There has been a passage on my mind for the past two weeks. My pastor, John Goldwater, shared it in our last pastors’ meeting, we read it in worship at Christ Community last week, and, apparently, John and I were both still thinking of it because he posted it this morning.
The passage is Proverbs 30:1-4:
The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle.
The man declares, I am weary, O God;
I am weary, O God, and worn out.
2 Surely I am too stupid to be a man.
I have not the understanding of a man.
3 I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who has ascended to heaven and come down?
Who has gathered the wind in his fists?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is his son’s name?
Surely you know!
I find myself wondering why this passage has been on my mind these weeks and why I have meditated on it so. I have come to the conclusion that it is for two reasons: 1) I am “weary…and worn out” and definitely “too stupid to be a man”, and 2) I KNOW HIS NAME!
Last week, when we read this aloud together in Christ Community, there were more than a few chuckles as we read vv. 1-2! We laughed because, sometimes, our stupidity is humorous. We laughed because we knew it to be true! We all often lack wisdom. We are all often ignorant of the knowledge we should have of “the Holy One” because we “have not learned wisdom” (v. 3)!
People say that ignorance is bliss, but how blissful could it be to be ignorant of God – to willfully ignore His Word? We are very likely acquainted that ignorance is due to the absence of learning, but I believe this passage highlights ignorance due simply to our ignoring the knowledge that is there. God knows all, and He knows us!
Psalm 49:10 describes the fate of everyone on the earth: “even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others”! So, rather than remaining in willful ignorance, I would like to offer all of us the opportunity to cast off our ignorance and be obedient to the command of James 1:5:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
And in our seeking of wisdom, I pray that we find the answer to all the questions in that passage: His name is Jesus!
There is no greater spring of wisdom that in Jesus, who is the wisdom of God in human form! Jesus is “all the fullness of God” (Colossians 1:19) and “the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:5-6) — fully God and fully man, unique and “preeminent” (Colossians 1:18)! He gave Himself – dying for the ungodly (Romans 5:6, 8) for the sins of the world (John 3:16, 1 John 2:1-2), yet He is alive today because “He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corintians 15:4) — “He has risen, as He said” (Matthew 28:6)!
Do you know Him?
He’s the answer to all the questions that the oracle Agur asked in our passage!
Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Our “great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13, cf. John 3:13)!
Who has gathered the the wind in His fists? God Almighty (cf. Isaiah 40:12)!
Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? The Sovereign God of the universe (cf. Job 26:8)!
Who established all the ends of the earth? THE LORD whose Name is above every name (Philippians 2:10-11, cf. Psalm 22:27)!
What is His name, and what is His son’s name? Surely you know!
His name is Jesus!
And He is who we are hoping to worship tomorrow! He is the substance of our preaching and our singing! He is the object of our worship and conversation – tomorrow especially, but – hopefully – every day. He is God, and He cares for us!
I hope you will join us tomorrow!
Here are our Scriptures & songs:
- Romans 8:31-39 —
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- God So Loved —
Scripture References / Inspiration for the Song: Matthew 11:28-30, John 7:37-38, John 4:7-15, Matthew 9:10-13, Psalm 28:6, Luke 13:29, John 6:35-40, Isaiah 58:11, Psalm 34:8-9, Proverbs 8:17, Jeremiah 29:13, John 3:16, 1 Corinthians 10:11-14, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 John 1:9, Psalm 55:22, Colossians 1:19-20, Colossians 2:13-14, Isaiah 40:11, Luke 15:20, John 14:3, Matthew 25:23, Revelation 20:14, 1 Corinthians 15:54-57, 3 John 2, Galatians 5:13-16, 1 John 4:9-10, Luke 2:14, Psalm 150, Psalm 17:7
- There Was Jesus —
Scripture References/Inspiration for the Song: Colossians 1:15-21, Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 7:24-27, Matthew 11:28-30, Psalm 51:7-8, Hebrews 13:8, John 14:6, 2 Corinthians 4:4, Ephesians 2:1-5, Hebrews 11:9-14, Colossians 3:16, Psalm 23, Isaiah 43:2, Revelation 1:8
- Isaiah 53:3-6 —
3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.4 Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
- Man of Sorrows —
Scripture References / Inspiration for the Song: Isaiah 53:1-12; John 1:29, 1:11; Galatians 3:13, 21; 1 Peter 2:24; Mark 14:16-62; Matthew 26:39-44, 26:67-68, 27:26-30; John 3:16; Romans 5:6-10; Psalm 145:3; Revelation 4:11; Philippians 2:5-8; Matthew 20:28; Titus 2:13-14; Colossians 2:13-15; Romans 6:23; John 8:36; John 20:1-7; Matthew 28:1-20; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8
- Resurrecting —
Scripture References/Inspiration for the Song: John 19:2-5, Hebrews 2:9, John 13:1-17, Philippians 2:10, 1 Peter 2:24, Psalm 93:1, Matthew 4:16, John 1:4-5, 1 John 4:18, John 8:12, Acts 4:8-12, Isaiah 25:8, Hebrews 2:14, 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, Psalm 145:1, Romans 6:23, John 14:27, Romans 8:9-11, Galatians 4:6, 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Galatians 2:19-20, Matthew 27:65-28:4, Acts 4:33
- (invitation) Come As You Are —
Scripture References / Inspiration for the Song: Matthew 11:28-30, Psalm 147:3, Luke 18:13, Isaiah 55:1-3, Job 11:15-16, Luke 9:23-25, Romans 5:3-5, Psalm 34:8, Luke 13:29, Luke 15:11-32
- (offertory) If We are the Body —
Scripture References / Inspiration for the Song: 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Ephesians 4:1-16, Matthew 28:18-20, James 2:1-7, John 14:6
We invite you to join us this Sunday at Christ Community Church in Grenada, MS!
We have Sunday School classes for all ages at 9:30a and worship – everyone is welcome – at 11:00a!
If you are concerned about social distancing or are at-risk, consider gathering with us at 10:00a for a small group Bible study in our worship center. There is plenty of room to spread out, but there is also opportunity to gather with others at the same time! No one will crowd you, and you can exit out of our side door and avoid the crowd coming in to worship after the Bible study!
We also continue to live stream from Pastor John Goldwater’s facebook page and have current and past services on the CCC YouTube page.
Just Keith Harris 