Have you ever heard of Ron Dante? Well, neither had I until I read that he was in a list of what are called “one-hit wonders.” It seems he was an “American singer and songwriter who is credited as a one-hit wonder … In 1964, Dante appeared in a group called the Detergents [really?] who reached the US Top 20 with their hit “Leader of the Laundromat” (a parody of “Leader of the Pack“).” Fascinating! (List of one-hit wonders in the United States – Wikipedia)
Well, now you can forget about that and let me introduce you to a Biblical “one-hit wonder.” His name is Agur and he wrote the “sayings” that we find in Proverbs 30, and as Nielson says: “Nobody knows who Agur is. He slips in and out of Scriptures with the writing of Proverbs 30.” (# 55)
But all the same, he is worth listening to, as Nielson says, he “gives us the book’s most personal account of what it’s like to live out the fear of the Lord… [firstly, his] relationship with God (30:1-9), and then… his corresponding wise words about God’s world (v. 10-33). What we’ll find, as we’ve found all along, is that wisdom does not exalt itself; a wise person received God’s gifts with a humble heart.” (# 55)
The big difference of course between our two ‘one-hit wonders’ (i.e. Ron Dante and Agur) is that nobody remembers or listens to “Leader of the Laundromat” anymore, whereas “The sayings of Agur” (30:1) are still read all over the world by millions of people who love the Proverbs! People like you and me. So, let’s look at the first 9 verses together:
“I am weary, God,
but I can prevail.
2 Surely I am only a brute, not a man;
I do not have human understanding.
3 I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.
These verses are uncharacteristic for Proverbs as Agur “speaks from his heart” (# 55), reflecting on his own lack of wisdom as compared to God’s wisdom, and acknowledging his need of God’s help. As Goldsworthy says, “There is a recognition not merely of one’s own ignorance but of the element of mystery in the being and ways of God.” (# 53) I guess we could say that what Agur has learnt concerns what Proverbs has mentioned before about only the fool being “wise in his own eyes.” (26:5, 12, 16)
He goes on to then ask some interesting questions which remind us of God’s questions to Job in Job 38. The answer to these questions being “no one” but God!
4 Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Whose hands have gathered up the wind?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is the name of his son?
Surely you know!
Agur here is offering a “better alternative to the boasting of the know-all… [which is] a quiet submission and trust in the Living God.” (# 53)
Agur then moves on to the place where wisdom is found – in God as described in his Word. “Here the word of God is put forward as the basis of all true knowledge [and wisdom].” (# 53)
5 “Every word of God is flawless;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6 Do not add to his words,
or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.
This is then followed on by again an uncharacteristic prayer for Proverbs. “It reflects a desire to learn from the kind of wisdom that is in Proverbs and goes beyond the emphasis on human experience.” (# 53) This being the only prayer recorded in Proverbs and so Agur prays:
7 “Two things I ask of you, Lord;
do not refuse me before I die:
8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
9 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.
Nielson suggests that Agur is “a minimalist, he’s getting down to the basics here.” (# 55) He prays firstly for God to Keep falsehood and lies far from me. “Agur is asking God to align his heart and his words with the truth of God’s word… implicit in this request is Agur’s acknowledgement of his sin and weakness… He evidences a humble and repentant heart before a holy God [see 28:13] … Implicit also… is Agur’s trust in God’s word as having proven true, and in God as his shield and refuge from evil.” (# 55) A prayer most of us need to pray often, just as his second request is as well.
His second request is again for a simple and humble life before God – give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread – trusting Him to provide what we need and not what we want that may in the end be our downfall and cause us to dishonor the name of my God.
Maybe another simple (yet profound) prayer would be a good way to finish off the year as we move into 2026. The words of Jesus:
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,
12 and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13 NLT)
Worship and Wisdom - Psalms and Proverbs 