亞古珥-能自己謙卑的真智慧（箴30章）

雅基的兒子亞古珥的言語就是真言。這人對以鐵和烏甲說、我比眾人更蠢笨、也沒有人的聰明。我沒有學好智慧．也不認識至聖者。（箴 30：1-3）

這幾節箴言的經文，乍看之下，覺得亞古珥似乎也太刻意自謙了，有必要這麼誇張地說自己嗎？他真的有這麼蠢笨嗎？但細讀全章之後，可以知道亞古珥的自謙其實是有依據的，他的依據就是存敬畏的心思想真神、細查萬物，然後發自肺腑之言：「啊！我真是無知。」

「自卑」在列王紀、歷代志中，是神親近人的關鍵字。人不自卑、神就不靠近。自卑，在聖經中是自我謙卑之意，有「刻意」的味道。就像磁鐵的兩極，若要兩個磁鐵相互吸引，「轉一下方向」就好了。人選擇自卑與驕傲，就像轉動磁鐵的兩極，神則是另一個磁鐵。要讓神被我們吸引，我們必須「轉念」，用能吸引神的那一極來面對神，也就是謙卑，這時神自然會靠近我們。

所謂的驕傲，就是自比為神的心態，這樣的人與神之間就好像成了磁鐵的同名極相向一樣：祂是神，你也要當神，自然互相排斥。

有人或許會認為本性驕傲，就無法自卑。事實上，細讀列王紀中的亞哈王，就會發現：驕傲和自卑，就只在一念之間而已。當列王紀上二十一章中，記載這位甘受惡人妻子耶洗別的影響，無惡不做的王亞哈，又行了惹神憤怒的事，就是用卑鄙的手段獲取拿伯的葡萄園一事，神的話藉由先知臨到亞哈王：

耶和華說：「我必使災禍臨到你、將你除盡、凡屬你的男丁、無論困住的、自由的、都從以色列中剪除．我必使你的家像尼八的兒子耶羅波安的家、又像亞希雅的兒子巴沙的家、因為你惹我發怒、又使以色列人陷在罪裏。論到耶洗別、耶和華也說、狗在耶斯列的外郭、必喫耶洗別的肉。凡屬亞哈的人、死在城中的、必被狗喫、死在田野的、必被空中的鳥喫。」（王上 21：21-24）

這時，驕傲自大、為所欲為的亞哈王，在聽聞神的咒詛時，竟然瞬間改變，在神面前自卑起來：

亞哈聽見這話、就撕裂衣服、禁食、身穿麻布、睡臥也穿着麻布、並且緩緩而行。（王上 21：27）

讀到這裡，不知道有沒有人跟我一樣，想跟神說：「啊！神哪！小心不要被騙了，他是惡人亞哈啊！」神會被騙嗎？神看不到亞哈的內心嗎？神看見了，神竟然願意接受亞哈的自卑，還邀請他的好同工以利亞先知來，跟以利亞分享祂心中的感動。

耶和華的話臨到提斯比人以利亞說：「亞哈在我面前這樣自卑、你看見了麼？因他在我面前自卑、他還在世的時候、我不降這禍、到他兒子的時候、我必降這禍與他的家。」（王上 21：28-29）

「你看見了嗎？」是神對以利亞的邀請。我們常常認爲這個人素行不善，「我才不會被騙呢！」但是神若跟我說：「你看見了嗎？」我願意接受此時惡人的「片刻」轉變嗎？神都願意接受，我有何裡由不接受呢？

另外，神是如此地可愛，只要我們隨時願意自我謙卑，祂馬上就願意用笑臉轉眼看我們。

想到這裡，發現亞古珥真的是有大智慧的人，他願意隨時自我謙卑，隨時用他的智慧細查神的話語、靜觀萬物的奧妙，油然產生謙卑，相信神必時時與他同在、垂聽他一切的呼求。

你們年幼的、也要順服年長的。就是你們眾人、也都要以謙卑束腰、彼此順服．因為　神阻擋驕傲的人、賜恩給謙卑的人。（彼前 5：5）

By Isaiah Kao

Agur - True Wisdom in Humility (Proverbs 30)

“The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the pronouncement. The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal: I am certainly more stupid than any man, And I do not have the understanding of a man; Nor have I learned wisdom, Nor do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.” (Proverbs 30:1-3 NASB2020)

At first glance, these verses of Proverbs seem to suggest that Agur is being overly humble. Is it necessary to be that exaggerated? Is he really that stupid? However, a careful reading of the entire chapter reveals that Agur's humility is actually based on a reason. His reason is due to contemplating the true God with fear, examining all things carefully, and then to say from the bottom of his heart, “Ah, I am truly ignorant.”

“Humility” is a key word in the Books of Kings and Chronicles, a key word in drawing near to God. Without humility, God will not draw near. In the Bible, humility has a meaning of deliberately humble oneself. Like the two poles of a magnet, if two magnets want to attract each other, they simply need to "turn" themselves around. People choose humility or pride, like the two poles of a magnet, with God being the other pole. To be attracted to God, we must "change our mindset," facing Him with the pole that attracts Him—humility. God will naturally draw closer to us.

Pride is comparing oneself to God, creating a situation where you and God are like the same poles of a magnet. He is God, and you also want to be God; naturally, you repel each other.

Some might think that being inherently proud makes it impossible to be humble. In fact, a close reading of King Ahab in the Book of Kings reveals that pride and humility are separated by a single thought. In 1 Kings chapter 21, it is recorded that King Ahab, influenced by his wicked wife Jezebel and committing countless evil deeds, angered God again by acquiring Naboth's vineyard through despicable means. God's word came to King Ahab through the prophet:

“Behold, I am bringing disaster upon you, and I will utterly sweep you away, and will eliminate from Ahab every male, both bond and free in Israel; and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked Me to anger, and because you have misled Israel into sin. The Lord has also spoken of Jezebel, saying, ‘The dogs will eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel.’ The one belonging to Ahab, who dies in the city, the dogs will eat; and the one who dies in the field, the birds of the sky will eat.”” (1 Kings 21:21-24 NASB2020)

At this time, King Ahab, proud and arrogant, who did as he pleased, instantly changed upon hearing God's curse and humbled himself before God:

“Yet it came about, when Ahab heard these words, that he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and fasted, and he lay in sackcloth and went about despondently.” (1 Kings 21:27 NASB2020)

Reading this, I wonder if anyone, like me, wants to say to God, "Oh God! Be careful not to be deceived; he is the wicked Ahab!" Could God be deceived? Could God not see Ahab's heart? God saw it. God was willing to accept Ahab's humility and even invited the prophet Elijah, God’s good fellow worker, to share His inner feelings with him.

“Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, “Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; I will bring the disaster upon his house in his son’s days.”” (1 Kings 21:28-29 NASB2020)

“Do you see?” This is God’s invitation to Elijah. We often think, “This person is inherently unkind, I won’t be fooled!” But if God asks me, “Do you see?” would I be willing to accept a “momentary” change in a wicked person? God is willing to accept it, so why shouldn’t I?

Furthermore, God is so lovable; as long as we are willing to humble ourselves at any time, He immediately turns to us with a smile.

Thinking about this, we realize that Agur was truly a man of great wisdom. He was willing to humble himself at any time, to carefully examine God’s word with his wisdom, to contemplate the mysteries of all things, and to naturally generate humility, believing that God would always be with him and hear all his cries.

“You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.”(1 Peter 5:5 NASB2020)