In these couple verses Scriptures talk about lying, falsehood and deception:
30:5 Every word of God is purified;he is like a shield for those who take refuge in him.
30:6 Do not add to his words,
lest he reprove you, and prove you to be a liar.
lest he reprove you, and prove you to be a liar.
God's word cannot be added and there will be consequences to the violators. NET, "One who adds to or changes the word of the LORD will be seen as a liar." It is because God's words is purified, NET "The point is that God’s word is trustworthy; it has no defects and flaws, nothing false or misleading." We are reminded 1. to thank God that His words are perfect and complete to all our needs. 2. to be careful how we read and tell others about God's words. Do not add anything and no need to add anything.
30:7 Two things I ask from you;
do not refuse me before I die:
30:8 Remove falsehood and lies far from me;
do not give me poverty or riches,
feed me with my allotted portion of bread,
30:9 lest I become satisfied and act deceptively
and say, “Who is the LORD?”
Or lest I become poor and steal
and demean the name of my God.
do not refuse me before I die:
30:8 Remove falsehood and lies far from me;
do not give me poverty or riches,
feed me with my allotted portion of bread,
30:9 lest I become satisfied and act deceptively
and say, “Who is the LORD?”
Or lest I become poor and steal
and demean the name of my God.
In v.8, it seems to be 2 things that the author asked God for: honesty and not rich/not poor life. However, v.9 it seems these 2 things are related, dishonesty refers to those who are rich (and disowning God). Why disowning is dishonest? Because, in reality, we all belongs to Him and should have a personal relationship with Him. The wealth probably takes the humbleness away from rich people and think they dont need God anymore. This is a form of dishonesty.
Do we have any dishonesty in this form? Do we forget Who Our Maker and Creator is when we are blind by our wealth and success? Note, there is danger in being rich and there is also danger of being poor in v.9.
This is an interesting format in this section. see NET notes from v.15, " There is a noticeable rhetorical sequence here: two daughters, three things, four (... “The Numerical Sequence x / x +1 in the Old Testament,”)... thinks the series builds to a climax with the four..."
the ravens of the valley will peck it out
and the young vultures will eat it.
For example v.15-16
30:15 The leech has two daughters:
“Give! Give!”
There are three things that are never satisfied,
four that never say, “Enough”—
30:16 the grave, the barren womb,
land that is not satisfied with water,
and fire that never says, “Enough!”
NET, "There is no clear lesson made from these observations. But one point that could be made is that greed, symbolized by the leech, is as insatiable as all these other things. If that is the case, the proverb would constitute a warning against the insatiable nature of greed."
“Give! Give!”
There are three things that are never satisfied,
four that never say, “Enough”—
30:16 the grave, the barren womb,
land that is not satisfied with water,
and fire that never says, “Enough!”
NET, "There is no clear lesson made from these observations. But one point that could be made is that greed, symbolized by the leech, is as insatiable as all these other things. If that is the case, the proverb would constitute a warning against the insatiable nature of greed."
Proverbs has repeated many times the sin of mocking or the despise of parents, but here the Scriptures gave us a very graphic pictures of the consequences
v.17 The eye that mocks at a father
and despises obeying a mother—the ravens of the valley will peck it out
and the young vultures will eat it.
I think for one to look down to the parents is probably an adult child and the elderly parents. When they are old we do not respect them anymore. See also NET notes, 'The reference to “the valley” may indicate a place where people are not be given decent burials and the birds of prey pick the corpses clean. It is an image the prophets use in judgment passages."
Pray that we will respect our parents no matter how old they are and sometimes being unreasonable.
Audrey
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