A TALE OF TWO GENERATIONS — by Steve Carpenter
It has been said that the Bible is not merely a book of suggestions. Neither is it a leather bound life coach or moral manual for being a nice person. It’s author, it’s story, and it’s revelation is an anchor in the storm, a solid rock in the midst of shifting sands, a light in the darkness, and a conduit of connection to the Creator. I read the Bible and I seek to adhere to its principals because I believe God’s word reigns supreme and remains forever preeminent over every opinion of man.
We all know that we live in a globally connected world. Media and social media have become a massive game changer in how our generation relates to itself and to the rest of the world. Don’t worry, I won’t be throwing stones at anyone. I’m in it like everyone else — so, I’m looking at the man in the mirror. The sheer amount of content that can be consumed, in a single minute, by the simple flick of the finger, is literally mind boggling. Serial scrolling has become a culturally normalized activity. Our phones have become onramps into a digital superstore of conscience searing, mind numbing “entertainment” that can slowly erode genuine empathy, human decency, common courtesy, and even self respect.
I have to also acknowledge that there are beautiful, inspirational, and even eternally valuable offerings in this digital space, but finding them requires the skill of a prospector with a pan full of sediment in a river, hoping to find a nugget of gold. You have to go through a lot to get just a little and algorithms aren’t a helpful river buddy.
There is a guy in the scriptures named Agur who shares some wise insights about life. The name Agur comes from a Hebrew word meaning “collector.” He is known to have been a collector of wise sayings. He is only mentioned once in the Bible and it’s in Proverbs 30. In four verses, He is speaking about a generation with particular attributes.
I think we tend to immediately distance ourselves from rough assessments like the one you’re about to read. But before we dismiss the idea that this may apply to our generation, I’m wondering if we could allow ourselves to be humbly curious as we examine these indicting statements together?
Proverbs 30:11-14
There is a generation that curses its father, and does not bless its mother. There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filthiness. There is a generation — oh, how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up. There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, and whose fangs are like knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.
Let’s break it down.
DISHONORING GOD’S ORDAINED AUTHORITY
There is a generation that curses its father, and does not bless its mother.
Cursing your father and not blessing your mother sounds a lot like screaming swear words at your parents. Maybe there’s a bit more to it than that.
Our Moms and Dads are the first representatives of authority in our lives. How we respond to their authority can either help us or hurt us as we move on in life. Like it or not, there are governing authorities to whom we must give account. This is both an earthly as well as an eternal reality, and there’s no escaping it.
Honoring your Father and Mother is one of the ten commandments, and it’s one that has a promise connected to it. The Apostle writes in Ephesians 6:1-2,
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” Apparently, there is something about honoring authority — whether that’s God’s ordained spiritual authority, the word of God, or God Himself.
Perhaps what Agur was getting at is this. THERE IS A GENERATION WHO SEEKS AUTONOMY BUT STUBBORNLY REFUSES TO SUBMIT TO SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY.
RELIGIOUS HYPOCRISY
There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filthiness.
“I’m not doing it, I’m just watching it. I’m not saying it, I’m just laughing with those who do. I’m not creating it, I’m just enjoying it. I’m not writing it, I’m just thinking about it.”
Just like couch critics watching sports, serial scrolling can easily put us in the “seat of the scornful” or cause us to “stand in the way of sinners”, and we don’t even realize it.
Pure in our own eyes, because of the excuses we tell ourselves. Not washed from my own filthiness, because I compartmentalize holiness. Connecting to content while convincing myself that I am disconnected from its impact. I’m not affected by it. Really? Are the words of your mouth and the meditations of your heart pleasing in His sight?
Take a look at this verse from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus:
“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.” — Ephesians 5:1-4
If you’re honest, could you say that this apostolic challenge has been personally accepted and is being practically implemented in your life? Could I?
Maybe Agur was putting his finger on something. THERE IS A GENERATION THAT HAS BECOME HYPOCRITICAL WHILE CONFESSING TO BE SPIRITUAL.
BLINDING ARROGANCE
There is a generation — oh, how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up.
Been there, done that. Saw it. Heard it, Know it already. OK, good for you. That’s the problem with information overload. Just because you saw the clip doesn't mean you understand the context. Just because you reacted to the reel doesn't mean you’re living in its reality. Growth, maturity, and development take time, and there are no shortcuts.
We’ve forgotten that process has value and wrestling through hardships is actually necessary to our becoming. Butterflies can’t fly unless they struggle through the cocoon. Arrogance attempts to bypass process, only to our own detriment.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 states, “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”
The word, “blinded” in this verse is the same root word for pride. It means, “inflated with self-conceit.” It could actually read, “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has PRIDED, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”
Pride is blindness. Pride is anti-gospel, anti-nature of God, and everything anti-Christ.
The One who introduced Himself as the First and the Last, had some searing words to say to those living in Laodicea. He says, “Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing — and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked — I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.”
Did Agur correctly discern that THERE IS A GENERATION THAT HAS BECOME SPIRITUALLY BLINDED BECAUSE ALL IT CAN SEE IS ITSELF AND ITS OWN DESIRES.
SELFISH PURSUITS
There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, and whose fangs are like knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.
This last generational description from Agur, sounds oddly descriptive of a werewolf, but I think he might be trying to show us the fruit of something even more sinister.
The Hebrew prophet, Micah, revealed heaven’s clear expectation of humanity. He declares, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”
At the end of this age, humanity will be separated into two groups. Much like a shepherd would separate the sheep from the goats. The distinguishing factor between the two groups is based on what they did or didn’t do to “the least of these”. In that hour, how we treated “the least of these” will be rather important, don’t you think?
Loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and loving our neighbor as ourselves are the two greatest commandments given to mankind. Fulfilling both of them demands a focus outside ourselves. This is a real issue to grapple with when our cultural narrative of self care, self love, and self compassion crosses the biblical narrative of self denial, self sacrifice, and the Christ modeled nature of selflessness.
I’m wondering if Agur saw that THERE IS A GENERATION THAT ABANDONS SERVING OTHERS IN EXCHANGE FOR SERVING THEMSELVES.
Can you see the wisdom in the order and sequence of what Agur is saying?
Proverbs 30:11-14
11 There is a generation that curses its father, and does not bless its mother.
12 There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filthiness.
13 There is a generation — oh, how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up.
14 There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, and whose fangs are like knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.
A generation who dishonors God’s ordained authority, becomes a generation marked by religious hypocrisy, blinding arrogance, and selfish pursuits. That’s quite an indictment.
Is this me? Is this us?
I could end here, but I’m mindful of the psalmist who also sees a generation, but one with much different qualities and characteristics. He writes about it in Psalm 24:3-6.
“Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face.”
In contrast to the generation that Agur saw, with the characteristics of dishonoring authority, religious hypocrisy, blinding arrogance, and selfish pursuits, David also sees a generation with four unique attributes as well.
David sees a generation able to ascend the hill of the Lord and stand in His holy place. What are the distinct qualities of this generation? Clean hands, pure heart, a soul free from idolatry, and a life free from deceitfulness. What a contrast.
I won’t unpack this list of qualities, but I will suggest that they become intentional focus points of consistent prayer and personal evaluation in our lives. As amazing as this list is, it’s the reference to Jacob that amazes me the most. Jacob? You mean the one who swore deceitfully and obtained the inheritance instead of Esau? Did David really mean to use Jacob as the example of a generation that seeks God, who seeks His face?
God loved Jacob — because He sees past our mistakes, propensities, weaknesses, and failures, and sees what’s actually in our hearts. God doesn’t see as man sees. Man looks at the outward but God looks at the heart. Did Jacob swear deceitfully to his earthly Father? Yes. You can read about it in Genesis 27:19. Did Jacob get honest with himself and with his heavenly Father in the midst of his brokenness? Yes. You can read about that as well in Genesis 32:27-28.
I think this is exactly the reason that David uses Jacob as the generation that seeks God, who seeks His face.
We are all Jacob. We fight for our own way at times, or a lot of times. We manipulate people and circumstances. We pretend to be what we are not. We lie. We shade the truth. We wrestle and we struggle with God and with man. But that’s not the end of the story. Because of God’s redeeming love and amazing grace, we have been changed. No longer Jacob “heel grabber”, we have become Israel “prince with God”. Because of God’s loving-kindness and tender mercies, we now have access to His high and holy place. We can freely come to Him as a beloved son or daughter. What a gift we have been given. Forgiven. Freed. Loved. Redeemed.
THERE IS A GENERATION WHO SEEKS GOD, WHO SEEKS HIS FACE.