Let’s read Proverbs 30:15-16: “The leech has two daughters—Give and Give! There are three things that are never satisfied, Four never say, ‘Enough!’: The grave, the barren womb, the earth that is not satisfied with water—and the fired never says, ‘Enough!’” (NKJV). If you were to read verses 11-14 you would find Solomon describing FOUR kinds of people:

  1. Those who are DISRESPECTFUL of their parents (verse 11);
  2. Those who are SELF-RIGHTEOUS (verse 12);
  3. Those who are ARROGANT (verse 14); and
  4. Those who are OPPRESSIVE (verse 14).

In verses 15-16 he goes on to show another class of people: Those who are GREEDY and NEVER SATISFIED.

Solomon often uses “object lessons” to drive home a point and to illustrate the “GREED of mankind” he speaks first of the “leech” in verse 15. There are two “blood-suckers” on the end of a leech that he refers to as “two daughters” that are always demanding more. They cry “Give, give” because they can never get enough. What a solemn picture this is of the HEART OF MAN! If you read Solomon’s book “Ecclesiastes” you will see that he went through a period in his life where he kept trying to satisfy the longings of his heart with everything “under the sun,” but it was never enough. He states his conclusion at the very beginning, “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; Vanity of vanities, all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). He had to learn that nothing in this poor world will ever really satisfy the heart.

Solomon then draws our attention to FOUR things to further illustrate man’s GREED and that nothing that the world has to offer can ever bring true satisfaction to our sinful hearts. He speaks of:

*The GRAVE, which is constantly demanding the lives of men and is never filled.

*The BARREN WOMB, which longs to give birth but its longing is never realized.

*The EARTH, which cries for rain but it’s never enough (for it will always need more).

*The FIRE, which goes on consuming everything in its sight.

Again, the lesson is crystal-clear; man is essentially GREEDY and is NEVER SATISFIED. We simply can’t end on this dour note, for our Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ, has provided something for us that brings true satisfaction…He has PROVIDED HIMSELF! He told the woman at the well in John chapter 4, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me to drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water….Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (verses 10, 13-14). The “water at the well” speaks of what we’ve been considering, all the things in this world that we try to fill the void in our hearts but that never satisfy. But Jesus offers us eternal life through Himself and this will quench our thirst! He stated the same truth in John 7:37-38: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” Have you come to Christ to have your soul-thirst satisfied? If you do come, Jesus promises you, “He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). (229.7) (DO)