Want to be a
Good, Wise Worker?
Learn from God’s
Six-Legged Teachers -
from Prov.
6:6-11
We all have stories of “that teacher”; eccentric, odd, one-of-a-kind. But a six-legged instructor, with antenna,
that raids picnics? God
can use anything to teach us. In Job it is the sky, earth, animals… In Proverbs
6 it is an ant. Can you think of some odd things or teachers that helped you
learn a thing or two? No names!
In Proverbs 6 we overhear a parent,
King Solomon, challenging a “less than motivated child” - lazy - to learn from something right under his feet; the lowly ant.
These ant-inspired lessons in hard and smart work help us fulfill our God-given
responsibilities: at school, home, on the job, sports… Read and compare these versions & then use them to answer the questions to help you become a wiser worker
like the ant.
Proverbs
6:6-11 (NLT)
6
Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones.
Learn from their ways and become wise!
7
Though they have no prince
or governor or ruler to make them work,
8
they labor hard all summer,
gathering food for the winter.
9 But
you, lazybones, how long will you sleep?
When will you wake up?
10 A
little extra sleep, a little more slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
11then
poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;
scarcity will attack you like an armed
robber.
Proverbs
6:6-11 (ESV)
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,
11and poverty will come upon you
like a robber,
and want like an armed man.
What is the “lazybones,
sluggard” son told to do first (vs. 6)?
Why is that import-ant?
J
See also Prov. 1:1-7; 4:1-9; Eph. 4:28; 2 Thess. 3:10; Prov. 30:24, 25
What lessons in
motivation does the ant teach us (vs. 7,
8)?
See also Eph. 6:5-9; Col. 3:17-4:1;
1 Thess. 4:11, 12. ~ Google T.R.’s “in the arena”
How is the ant
working in summer is a good example (vs.
8)?
Sounds like: Maturity
= Delayed Gratification (1 Cor.
15:58; Prov. 12:27; 21:5)
See also Gal. 6:7-10; 2 Cor. 6:9-11
What can we
learn from ant’s gathering in harvest?
(vs. 8 & Eccles. 11:4, 6)
“Four things are small…exceedingly
wise: The ants are not a strong people,
But they prepare their food in the
summer…” Prov. 30:24, 25
What serious
warnings is this lazy son - and us -
given? (vs. 9-11)
“Sluggards do not plow in
season; so at harvest time they look but find nothing.” (Prov. 20:4)
See also Prov. 10:4; 13:4; 12:27;
21:5; 2 Thess. 3:10
v “Whatever your hand
finds to do, do it with all your might… (Eccles.
9:10)
v “…work at it with all
your heart, as working for the Lord…” (Col. 3:23, 24; 1 Cor. 10:31)
v “Earn all you can,
give all you can, save all you can.” Rev. John Wesley
Extra Notes:
The Context of
this Parental Teaching Session:
6:1-5 “My son, if you have put up
security for your neighbor,
save yourself like a gazelle from the
hand of the hunter…”
6
“Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.”
12-15 “A worthless person… calamity will
come upon him suddenly…”
16-19 “There are six things that the Lord hates…
seven…”
20-35 “He who commits adultery lacks
sense… destroys himself.” (vs. 32)
Reminder: Proverbs are general statements of truth
. Not
ALL:
Full
barns are due to diligence (Ps. 37, 73; Prov. 1:19; 13:11)
Poverty
is due to laziness (Prov. 16:8; Jer.
22:13; James 5:4)
Mercy towards the poor is godly (Prov. 19:17; 28:27;
1 Jn 3 & 4; Mt 25)
King Solomon also wrote this
great advice: “He who watches the wind will not sow and he
who looks at the clouds will not reap… Sow your seed in the morning and do not be
idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will
succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.” (Eccles. 11:4, 6)
Living out
“Ant Hill Wisdom”:
q Repent of laziness, undisciplined living! (Eph. 4:28; 2 Thess. 3:10)
q Would you hire you? Are you contributing or stealing through
sloth!
q Are those watching you
seeing an example worth copying? (1 Thess. 4:11, 12)
q What does it take to “light a fire”
under you? God’s glory? (1 Cor. 10:31)
6 Go
to the ant, O sluggard,
Observe
her ways and be wise,
7
Which, having no chief,
Officer
or ruler,
8
Prepares her food in the summer
And
gathers her provision in the harvest.
9 How
long will you lie down, 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
Your poverty will come in like a vagabond
And
your need like an armed man. (Prov. 6:6-11 - NASB)
A Lesson from the Ant – The Message - Prov. 6
6-11
You lazy fool, look at an ant.
Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing
or two.
Nobody
has to tell it what to do.
All summer it stores up food;
at harvest it stockpiles provisions.
So
how long are you going to laze around doing nothing?
How long before you get out of bed?
A nap
here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there,
sit back, take it easy—do you know what
comes next?
Just
this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life,
poverty your permanent houseguest!
