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You can turn with me in your 
Bibles to the book of Proverbs, Proverbs chapter 30. We've got 
a few things coming up in the next several weeks. So God willing, 
we'll return to our study in John's gospel in a few weeks 
time. This morning, our emphasis will 
be on Proverbs 30 verses 24 to 28, a passage that we have looked 
at in the past, but I wanna begin reading in Proverbs 30 at verse 
15 to the end of the chapter. So Proverbs chapter 30, beginning 
in verse 15, 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 fire never says enough. the eye that mocks his father 
and scorns obedience to his mother. The ravens of the valley will 
pick it out and the young eagles will eat it. There are three 
things which are too wonderful for me. Yes, four, which I do 
not understand. The way of an eagle in the air, 
the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship in the midst 
of the sea, and the way of a man with a virgin. This is the way 
of an adulterous woman. She eats and wipes her mouth 
and says, I have done no wickedness. For three things the earth is 
perturbed. Yes, for four it cannot bear 
up. For a servant when he reigns, a fool when he is filled with 
food, a hateful woman when she is married, and a maidservant 
who succeeds her mistress. 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. There are three 
things which are majestic in pace, yes, four which are stately 
in walk, a lion which is mighty among beasts and does not turn 
away from any, a greyhound, a male goat also, and a king whose troops 
are with him. If you have been foolish in exalting 
yourself, or if you have devised evil, put your hand on your mouth. For as the churning of milk produces 
butter, and wringing the nose produces blood, so the forcing 
of wrath produces strife. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
gracious God and Holy Father, we thank you for this beautiful 
day. Certainly, as the psalmist says, the heavens declare the 
righteousness of God Most High. We bless you for your work of 
creation, for your providence, as well for redemption, by grace 
alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. We pray that 
even now you would forgive us of all of our sin and unrighteousness. 
We pray that you would cleanse us in that precious blood. We 
pray for any and all here dead in their trespasses and sins, 
that the voice of God Most High would come, and that you would 
call them out of darkness into marvelous light, confessing faith 
in our blessed Savior. Forgive us, wash us, and cleanse 
us. Guide us now by your Holy Spirit, and may we learn the 
lessons from these little things that are exceedingly wise. And 
we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, as I said, 
our focus will be on those wise little things in verses 24 to 
28, but just a couple of thoughts by way of introduction. First 
of all, Solomon was skilled in the natural sciences, so it shouldn't 
surprise us that he evokes these images. Now, this particular 
chapter is ascribed to Agur, but ultimately Solomon would 
be responsible for the book itself. We know that other authors wrote 
certain Psalms, but the writer in the book of Hebrews refers 
to the book of Psalms saying in David. So David oversaw the 
entirety of the Psalter. I would suspect that Solomon 
oversaw the entirety of the book of Proverbs. But in 1 Kings 4, 
at verses 33 and 34, we read, Also he spoke of trees from the 
cedar 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. 
They came to hear the wisdom of Solomon. We saw last Sunday 
morning that our Lord Jesus invokes the very created order to teach 
us lessons about carnal anxiety. We're to be like those lilies 
of the field. We're to be like those birds 
of the air. We need to trust in God's provision 
and in God's kindness. Bridges makes the observation 
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. I think 
that's absolutely positively true, and it's one of the things 
that God does in terms of instruction to us, is He appeals to the created 
order, things that we see in nature. And that is precisely 
what we see Egert doing here in verses 24 to 28. I want to 
look first at the title line in verse 24, and then the four 
little things in verses 25 to 28. Notice a similar structure 
in this section, verses 15 and 16. The leech has two daughters, 
Give and Give, and then it goes on to explain or draw out that 
principle. 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 fire never 
says enough. Look at verses 18 and 19. There 
are three things which are too wonderful for me. Yes, four, 
which I do not understand. There's the title line, and then 
it's developed in verse 19. The way of an eagle in the air, 
the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship in the midst 
of the sea, and the way of a man with a virgin. Notice in verses 
21 to 23, for three things the earth is perturbed. Yes, for 
four, it cannot bear up. There's your title line, and 
now he fills in the blanks. for a servant when he reigns, 
a fool when he is filled with food, a hateful woman when she 
is married, and a maidservant who succeeds her mistress. And 
then notice in verses 29 to 31, there are three things which 
are majestic in pace. Yes, four which are stately in 
walk. a lion which is mighty among 
beasts and does not turn away from any, a greyhound, a male 
goat also, and a king whose troops are with him. So it's a very 
effective teaching device to give us this title line specifically 
in verse 24 and then draw out particular concrete applications 
in verses 25 to 28. Now with reference to verse 24, 
notice it first states their weakness and then highlights 
the way that they compensate. So verse 24, there are four things 
which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise. And then as you move through 
those four things, that's precisely the way that Eger treats the 
subject matter. Now, when it says there are four 
things which are little on the earth, the primary emphasis isn't 
stature. Now we know that ants are little. 
We know that conies or rock badgers are little. We know that locusts 
are little in terms of stature and spiders. But he's talking 
about their significance, or rather their insignificance. We see that in Exodus 18, 22. 
Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, 
but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it's something 
that's insignificant. 1 Samuel 15, 17, when you were 
little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of 
Israel? So again, it's significance and 
not stature that is in view. That's the emphasis in the title 
line. There are four things which are 
little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise. So the 
unifying feature of these creatures is that they're little. But another 
unifying feature of these creatures is that they overcome their insignificance 
by this compensatory wisdom. And we'll turn to that now. So 
there's four little things. You probably already heard me 
say Coney. Coney's not in the new King James, 
that's the old King James. But you have first, the diligent 
ants of verse 25. Secondly, the cautious Coney's, 
using the old King James so I can alliterate there, in verse 26. The united locusts in verse 27. And then the persistent spider 
or lizard in verse 28. So let's look first at the ants. 
So again, corresponding to the title line, it gives you their 
weakness, and then it underscores their strength, or the way that 
they overcome their weakness. So it says, the ants are a people 
not strong. By referring to ants as people, 
I think that Edgar shows that he wants the natural order to 
function as a pattern. in order that he may demonstrate 
that their weakness is something that they overcome. So if that's 
intrinsic to an ant, certainly the image bearer of God Most 
High can do likewise. In other words, if the ant has 
this whole sort of array of things against him, but he's able to 
manage and overcome those things, what Edgar wants you to do is 
to think likewise. He wants you to overcome as well. 
He wants you to be diligent. He wants you to be persistent. 
He wants you to engage in preparation. So the answer of people not strong. Drop down to verse 30. A lion 
which is mighty among beasts and does not turn away from any. 
The ant does not have that wherewithal. The ant cannot best any other 
animal in the animal kingdom. The lion can. It's the king of 
the forest. It's the king of the wilderness. 
It is that one that is able to overcome, by sheer force and 
power, whatever obstacle lie in its way. But not so with the 
ants. So the answer of people not strong, 
they're insignificant, they're little, they're not a people 
that have the wherewithal that the lion does to be able to overcome 
the various difficulties and challenges. So how do they compensate 
for that? It says, yet they prepare their 
food in the summer. So because they're not lions, 
because they cannot go out and kill wildebeests on the Serengeti, 
so that they are not equipped with that facility, they have 
to think ahead. Now, I'm predicating events probably 
more than Egger would be happy with here, but follow the logic. 
They understand that we can't just go out in January and kill 
a wildebeest in order to sustain our lives. If we don't go out 
prior to a cold January, this is a January I've never seen 
before here in Canada, it's quite beautiful, but if the ants were 
to rely on their prowess, their power, and their ability, it's 
obvious that they would starve to death in the winter months. 
So how do they compensate for that littleness? How do they 
compensate for that lack of strength or that insignificance? They 
compensate by preparation. They compensate by diligence. 
They compensate by giving that attention necessary to overcome 
the obstacles that life has presented to them. If you turn back for 
a moment to Proverbs chapter 6, you see another emphasis on 
the ands and their ability. Proverbs chapter six at verse 
six, go to the aunt you sluggard, consider her ways and be wise, 
which having no captain overseer or ruler provides her supplies 
in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest. How long 
will you slumber, oh sluggard? When will you rise from your 
sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of 
the hands to sleep. So shall your poverty come on 
you like a prowler and your need like an arm mat. Again, the ant 
can't think that way. The ant can't love its bed. The 
ant has to go out and gather up the food such that the ant 
will be prepared to face the trials that nature brings. As Waltke says, their 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. So in other words, when Agar 
specifies this, he's not saying, oh, I just want you to marvel 
at the ants. I want you to stand amazed at the ants. He's telling 
you he wants you to imitate the ants. He wants you to be diligent. He wants you to be a prepper, 
not a prepper in the sense that, well, maybe not a prepper in 
that sense, but he wants you to be prepared for the various 
hardships and the trials and the travails that face God's 
people in this present evil age. Now, as we look at this particular 
passage, as we consider this particular strength, I think 
it does yield to us a temporal imitation and a spiritual imitation. Temporally, we ought to be the 
sorts of people that are diligent to prepare, that are diligent 
in our work, that are diligent in doing those things that God 
has called us to. Turn to Proverbs 27, specifically 
at verses 23 to 27. Proverbs 27 at verse 23. Be diligent to know the state 
of your flocks and to tend to your herds. For riches are not 
forever, nor does a crown endure to all generations. 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 maidservants. Last week, when we looked at 
Jesus in Matthew 6, 25-34, remember that He's not condemning work. He's not suggesting lie on your 
bed and wait for everybody to bring you all the necessities 
of life. He is condemning their carnal 
anxiety. He is condemning their an obsessive 
worry. He's condemning that betrayal 
of the kingdom principle, seek first the kingdom of God and 
His righteousness, and then all these things will be added to 
you. He's not condemning industry. He's not condemning diligence. 
He's not condemning preparation. In fact, the scriptures overwhelmingly 
condemn in the opposite direction. A man is to provide for himself 
temporally. Second, Thessalonians 3.10. The 
apostle Paul says, if a man does not work, neither shall he eat. In other words, there ain't no 
such thing as a free lunch here on God's green earth. You've 
got to labor. You've got to be gainfully employed. 
Six days you shall labor and do all your work. The seventh 
is a Sabbath rest unto our God. Now, with reference to extending 
that parameter just a bit, 1 Timothy 5, chapter 5, verse 8. If a man does not provide for 
his own, especially those of his own family or household, 
he's worse than an infidel. He has denied the faith. Well, 
honey, God's going to send us manna from heaven. No, most likely 
he's not. You need to get up out of bed 
and quit being like a sluggard and imitate the ant and go do 
hard work for your employer. It's a pretty obvious example 
or a pretty obvious application. But what about the spiritual? 
These ants are a little folk. These ants are weak. And yet 
these ants are exceedingly wise. Why? Because they diligently 
prepare. What about with reference to 
the spiritual realm? I mean, you might be a man who 
provides for himself. You might be a man who provides 
for his wife and his children. But have you thought about provision 
for the age to come? Have you thought about preparation 
for that day of judgment? Have you reckoned with the fact 
that we will all stand before the Christ of heaven and earth 
to give an account of deeds done in the body, whether good or 
bad? That's a reality. In fact, that reality is more 
of a reality than many other realities we govern our lives 
by. It's appointed unto men, what? To die, and then what? 
To come to judgment. Have you, like the aunt, diligently 
prepared with reference to being safe on that day of judgment? Listen to Ryle. He addresses 
children specifically. He says, 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 you should really listen 
to that. The wise man in the book of Ecclesiastes says, remember 
your creator when? In your youth. What's the supposition? If you don't remember him in 
your youth, if you banish him from your youth, you don't get 
better, you don't get softer, you don't get more oriented to 
God most high. You usually double down in your 
rebellion and your transgression and your iniquity. But as well, 
listen to what Bridges says concerning this particular verse. He says, 
Again, we've settled that. They're not a strong folk, but 
they lay up food for the winter. He says, what must be the thoughtlessness 
of making no provision for the coming eternity, whiling 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, will you not be the great loser? What else have you 
to do but to prepare for eternity? Like, what do you have going 
on that's so important right now that you don't need to settle 
accounts with God by grace alone, through faith alone in Jesus 
Christ alone? What could possibly be more important 
in your life or mine than to make peace with God through our 
Lord Jesus Christ? Well, you know I'm too busy for 
religion. I've got a lot going on on Sundays. 
I can't really fit those sorts of things in. Well, anything 
else you are fitting in is not necessary in the grand scheme 
of things. It is preparation for the day 
of judgment. It is to stand before God, clothed 
in the righteousness of Jesus Christ and cleansed in His precious 
blood, that is the one thing needful. Get that settled, get 
that down, then all these other things will be added to you. 
This is the emphasis, or this is the spiritual lesson conveyed 
by these weak ends. He goes on, what hope can you 
have of heaven at the 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. You see 
brethren, that is the main message that these ants convey to us. 
Yes, temporally get your house in order, temporally make sure 
your wife is fed, temporally make sure that your children 
have feet or shoes on their feet or feet on their shoes, but most 
importantly, spiritually, you're not strong. You don't have works, 
you don't have righteousness, you don't have law-keeping on 
your resume, such that when you stand before God, He says, well, 
it's been exact, it's been entire, it's been perpetual, well done, 
good and faithful servant. You don't have that capability. 
You're dead in your trespasses and sins. The only hope is to 
fly to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is to believe on Him and receive 
that forgiveness of sins and that righteousness that avails 
with God. So listen to the little ant as 
he preaches to you, be diligent and prepared, and beware of excuse-making. Beware of excuse-making. Turn 
over to Proverbs chapter 26, specifically at verses 13 to 
16. Beware of excuse-making. Well, you know, I've got all 
this other stuff or Religion's not really for me. Christianity 
kind of perplexes me, all that sort of thing. Excuses do not 
avail on the day of judgment. Well, you know, God, I was busy. 
I couldn't really think about Jesus. You know, God, I had a 
lot of time or a lot of hands on my time. I couldn't really 
think about Jesus. Look at the fool in Proverbs 
26 at verse 13. The lazy man says, there is a 
lion in the road. A fierce lion is in the streets. No, there wasn't. Do you really 
think that they would have lived in communities that were marked 
by lions in the street? In Exodus chapter 23, God says 
that he will not dispossess the land of the Canaanites too rapidly. Well, why is that? Because if 
the land is vacant, guess who comes? All the beasts of the 
field. So the Hittites, the Hivites, 
the Jebusites, and all the other Canaanites are dispossessed by 
Israel. So the lions that stood at bay 
when the Hivites occupied the land would have stood at bay 
while the Israelites were there. Now, brethren, there's oddities. 
There's things that happen on occasion. I've seen three deer 
a couple of times on my way from my home. I take the back route 
over there right by Menzies and Riverside. There's three deer. 
I've seen them, you know, several times. That's not common. I don't 
usually see them on Yale Road. So there could have possibly, 
conceivably been a lion in the streets. But that's not this 
guy's fear. This guy fears hard work. This 
guy doesn't want to get his lazy self out of bed. This guy wants 
excuses as to why he can't prepare, as to why he can't be diligent. 
Well, there's a lion in the street. No, there isn't, genius. Get 
up, get dressed, and go to work. Notice in verse 14, as a door 
turns on its hinges, so does a lazy man on his bed. There 
it is. He's not afraid of lions. He's 
afraid of work. Notice as well in verse 15, the 
lazy man buries his hand in the bowl. It wearies him to bring 
it back to his mouth. The simplest of tasks are overwhelming 
to him. What would the ant say? The ants 
would say, do you know what we need to do to make sure that 
we eat in the winter? Do you understand the massive 
undertaking involved to make sure that ants and their wee 
little ants all get to eat during the winter months? We're not 
lions. We can't go out and conquer. We have to be smart. We have 
to be diligent. We have to be prepared. And then 
notice that this is actually the origin of this man's sin. The lazy man, verse 16, is wiser 
in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly. Pride. It oftentimes is simple pride. 
Well, I don't have time for religion. Because why? Because I've already 
achieved. I've already arrived. I'm such 
that God would never cast such a beautiful specimen of humanity 
like me into the everlasting pit. Oh, yes, he will. And that's 
absolutely affirmed in scripture. He's given proof of this by raising 
Jesus Christ from the dead. He is the man that will be the 
judge of the living and the dead. So listen to the ants and be 
diligent in preparation, temporally, but even more so spiritually. Now notice, secondly, you've 
got the cautious conies. Same pattern, corresponding to 
the title line. You get their weakness and then 
you get their wisdom. Verse 26, the rock badgers, cones 
in the Old King James, are a feeble folk. Now this is the rock badger, 
Hydrax, Leviticus 11.5, Deuteronomy 14.7, Psalm 104.18 refers to 
these animals. Now, likely, it's Assyrian rock 
hyrax. They live together in colonies 
from 6 to 50 and often sun themselves on the rocks. They are difficult 
to catch because they post guards that make a high-pitched whistle 
at the approach of any enemies. Makes sense, right? Look at it. 
The rock badgers are a feeble folk. So that's their problem, 
that's their challenge, that's their issue, that's their conundrum, 
that's their difficulty. But then notice the compensatory 
wisdom. Yet they make their homes in 
the crags. Well, why do they do that? Because 
they're prey animals. If they sleep with the predators, 
they're not going to wake up again. Prey animals here are 
smart enough to know the pecking order, and as a result, they're 
not going to nuzzle up to a lion out in the wilderness for their 
nightly shelter. They're going to put the guards 
on the perimeter so that during the day they can go out and sun 
their coney bodies, and they're going to have those guards that 
announce the penetration of the cordon there by the predator. But where do they make their 
homes? They make their homes in the crags. They take their 
shelter from the predators. They don't want to be vulnerable. 
They know that they're feeble. They know that they're weak. 
They know that they don't have the wherewithal of the lion. 
So therefore, they hide themselves from the lion. It makes perfect 
sense. So the Rock Badgers are a feeble 
folk, and then their wisdom is seen, yet they make their homes 
in the crags. John Gill says the Coney make 
their homes in the rocks to secure themselves from their more potent 
enemies, and thus what they want in strength is made up in wisdom. You see a recurring theme here 
that we're gonna visit at the end. It's a concept that used 
to be, I think, a lot more common than it is today. You're probably 
thinking common sense. Well, yeah, that's another victim 
in terms of just thinking and processing and rationality. But 
there's another thing that I think leaps off the page from this 
section. It's called self-awareness. Self-awareness, 
be aware of oneself, right? The ant knows its limitations, 
so what does it do? It diligently prepares. The coney 
knows its limitations, so what does it do? It prepares. The locusts understand their 
limitations, so what do they do? They prepare. The spider 
understands its limitations, so what does it do? It prepares. In other words, brethren, let 
your strengths, let your talents outweigh your baggage. Let them 
outweigh your liability. We've all got challenges. We've 
all got issues. We've all got hardships. We've 
all got, all have certain difficulties in our lives. But the answer 
isn't to blame God. The answer isn't to blame our 
fellows. The answer is to accept that, 
and by the grace of God, seek to overcome it. It's kind of 
been the way that man's always operated from the coming of Adam 
from the finger of God in creation. So they make their homes in the 
crags. Now, again, temporally and spiritually, 
I think there is application to be made. Terms of temporal. In our studies in the Pentateuch 
on our Wednesday night Bible study, we saw in Exodus 22, verses 
2 and 3, the legitimacy of self-defense. In terms of the temporal application, 
brethren, no matter what your government may tell you, it is 
your right to defend yourself. And Exodus 22, 2 and 3 legitimizes 
that principle. You can protect yourself, you 
can protect those around you. And dare I say, you should! You 
better! You must! It's your job! It's 
your response! It's your duty! This is something 
temporally that flows from this particular passage. We need to 
make sure that we are engaged in lawful, godly defense of ourselves 
in the temporal arena. Again, those passages I invoked 
with reference to the end. We need to prepare, we need to 
be cautious when it comes to our food and our shelter. We 
need to be diligent in terms of laying up those provisions 
and in terms of seeking, by the grace of God, to be protected 
from the various machinations that surround us. But spiritually, 
again, doesn't the Koni lend itself to a spiritual interpretation 
relative to the Day of Judgment? We're under the wrath and fury 
and curse of God Most High. What shall we do? Shall we try 
to appease Him with our words? Shall we try to appease Him with 
our words? Shall we try to appease Him with a newfound religiosity? 
Or rather, shall we run to that strong tower, which is Jesus 
Christ, and find our refuge there? If the coney is marked by wisdom 
for hiding from the predators, then the people of God will be 
marked by wisdom from hiding from the predators. That, brethren, 
is our responsibility. Notice in the book itself. Turn 
to Proverbs chapter 4. Proverbs chapter 4. Cautious 
coneys hide from predators. Cautious believers ought to realize 
there's a predatorial bent remaining in them. And I think that's what 
Solomon addresses in Proverbs 4.23. He says, keep your heart 
with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. 
Keep your heart with all diligence. This is a 24-7 job. This is constant. This isn't only on Sunday, only 
at the morning service. This is a constancy for the people 
of God, just like Romans 13, 14. But put on the Lord Jesus 
Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its 
lusts, right? That's what a cautious Kony does. 
He hides himself from the potential predator. And in this particular 
instance, the predator that resides, or at least remains, in his own 
heart. Look at Proverbs 22. Proverbs 
chapter 22. It's not just the heart and remaining 
corruption that the cautious Kony tries to hide from, but 
it's the world and it's the devil. Notice in Proverbs 22 at verse 
three, a prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the 
simple pass on and are punished. See brethren, there is a sense 
where imitating the Coney might mean a bit of a change to our 
lives. If we get right up to the brink 
of temptation and we realize that when we get right up to 
the brink of temptation, we're not strong enough to not fall, 
Here's a bit of encouragement. Don't get right up to the brink 
of temptation. Proverbs 5, when Solomon is cautioning 
his young son from the adulterous woman, he says, do not go near 
what? The door of her house. He doesn't 
say bed. He says door. You're not strong 
enough to even go near the door of her house. What does James 
tell us? That pure and undefiled religion 
in the sight of God and the Father is this, to visit widows and 
orphans in their distress and to keep oneself unspotted from 
the world. Well, how do we do that? We exercise 
caution. We exercise what the Cones manifest 
when they try to provide safety for themselves versus the predator. The same proverb is repeated 
in 27, specifically at verse 12. A prudent man foresees evil 
and hides himself the simple pass on and are punished. So spiritually speaking, we look 
at the ants and they tell us to diligently prepare. We look 
at the conies and they tell us to diligently hide. and to diligently 
hide in the Savior King. Foul I to the fountain fly, wash 
me, Savior, or I die. Nothing in my hand I bring, simply 
to thy cross I claim." In other words, I realize I don't have 
the ability and the wherewithal to stand on the day of judgment 
unclothed, unforgiven. I don't have the ability because 
I don't have exact and entire and perpetual and personal obedience 
to God's law. I'm a mess. I'm a wreck. I'm 
a lawbreaker. The reality is, is that God is 
a holy and righteous God. The reality is, is that we're 
sinful and rebellious men. And the good news of the gospel 
is that Jesus comes to rescue rebellious and unrighteous men. 
He does so by His life, His death, and His resurrection. He does 
so in such a way that all those who look to Him in faith will 
have everlasting life. That's the means by which we 
hide ourselves from that torrent of God's wrath on the day of 
judgment. Again, guilt. These 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 hell 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. Amen. Brother, preach it. That's precisely 
what Edgar is communicating to us as he invokes the example 
of the ant, as he invokes the example of the coney. Now notice 
thirdly, the emphasis on the locust. Called this the united 
locusts. Almost sounds like a soccer team 
in the UK. Manchester United is playing 
the United Locusts. But again, let's look at the 
way it corresponds with the title line. You've got the weakness, 
verse 27a, and then their compensatory wisdom in verse 27b. The Locusts have no king. The locusts have no king. Now, 
while anarchy may suggest itself as a preferable way to live as 
our current government proceeds, it isn't. God gave civil government 
for good. In fact, in Proverbs 8, Jesus 
speaking his wisdom says, by me kings reign. Romans 13, there 
is no authority except from God and those which exist are established 
by God. So civil government in and of 
itself, in principle, is not a bad thing. In other words, 
it was instituted by God. Now, what man does with that, 
he turns it into a bad thing, but that's a sermon series for 
another day and another age. If you're curious what it looks 
like to be in an anarchy, you can read Judges 17 to 21. Judges 
17 to 21 shows you life lived without a king. What happened? There was no king in Israel and 
everyone did what? They did what was right in the 
eyes of God? No, they did what was right in their own eyes. 
Again, not a good place to be. When we devolve to that sort 
of a mindset, then anything goes. It is chaos, it is not cosmos. So our prayer ought not to be 
for the elimination of civil government, but for the elimination 
of wretches who occupy civil government and the institution 
of men that fear God. That should be the prayer of 
the people of God relative to the matter of civil government. 
But back to our text, the locusts have no king. So what does that 
mean? They're going to be challenged. 
It's going to be tough. God, in his wisdom, this isn't 
some overarching sort of barbaric hierarchy that God made. God 
made man to lead and Eve to be his helpmate. God instituted 
male leadership in the context of the church. The Bible speaks 
to leadership. To just say, well, leadership 
is terrible. No, terrible leadership is terrible. Leadership in and 
of itself isn't terrible. It's a good thing. Again, provided 
that the persons involved in it are doing it in a good way. 
So when you look at the locusts that have no king, you might 
start scratching your melon and saying, wait a minute, it's going 
to be a problem for them. Again, they're not big, big eagles. They don't have the wingspan. 
They're not the vulture that can descend from miles away on 
prey and dead prey and eat it up. No, the locusts have an obvious 
disadvantage in the grand scheme of things. So how do they compensate 
for that? What do they do to sort of correct 
that? Notice, yet they all advance in ranks. They don't just kind 
of look at each other and in the locust tongue say, well, 
we don't have a king, so we're done. We don't have anybody to 
lead us, so it's over. We should just be extinct right 
now, welcome the various things that happen according to nature, 
under God, and just accept our fate. No, that's not what they 
do. They've got a weakness, no king, but they compensate for 
it by advancing in ranks. And the way that they advance 
in ranks is most impressive. The Bible speaks about locusts 
a lot. In fact, in Joel 2, specifically 
at verse 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. Why does 
he call them a great army that he had sent among them? See, 
typically we think of armies as Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians 
with all their weaponry. We think of the Romans with all 
their weaponry. Well, in the hand of God, the locusts become 
a great army. And when we asked the question, 
I actually asked this of Google and this is what I got, a desert 
locust swarm can be 460 square miles in size and pack between 
40 and 80 million locusts into less than half a square mile. 
Each locust can eat its weight in plants each day. So a swarm 
of such size would eat 423 million pounds 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. So the locusts start 
commiserating. Well, you know, we've got no 
king, so we're done. We've got no alpha locust, so 
we're over. We've got no leader locust, so 
that's it. No. What do they do? They advance 
in ranks. They manage to get along with 
each other. They manage to do what is necessary 
to accomplish the mission. They manage to function in a 
way that overarches their weakness. We don't have a king, so let's 
do the next best thing. Let's advance together in ranks. Now, in terms of the temporal 
imitation, again, just think about your life. You're surrounded 
by family. You're in a church community, 
you're in a government or a polity, a civil polity, where there is 
at least some semblance of order. But we need to be thankful that 
God has not left us destitute in this world. Children should 
be thankful for their parents. The churches should be thankful 
for leadership. The civil society should be thankful, 
especially when one or two come along the way that actually have 
brains and can function. Those politicians among us that 
can walk and chew gum at the same time, we ought to praise 
God that those ones are alive. But in terms of the spiritual 
imitation, the spiritual imitation or application, the church does 
have a king. The Church does have a head. The Church does have an alpha. 
And the Church is commanded to endeavor to keep the unity of 
the Spirit in the bond of peace. In Ephesians 4, 1-6. In fact, previously in the book 
of Proverbs, in chapter 6, there are six things which Yahweh hates. 
Yea, seven are an abomination to Him. And then it fills in 
the blanks for things that you might believe would be on that 
list. And then the last section, 19b, says, and one who sows discord 
among the brethren. The brethren asking questions 
or chatting or talking or even disagreeing, that's fine. Sometimes 
people do that. Well, the church, we disagree 
sometimes. Show me a human family where 
they don't disagree from time to time. Maybe you're putting 
the bar a bit too high. So asking questions or perhaps 
not agreeing with 100% doesn't mean we're sowing discord among 
the brethren. But there is a species of men 
and women that do sow discord among the brethren. And that 
is to be repudiated. It is to be rejected. We are 
to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of 
peace. We're to be as one man, with one mind, serving our blessed 
Savior and King. Why? Because we're those who 
have a king, and the king has been very particular and very 
specific in how he wants us to advance. He wants us to advance 
in ranks. The locusts got that right even 
in the absence of a king. We have a king who's promised 
to build his church, We have a king who's promised to defend 
us, to protect us, to rule over us and govern us. We have a king 
that is everywhere present with us. So therefore, when we hear 
his commands, we ought to take them to heart. We ought to advance 
in ranks. We ought to agree. We ought to 
be focused on the mission. We ought to be mindful of the 
reality that this isn't a one-man show, but everybody doing their 
part, as Paul indicates in 1 Corinthians 12. It's because an eye isn't 
an ear, doesn't mean the eye is useless. It's because the 
foot isn't a hand, doesn't mean the foot is useless. We all have 
our specific capacities. We all have our specific roles, 
our specific tasks. And if the locust without king 
can advance in ranks, Why can't the people of God advance in 
ranks when we've got the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords? 
So the spiritual imitation of this is most necessary. As Gilligan 
says, it's an emblem of unity, concord, and harmony. And again, 
that doesn't mean we all see everything exactly the same. 
A bit of healthy disagreement within the parameters of orthodoxy 
isn't a bad thing. As long as we're not heretical, 
I think Jesus is a creature. Well, you can't disagree on that. 
I don't think God's triune. Well, you can't disagree on that. 
I don't think we're saved by grace through faith a lot. Well, 
you can't disagree on that. Eschatology? We're going to divide 
over that? Put three guys in the room with, 
you know, a book of Revelation, you'll probably get 30 interpretations 
from those three guys on what's going to happen in the end. So 
brethren, there ought to be that healthy cooperation, that unitedness. Waltke makes the point. 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 of peers with the strictest 
discipline. That's a good observation. We've 
got enemies. We got the world. We got the 
flesh. We got the devil. We don't fight those enemies 
with weaponry. We don't, you know, mount up 
a martial attack. But collectively and spiritually, 
we pray against those things. We preach against those things. 
We seek to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and 
Savior, Jesus Christ, so we can effectively withstand the enemy 
of Christ's church. Seems so simple. The locusts 
are able to function. We ought to go thou and do likewise. But then that brings us fourthly 
and finally to the persistent spider or lizard. Notice in verse 28, the spider 
skillfully grasps with its hands and it is in king's palaces. Now the translation here is difficult. It's either spider or lizard. It's also difficult to understand 
the particular metaphor or the particular illustration that 
is given. Does it mean, or rather... It is difficult to know whether 
it's the spider skillfully grasping with its hands or the ease with 
which a spider or lizard can be grasped by the hands of another." 
Again, there's some degree of ambiguity in the passage, not 
because of the passage, but because of ambiguous men and the inability 
to know specifically what's going on here. The ESV translates it 
almost differently. The lizard you can take in your 
hands, yet it is in King's palaces. So whatever the problem and whatever 
the animal, its compensatory wisdom is that it's in King's 
palaces. Here's what I think. I think 
it means that the spider skillfully grasps with its hands to build 
its web, to do its thing, and in building its webs, and in 
doing its thing, which seems insignificant. I mean, there's 
a surface level appeal of a spider and its web. If you're one of 
those people, I can't stand spiders, then you might want to shut down 
for just a moment. Spiders are great. Spiders are 
wonderful. Now that means not when they're 
running over my face. I might sing a different song 
then, but I'm not the guy that kills spiders. They function 
well in the world. They kill other things that I 
like less than spiders. So spiders are good and the webs 
are intricate and they're pretty solid and pretty strong. I think 
the under-girding principle here is that, as insignificant as 
it may be, if it's just that spider weaving its web, or if 
it's a lizard or a spider that can easily be grasped into a 
jar, that's its weakness, its littleness, its insignificance. 
And yet, where does the spider reside? It's in the king's palace. I ain't never been in a king's 
palace, probably will never be in a king's palace, obviously 
the king of kings and his palace, but the spider demonstrates something 
here of persistence, and dare I say it, even a godly ambition. Do what you will to that spider. 
It's in the king's palaces. You ever had that experience? 
You've hosed down a spider web one time and the next day you 
come back and there it is. Either it's still intact or they 
rebuilt it in the same place. That's persistent. I gotta say, 
if some big guy with a big hose blasted my house and obliterated 
it, I'm not sure I'm gonna build again on that site. I'd be afraid 
that he's gonna come again with that big hose and blast me into 
smithereens. But the spider, it's persistent. 
Spider's ambitious. I want to be in your backyard 
and you're not going to chase me off. I want to be in the king's 
palace and you're not going to chase me off. I think that's 
what's happening here. It's exceedingly littleness is 
found in the fact that it's a tiny spider. Gill mentions this in 
terms of its strength. Yet such is her constancy and 
assiduity, and her unwearied application to business, that 
as fast as they, her webs, are destroyed, she attempts to restore 
them. In other words, though you get 
obliterated by a large garden hose, though you get torn down 
by some meddling child, though you've got the various challenges 
associated with life in a spider world, you are nevertheless persistent. You are nevertheless ambitious. 
You're not going to go to the neighbor's house because you 
don't want to go there. You're going to stay at this house because 
that's where you want to be. So the spider demonstrates something 
to us consistent with these other little things. They've got a 
weakness, but they've got compensatory wisdom. Now in terms of the temporal 
application, it should be obvious. Don't give up. Do what you're 
supposed to do, even in spite of the challenges, in spite of 
the hardships, in spite of the trials and the difficulties. 
Now, there might be a time and place where, you know, if you're 
five foot two and you can't bounce a basketball, you may need to 
just accept the reality, the NBA is not in your future. But 
for the most part, people just give up because they don't like 
it to be hard. Sorry, where does God's word 
ever promised ease? I heard that as a kid. Oh, that's 
not fair. Who said life was fair? We need 
a great big dose of that motto back in modern society, don't 
we? Who said life was fair? Really? Can you show me chapter and verse? 
Life will always be fair for you. I could show you just the 
contrary. I can show you Asaph in Psalm 
73, where basically he throws his hands up in the air and says, 
life's not fair. The righteous are suffering and 
the unrighteous are exalted. That just doesn't seem fair. 
As for me, he says, my foot nearly slipped. Why? Because of the 
fairness of the world? No. because of the heartache 
and the hardship beset upon the people of God, and by the affluence 
and the prosperity of the non-people of God. Life isn't fair. How 
do you deal with it? By whining and grumbling and 
moaning? Do you just, you know, sob to 
tears every time something, I'm not saying there can't be some 
hurt, there can't be some sorrow, but if your life is punctuated 
by, if your life is defined by constant misery over the difficulties 
that this world has, I'm sorry, you may need to charter a rocket 
and fly to the moon because this world has its challenges. And 
usually it's at this place because I think it's so fitting and appropriate. 
I quote a story from Robert the Bruce. He was the king of Scots 
from 1306 until his death in 1329. He was on the run after 
the 1305 Battle of Methven. Bruce hid in a cave where he 
observed a spider spinning a web. Now you history buffs are going, 
well, that's apocryphal. It didn't really happen. I don't 
care. It's a good story, and I think it illustrates well the 
point. He was on the run after the 1305 Battle of Methven. Bruce 
hid in a cave where he observed a spider spinning a web, trying 
to make a connection from one area of the cave's roof to another. 
It tried and failed twice, but began again and succeeded on 
the third attempt. Inspired by this, Bruce returned 
to inflict a series of defeats on the English, thus winning 
him more supporters and eventual victory. Do you know why WD-40 
is WD-40? Because there were 39 failed 
attempts to make WD-40. So if that guy after number one 
was, well, just too hard, I can't do it. He and his corporation 
and his empire wouldn't be the multi-billion dollar empire it 
most likely is. Brethren, life is tough. This is a good happy sermon. 
Life is hard. Life can be unfair. I hope you 
parents are training your children this way. Oh, Johnny, oh, you 
know, little whoever, everything's always gonna be roses for you. Bluebirds will come and they 
will clothe you. There'll be rose petals as you 
walk to work. That job, by the way, where you 
make a handsome salary and you never have any irritating people. 
Brethren, there is a constant refrain amongst businessmen on 
how difficult it is to find workers today. Has the bar ever been so low? 
Show up and breathe and you'll probably own the company before 
long. Life isn't fair. And I know this 
is tough. I know that there's a lot of 
baggage in a lot of people's lives, and it has a big effect 
and impact on them going forward. I don't know how to make that 
magically disappear, but I can suggest that you bring it to 
the cross, you bring it to the Lord Jesus, you bring it to the 
God of absolute glory, power, and mercy, and you lay it at 
His feet, and you get about the business of life. If the spider 
has the ambition and the persistence to be in king's palaces, then 
as Solomon says elsewhere in the Proverbs, do you see a man 
who excels in his work? He will stand before kings. Why is that? because that's not 
the majority report. You got lazy, whining, grumbling 
people that people this earth. And when the people of God get 
serious about their God, and they live by grace through faith 
in the Son of God who loved us and gave himself for us, and 
we go to not Solomon's school in the book of Proverbs, but 
Jesus' school in the book of Proverbs, and we hear his wisdom, 
And we act upon that wisdom. I'm not gonna say all your troubles 
will be cast away, but you're gonna negotiate, you're gonna 
work through, you're gonna be diligent. And of course, the 
spiritual application. The people of God at certain 
times in various epochs in history have been seen as insignificant. 
They have been seen as little. They have been seen as marginal. They have been seen as the rabble 
of the earth. But paradoxically, where do we 
dwell? We dwell in the king's palace, 
even presently. Ephesians 2.6 indicates that. Now, we're not already there, 
to be sure. We're not yet there, but we already 
enjoy the present benefits of Christ's kingdom right here, 
right now. So if these spiders, in their 
persistent ambition, understand the blessedness of being in the 
king's palaces, When we likewise are tried, or vexed, or oppressed, 
or should the persecution get turned up, if these things befall 
us, life isn't over. We are in king's palaces. We are heaven-bound. We are going 
to that place that moth and rust cannot destroy. We are going 
to Emmanuel's land. So whatever they throw at us 
here, we ought to be able to deal with it because of their... In fact, Walty again makes this 
observation. This conclusion points to wisdom's 
reward of living in a luxurious royal palace. If the son, the 
one to whom Eger is addressing himself, if the son whom wicked 
men and women want to capture, exercises caution, though as 
vulnerable as a lizard or spider, 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. beautiful emphasis and one that 
we need to keep at the forefront of our minds. Whatever affects 
us in the here and the now cannot shake our possession because 
God in his grace conferred upon us a kingdom. In fact, look at 
the language utilized by the Savior in Luke's gospel. Luke 
chapter 22 at the inauguration of the supper according to Luke's 
gospel. Look at what Jesus says. specifically 
at verse 28, but you are those who have continued with me in 
my trials, and I bestow upon you a kingdom. Here, I would 
have much preferred a good translation. It is literally, and I covenant 
upon you a kingdom, just as my father covenanted one upon me. In other words, it isn't simply 
a bestowal, it is that. But it's a covenantal bestowal, 
founded on the sure promises of God Most High, who cannot 
lie, who cannot deny Himself, and will accomplish the purpose 
for which He sent the Son of His love. Brethren, we ought 
to be persistent and ambitious in the spiritual realm in terms 
of our status in heaven. Well, in conclusion, I already 
sort of foreshadowed this first application, the need for self-awareness, 
the need to recognize one's own limitations. Again, this is not 
the most obvious thing in the world today. The five foot two 
guy that wants to be the NBA center needs somebody in his 
life honest enough to tell him, no, you can't do it. The guy that's the proudest one 
in the church or in the home or in the workplace shouldn't 
write the book on humility. There is a need for self-awareness. If the ant fancies himself as 
strong and stately as the lion, he will starve in the winter. 
If the coney thinks himself as strong and stately as the lion, 
he will be eaten by the lion. If the locust does not understand 
that weakness inherent in being a locust and doesn't overcome 
that, they will be overcome. And if the spider doesn't understand 
the reality that it's insignificant, that it's little, it will not 
be in King's palaces. Self-awareness is an absolutely 
crucial tool to navigate your life. And again, it's not the 
wisdom of Solomon in the book of Proverbs, it's the wisdom 
of Jesus. He gives you tips, he gives you 
insights, he gives you things for you to ponder and for you 
to consider. So understand that inherent weakness that you have. 
It doesn't do anybody any good to think that they have no weaknesses. 
Right? Oh, no, I'm eight foot tall and 
bulletproof. I can do anything and everything. 
You meet those people once in a while, don't you? They've done 
everything. Better than you, by the way. They just have. They've been to more places. 
They've done more things. And they've done it very well, 
if you ask them. And you're sitting there scratching 
your head going, that can't be true. Or if it is true, why are 
you telling me this? Like, what's the end game here? 
Just to show me what a slob I am? I mean, come on. That's not cool. Self-awareness, brethren, goes 
a long way in this world. Again, this isn't non-theological, 
non-biblical. If that doesn't scream or leap 
off the page in this section, I don't know what does. And as 
I mentioned earlier, one of the challenges to self-awareness 
is just old garden variety pride. Garden variety pride. Look at 
2616. 2616. The lazy man, we already saw 
it, is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer 
sensibly. Seven men who can answer sensibly. 
Solomon said, that's a good thing. Seven men who can answer sensibly, 
and then this one dolt thinks he's smarter than the rest of 
them. That's not good. Remember Rehoboam? He takes the 
throne from his father, Solomon. And instead of taking wisdom 
from his father Solomon's advisors, he listens to his friends. How'd 
that work out? Oh, it was great. It was not 
great at all. It ruptured the kingdom. It caused 
a break in the kingdom. It was not a good thing. I mean, 
Solomon was wise. I've already mentioned that. 
I've already established that. Do you imagine that the people that 
gave counsel to Solomon were probably wise as well? I mean, 
a wise man doesn't listen to fools. That's why he's a wise 
man. A wise man may not be the brightest man, but he's wise 
in that he surrounds himself with the brightest men. So when 
push came to shove with Rehoboam, he'd rather listen to his dummy 
friends than rather listen to the wise men that surrounded 
his father. And then notice 30.13. We didn't 
read that section, but here again, it is pride. Actually, we'll 
read the section, the subunit. Verses 11 to 14. There is a generation 
that curses its father. Uncannily parallel to the generation 
that you and I live in here in verses 11 to 14. 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. This is 
one of the tremendous challenges against a biblical self-awareness, 
is just being proud and arrogant. So once you identify that weakness, 
overcome it by your strengths. Again, the idea is not, I don't 
have any weaknesses. No, I seek by God's grace to 
cover those weaknesses with my strengths. Just like the ant, 
just like the coney, just like the locust, and just like the 
spider. And then finally, I just want 
to end where we were. Imitate these creatures. Imitate 
these creatures in the temporal sphere. Imitate these creatures 
in the spiritual sphere. Because there is a day coming, 
the judgment of God most high. God doesn't judge on a curve. 
Well, you gave it your best shot. You get a participation trophy. 
You can sit on the bench over here. That's not how God judges. 
God judges in righteousness. God judges according to his law. 
God judges with precision. There's no argument that you 
can sort of get out of the judgment of God. There's no lawyer that 
you can hire. There's nobody that will stand 
in your place, save one, Lawyer Christ, the one who stands in 
your place, Christ. That's the beauty of the Christian 
gospel. I don't have a life of obedience. 
I'm filled with sin. But Jesus came and rendered a 
life of obedience. Jesus came and went to the cross 
and died as a sacrifice and a substitute. Jesus Christ was raised again 
the third day. And the promise goes out to every 
creature on God's earth, that if you believe in Him, you will 
be saved. If you believe in him, you will 
be forgiven and you will receive that righteousness, that crag 
that will hide you from the predator of God's just judgment and vengeance 
upon those who have transgressed his law. Come to the Lord Jesus, 
imitate these little things and know the joy of the Lord as your 
strength. Well, let us pray. Our God and 
Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you that nature 
itself teaches us very valuable lessons. We see it with the ant 
and the coney. We see it with the locust and 
the spider. And we thank you for this, Lord 
God. Help us to be prepared by grace through faith in our blessed 
Savior and help us to imitate these little things that are 
exceedingly wise. And we ask through Jesus Christ, 
our Lord. Amen. We can turn in your hymn books 
as we close our service by singing the doxology. 568, we'll stand 
as we sing together. ♪ Praise Him above the heavenly 
host ♪ ♪ Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ♪ ♪ Amen ♪ The 
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion 
of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. Thank you, Father, 
for this time together. Thank you for the blessed privilege 
to worship the God of heaven and earth. Go with us now, we 
pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, please be seated 
for a brief time of meditation.