What Do We Know?

For Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Proverbs 30:1-4

The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle.
The man declares, I am weary, O God;
I am weary, O God, and worn out.
2 Surely I am too stupid to be a man.
I have not the understanding of a man.
3 I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who has ascended to heaven and come down?
Who has gathered the wind in his fists?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is his son’s name?
Surely you know!

We enter into a new section of Proverbs, the last two chapters being the words of other sages. Chapter 30 presents the observations of Agur, son of Jakeh. He begins with an observation about man's ability (and himself) to uncover the secret knowledge of God. Compare his thoughts with those in Job 38. Here is a sampling:

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Dress for action like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.
4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
7 when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

In brief, man cannot by reason nor by exploration know God truly. He can, through natural revelation, deduce some basic traits of God; but he cannot delve into the great mysteries. For that, divine revelation is needed. Without such revelation, who could have begun to think of the Trinity? Who could have thought through his omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence? His eternal nature, his immutability? Who could have explored with depth his holiness, his justice, and his mercy? Who could have grasped grace?

And who could have anticipated and understood such love by which the divine Father sent the divine Son to die for his enemies, and then to adopt such enemies to be his children and be united with them through the divine Holy Spirit?

What divine revelation reveals is enough to overwhelm our powers of reason. What more is left out because we could not handle such mystery? What is given is enough for us to spend all our lives, even in eternity, contemplating and then living in response to. And let us begin by giving the answer to the last question of verse 4. It is God the Father and his son's name is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Give praise that our God has revealed such wondrous knowledge to us!