Pro 30:25 | KingComments | STEP | What the “four things” who are “small on earth” have in common is wisdom ( ). The four small animals mentioned by Agur know how to deal with their natural disadvantages or limitations in order to survive. This instinct has been put into these small animals by the Creator. He has made them “exceedingly wise”. How great is His wisdom! Man is naturally inclined to admire what is big, strong and impressive. Here we see that this is not so for God, even in creation. We should not despise the weak things in creation, but learn from them. In God’s creation, God’s wisdom manifests itself in various ways. Humans can thereby learn the value of wisdom ( ). These creatures are “not a strong people” ( ), “not mighty people” ( ), without “king” ( ) and without defense ( ). The same is true of the church in the world. The church is weak, but all wisdom is available to it in Christ ( ). The wisdom exhibited in “the ants” concerns their forward thinking and organizational ability to build a food supply for later ( ). That the ants are not a strong people is no excuse for them to be lazy. They know how to physically survive in the future. Diligently they are preparing food in the summer so they will have food to eat in the winter. They teach us that we must live a future-oriented life ( ). Just as the ants gather food in view of their future needs, so we should read God’s Word as our spiritual food not only for today, but also for the future. Then the Holy Spirit can use from it what is needed at any given time. The rich fool had also had laid up many goods for many years, but on earth. He never saw the future years for which he had accumulated so much, because his future for him was only earth ( ). We see the wisdom of “the shephanim” [badgers] in their ingenuity in finding a place of safety in the rocks and building their houses there ( ). They know how to survive in a hostile environment (Ps 104:18b). They seek their safety in the rocks. Their condition is extremely weak, but their position is very strong. It teaches us that our awareness of weakness and inability should bring us to the rock, that is Christ ( ), to build our house there ( ). The wisdom of “the locusts” consists in the orderly cooperation among them that makes them march like a massive military division ( ). They know how to organize; they have a remarkable organizational talent. There is spontaneous unity and order. They do not have a king or queen like the bees, “yet all of them go out in ranks” like a well-organized army. A single locust has no strength; you just trample it to death. But in swarms locusts are invincible and all-destroying ( ; ; ; ). God has put that collective advancing in them. The lesson for us is that the sense of weakness should keep us together as members of the church and that we should strengthen each other. We can experience that in a local church if the invisible Person, the Holy Spirit, can govern it. With the Colossians that was the case. Paul could say to them: “For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ” ( ). Are there any local churches today that He can say that to? The wisdom of “the lizard” is his ability to enter even the palaces of kings ( ). The weak, defenseless lizard who can be grasped at will knows how to get into the best-secured, as well as into the most important, dwellings, such as “into the palaces of the king”. Countless Christians throughout church history have been seized and slaughtered without defending themselves, but they have a dwelling with God. He who is weak may know that he has a distinguished and secure place in Christ. Believers have royal dignity and “are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household” ( ). With its suction cups, the lizard can move about on the smoothest surfaces. It sticks to them, as it were. This is how faith may cling itself to the dwelling place of God.

‏ Proverbs 30:25

Four Little but Wise Animals

What the “four things” who are “small on earth” have in common is wisdom (Pro 30:24). The four small animals mentioned by Agur know how to deal with their natural disadvantages or limitations in order to survive. This instinct has been put into these small animals by the Creator. He has made them “exceedingly wise”. How great is His wisdom! Man is naturally inclined to admire what is big, strong and impressive. Here we see that this is not so for God, even in creation. We should not despise the weak things in creation, but learn from them. In God’s creation, God’s wisdom manifests itself in various ways. Humans can thereby learn the value of wisdom (Job 12:7).

These creatures are “not a strong people” (Pro 30:25), “not mighty people” (Pro 30:26), without “king” (Pro 30:27) and without defense (Pro 30:28). The same is true of the church in the world. The church is weak, but all wisdom is available to it in Christ (1Cor 1:26-29 ; 30).

The wisdom exhibited in “the ants” concerns their forward thinking and organizational ability to build a food supply for later (Pro 30:25). That the ants are not a strong people is no excuse for them to be lazy. They know how to physically survive in the future. Diligently they are preparing food in the summer so they will have food to eat in the winter.

They teach us that we must live a future-oriented life (Pro 6:6). Just as the ants gather food in view of their future needs, so we should read God’s Word as our spiritual food not only for today, but also for the future. Then the Holy Spirit can use from it what is needed at any given time.

The rich fool had also had laid up many goods for many years, but on earth. He never saw the future years for which he had accumulated so much, because his future for him was only earth (Lk 12:16-21).

We see the wisdom of “the shephanim” [badgers] in their ingenuity in finding a place of safety in the rocks and building their houses there (Pro 30:26). They know how to survive in a hostile environment (Ps 104:18b). They seek their safety in the rocks. Their condition is extremely weak, but their position is very strong. It teaches us that our awareness of weakness and inability should bring us to the rock, that is Christ (1Cor 10:4), to build our house there (Mt 7:24-25).

The wisdom of “the locusts” consists in the orderly cooperation among them that makes them march like a massive military division (Pro 30:27). They know how to organize; they have a remarkable organizational talent. There is spontaneous unity and order. They do not have a king or queen like the bees, “yet all of them go out in ranks” like a well-organized army. A single locust has no strength; you just trample it to death. But in swarms locusts are invincible and all-destroying (Exo 10:13-15; Isa 33:4; Joel 2:25; Rev 9:11).

God has put that collective advancing in them. The lesson for us is that the sense of weakness should keep us together as members of the church and that we should strengthen each other. We can experience that in a local church if the invisible Person, the Holy Spirit, can govern it. With the Colossians that was the case. Paul could say to them: “For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ” (Col 2:5). Are there any local churches today that He can say that to?

The wisdom of “the lizard” is his ability to enter even the palaces of kings (Pro 30:28). The weak, defenseless lizard who can be grasped at will knows how to get into the best-secured, as well as into the most important, dwellings, such as “into the palaces of the king”.

Countless Christians throughout church history have been seized and slaughtered without defending themselves, but they have a dwelling with God. He who is weak may know that he has a distinguished and secure place in Christ. Believers have royal dignity and “are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household” (Eph 2:19). With its suction cups, the lizard can move about on the smoothest surfaces. It sticks to them, as it were. This is how faith may cling itself to the dwelling place of God.