Sermon Tone Analysis

“The Reverse Cam”

Another baseball season now behind us with snow already on the ground, the jumbo-tron at 5/3 Ballpark goes dark.

On hold are the roving cameras, the inning break entertainment including their famous kiss-cam.

The camera techs scan unsuspecting couples that handpicked appear onscreen for the all expected kiss.

A kiss is traditionally rewarded by applause, clapping, cheers and whistles, whereas a refusal to kiss is booed.

It is intended as a light-hearted diversion to the main event during a timeout, television timeout, or similar downtime.

But not to be outdone — the National Basketball League now has their Reverse Cam.

The braver of you can head to YouTube later today and see it.

In actuality it is a reverse eating camera.

Featured on Today - as fans dive into their stadium foods, unbeknownst to them the camera films them — then reverses the action, airing the footage on the giant screen so no detail goes unappreciated.

Desiring to acquire heavenly wisdom for both fear of the Lord and love of neighbor, we need to do a reverse cam on this series to prevent a dangerous false impression.

Overcoming False Impressions?

backing up - 8 weeks — all the way to and-the original invite to dine with wisdom...

Overcoming False Impressions?

from ’s commisioning to God’s Rescue Team

-wisdom’s aid as we are commisioned to God’s Rescue Team - for the love of neighbor we’ll be used by God in preventing physical and spiritual death of our neighbor.

-rejecting Lady Folly’s trap, we accepted the gracious invite of Lady Wisdom and her benefits.

- noting the God-complex sin in all of us -we learned our hearts are empty containers ready for the filling.

-Than to accept Lady Wisdom’s invite while avoiding the death trap of Lady Folly

- noting the God-complex sin in all of us -we learned our hearts are empty containers ready for the filling.

-We choose one or the other because the week previous we learned our hearts are empty containers for wisdom

backing up all the way to -the original invite to dine with wisdom...

- understanding discretion is needed between two opposing wisdoms - the wisdom from heaven found in Christ vs the wisdom from the devil

-the original invite to dine with wisdom with reasons - chief among them The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

The Reverse Cam at this point is necessarily proactive to prevent a false impression from setting in.

But why the Reverse Cam? It’s necessary because of the false impression we might otherwise be left with.

That false impression is this — If I just master all these proverbs… If I just imitate Christ who is wisdom, life will be great again.

Plus a bonus — compared to those fools who deny heavenly wisdom, I’m a looking pretty good in God’s eyes.

Granted, it’s true we are better off pursuing heavenly wisdom.

But we need to keep our motives and the end picture in mind.

After all, we are still imperfect sinful humans.

Not even Solomon - the wisest of all —was always wise - he too chose foolish paths sometimes.

With every Proverb framed around the fear of the Lord, only Jesus Christ followed through with perfect timing and execution.

We don’t pursue heavenly wisdom for sake of self or pride or even standing with God.

Placed intentionally at the end of Proverbs, Agur’s sayings humbles us back into reality.

Read Proverbs 30:1-6

The Oracle of Agur ()

Read Verse 1

Who is Agur?

(v.1)

“The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh - an oracle- This man declared to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ucal.”

Who is Agur?

The truth is we don’t know.

He’s the son of Jakeh - but that doesn’t help us.

We haven’t a clue who Jakeh is.

We don’t know when he was alive or his connection to Solomon.

Putting on our detective hats - these are not Jewish names.

Agur who writes and King Lemuel who writes are not Israelites.

Just as the Bible reveals God’s plan to save others beyond Israel - God didn’t limit heavenly wisdom to Israelites.

If our reading holds true in verse 1 - Agur is some kind of wisdom tutor Ithiel and Ucal - again two others who remain a mystery.

Unique to only this verse in Scripture is a second acceptable interpretation: Consider the English Standard Version — It begins nearly the same… verse 1 - “The words of Agur son of Jakeh.

The oracle.

But then it reads as a lament — I am weary O God (from my pursuit)-I am weary and worn out! — Placed here at the end of Proverbs if this version holds true - Agur is a pursuer of wisdom worn out by his quest.

Unique to the names Ucal and Ithiel — are the consonants.

The original Hebrew has no vowel markers.

The consonants remain the same.

It would be like our words for dog or dig without the o or the i.

Insert vowels between the consonants -you get ITHIEL and UCAL as students.

Insert a different set of vowels and they become verbs.

That’s why your Bible at home might read different.

Thankfully that letter boggle is unique to this verse - but far more important is what Agur says.

In terms of his wisdom, how does he rate himself?

(v.

2-3)

Compared to a jumbo sized ego from pursuing wisdom, Agur’s take is the opposite -

Read )

Read )

Compared to the jumbo sized egos and puffed up pride that puts him a tier above everyone else, his response is the opposite -

Regardless of being a mentor or life-long pursuer of wisdom, he is humble.

In all humility, he recognizes the more he comes to know, the less he really knows.

The journey to acquire wisdom never ends.

It’s sort of like the Holy Spirit’s lifelong process of sanctification as The Spirit shapes us to be more and more like Christ.

When it comes to wisdom, Agur knows he’s barely stepped beyond the starting line.

“I have not learned wisdom - wisdom in the full.

Nor do I know all there is to know about God.”

Agur thinking lines right up with the Apostle Paul.

In Paul is reflecting on how God operates when it comes to His precious gift of salvation.

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! (followed by a series of questions to further that awe behind the mystery of God’s operations - “How unsearchable his judgments and his paths beyond tracing out!

Who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has been his counselor?

Who has ever given to God that God should repay him?”

Paul uses these questions to further our awe of the mystery of God.

Agur uses this same technique in verse 4 with five quick fire questions.

Agur’s Dare

Read (v. 4)

Read

Read

The end result - Whether a mentor or a pursuer of wisdom, Agur is humbled.

Agur knows he can never know it all.

He knows that no man could ever do these things.

Agur knows that only God does or can do all these things.

Any Old Testament Israelite would recognize this and fill in the blanks.

Read

Whether a mentor or exhausted from pursuing wisdom, Agur is humbled.

No man could do any of these things.

Ultimately he knows only God can.

An Israelite familiar with the OT could fill in the blanks.

Who has gone up to heaven and come down?

Our God and Father who created the Garden and walked in the cool of it.

Who has gathered up the wind and the waters?

Our God who split the waters of the Red Sea and the Jordan so Israel could cross on dry ground.