So out of nowhere comes this man named Agur. Who is he and why is his stuff presented toward the end of Solomon's wisdom - you ask? Great question.I've read through this first section a couple of times. Agur is an unknown to nearly every biblical source known to man. So is his father Jakeh. And the person he is communicating with (Ithiel) is not on the best known biblical characters list. So why is his "utterance" here? What does it mean?
Agur is speaking of his insights regarding life. From what he writes, he was weary - worn out (verse 1), he did not consider himself wise (verses 2–4), and believed God’s words to be true (verses 5–6). He asks God to remove lying from him and give him neither riches nor poverty (verses 7–9).
Agur's simple yet profound observations on life reveal some interesting aspects of this unknown person. For example, he realized God’s wisdom was greater than his own. He understood the temptation of riches. He knew many aspects of life and of God’s creation would remain a mystery beyond his understanding. And Agur knew the importance of controlling anger, avoiding foolishness, and living for God. He encourages his reader to refrain from a life that dishonors God and results in judgment. He promotes living life with a proper fear of God and concern for other people.
With this in mind, he seems to complement Solomon's key thoughts regarding attaining wisdom, even if the mystery remains of how his words wound up in one of the final chapters of Proverbs.
Personally, I was drawn to verse 8 - "Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread."
Whether your name is Agur or Solomon or Daren, these are fine words to live by.
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