The great book of Proverbs closes today with two very interesting chapters. They are the work of two different, unknown authors and their names are not found anywhere else in the Bible. It’s hard to say who wrote these words and whether stories were actual their experiences or metaphors, but they contain wonderful, timeless wisdom.

The Sayings of Agur

We don’t know who Agur son of Jakeh was, but he was certainly a keen observer. He may have been an old man when he recorded these thoughts. He talked about being very tired and not sure he could go on, but he planned to persevere.

He had lived long enough to discover that no matter how much he knew, he would never be as wise he wanted to be. The older a wise man gets, the more he realizes he still has a lot to learn. Age has a way of humbling a person.

Agur was in awe of God. He he was sure it wasn’t possible to ever fully know God, but he was grateful for what he had revealed in his Word. The Scriptures were enough for Agur.

“Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.” Proverbs 30:6

And Agur had learned the value of being satisfied with enough in life. He aspired to the virtue of contentment.

“Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord? Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.” Proverbs 30:7-9

Agur listed things that amazed him about the world. The lists are instructive even now because they are the observations of a thoughtful man drawing from lots of experience. What he said is still worth pondering today.

The Sayings of King Lemuel

We don’t know for sure who King Lemuel was. Lemuel may be a pseudonym for Solomon, and perhaps it was a pet name his mother used for him. If Lemuel is really Solomon, then his mother is Bathsheba. The king probably heard these sayings often in his childhood and wrote them down as an adult so others could profit from them as he had.

Lemuel respected his mother and listening to her probably helped him avoid a lot of trouble. She encouraged her son to take the high road and not do anything he might regret later. Lemuel doesn’t say how well he followed his mother’s advice, but he respected it enough to record it for posterity.

The Proverbs 31 Woman

These beautiful verses in the Bible have been a blessing — and a burden — for women throughout the generations. The Proverbs 31 woman is the ideal woman; she has it all. She’s wise, kind, prosperous and skillful in every way. Her husband and children bless her and they all thrive because of her. In fact, the whole community, from poor beggars on the street to business leaders and merchants who trade with her hold her in the highest regard.

Imagine being a young woman with the Proverbs 31 woman as her model of perfection. Many a young woman has become very discouraged when she fell short of these ideals.

But it takes a lifetime to become such an accomplished person, and it may be that no woman ever fully achieves all of the benchmarks listed here. She would have to be a multi-talented, highly organized, and extremely energetic person to do it all. She would also have to be driven to achieve, which might make her controlling and less able to love the people around her.

The truth is that few women are able to do everything they hope to do in a day. Most days, women are lucky to get their top one or two priorities taken care of. But that’s all the Lord expects from anyone. He only asks people to do a few things, but do them well.

And his top priorities are for people to love him and love other people he puts into their lives. If a woman chooses love as the guide for her actions, she will know how to get through her day. She can simply ask, “What are the loving things I should do today?”

A wise woman acknowledges her limitations and doesn’t expect too much of herself. She does what the Lord asks of her each day and doesn’t fret over what she can’t do; she trusts God with what remains to be done later.

A woman who trusts God to lead her can be calm and at rest. She will be clothed with strength and dignity and she can be confident about the days to come.

Psalms Ahead . . .

We have now concluded Proverbs and the next twelve days we’ll be in the riches of the Psalms again.

King Hezekiah ordered the priests to put the Psalms back into worship when he reopened the temple, so in essence, we get to join ancient Judah in songs and poems of praise as we read. See if you can catch the echo of those ancient voices as you read along. The Psalms are one of the ways God unites his people to each other, yesterday, today, and tomorrow.