September 21, 2017
YOU CAN LEARN VALUABLE LIFE LESSONS FROM CONSIDERING A SIMPLE ANT.
Proverbs 6:1-11
Chuck Madden
Central Truth
A sluggard is one who is lazy, one who purposely avoids work. The writer clearly states this choice is not a wise one and suggests an alternative lifestyle: one gained by observing and emulating the simple ant.
Key Verse |
Go to the ant, O sluggard;
consider her ways, and be wise.
(Proverbs 6:6)
Proverbs 6:1-11
Practical Warnings
1
My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor,
have given your pledge for a stranger,
2
if you are snared in the words of your mouth,
caught in the words of your mouth,
3
then do this, my son, and save yourself,
for you have come into the hand of your neighbor:
go, hasten,
1
6:3
Or humble yourself
and plead urgently with your neighbor.
4
Give your eyes no sleep
and your eyelids no slumber;
5
save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,
2
6:5
Hebrew lacks of the hunter
like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6
Go to the ant, O sluggard;
consider her ways, and be wise.
7
Without having any chief,
officer, or ruler,
8
she prepares her bread in summer
and gathers her food in harvest.
9
How long will you lie there, O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?
10
A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest,
11
and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
and want like an armed man.
Dive Deeper | Proverbs 6:1-11
As we navigate life, all of us want to enjoy the journey. We want a good life, one that is pleasant and without serious difficulty. But there are certain character traits that can either enhance or cripple our chances of living the life we long for.
One such character trait is the negative attribute of being a sluggard, which Scripture strongly warns us to correct. A sluggard is defined as one who is lazy, indolent, and prone to avoid work, especially strenuous work that takes a long time to complete.
Proverbs 6:6-11 recognizes this fatal characteristic and provides an analogy to observe. The analogy is of the simple ant who is at all times diligent about securing provisions and storing them away for when times turn harsh. No one has to order the ant to do this. It is a logical sequence of life that the ant recognizes and responds to without having to be told.
The sluggard, on the other hand, does not seemingly possess any sense of urgency. Perhaps surprisingly, he doesn't waste big chunks of time, just a little wasted here, a little there. Herein lies the trap that he sets for himself and never sees coming, a disastrous end with no warning. Like being robbed at gunpoint, you lose everything suddenly with no chance to alter the situation.
His failure to see the coming consequences of his idle ways is often due only to slight negligence: being a little late to work, a little behind on his assignments, a little sloppy in his performance, taking a few too many breaks, quitting just a little early. He may even think himself smart in his crafty cutting of corners. The end is unanticipated, unplanned, and ruinous with no opportunity to repent or recover. The resulting embarrassment, in retrospect, is simply the harvest of deliberate choices made by a self-deluded rationale that "it really doesn't matter."
But it did, and it does. Be forewarned.
Discussion Questions
1. What are the principles to be learned from observing an ant?
2. How is it that "a little" can ultimately be fatal?
3. When will the robber come, and why is there no chance of recovery?
4. What corrections might you need to make in your use of time?