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Well, please turn with me in 
your Bibles to Proverbs chapter 30. Proverbs chapter 30. I alluded to this section last 
week in our study of the diligence of the ant in Proverbs chapter 
6, so it seemed appropriate to continue in that theme and listen 
to Solomon's instruction from the natural order. I want to 
read beginning in verse 24 in Proverbs chapter 30. There are 
four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly 
wise. The ants are a people not strong, 
yet they prepare their food in the summer. The rock badgers 
are a feeble folk, yet they make their homes in the crags. The 
locusts have no king, yet they all advance in ranks. The spider 
skillfully grasps with its hands, and it is in king's palaces. 
Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, thank 
you again for your Word. Thank you for the wisdom of Solomon 
and the fact that you have given us this. And we pray that you 
would help us now. Give us hearts to receive the 
truth. Give us grace to learn from these little things. May 
we express exceeding wisdom. in the areas that you have called 
us unto. May you help us to imitate these 
creatures, help us to glorify you. And to that end, we pray 
for the ministry of the Holy Spirit now to illumine our minds 
and our hearts. And may we never be so proud 
or arrogant as to not learn lessons from ants and from conies and 
locusts and spiders. Give us grace to receive wisdom 
from wherever it may come. And may we ultimately bow the 
knee to that one in whom all the the treasures of wisdom and 
knowledge are hid, even our Lord Jesus Christ. Forgive us again 
for our sins and help us, we pray, through Christ our Lord. 
Amen. Well, I had mentioned last week, 
in fact, you can turn to 1 Kings chapter 4 just to see something 
concerning Solomon's wisdom. It is not simply or only in spiritual 
matters that Solomon was keen with reference to the natural 
sciences. And therefore, Solomon often 
points his sons and readers in the book of Proverbs to the created 
order. to the natural order so that 
we may learn lessons that are consistent with our place here 
on the earth. 1 Kings 4, verse 33, also, he 
spoke of trees from the cedar tree of Lebanon, even to the 
hyssop that springs out of the wall. He spoke also of animals, 
of birds, of creeping things, and of fish. and men of all nations 
from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom came 
to hear the wisdom of Solomon. So it should not surprise us 
that we find these sections in the book of Proverbs where Solomon 
points us to the created order for instruction. I mentioned 
last week that our Lord Jesus does that in Matthew chapter 
six, when he's trying to caution his people against carnal anxiety, 
he points to the birds of the air. He points to the lilies 
of the field. Charles Bridges says that God 
instructed Job by behemoth and Leviathan in Job 40 and 41. Here he instructs us by the ants 
and the conies. And indeed, in the minute creation, 
his splendor shines as gloriously as in the more majestic. So we 
should appreciate God's wisdom displayed in those majestic creatures, 
but we also ought to marvel at God's wisdom displayed in these 
little things. I want to look first at the title 
line in verse 24, and then secondly at the four little things in 
verses 25 to 28. You notice the title line is 
verse 24. There are four things which are 
little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise. This is 
a common pattern in the Solomons of Agur. Notice in verses 15 
and 16. The leech has two daughters, 
give and give. There are three things that are 
never satisfied. And then notice in verse 18, 
there are three things which are too wonderful for me. Yes, 
for which I do not understand. Verses 21 to 23, for three things 
the earth is perturbed. Yes, for four it cannot bear 
up. And then again in verses 29 to 31, there are three things 
which are majestic in pace. So the author here tells us those 
things, and then he goes through and highlights the particulars 
involved with the things that he has mentioned. Now, notice 
in verse 24, there are four things which are little on the earth. Now, the little there is probably 
not in the first place with reference to their stature. Now, each of 
these animals are little in terms of their stature, but most likely 
what's in view is their significance. They are little in terms of their 
overall footprint with reference to the earth. They're little 
with reference to their impact on the world of men. They are 
little in that regard. Not so much stature, but rather 
significance. You see this word little used 
that way in the Old Testament. In Exodus 18, at verse 22, God 
had told Moses to seek out assistance. In other words, Moses simply 
could not, in and of himself, adjudicate all of the issues 
facing Israel at the time. So he is given instruction, then 
it will be that every matter they shall bring to you, but 
every small matter they themselves shall judge. So the deputy judges 
that Moses had at hand would take up the little matters, and 
Moses would be committed to the greater ones or to the more significant. In 1 Samuel 15, 17, Samuel to 
Saul, when you were little in your own eyes, were you not head 
of the tribes of Israel? So again, it's not just the stature, 
though that's certainly true of the ant, of the coney, of 
the locust, and of the spider, but rather it's their significance. They are weak. They are something 
that is easily forgettable. They're something that really 
doesn't make an impact upon your life whatsoever. Now, in terms 
of the structure, the unifying feature of each of these four 
creatures is that they have a particular weakness or a limitation, and 
then they have some compensating wisdom that makes up for that 
particular weakness. In fact, the description of the 
four animals follows that structure in the title line. There are 
four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly 
wise. The animal is mentioned, and 
then what is highlighted is its weakness or its limitation, and 
then its compensating wisdom, the means by which it makes up 
for the limitation that it faces. Now certainly, that instructs 
us, because all of us have limitation. All of us have weakness. All 
of us are, to one degree or other, insignificant. And so when we 
realize that particular weakness that is true of us, we ought 
to seek, by the grace of God, to let wisdom elsewhere override 
that particular thing. So that's sort of the the structure. These are weak things, but they 
have something that helps them to navigate through the weakness 
that they have. It's a very simple lesson, a 
very simple instruction, but one that is most necessary for 
the people of God. And then the reference, notice 
in verse 24, but they are exceedingly wise. In other words, the particular 
aspects of their wisdom aren't just a little bit, but rather 
they are exceedingly wise. They excel at this. They may 
have this particular limitation. They may have this particular 
challenge. They may have this particular weakness, but they 
more than make up for it with this corresponding or compensating 
wisdom. So, that's the structure in the 
section. Now, let's look at these four 
little things. In the first place, you have 
the industrious ants. Now, we probably don't need to 
labor this too much other than draw out some application, but 
look at the text. Verse 25, the ants are a people 
not strong. Now referring to them as people, 
Eger does not think that they bear the image of God. Eger does 
not think that they are somehow another category of men, but 
rather he is highlighting something true of the created order, something 
true of the lower order is to make an impact on us so that 
we will learn. In other words, if these little 
people, this little feeble folk, is able to master this particular 
aspect of wisdom, then certainly image bearers ought to be able 
to do something like that. They ought to excel in industry. 
They ought to excel in preparation. They ought to excel in diligence, 
the way that the ant has demonstrated this. If ants recognize their 
weakness and they respond accordingly, then we as God's people certainly 
ought to be able to recognize our weakness and respond accordingly. Now, notice the text. The ants 
are a people not strong, there's their weakness, yet they prepare 
their food in the summer. We saw that last week in Proverbs 
chapter 6 at verses 6 to 8. Remember, the sluggard is directed 
to go consider the ant, to learn of her ways, to be wise. In other 
words, sit at the feet of the ant and see how you're supposed 
to conduct your affairs in this world. Waltke makes this observation. He says, there, the ants, exceptional 
achievement, which is out of proportion to their seemingly 
inadequate size and power, provides a model for God's people to exercise 
prudent foresight, discipline, and industry in a timely manner. The text is conspicuous. They're 
not strong, yet they prepare their food in the summer. Why? 
Because they don't have the stateliness or the majesty of the lion. They 
cannot leave their dens and go hunt and kill. If they don't 
prepare their food in the summer or at harvest time, then they 
will starve when it comes time for winter. We need to be like 
that. We need to be diligent. We need 
to be industrious. We need to be a people that prepare, 
both temporally and spiritually. The Proverbs are filled with 
admonition to the people of God to prepare their life in such 
a way that they're able to wear clothes, they're able to have 
shelter, and they're able to have food. We are not to sit 
idly by when we need to go out to work. We are to be industrious 
like the ants. We are to be hard workers. Notice specifically in Proverbs 
27. Proverbs 27 at verse 23, Solomon 
again says, be diligent to know the state of your flocks and 
attend to your herds. For riches are not forever, nor 
does a crown endure to all generations. You cannot bank on anything remaining 
unto the future. We are taught by our Lord to 
pray to God for our daily bread. But that prayer does not invalidate 
the place of work. That prayer does not invalidate 
the place of preparation. That prayer does not invalidate 
the place of diligence in the lives of God's people. In fact, 
when you look at Matthew chapter 6, the birds and the lilies are 
given as examples by Jesus for the people of God not to engage 
in carnal anxiety. Look at the birds. They don't 
sow, they don't reap, but the Lord God feeds them. They don't 
sow or they don't reap, but they do fly, they do forage, they 
do look for food. He says, with reference to the 
lilies, that God clothes them. When you become like a lily and 
you cannot move, then you don't have to go to work. But until 
that time comes, you need to be industrious and diligent like 
the ant. So you cannot point to Matthew 
6 as a proof text to lie on your couch with your hand out, hoping 
that people fill it with food, with shelter, and with clothing. You have to work. That's what 
marks the end. It prepares, it is diligent. 
Back to Proverbs 27, verse 25. When the hay is removed and the 
tender grass shows itself, and the herbs of the mountains are 
gathered in, the lambs will provide your clothing and the goats the 
price of a field. You shall have enough goat's 
milk for your food, for the food of your household and the nourishment 
of your maid servants. Now, you've probably heard of 
the Protestant work ethic. It wasn't developed by the Protestants. It was simply imitated from the 
Word of God. The Bible everywhere enjoins 
upon us industry, diligence, hard work, effort, not indolence, 
not laziness, not sluggardliness, but rather we need to be like 
the ant. So we see the application in 
terms of temporality with reference to the industry of the ant. But 
we also ought to appreciate it with reference to spiritual things. 
Are we diligent when it comes to our own hearts? Are we diligent 
to keep our own hearts with all diligence, like Proverbs 4 says, 
for out of it flow the issues of life? Are we diligent in the 
due use of the ordinary means? Are we faithfully reading our 
Bibles? Are we faithfully praying? Are we faithfully attending church? 
Are we faithfully attending the supper? Are we the kinds of people 
that imitate the ant when it comes to not only industry and 
diligence, but preparation? What are we preparing for in 
terms of eternality? We are preparing to be with God 
most high. And that demands from us a degree 
of diligence in our lives now. Not in terms of us earning our 
salvation, but as those who have been saved, we are called to 
perfect holiness in the fear of God. We are called to pursue 
holiness without which no one will see the Lord. As the people 
of God, we need to imitate the end and be diligent, industrious, 
and those who prepare. But in terms of the unconverted, 
I want to direct your attention to two quotes, one by Ryle and 
one by Bridges. Ryle speaking to young children. Ryle says this, Dear children, 
the best time for seeking pardon Grace and the friendship of God 
is the time of youth. Youth and childhood are your 
summer. Now you are strong and well. 
Now you have plenty of time. Now you have few cares and troubles 
to distract you. Now is the best time for laying 
up food for your souls. I think that's beautiful. Somewhere 
Spurgeon says, there's no fool as foolish as a gray-headed fool. In other words, flee to Christ 
in your youth. Prepare for the coming day of 
judgment. It is coming. You may not have 
heard this as children, but your parents have. There are only 
two certainties in life, death and taxes. As I've said on many 
occasions, you cannot pay your taxes. I don't recommend it because 
you'll be in prison, but you can feasibly not pay your taxes. If you do, remember, I'm telling 
you, you'll probably end up in prison. It is more appropriate 
to say there are two things that are absolutely certain, and the 
book of Hebrews tells us that in Hebrews 9. It's appointed 
for men to die, and then comes judgment. You see, this is more 
sure than paying taxes. This is more sure than university. This is more sure than even tomorrow. There is a judgment coming, and 
are you preparing? Are you listening to the Word 
of God? Are you receiving, with thanksgiving, that implanted 
Word? Are you trusting in the Savior? Have you come? Have you 
seen? Have you tasted that the Lord 
is good? Listen to Bridges with reference to this application 
in terms of unconverted people. He says, a quickening sermon 
do these little insects preach to us. They make preparation 
for the coming winter. Isn't it pathetic? We live in 
a day and age where persons do not think about eternity. They 
take no concern whatsoever to prepare for the coming day of 
God's judgment. And yet ants everywhere right 
now are busy preparing themselves so that they'll be able to make 
it through the winter. What a rebuke and what a reproof that these 
little things give to us. He says, a quickening sermon 
do these little insects preach to us. They make preparation 
for the coming winter. What must be the thoughtlessness 
of making no provision for the coming eternity? wiling away 
life in inactivity, as if there was no work for God, for the 
soul, or for eternity? Shall not we learn to be wise 
betimes, to improve the present moment of salvation, not to wait 
for the winter, the verge of life, when that grace offered 
now shall be offered no more? Sinner, if all be lost by your 
indolence, that's just another word for laziness. If all be lost by your indolence, 
will you not be the great loser? What else have you to do but 
to prepare for eternity? Really, what else have you to 
do but to prepare for eternity? One is defying philosophy that 
way. It is to prepare, or philosophy is a means by which we prepare 
for death. I think that's accurate. I think 
that's fitting. I think that is a good way to 
look at it. What else have you to do but 
to prepare for eternity? What hope can you have of heaven 
at last if you have never seriously thought of heaven before? Oh, 
before it be too late, throw yourself at his feet, whose heart 
overflows with love." That's a beautiful admonition based 
on these ants that are diligent, that are industrious, that are 
not lazy or indolent. With reference to temporality, 
you and I need to work. We need to pray to God, give 
us this day our daily bread, but that does not mitigate against 
getting up and going out and embracing your life's calling. 
As well, in terms of eternality, we ought to take heed if these 
ants that are little that are insignificant, that are wracked 
with weakness, nevertheless compensate with wisdom, what shall we do 
who know there is a judgment to come? Who know that we will 
stand before the judge of all the earth and give an account 
for deeds done in the body, whether good or evil? And we will have 
to enter in, either to heaven or hell. Now notice, secondly, 
the cautious cones. The cautious cones, the King 
James Version translates it as cones. Probably rock badgers 
or likely the Syrian rock hyrax. They are also referred to in 
the book of Leviticus, in the book of Deuteronomy, and then 
as well in Psalm 104. They live together in colonies. Now, This is fitting, because 
note their weakness. The rock badgers are a feeble 
folk. They don't have the strength 
of the lion. They don't have the strength of other animals. They don't have the horn of a 
rhinoceros. They are a feeble folk. And so 
what do they do? They live in colonies. About 
6 to 50 of them live in colonies in the rocks. And intriguingly, 
they post guards on their perimeter so that if a predator is spotted, 
the guard will make a high-pitched squeal so that the other colonies 
know to find their place in the rock. This feebleness is compensated 
for by the wisdom of caution. You see, brethren, we should 
learn from that. We should learn that life is 
to be lived with a certain degree of cautiousness, both temporally 
and spiritually or eternally. As a prey animal, notice, we've 
seen the weakness, they're a feeble folk, verse 26b, yet they make 
their homes in the crags. As a prey animal, it realizes 
that if it lives among predators, it will die. Pretty smart, isn't 
it? I wish we'd be as smart. We know 
that the world, the flesh, and the devil is a great triunity 
of bad things. And yet, not only are we not 
cautious, but we don't resist the devil so that he may flee 
from us. We pander to our remaining corruption, we cater to it, and 
we put ourselves in positions of compromise with the world. 
We need to learn from these little conies. We need to learn from 
the Syrian rock hyrax. We need to understand that running 
and hiding among the rocks is often the best recourse when 
faced with danger. They don't have the wherewithal 
to stand up against the predators. They don't have the ability to 
fight. They don't have the skills necessary 
to take down a larger animal and deliver a death blow. No, 
they run and they hide. Like Solomon says in the Proverbs 
on two occasions, the prudent man foresees evil and what does 
he do? He runs roughshod right into 
it. No, he foresees evil and he does what? He hides himself. What did Joseph do in Potiphar's 
house when Potiphar's wife kept throwing herself at him? He ran 
from her. Brethren, that is a legitimate 
response in response to danger, to run from the hotbed of temptation, 
to run from those predators, to run from those things which 
would do damage to our souls. John Gill says, the Koni makes 
their homes in the rocks to secure themselves from their more potent 
enemies. And thus, what they want in strength 
is made up in sagacity. And by their wise conduct, they 
provide for their safety and protection. You see a bit of 
a theme working here in these little ones, don't you? prudent 
provision according to the aunt, prudent shelter according to 
the coney. And we likewise need to pursue 
such things. Again, temporally, self-defense, 
family defense is necessary. There's a lot of dangers out 
there. We don't just unlock our doors and open our windows and 
invite would-be rapists over. We certainly don't do that. We 
need to be cautious like the Cones. We need to be on guard. We need to take heed. We need 
to be wise. The sons of Issachar are referenced 
in the Bible because they were wise concerning the times in 
which they lived. Brethren, there is all manner 
of wickedness and lawlessness out there, and it certainly becomes 
the people of God to have a cautiousness when it comes to temporality, 
when it comes to life in this lower world. But of course, the 
eternal or the spiritual application in terms of cautiousness. Do 
you go to places where you know you're most likely going to sin? 
Do you look at things that you know will induce you to most 
likely sin? Do you continue to resist not 
the wickedness and the evil and the temptations that face the 
godly in this generation, but do you continue to resist the 
admonitions from God's Word? We are told specifically, resist 
the devil and he will flee from you. I've always loved the sublimity 
of that. I've always been put off by the 
sorts of people that have long sort of conferences on how to 
cast the devil out. Buy my CD, buy my cassette, buy 
my whatever, and I'll give you five easy lessons on how to rid 
your life of demons and the devil. Well, James and Peter is a whole 
lot easier. James and Peter simply tell us, 
resist him. Be cautious, brethren. Be cautious 
in what you set before your eyes. Be cautious in what you set around 
you. Be cautious with reference to 
the company that you keep. Young children, young people, 
be cautious with reference to your peer group. They exercise 
a powerful influence and learn the lesson from the Kony. hide 
in the rock if necessary, because that is far more admirable than 
going headlong into wickedness and sin against God. It's a beautiful 
thing to look at the Cones. Listen to Gil. It's a bit of 
an extended quote, but I think he makes the point very well. These, the Kones, are an emblem 
of the people of God, who are a weak and feeble people, unable 
of themselves to perform spiritual duties, to exercise grace, to 
withstand the corruptions of their nature, resist the temptations 
of Satan, bear up under afflictive providences, and grapple with 
spiritual enemies, or defend themselves from them. But such 
heavenly wisdom is given them as to betake themselves for refuge 
and shelter to Christ, the rock of Israel, the rock of salvation, 
the rock that is higher than they, a strong one on which the 
church is built and against which the gates of Hades cannot prevail. 
And here they are safe from the storms of divine wrath and the 
avenging justice of God, from the rage and fury of men and 
the fiery darts of Satan. Here they dwell safely and delightfully 
and have all manner of provision at hand for them. See, that is 
a great application. That rock was Christ, the Apostle 
tells us in 1 Corinthians 10. Where do we find our safety? 
Where do we find our refuge? Where do we find our protection? 
Where do we find our defense? It is in Christ, the King. Read 
the confessions of faith, read the catechisms that ask the question, 
why do we need Jesus as our king? Because he rules over us, because 
he governs us, because he defends us, and because he protects us. You see, be a cautious coney 
and find your habitation under the safety of Christ's wing. And then notice, thirdly, the 
unified locusts. The unified locus. Notice the 
weakness. They have no king. The strength, 
yet they all advance in rank. Now, that is a weakness. While 
at times, anarchy may be appealing to some of us, it's not God's 
design. It is not God's design. Now, 
I'm not suggesting that God's design is a government agency 
for everything. I would not suggest that at all. 
But anarchy is not. If you want a great sort of picture 
or illustration of anarchy, read Judges, specifically 17 to 21. You'll see what happens when 
life is lived, when there is no king in Israel, and everyone 
does what's right in their own eyes. I take it that 17 to 21 
is actually prior in time to Judges 1 to 16. In other words, 
17 to 21 is a bit of an epilogue describing life in Israel when 
there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in 
their own eyes. So God in his mercy, God in his justice, God 
in his kindness, God in his love, provided judges. And these judges 
functioned in a kingly capacity. These judges served the people 
of God by protecting them from the Midianites, from the Philistines, 
from the various contenders that would try to usurp Israel's place 
in the Middle East. So we see that anarchy is not 
God's way. Proverbs 8, 15, Christ speaking 
his wisdom says, by me kings reign. Romans 13, 1 to 4, the 
apostle Paul says there is no authority except from God. In 
other words, civil authority is appointed by God. Again, not 
the civil authority that has a government agency that regulates 
every jot and dill of your life. I'm not sure that's what's meant 
in Romans 13, but the fact is there is civil government, it 
is ordained by God, and it is ordained by God for the good 
of people. So the locusts, back to verse 
27, they have no king. Yet, how do they compensate for 
this? They all advance in ranks. In other words, they have unity 
among one another. They cooperate with one another. 
Locusts are mentioned everywhere in the Bible. We just read of 
locusts in Nahum chapter 3. And in Joel chapter 2 specifically, 
we see that this is theology based on a locust plague in Joel 
chapter 1. And in Joel 2.25, God says, So 
I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has 
eaten, the crawling locust, and the chewing locust, my great 
army, which I sent among you." They have no king yet. They advance 
in ranks. They have unity. They cooperate 
with one another. I remember years ago looking 
at National Geographic online to learn more about locusts. 
And it said, a desert locust swarm can be, I'm just going 
to give you the kilometers. I have the miles here. I'm not 
going to do miles and kilometers. I prefer miles, but mindful of 
the audience, I will give you the kilometers. A desert locust 
swarm can be 1,200 square kilometers in size and pack between 40 and 
80 million locusts into less than half of one square kilometer. Each locust can eat its weight 
in plants each day. So a swarm of such size would 
eat 192 million kilograms of plants every day. Like the individual 
animals within them, locust swarms are typically in motion and can 
cover vast distances. In 1954, a swarm flew from Northwest 
Africa to Great Britain. In 1988, another made the lengthy 
trek from West Africa to the Caribbean. Now, I simply highlight 
that to underscore the exceeding wisdom involved in a group of 
things that don't have a king. There's no hierarchy sort of 
making sure all of the lower ones toe the line. They don't 
have a king, yet they function in unity. They don't have a king, 
yet they function cooperating with one another. So temporally, 
what should we learn from that? I would suggest parents be very 
thankful that you have, I'm sorry, children be very thankful that 
you have parents. And all of us should be very 
thankful for civil government. Now, it's a tough one to say 
in light of civil government, but the fact that God has given 
civil government is for our good. Judges 17, 21. All you got to 
do is look at that section to see what life is without civil 
government. It is bleak. It is dismal. It is bad. It is harsh. It is 
brutal. And so we ought to be a thankful 
people that we actually do have persons over us. I've never understood 
that. People that have this craving 
for autonomy and independence such that they are the only one 
on the face of the earth. That's not how God made us to 
function. God made husbands and wives to function together. God 
made families to function together. God made children to submit to 
their parents. God made parents to rule over their children. 
God put the church together. He put officers in place. God 
put the government in order. He put higher-ups. He put lower. 
He put persons that were governed. Why is that bad? The idea of 
submission. You hear that often with reference 
to ladies. I don't want to pick on anyone 
here. But Paul tells you to submit to your own husbands as to the 
Lord. Oh, come on. Submit? All of us are supposed 
to submit in one form or another. Jesus Christ was submitting to 
his Father. The Lord Jesus Christ said, I 
always do that which is pleasing to my Father. My need is to do 
the will of Him who sent me. Christ was submissive. Christ 
was the servant. Christ didn't shrink back. Christ 
embraced that. The idea of government, in and 
of itself, ought not to alarm us or ought to make us upset. Bad government certainly should 
concern us, but with reference to having kings or governments 
or things of that nature, it is a blessing. And with reference 
to these locusts, in terms of spiritual application, we actually 
do have a king. We, the people of God, have a 
king, and his name is Jesus. And yet for us to advance in 
ranks is nigh unto impossible. There's so much disunity. There's 
so much discord. There's so much lack of harmony. 
It's almost like you start to go to take a hill, and you look 
behind you, and everybody's just sort of fighting with each other. 
All of us are just doing our own things. We have a king, and 
yet at times we live like Judges 17 to 21. Like there is no king 
in Israel, everyone doing what is right in his own eyes. Brethren, 
unity is a blessed thing. Psalm 133 highlights the blessing 
of unity. Paul the Apostle in Ephesians 
4 tells us we are to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit 
and the bond of peace. The New Testament documents everywhere 
hold forth to us a unified church. We are to strive together. We 
are to be of one mind. We are to be a people under the 
headship of our King that advance together in ranks. If the locusts 
can do what locusts do without a king, why in the world can't 
the church do what she's supposed to do when she has the king of 
kings and the Lord of lords? She has the best king that has 
ever reigned, and we are called to submit to his kingship and 
to do what he says. Gil says the locusts serve as 
an emblem of unity, concord, and harmony. Waltke says how 
much more should God's people, under God's king, advance God's 
kingdom by fighting in unison against the enemy, not themselves? Each one doing his part within 
his own rank appears with the strictest discipline. Now, that's 
probably another word we could throw into the mix with reference 
to the locusts. They have no king, yet they advance 
together in ranks. That calls for discipline, doesn't 
it? When you're covering that amount 
of airspace, You just don't have the wherewithal to have a renegade 
band say, well, we're just not going to go to the Caribbean. 
We're going to just do our own thing. No, they know that if 
they separate, they know that if they're not disciplined, they 
know. And again, how do they know? 
It's intuition. They know that if they do this, 
they're not going to eat. Now, locusts aren't out to sort 
of rid the world of crops. They're simply out to feed their 
little locust bellies. They don't have any malevolent 
end in sight. You can't look at a locust plague 
and say, wow, those locusts, what terrible, horrible creatures. 
That's their Costco. That's their superstore. That's 
their Walmart. That's how they eat. We can't 
begrudge the locusts, but rather we ought to learn from the locusts, 
exercise the caution of a coney, and spray our field or do whatever 
we have to so that the locusts can't get it. You see, kind of 
mixing the wisdom of the animals here. And then notice fourthly 
and finally, the persistent spider or lizard. The translation is 
difficult. It's either a spider or a lizard. It's also difficult to know whether 
it's the spider skillfully grasping with its spider hands, or what 
is in view is that the spider or the lizard is easily grasped 
in the hands. In fact, the ESV renders it that 
way. The lizard you can take in your 
hands, yet it is in king's palaces. based on the structure of the 
passage, based on the other coordinating statements, I would take it that 
way. The particular weakness of either 
the spider or the lizard is that it is easily graspable. It is easily caught. It is easily 
held onto. Yet, note the compensating wisdom. Yet, it is in king's palaces. 
Now, if we had to sort of boil this down in terms of we've got 
industry with reference to ants. We've got caution with reference 
to conies. We've got unity with reference 
to locusts. If we had to sort of boil down 
the spider slash lizard, we might say persistence. It's easily 
grasped in the hands, yet it's in the king's palaces. Imagine 
that. It has this terrible weakness, 
right? Whatever your problems are, there's 
no giant somewhere that's going to grab you by his hand and put 
you in a jar. That's just not going to happen. 
That's not your weakness. That's not your limitation. That's 
not your challenge in life. There's no anikin out there. 
There's no Nephilim out there that are ready to scoop you up 
and put you in an aquarium. That's just not going to happen. 
These have that. You've probably all caught spiders. 
You've probably all caught lizards. You've probably all cut lizards' 
tails off and watched them wiggle. That's what they do. I don't 
recommend that. That's kind of mean. Don't do 
that, kids. Lizards, they do grow back. But they're easily 
grasped with the hands. And yet, they're in king's palaces. Speaks to persistence, doesn't 
it? You've probably all had this 
experience. You go out to water the backyard. You see a great 
big spider web, and you hose it down. You don't think anything 
more about it until two or three days later. You go back out, 
and there it is again. It's not the case that it withstood 
the water because you watched it collapse. It is the case that 
the spider liked that piece of property, and it rebuilt its 
web. Isn't that amazing? It's easily 
grasped by the hands, and yet it's in the king's palaces. We're 
not in king's palaces. We're not been invited to the 
prime minister's or the president's home. We're not privy to such 
things. But the persistence of the spider 
or lizard is such that she is found in King's palaces. John 
Gill says, yet such is her constancy and assiduity, that means a persistence, 
and her unwary application to business, that as fast as they, 
her webs, are destroyed, she attempts to restore them. That's 
something we could all use a good dose of, too, is persistence. If at first you don't succeed, 
give up and go cry. That's the message that is rife 
on university campuses today. If at first you don't succeed, 
sue the federal government. If at first you don't succeed, 
emancipate yourself from your parents. If at first you don't 
succeed, then go live on top of Mount Sham. Now, if at first 
you don't succeed, Try again. If somebody hoses down your webs, 
rebuild it. If the king catches you, escape 
from the jar and get back up on the top and live in his palaces. 
There are obvious temporal applications involved here. Persistence in 
the pursuit of food, shelter, clothing. Persistence in terms 
of your work goals. Persistence in terms of advancement. One man says the identifying 
mark with reference here is ambition. That's probably involved as well. 
They're not living outside the king's palaces. They're actually 
in the king's palaces. There are two temporal sort of 
illustrations. You've probably heard of Robert 
the Bruce. He was the King of Scots from 
1306 until his death in 1329. Now, they call it a legend. I 
don't know why it would have been a legend. But Robert the 
Bruce was either in a cave or he was in his house. And he watched 
a spider attempt to make a web from one beam to another. And 
the spider failed. But Robert the Bruce observed 
that the spider tried again. Spider failed. Robert the Bruce 
observed that the spider tried it again. And this time, the 
third time, was the charm. The spider made it. This was 
the impetus for Robert the Bruce to go engage in military activity 
and to prove himself to be quite a noble warrior. And then we've 
all used WD-40. or you've seen it in your house, 
that wonderful thing that makes everything stop squeaking. You 
get a squeak, you spray WD-40 on it. Before we got new doors, 
I used to use WD-40 on the door because, I mean, that old door 
creaked like it was nobody's business. Do you know why it's 
called WD-40? Because that's the 40th attempt 
at the formula. That's it. 1 to 39 didn't work. 40 was the charm. Glad or thankfully, whoever developed 
that, whether it was a guy or a team, they weren't on the modern 
university campus that needed their little safe space because 
they failed at something. We'd all be without WD-40, without 
the persistence of the makers of WD-40. You see, brethren, 
persistence is a most necessary thing. Temporally, in terms of 
life, in terms of achievement, in terms of ambition, in terms 
of vision, persistence is needful. But of course, persistence with 
reference to spiritual things. How are we to live? Oh, I failed 
in this. I sinned. I proved that the hymn 
writer was right. I am prone to wander. I am prone 
to leave the God I love. So do you commit apostasy? Do 
you give up? Do you never read your Bible 
again? Do you never attend church again? Is that what we're supposed 
to be about? No. My little children, I write 
these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, 
cash it in, give it up, you're done. No, if anyone does sin, 
we have an advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ the 
righteous. In other words, persistence, 
not continuing in sin, but persistence at the throne of grace when you 
do sin. Persistence is needful in life. Nothing is going to come easy. 
Every good thing worth having is worth working hard for, whether 
it's in the temporal sphere or whether it's in the spiritual 
sphere. Again, we're not working for our salvation. We're not 
trying to gain our justification. But as those justified freely 
by His grace, we want to be faithful. We want to be godly. That means 
putting effort in, that means being persistent, that means 
being like the spider-slash-lizard to remain in the king's palaces. Waltke again says, the conclusion 
points to wisdom's reward of living in a luxurious royal palace. If the son whom wicked men and 
women want to capture exercises caution, though as vulnerable 
as a lizard, he too will live in the chief residence of the 
realm. Paradoxically, the people of God who are foolish by the 
world's standards live in heavenly places. So those are the four 
little things on the earth that are exceedingly wise. We have the industrious ant, 
the cautious coney, the united locust, and the persistent spider-slash-lizard. Now, I'm not saying spider-slash-lizard 
is some third sort of animal. Whether it's a spider or a lizard, 
the same applies to both. They can be easily grasped with 
the hand, and yet it is in king's palaces. Now, I want to conclude 
with a couple of observations here. I think the text in the 
first place calls us with reference to the need for self-awareness. Self-awareness. If the aunt thinks 
she's a lion, she's going to starve in the winter. Right? If the coney thinks it's a lion, 
it's going to be eaten by lions. If the locust thinks that it 
can't eat without a king, then it's not going to eat. And if 
the spider or the lizard thinks that it's the giant, it's going 
to end up in a jar in the king's palace. The need for self-awareness. Harry Callahan well said, a man's 
got to know his limitations. And I think that this is what 
this passage, at least indirectly, is calling us to. You need to 
know your limitations. good job interviews, the employer 
will say, describe your strengths. But it'll also say, describe 
your weaknesses. Is that because employers are 
mean? Is that because they want to make you feel bad? No, because 
employers know everybody's got weaknesses, and they want to 
know how you're going to compensate that with wisdom. There is a 
need for self-awareness that this text calls us to. If the 
ant thinks it's a rhino, it's going to live differently, isn't 
it? If the coney thinks it's a bird, it's going to live differently. If behemoth thinks it can fly, 
it's going to function in a way that is inconsistent with its 
life as a behemoth. It's a very simple principle 
that each of these four little things are acutely aware of their 
shortcomings. And this is something that I 
would suggest is needful for the people of God, because that 
then lends itself to the necessity of recognizing and cultivating 
compensating wisdom. In other words, if I'm an ant 
and I'll starve in the winter, then I know I need to store up 
my food in the summer and harvest time. If I'm a coney and I know 
that predators are out there to get me, I'm going to live 
in the crags. You see how that goes? When you 
recognize where you're weak, you try to compensate for it 
by exceeding wisdom. That has to be what the text 
is enjoining. Certainly imitate these particular 
traits of each of these four little animals, but step back 
for a moment and realize that each of these four little animals 
are cognizant of the fact that they have these weaknesses. And 
being cognizant of the fact that they have these weaknesses, they 
compensate for it by exceeding wisdom. So in other words, brethren, 
self-awareness is a good thing. Understanding your limitations 
is a good thing. Notice that not each of these 
can do everything. The ants aren't necessarily commended 
for their ability to be in king's palaces, though they can do that. 
No one person has every strength. No one person has every weakness. 
That's good news, isn't it? No one person has it all figured 
out. Let us band together like the 
locusts in unity, helping one another to not only see those 
weaknesses, but to compensate for it with wisdom. That has 
to be a lesson here. Bridges makes the observation. 
He says, weakness then is no excuse for indolence, no occasion 
of despondency. The ant doesn't cry because he's 
not a lion. The coney doesn't complain to 
God because he needs to hide in the crags. The locust doesn't 
protest until he gets a king. The spider doesn't say, you know 
what? I'm just going to go live out in the forest because kings 
want to catch me and put me in their jar. No. Why would we think 
a weakness is the rationale for inactivity? Why would we think 
that weakness is the rationale to just lay on the couch and 
give up? Why would we think that weakness would justify indolence, 
sluggardliness, or laziness with reference to life? So again, 
these animals spot the weakness, so they shore up the loose ends. 
These animals know the chink in the armor, so they build it 
up in other ways. Now, there is certainly a challenge 
to self-awareness. Everybody get that? People, self-aware. 
They know something about themselves. Have you ever met somebody that, 
you know, thinks they're 8 feet and they're 5? You know that 
little man complex? They say Napoleon Bonaparte had 
that. Dude, you're 5 feet tall. You're not 8 feet. You need to 
develop some self-awareness. Some people think, oh, I'm the 
best at math, and I'm just so good at finances, and yet every 
check they write bounces. Brother, sister, maybe you ought 
to have your spouse look after that. Embrace this. Understand 
this. What stands in the way of developing 
or cultivating self-awareness such that one can know his own 
limitations and then capitalize with compensating wisdom? It's pride. It's arrogance. We saw it with reference to the 
sluggard last week. In fact, you can turn back to 
Proverbs 26. Proverbs 26, remember in verses 13 to 16, the lazy 
man says there is a lion in the road, a fierce lion is in the 
streets. He's an excuse maker. Can't look for a job on a Tuesday, 
got to be on a Monday. Monday comes along, oh, I got 
a hangnail, I better lay on the couch. No, there's no excuses. Get out there and find a job. 
Verse 14, as a door turns on its hinges, so does the lazy 
man on his bed. But remember, the door turning 
on its hinges actually is contributing to society. It actually is accomplishing 
a task for which it exists. Verse 15, the lazy man buries 
his hand in the bowl. It wearies him to bring it back 
to his mouth. Gets half the job done, but he 
doesn't finish the task. He's got that pot roast dripping 
out of his hand. He won't put it in his mouth. 
And then notice in verse 16, all this notwithstanding, the 
lazy man is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer 
sensibly. You know what one of the biggest 
weaknesses is? It's pride. arrogance, this high 
esteem of oneself. It's much better to recognize 
your weakness. Notice in Proverbs 30. Proverbs 
30, I've always thought or I've often thought that this section, 
verses 11 to 14, could have been written in the 21st century. 
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. Note the pride, note the arrogance, 
note the self-righteousness. A generation that is pure in 
its own eyes, there is a generation, oh, how lofty are their eyes. 
This is a great obstacle to one's self-awareness. If you don't 
see that you're bad at some things, you've got a problem with self-awareness. I'm just going to say it. You're 
all. I'm bad. We all have shortcomings and 
weaknesses and limitations and issues and problem. Deal with 
it. That's what the spider would 
say, wouldn't it? Deal with it. Somebody tore down my web, deal 
with it. Somebody installed it, deal with 
it. Guy wouldn't hire me, deal with it. Keep spitting the web. Robert the Bruce it. See the 
spider. WD-40 it. Be the kind of person 
that God calls you to be and holds forth these little, tiny, 
insignificant creatures as models of wisdom for us. Brethren, self-awareness. And then finally, let's imitate 
the little things with reference to industry, caution, unity, 
and persistence. specifically those first two 
in terms of the spiritual application. There ought to be an industry. 
There ought to be a diligence. There ought to be an earnestness 
with reference to preparing for the age to come. And with reference 
to the colonies, caution is absolutely necessary. Caution when it comes 
to devices. Caution when it comes to Temptation. Caution when it comes to company. 
Caution when it comes to spending time. Caution when it comes to 
anything that would pose as a threat to our spiritual well-being. 
There are four things which are little on the earth, but they 
are exceedingly wise. And wise men and women and wise 
boys and girls will look at the ants, they'll look at the conies, 
they'll look at the locusts, they'll look at the spider, and 
they'll go thou and do likewise. Well, let us pray. Father, thank 
you for the fact that you give us such simple instruction from 
such simple creatures. Help us to receive these things, 
and may they affect us not only temporally, but spiritually. May we be industrious, may we 
be preparers with reference to the eternal state. May we be 
cautious when it comes to our Christian walk in a sinful world. May we be unified as the people 
of God, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond 
of peace. And may we be those who are persistent. Grant us help in this. Grant 
us grace in this. And God, go with us now and help 
us to glorify you in this coming week. And we pray through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen.