GOD’S NUMBERS THROUGH THE GENERATIONS

RETURN TO SYLLABUS

PROVERBS 30
Lesson #49
GOD’S NUMBERS THROUGH THE GENERATIONS

• Memory Verse: Pro 30:12
• In these proverbs the word generation appears four times because God has a plan for all generations in the four directions on earth of man’s history.
• Also we see various numbers mentioned in these proverbs. Numbers in the Bible have meanings that are consistent throughout the Bible. The numbers mentioned in this chapter are:
  • #2 = The number for a witness.
  • #3 = The number of the trinity. The Bible speaks about the Holy Trinity of God (God the Father, Jesus the Son, the Holy Spirit) and the unholy trinity of Satan (Satan, the Antichrist, and the false prophet).
  • #4 = The number for the four directions of the earth (north, south, east, and west).
• “The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,” (1)
  • These are unknown names of people we know nothing about.
  • However we do know the meanings of these names:
    • Agur means gathered. Some theologians feel that this is a symbolic name for King Solomon that gathered the proverbs.
    • Jakeh means pious or obedient. Some theologians feel this is a symbolic name for King David who obeyed God.
    • Ithiel means God has arrived. Some theologians feel that this name is symbolic for King David as David’s kingdom represents God’s perfect will in God’s perfect timing.
    • Ucal means devoured. This name symbolically refers to the enemy that seeks to devour everything that God does.
• “Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.” (2)
• ^“I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.” (3)
  • Key words: brutish (stupid); understanding (discernment of good from evil); wisdom (skill in living); knowledge (power to know truth).
  • As we have learned through the study of the book of Proverbs man must learn how to discern good from evil in order to have a successful life.
    • There is only one place in scripture where the word success occurs.
    • Read Jos 1:8
      • Success comes from reading and meditating on the Word of God daily.
      • And then by putting it into practice in your life through obedience.
    • Success comes from living skillfully when man has the power to know the truth.
    • The only way man can have the power to know the truth is to have the Holy Spirit living inside of him when he invites Jesus into his heart.
  • It is true that the more we learn about God, the more we discover the things that we do not know. But wisdom is a gift of God that cannot be learned by intellect but experienced by living in relationship with Jesus Christ.
  • Man can never know the truth of the full holiness of God on this earth. It will take an eternity of experience with God.
• ^“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?” (4)
  • These are questions asked in the book of Job, the oldest book in the Bible.
  • The only answer to all of these questions is Jehovah God and Jesus Christ.
    • This verse is a good verse for witnessing to the Jews.
    • They will easily answer that the answer to who in the first part of the verse is easily Jehovah God.
    • However, when you ask them the name of His Son, there is no other name but Jesus, the Son of God.
  • Man can know the scientific details of this physical universe, but he cannot know the “who” that created it all if God does not reveal it to man by means of the action of the Holy Spirit.
  • People in the Bible concluded this point: Job (Job 42:1-6), Solomon (Eccl. 12:1-14), Isaiah (Isaiah 40:12-17; 46:8-11; 66:18-19), and Paul (Rom.8:18-39).
• ^“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.” (5)
  • God’s Word is pure truth.
  • Notice that in this verse the Word is personified in the last half of the verse.
    • Scripture tells us that the Word is Jesus’ eternal name. (Joh 1:1-3 Rev 19:13)
    • We have seen the Word personified in Jesus Christ previously in Proverbs.
  • This proverb encourages us to put our trust in Jesus Christ.
• ^“Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” (6)
  • Key words: reprove (correction).
  • Jesus Christ and His words divide history: truth from error, the saved from the unsaved, eternal life from eternal death.
  • God tells us in Revelation not to add or detract from the Word of God. (Rev 22:19)
  • Those people that change the Word of God to say something different will answer to God eventually. This proverb speaks especially to those who publish the new versions of the Bible that change the Word of God into something else.
• “Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:” (7)
• ^“Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:” (8)
• ^“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.” (9)
  • Key words: vanity (empty); vain (empty).
  • The two things required before death are:
    • =1= …That God will show each person from one generation to the next what truth really is by revealing all the things that are without eternal meaning, empty and false.
      • Does God do that?
      • According to Romans 1-2 yes, God reveals himself to everyone at some point in time in life.
    • =2= …That God will fill each person from one generation to the next with spiritual food convenient for that person that will last forever.
      • That spiritual food is not the riches of the world, but it is Jesus Christ and His Word.
      • Material wealth or the lack of it is not important in the eternal aspect of life.
  • To be full materially will cause a person to either deny the Lord or never question who God is.
  • To be empty materially will cause a person to commit the sin of robbery and curse the name of God.
    • To take the name of the Lord in vain means to use God’s name so that His name is empty of the true meaning of who God is.
    • Cursing God means to make God empty of His power, presence, and authority over everything in the universe.
• ^“Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.” (10)
  • To slander someone’s servant has serious repercussions on your life.
  • Speaking spiritually, to slander other believers that are God’s servants has an even greater repercussion on your life.
  • Therefore, be very careful what you say about other believers because God identifies Himself with His believers. When you slander another believer, you are slandering God!
• ^“There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.” (11)
• ^“There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.” (12)
• ^“There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.” (13)
• ^“There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.” (14)
  • The generations through all of human history in the four directions of the world (north, south, east, and west) have these four things in common.
  • It is not important from what culture, race, or religion they represent.
    • =1= A characteristic of all generations is rebellion of children against their parents. (11)
      • Pro 20:20 told us about rebellion in the family.
    • =2= A characteristic of all generations is a group of people that are so filled with pride that they wrongly think their own righteousness is sufficient to satisfy God. (12)
      • Pro 16:2 and Pro 20:9 tell us about self-righteous pride.
    • =3= A characteristic of all generations is a group of people that presume to make themselves God. (13)
      • Pro 21:4 tells us about a haughty look which is an attitude of superiority over others an arrogance that makes oneself a god.
    • =4= A characteristic of all generations is a group of people that have no love of humanity so that they commit violence to achieve whatever profits them. (14)
      • Pro 14:31 tells us that a lack of love for the poor is a sin.
  • We see all of these characteristics in the generations represented in the Bible.
  • We see all of these characteristic in the last days because these characteristics grow through the generations of human history. (2Tim 3:1-17)
• ^“The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:” (15)
• ^“The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.” (16)
  • Key words: horseleach (a blood sucking leech).
  • The blood sucking animal, the horseleach, represents unbridled greed that is never satisfied.
    • =1= The grave always has room for more non-believers waiting for final judgment.
    • =2= The barren womb is never satisfied but always longs for a child that never comes.
    • =3= The dry earth always soaks up the rain water and soon is ready to soak up more water.
    • =4= The fire will always take more wood that feeds the flames. It will burn whatever you feed it.
  • The two aspects of the horseleach represent the witness to the fact of the enemy’s work in this earth.
• ^“The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.” (17)
  • The ravens are birds of prey that eat dead animals. They first eat the eyes and then the rest of the body.
  • The disobedient child that does not honor his parents opens himself to the probability that he will suffer an early death. One of the Ten Commandments said to honor your father and mother that your days may be long upon the earth.
  • The eyes are the mirror of the soul and represent what is in the heart.
• ^“There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:” (18)
• ^“The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.” (19)
• ^“Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.” (20)
  • Key words: wickedness (lawless evil).
  • These three verses give us the 4 analogies by which hypocrisy is concealed as well as some marvelous things to contemplate:
    • =1= The eagle does not leave a trail when it flies through the air.
      • We cannot understand how the eagle miraculously stays up in the air.
      • The eagle represents Jesus Christ which we have difficulty understanding so great a love to die for us.
    • =2= The snake leaves no trail when it slithers across the hard surface of a rock.
      • We cannot understand how the muscles in the body of the snake make it move so fast.
      • The snake in scripture represents Satan and how he mysteriously accomplishes his will against God.
    • =3= A ship leaves no permanent trail as it cuts through the waves of the sea.
      • The ship miraculously floats and moves across the face of the ocean.
      • The ship on the water represents man sailing spiritually through his physical life, following either the eagle or the snake (Jesus Christ or Satan).
    • =4= A man leaves no immediate mark if he has slept with a virgin.
      • Man has free will to choose to follow Satan or to follow God.
      • The hypocritical, adulteress woman may conceal her adultery for a time. She will do all the normal activities of living like eating and wiping her mouth on a napkin. She may say she is not guilty, but before God she is living in sin.
      • In Proverbs, the adulterous woman also represents false religion that may hypocritically say all the right things so that for a time you cannot tell the difference, but for the believer in Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit will reveal the truth to the born-again believer.
      • In the New Testament the man with the virgin symbolizes Christ and His bride, the church.
• “For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:” (21)
• ^“For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;” (22)
• ^“For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.” (23)
  • Key words: fool (no God for me).
  • The four things that shake the order of society as God created them are:
  • =1= The servant that reigns.
    • The servant that assumes authority when he is not ready for authority creates havoc in society.
    • A person must learn how to submit to authority before God will put him in authority over others.
  • =2= The fool that has his belly full of material wealth.
    • The person that has nothing to do with God cannot rule successfully over others.
    • He does not have God’s wisdom to rule.
  • =3= A hateful woman that is married will eventually destroy her family and put in jeopardy God’s order for the next generation.
  • =4= A maid that inherits the wealth of her mistress.
    • God gives people the quantity of money they can successfully handle.
    • The maid in this proverb has obtained the wealth of her mistress dishonestly.
• ^“There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:” (24)
• ^“The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;” (25)
• ^“The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;” (26)
• ^“The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;” (27)
• ^“The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.” (28)
  • Key words: wise (believer in Christ); conies (rock badger).
  • Four things in nature that do things right or live skillfully from which we can learn a lot. They exhibit by natural instinct the characteristics of labor, organization, determination, planning, faithfulness, and resourcefulness. These things are better than human wisdom.
    • =1= The ant is wise enough to plan ahead by carrying more than his weight and storing it for the future. His character is the opposite of the lazy man (the slothful and the sluggard).
      • Unlike the foolish non-believer, the ant uses physical things to plan for the future.
      • The believer will be like the ant that plans his eternal future using his material possessions for the glory of God.
    • =2= The rock badger knows how to make his home strong to stand against the enemy.
      • This is a helpless animal that cannot dig a home in the earth. Instead he finds refuge among the rocks.
      • The believer in Christ will find his refuge in Jesus Christ, the Rock of ages.
    • =3= The locust have no one in authority but they work together in unity within the group.
      • As the locust is submitted one to another, believers are to submit one to another.
      • Much destruction to the enemy’s kingdom occurs when believers do the work of Christ.
    • =4= The spider (the Hebrew word says this is a small lizard) climbs high walls to get to the top by determination and faithfulness.
      • It has sticky feet to be able to climb marble walls.
      • The faith of the believer needs to be like this small animal that holds on to the promises of God.
• ^“There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:” (29)
• ^“A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;” (30)
• ^“A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.” (31)
  • Four creatures are pleasing, stately, and accomplish a lot because of wisdom in skillful living:
  • =1= The lion, the king of beasts, represents strength of character that has no fear.
    • The Christian should walk in the authority of Jesus Christ.
    • The Christian should not be afraid of circumstances or anything the enemy can do because even the enemy is under the power and authority of Jesus Christ.
  • =2= The greyhound represents strength of character that can outrun the enemy.
    • The Christian must run the race of the Christian life with patient determination.
    • The Christian will learn how to outrun the enemy the longer he walks in submission to Christ.
  • =3= The he-goat represents strength of character to rule over others of his kind.
    • This animal walks with firmness of foot in the high places of the mountains. (Hab 3:17-19)
    • With Jesus Christ, the believer walks on a firm foundation of the Word of God and will rule with Christ in the millennial kingdom.
  • =4= The king that represents strength of character against the enemy.
    • The believer that matures in his Christian walk eventually becomes more and more like Christ.
    • The believer overcomes the works of the enemy for the glory of God.
• ^“If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.” (32)
  • Key words: foolishly (way of the fool that says no God for me).
  • If you have done something without consulting God’s will in a matter, you have walked like the fool that says no God for me.
  • At least you can be wise by keeping your mouth from saying anything evil or negative. The hand on the mouth refers to refraining from speaking of evil schemes and plans.
  • Repentance from walking the way of the fool is the best recourse, because….
• ^“Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.” (33)
  • The situations listed in this verse refer to the natural results or consequences of anger and sin when allowed to go to its farthest limits.
    • Butter will result when milk is churned.
    • Blood will result when you wring the nose.
    • Strife results when anger is permitted to go to its limits.
  • This verse speaks of the principle of sowing and reaping that goes throughout the Bible.
• Summary and application:
  • What we see in this chapter is that God speaks to all men of all time in every part of the earth.
  • All of these proverbs in the whole book are relevant to practical life because human nature has not changed from one generation to the next.
  • God also says to us that His truth does not change. That is what makes it TRUTH and relevant to man’s life on earth.

Homework
Proverbs 31

• Application of Pro 30
  • What are the answers to the questions in verse 4?
    • God, the Father and Jesus Christ.
  • There are two things the author of the proverbs desired from God? Why did he want these two things? (7-9)
    • That God will show each person from one generation to the next what truth really is by revealing all the things that are empty and false without eternal meaning.
    • That God will fill each person from one generation to the next with spiritual food convenient for that person that will last forever.
  • What are the characteristics of the generation these proverbs describe? (11-14) When in time will this generation live? (Read 2Tim 3:1-7)
    • We see all of these negative characteristic in the last days because these characteristics grow through all the generations of human history.
• Preparation for Pro 31
  • Read Pro 31:1-9 Counsel of a mother to her son who will be king.
    • What things does this mother recommend to her son who will be king one day?
      • Verse 3 =
      • Verses 4-7 =
      • Verses 8-9 =
  • Read Pro 31:10-31
    • How would you define a virtuous woman based on what you have learned in the book of Proverbs?
    • Who benefits from this woman’s activities?
    • What are the characteristics of her character?
• Memory Verse: Pro 31:25