The words of Agur son of Jakeh of Massa: The man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ucal:
Surely I am too brutish and stupid to be called a man, and I have not the understanding of a man [for all my secular learning is as nothing].
I have not learned skillful and godly Wisdom, that I should have the knowledge or burden of the Holy One.
Who has ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, if you know?
Every word of God is tried and purified; He is a shield to those who trust and take refuge in Him.
– Proverbs 30:1-5
Who can fault the benefit of a great education?
Think of the great achievements in engineering, in science, in medicine. The great works of literature and the arts are a wealth to us all. We no longer travel everywhere on foot or on the back of a horse. We fly great distances in a few hours, even through difficult weather.
Proverbs 30:1-5 reminds us that all of that, even though it is great, is not enough. We need the knowledge of our Maker. We who are great, though we be great, will also die. What good is our cultural achievement at the point of death.
We need to know the One who gathers the wind in His fist. And we need to know the name of His Son. Where can we gain this knowledge? The final verse starts us in the right direction.
“Every word of God is tried and purified; He is a shield to those who trust and take refuge in Him.” Proverbs 30:5
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