There Is A Generation

INTRO

Proverbs is so rich that it can speak to us in a variety of ways. While these two chapters contain a lot of great truths, we will key in on two passages out of today’s chapters.

TEACHING

Proverbs 30:1: Who were these people? The Talmud referred to Solomon by at least six names: Jedediah, Koholeth, Agar, Lemuel, the son of Jacah, and Samuel.

Proverbs 30:7–9: As fallen creatures, we are drawn to self-reliance, comfort, and self-protection by our sinful nature. When we find ourselves in seasons of having too much, our reliance on the Lord wanes, and we can become reliant on ourselves rather than on God. On the other end of the spectrum, when we have too little, we can doubt that God will provide for us and be tempted to sin and to provide for ourselves.

In 1 Samuel 21, David took consecrated bread, from Ahimelech the priest, for his men because they did not have the means to provide for themselves. David almost found himself in the predicament outlined in verse 9: “or I might have nothing and steal, profaning the name of my God.”

“Because you say, ‘I’m rich; I have become wealthy and need nothing,’ and you don’t know that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire so that you may be rich, white clothes so that you may be dressed and your shameful nakedness not be exposed, and ointment to spread on your eyes so that you may see.” (Revelation 3:17-18). The Laodiceans had lost sight of their need for God in their abundance. They found themselves on the opposite end of the predicament outlined in verse 9: “Otherwise, I might have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the Lord?’”

Solomon seems to have written as a natural man trying to relate to a spiritual God. Solomon knew he was not content when he was full and that he was not trustworthy when he was hungry.

Proverbs 30:11–14: God has revealed Himself throughout history in seven dispensations:

1. Dispensation of Innocence: God created Adam and Eve to be perfect in the garden to show humanity that walking perfectly with God was fully possible. In the midst of this perfection, it was still possible for humanity to be tempted to sin. This dispensation ended when Adam and Eve ate the fruit and were banished from the Garden of Eden.
2. Dispensation of conscience: After Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they did what was right in their own eyes. This dispensation ended because “the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with wickedness” (Genesis 6:11). The flood was the ending point of this dispensation.
3. Dispensation of human government: After Noah and his family came off the ark, God said to Noah, “I will require the life of every animal and every man for your life and your blood. I will require the life of each man’s brother for a man’s life. Whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in His image” (Genesis 9:5–6). Every man still did what was right in his own eyes, but now a measure of consequence was introduced to quell evil.
4. Dispensation of promise: The promise was given to Abraham. God determined to make a new people out of Abraham for people to see the blessing of God over the judgment of God.
5. Dispensation of Law: As the descendants of Abraham came out of Egypt, God gave Israel the Law to outline how to relate to Him.
6. Dispensation of grace: Ushered in by the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.
7. Dispensation of peace: We are all waiting for this time.

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A dispensation described how God related to humanity in a specific time period. In each of the dispensations, there came a generation that ushered in the next generation because of its sinfulness. Verses 11–14 describe the characteristics of a generation that could usher in the next dispensation. Each verse described an attitude that we can observe today. Second Timothy 3:1-5 says, “But know this: Difficult times will come in the last days. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid these people!”

Proverbs 30:24–28: Each of the animals described has figured out a way to live and thrive in the midst of any generation. Solomon urged us to learn lessons from them so that we could live in the generation in which we find ourselves, regardless of how wicked or sinful it may be.

CLOSING

While we may be living in the generation that ushers in the dispensation of peace, God has instructed us on how we can live in it wisely.