<aside> 👉

To download this file, click here:

Session 16 Proverbs 30_5-33.pdf

</aside>

I. Solomon’s Direct Request (30:5–10) – A Father’s Final Appeal to Torah

A. 30:5–6 – The Basis: Torah

• God’s Word is flawless and final
  • “Every word of God is pure.” (30:5)
  • Solomon begins not with policies but with theology. Torah is the only shield that will hold in the day of judgment.
  • No human strategy or royal wisdom can replace what God has already spoken.
• Warning against tampering with revelation
  • “Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” (30:6)
  • This is not decorative language. It is covenantal command (cf. Deut. 4:2; 13:1).
  • Rashi captures it: additions to God’s Word will expose the speaker as false.
  • Rehoboam is warned not to elevate his voice above Torah.

B. 30:7–10 – Solomon’s Two Requests to Rehoboam

1. 30:7 – The Setup: Two Simple Requests

• “Two things have I required of thee.”
  • Not a list of legislation, but a distilled prophetic plea.
  • If Rehoboam fails here, the rest will collapse no matter what he builds.

2. 30:8–9 – Request One: Live in Balance, Not Extremes

• “Remove far from me vanity and lies… give me neither poverty nor riches…”
  • Vanity and lies were the soundtrack of Solomon’s late reign; he begs his son to live without them.
  • The king must choose sufficiency over excess.
  • Extremes (wealth or lack) drive people to deny or dishonor God.
  • This is not life advice. It is a prophecy of what Rehoboam’s unbalanced reign will become.

3. 30:10 – Request Two: Stop Undermining the Court

• “Accuse not a servant unto his master…”
  • Solomon sees what Rehoboam is already doing—turning on his father’s advisors.
  • The stewards who upheld the kingdom are now being treated like threats.
  • The fallout won’t be against them—it will be against the accuser.
  • Prideful speech is political sabotage, and Rehoboam is already stirring it.

II. The Hidden Fool and the Numbered World (30:11–31) – From Character Warnings to Prophetic Pattern

A. Introduction: The Shift to Prophetic Lists

• Solomon moves from direct speech to illustrative prophecy.
• The structure shifts to “three… four” patterns, but the message sharpens.
• These are not poetic extras—they are diagnostic snapshots of what will unfold.
• The number four signifies earthbound completeness. When detached from heaven, it becomes unredeemed, unrestrained, and ultimately, unlivable.

B. 30:11–14 – Numerical Saying #1: Four Kinds of Destructive People

• “There is a generation…” (30:11–14)
  • Four marks: rebellion, delusion, arrogance, and cruelty.
  • Solomon is describing Rehoboam’s advisors—the ones who will replace the elders (cf. 1 Kings 12:6–14).
  • These are not rare flaws. They are the operating system of a generation that no longer fears God.