“There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: the way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid” (Proverbs 30: 18, 19 KJV).
Our text tells us that its writer is a wonderer that wonders at four wonderful things. When something appears wonderful to us it means that it has excited our admiration, or astonishment, and is seen as remarkable.
The eagle in flight was a wonder. The eagle in flight is a wonder to behold. It can fly to great heights, and dive on its prey with great speed. The way it travels through the air we cannot predict where it’s going and it does not leave a trail to show where it’s been.
The serpent upon the rock is another wonder. Serpents often travel over rocks or similar hard surfaces where there is no trace of their passing. There is no path on the rock that might tell us what direction they’re going in nor do they leave a trail to show where they’ve been.
The ship in the midst of the sea is another wonder. The captain of the ship knows where he is sailing to, but an observer watching from shore cannot tell where the ship is going or where it has been. There is no path etched on the surface of the water to tell them.
Still yet another wonder is the way of a man with a maid. The man with the maid is a picture of human courtship. One cannot say for certain where the couple is in their relationship. Their future plans are in their minds and are still in the making. One cannot tell for certain where they are now or where they’ll be tomorrow. Whether they have agreed to marry or have decided not to marry.
The eagle negotiates the air to get where it wants to be, and the serpent the rock, and the ship the sea, and the man the maid he wants to marry, much like Solomon did the Shulamite woman in Song of Solomon.
Yet another wonder is the way God works with the sinner to bring him to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
