Proverbs 30.15-16
“The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. Three things are never satisfied; four never say, “Enough”: Sheol, the barren womb, the land never satisfied with water, and the fire that never says, “Enough.”
The focus of this passage is greed, and Agur uses an interesting rhetorical approach to illustrate people who are never satisfied, never content and always wanting more. “There are two things that exemplify greed,” he says. At which point he adds, “Wait, there are three things.” Then finally he says, “Actually, now that I think about it, there are four things that illustrate greed.”
Two, then three, and finally four … the strategy is meant to get our attention about greed versus contentment. The greedy man is like a leech or parasite. He takes but he doesn’t give. He is never satisfied. He always wants just a little more.
There are four examples that Agur gives have one thing in common: they have insatiable desires and don’t know how to be content. The greedy man is like that: he has an insatiable appetite for “more” and never seems to have enough.
The big message is that true contentment isn’t found in getting what you desire.
The Grave
This is a personification of a grave, as if a grave had desires. One would think that the grave (Sheol – the OT place of the dead) would be satisfied. How many people have died and been buried? Isn’t that enough? The grave is never satisfied with the countless millions of occupants. It can never say “I have enough.”
The Barren Womb
The same truth is found in this example. How many women were there in the Old Testament who were barren and craved a child? How many are there today? The barren womb says, “If only I could have just one child!” And if they finally bear a child, they cannot say, “It is enough.” Instead they say, “It would be so nice to have just one more.”
The Dry Earth
Agur was not writing from the rain forest. He was writing from a very dry and arid region. There the dry, parched sands craved for water. They baked in the hot sun and (figuratively speaking) lusted after rain. And no matter how hard it rains, the parched earth soaks up all the rain—like a bloodsucker sucking up the blood. And after the torrential downpour, the earth soaks up all the rain, the sun comes out, and the earth is craving for more rain. It can never say “enough.”
The Fire
The fire that rages through a dry forest does the same. It devours all the trees in the forest—and when it gets to the highway, the trees on one side are not enough. It sends its sparks over the road and continues to devour dry trees and brush. The flames seem to want to devour more and more.
Agur’s point is that cravings and desires never stop… like a raging out-of-control fire. Desires are going to be with us forever. We always see the grass as a little greener on the other side of the fence. As soon as one desire is fulfilled, six more pop up in its place. We can be like the grave, the barren womb, the parched soil, or the raging fire… longing to be satisfied with one thing or another.
Again, the main message is that true contentment isn’t found in getting what you desire. True contentment is only found in appreciating what you do have and learning to be content. This kind of contentment is learning through Christ in you. It is a mindset that is focused on Jesus, not on self or circumstances. The secret is to learn to enjoy the blessings God has provided and thank him for who he is and what he has done for you.
“A greedy man stirs up strife, but the one who trusts in the Lord will be enriched.” (Proverbs 28.25)
Remember: True contentment isn’t found in getting what you desire.
More tomorrow …
