Proverbs 30:7 - Meaning and Application

After Agur’s confession of faith, he turns to prayer. Here we can see the prayer itself and the careful way he prepares for it.

Before he asks, he says, “Two things I ask of you” that is, two requests. It is wise to think first about what we truly need before we pray. We should ask ourselves, What does my situation require? What do I want God to do for me? That way, we are ready with our request when we come before him.

He also says, “Do not deny me before I die.” When we pray, we should remember that death is coming and pray with that in mind. He asks for pardon, peace, and grace before death, because once life is over, that work cannot be done afterward. There is no wisdom or work in the grave, and if God does not give grace now, then he is lost. As long as we live, we should ask to remain under God’s guidance and care.

The first thing Agur asks for is grace for his soul. He says, “Keep falsehood and lies far from me.” He wants to be delivered from sin, from corrupt thoughts, evil habits, wrong desires, and mistakes that lead to sin. He also wants to be freed from love for the world, because worldly things are empty and deceptive. Some understand this as a plea for forgiveness, since when God forgives sin, he removes it. Either way, the sense is much the same as, “Do not lead us into temptation.” Nothing harms us more than sin, so nothing should be prayed against more earnestly.

The second thing he asks for is fitting food for his body. After praying for God’s grace, he also asks for God’s care in daily life, but only in ways that will help his soul and not harm it. He asks to receive from God a proper share of the good things of this life, “the bread that belongs to me,” meaning the food and provision God sees fit to give. We should leave that to God’s wisdom. It is like asking for the bread that suits our place and calling in life, whether we are rich or poor, a worker or a head of a household.

He also asks to be kept from every kind of life that would tempt him to sin. First, he prays against both extremes, poverty and riches: “Give me neither poverty nor riches.” He does not mean that poverty or wealth are evil in themselves. Either one can be used well by God’s grace. But he shows that wise and godly people often prefer a middle path, with neither great honor nor great shame. He also shows holy concern for his own weakness, knowing he might not stand well against the temptations of either condition.

He gives the reason for this prayer in the next verse. He does not say he fears poverty because of hardship alone, or riches because of inconvenience alone. He fears sin in either state. If he were rich, he might become full and deny God, like Jeshurun, who grew fat and rejected the Lord who made him (Deuteronomy 32:15). He might become proud, forgetful of God, and act as if he did not need him. Prosperity often leads people to ask, “Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him?” (Job 22:17). Even good people fear this, because they know their own hearts can deceive them, and no amount of worldly gain can make up for even a little guilt.

He also fears poverty because it can tempt a person to steal. Poverty is a strong push toward dishonesty, and many people give in to it. Some try to excuse theft by saying they were poor, but that excuse will not stand before God. Still, Agur’s main concern is not punishment, such as being beaten, jailed, or sold into service. His concern is that he might dishonor God. He does not want to steal and bring shame on his faith, or steal and then lie about it when accused. He knows that one sin often leads to another, because sin goes downhill quickly. He calls God “my God,” and because of that close bond, he fears doing anything that would offend him.