evidence of change is only within the heart of the individual - some only within the word of God. Sure it will come out in time. But at the moment the only one who can see the evidence is the one who can see the heart and who knows the Lord's word – God. The writer here looks at himself and says – I don't have it, and I don't get it. I am a mess. For himself he sees little evidence inside and out of the power of God working in His life. He sees little evidence of the wisdom of God, or the knowledge of God in himself. He compares it to what it should be and comes to the conclusion that He is a man without a man's understanding.

So it is with me. I stand as the writer.

So I guess you can stop reading now. No reason for you to press on. What could I teach you? As an ignorant man, indeed the MOST ignorant of men – nothing much I am afraid. As a man lacking a man's understanding – can't pass on that which I do not have, right? As one without the wisdom of God – do you really wish to learn foolishness? As one lacking the knowledge of God – well if I lack the knowledge of God and the fear of God is the beginning of all wisdom and knowledge, I obviously must not fear Him as I should – I myself would advise you to get away from such a one. See, I am painfully aware of the truth of what we used to say when I was a teenager - “i ain't all that.”

But perhaps that is just the point. I ain't all that. Although stupid as I am, I am asking you to hang with me for a moment (like you would humor the village idiot. Okay? LOL). Let's look a little deeper at what the writer of Proverbs is saying.

What can I learn when I think I already know it? If I see myself as having intelligence – can you teach me? If I see myself as already possessing a man's understanding can I learn what that is? If I believe I already have the wisdom of God, how would I recognize His wisdom if it is different from what I believe to already own? If I think I know God, why would I be concerned with studying to get to know him? Indeed unless I acknowledge my ignorance before an all intelligent God, my lack of a man's understanding before the God who created me, my lack of wisdom before the source of He who is capable of giving me wisdom, and my lack of knowledge of God before my Lord then I can never become intelligent, gain a man's understanding, or receive wisdom and knowledge from God. Point: This is the beginning point of fullness of life for me – acknowledgement of the reality of my true position before God.

We can not go forward in our lives without first acknowledging, agreeing with God as to exactly where we stand in Him. We must see ourselves within the context of a holy God. We must see ourselves, our hearts, our actions, the fruit of our lives from God's perspective. We must examine all in the light of His word.

Proverbs 30:5-6 “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.”

From the proclamation of his ignorance the writer moves into verses 5-6 above. He points the reader to who he should be listening to, to where the true intelligence is, to where a man's understanding can be obtained, to where wisdom and knowledge of the Lord resides - “Every word of God . .” We are told it is a shield to those who take refuge in him. In addition we are given a warning not to add to his words, otherwise we will be proven to be a liar.

In the old testament times a prophet would be stoned if he proclaimed to be a prophet of God and what he said did not come to pass. People would determine that it was not the word of God. And yet many of the prophecies did not happen in the day and time of the prophets. In fact none of the prophecies concerning Jesus did. And yet they were still deemed prophets. Why? Because God caused a multitude of the prophecies said then to come to pass then. But not all. How difficult it must have been for those men and women of God to stand and say “thus says the Lord,” not sure of when “thus said the Lord” would happen. Because of the danger to their lives it became even more important that they not lift themselves up and add to His word. It became so much more important that they had the understanding of their complete ignorance as the writer states in Proverbs 30:2-3. It became even more important for them that they were truly relying on the flawless word of God. However even then, on many occasions the only evidence they had of God's having done a work was the promise of a work having been completed. No outward signs. When Isaiah wrote “he was bruised for our iniquity, . . .” he spoke of a Jesus he would not see in his lifetime. The evidence of God's completed work embodied only in the word of God spoken.

When the Lord spoke to Momma P when she was inquiring of Him as to my proposal for marriage she will tell you that God referred to me as “His good and faithful servant.”

But she knew me. Or did she? But I knew myself. Or did I?

What did God see in David the King that God would refer to Him as a man after His own heart? David the murderer. David the adulterer. David the thief. This David God referred to as a man after His own heart.

The heart of God causes His word to come to pass, to always be found to be true. The beginning of intelligence, a man's understanding, wisdom and knowledge of Him starts with our agreeing with Him as to our ignorance. See David had the heart of God not because he was perfect, but he was willing to agree with God in what God said about him, in both his sin and his righteousness. David was willing to repent, and he was also willing to get up, wash his face and move on (look up the retelling of what he did in being confronted with his sin, in seeking God's healing of Bathsheba's first born son, and when the baby died). David was willing to believe God's flawless word to and about himself.

Sometimes the evidence of God's word working in your heart is not known to anyone. Where there has been error, where you and I have sinned, there may be no evidence of a turning on the outside for others to see. Indeed you yourself may doubt the true transformation, or change. You may look at yourself and say as I said to myself this morning . . .

“I am the most ignorant of men; I do not have a man's understanding. I have not learned wisdom nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.”

But don't stop there. Proceed on to grab hold and don't let go of the flawless word of God to you and about you. Do not waiver in believing His word to you. It is your shield and your refuge when all else looks bleak and there is no evidence of any workings of the Lord, where the only evidence is His word. Where you have noting to show to those Missouri people in your life.

“You mean Murphy, my good and faithful servant.”

You mean ____________ (insert your name) my child, the one I have called to my own, the one I call blessed, the one I have chosen to love, the one I have abundant life for. Yes, you my son.

Sometimes the only evidence of the working of God in your life will be His word. Don't ignore where you stand now – your ignorance, but see the now and lay hold of His word to you. Do what He says. Do the work. The other evidence, it will come. Don't worry.

Love yah,

dad