“Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; coneys are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings’ palaces.”
When the earth “trembles” and “cannot bear up” under angry, hurtful and troublesome people (vv 21-23), there are small ones who survive by wisely avoiding the trouble. This tetrad describes four such creatures.
It is plain to see that God is revealed in the “great things”, such as “the earth’s foundations” and the recesses of the seas (Job 38:3-16), the stars of the heavens, and the inscrutable laws by which they follow their courses (Job 38:31-33; cp Psa 19:1-6). But these verses demonstrate the glory of God in the “small things”, which He also created. When we consider God’s hand even in these matters, then, like the poet William Blake, we may marvel in a different way:
“To see a world in a grain of sand,
And heaven in a flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.”
We are reminded that God is everywhere, that His power is absolute, and that He instructs us by the majestic but also by the microscopic. We are reminded that He is seen in the heavens (Psa 139:1-10), but also in the tiny fetus developing in its mother’s womb (vv 13-16); that He works with nations and armies, but also in the quiet, humble hearts and lives of unnoticed people.
In these four “little” creatures — in their natures, instincts and habits — we see God’s wisdom, foresight, power and provision. Here are lessons of practical benefit and eternal consequence:
- Ants are tiny, weak creatures, but they plan ahead and provide for themselves and others (v 25).
- Coneys are powerless creatures, yet they know where to find safety and they stick close to the place where it is found (v 26).
- A locust by itself can accomplish practically nothing, but it knows how to work together with others of its kind to do great things (v 27).
- Lizards know how to be unobtrusive and avoid trouble (v 28).
Without much difficulty, we could imagine a whole string of insults directed at men and women, using little creatures like these. ‘He has the brains of an ant.’ ‘She has the strength of a rabbit’, or ‘the sense of a grasshopper’. Or ‘He’s as low as a lizard.’ The irony in these verses is that, in God’s assessment, these little animals show more characteristics of quality than do many people.
In the proverbs of Agur, we have seen already that humans (made in God’s image) are often disrespectful of others (v 11), haughty (v 13), downright mean (v 14), obsessively greedy (v 15), and grossly immoral (v 20), among others things. By contrast, the wise man Agur points out that some of the smallest of God’s “lower” creation do precisely what God designed them for and intended them to do. In this they demonstrate care for one another, a spirit of cooperation, meekness, harmony, and something like humility. “Ask the animals,” says Job to his three friends, “and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you” (Job 12:7). What is the LORD trying to tell us? Does it perhaps have to do with our own families and ecclesias, and how we should act with and toward one another?
- Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer: The example of the small yet mighty ant is remarkable (see Prov 6:6-11). It is proverbial for industriousness. It cares for the young; it works quietly, unceasingly, and without interfering with others. It works for the good of the community with an astonishing sense of organization. The ants are ingenious carpenters, building their own systems of homes and underground tunnels. They keep their homes scrupulously clean. Each has a definite job in life for the good of the community. They will not shrink from heavy burdens, and will cooperate to bear them. Ants are presented as examples of wisdom. We need to ponder their way of life, and emulate their useful traits.
The ants make wise, practical provisions during the summer, which is the time of harvest, as does the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31 (see vv 10, 13, 15, 19, 21, and 27 there). “When the ravening lions lack, and suffer hunger, the laborious ants have plenty, and know no want” (Henry). Their actions teach us to do the same, and not just for the material things (cf Prov 10:4; 12:11, 24; 20:13; etc), but also in making wise spiritual “provisions”. We may do this by “redeeming the time”, that is, making the most of our opportunities while we can (Col 4:5). Thus we may lay up eternal treasures in safe places with our heavenly Father (Matt 6:19 21; cp 1Cor 15:58).
- Coneys are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags: The “coney” (Hebrew “shaphan”), or “badger” in the RSV, is also known as “the hyrax or rock badger” (NIV mg). “Indigenous to Sub-Saharan and East Africa, the hyrax is found as far north as Syria. Its habitat is rocky terrain, in both desert and forested regions. It varies in size from about 17 to 21 inches and weighs from five to 12 pounds. Hyraxes feed mainly on grass and do not ruminate… Although like desert animals they use water efficiently… they have difficulty regulating body temperature and therefore seek shelter in the rocks. Social organization consists of family groups of about half a dozen related adult females and an adult male. Family units may join to form larger groups of up to about 25… Lifespan is nine to 12 years” (ABD).
Thomson writes of these in The Land and the Book. When climbing up to explore an old castle fallen into decay in the Holy Land, he sees them “quietly sitting among the ruins”. “I have seen them in the wild cliffs of the Litany, below Blat, and also above the rocky pass of el Bulyad, on the Ladder of Tyre. In shape they resemble the rabbit, but are smaller, and of a dull russet color.” They are, he says, “rarely met with except in such rocky regions as this”.
As the KJV quaintly puts it, the coneys are “a feeble folk”. They are no match for lions, wolves and other predators. They are not fast, not strong, and not even especially prolific. Therefore, they must be sure of their refuge: “The crags are a refuge for the coneys” (Psa 104:18).
Conscious of their own natural defenselessness, the coneys resort to burrows in the rocks, and are secure from their enemies. In spiritual matters, we may be as weak and as exposed to peril as the timid coney, and we should be as wise to seek a shelter. Our best security is within the fortress of an unchangeable Yahweh, whose Name is a strong tower (Prov 18:10) where His unalterable promises stand like giant walls of rock, and to which the righteous seek for safety. All His glorious attributes are guarantees of safety for those who put their trust in Him.
Especially is this true of His Son, in whom His Name dwells. The sinner may flee to the cleft of the rock (Isa 33:16), that is, to Christ Jesus, and in his wounded side find a safe resting-place. No king in his Masada, no person protected by a modern security system, is more secure than the coney in his rocky burrow. The master of ten thousand chariots, or a nuclear arsenal, is not as well protected as the little dweller in the mountain’s cleft. When they remain in Jesus, the weak are strong, and the defenseless safe; they could not be stronger if they were giants, or safer if they were in a great fortress. Faith gives to men on earth the protection of the God of heaven. The coneys cannot build a castle, but they avail themselves of what is there already.
We Christadelphians may be a “feeble folk”, or a “little flock” (Luke 12:32). Jesus said, “Do not be afraid, little flock.” As a feeble folk, we may be afraid of many things, not least of which is that we are a feeble folk. Our Lord tells us not to fear. Like the coneys, we must learn to make our homes near the rock; then we will be unafraid. (One of the titles of God is “Tzur”, the Rock: Deut 32:4.)
The Master spoke to Peter, whose name means “Rock”: “On this rock [meaning Peter’s profession of faith in Jesus Christ: v 16] I will build my ecclesia,” he said, “and the gates of Hades [the grave] will not overcome it” (Matt 16:18):
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock” (Matt 7:24,25).
#3. Locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks: The locusts seem to act with a perfect discipline, marching in orderly divisions and companies (Hebrew “chatzatz”, meaning to cut or divide), as though some unseen Power were their king or commanding general. Their devastating march is described in Joel 2:3-9 and Amos 7:1,2. Like the ants, they work together instinctively, and thus achieve what it would be impossible for any or all of them to do individually.
The wisdom here is not in the character of the work the locust armies do, for to us it seems only destructive. Instead, the wisdom is seen in their cooperative association with one another. As believers, we too have an appointed work to do, and we will be so much more productive if we work together.
We Christadelphians have no (visible) king, but if we work together in unity (Eph 4:11-16), and in “one body” (1Cor 12:12-27), then we may achieve great things, by the grace of God.
There are skills that make it much easier to work together in unity. E.W. Clarkson, for example, writes: “It is an essential part of personal equipment that a man be able to cooperate with others. And in the great majority of cases this means readiness to take an inferior place, to obey instructions, to fall in with the suggestions of other people, to forego our own preference and adopt another man’s method. It means listening and learning, conciliation and concession, punctuality and politeness” (Pulpit Commentary).
#4. A lizard can be caught with the hand: “Shemamiyth” (translated “lizard” in the NIV) occurs only once in the Old Testament, which as we might expect can make exact identification very difficult. The KJV has “spider”, but it is the only major translation that speaks of the animal itself grasping walls with its own hands. Modern versions like the RSV, JPS, NEB and NIV make this passive instead of active: the animal in question is one that can be grasped by a man’s hand, in other words, one that is small and not at all dangerous. The NIV translation, “can be caught with the hand”, fits the pattern of the other three verses in this tetrad, in that it describes some form of weakness or smallness. If (as seems consistent with the other verses) this translation is more accurate, then the creature described here is probably some form of lizard (RV, RSV, JPS, NEB, NIV), perhaps a gecko — for who would want to pick up a spider with bare hands? The NIDOTTE suggests a chameleon. Whichever creature is actually meant, of course, the spiritual lessons are essentially the same.
“Yet it is found in kings’ palaces”: As another proverb says: “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men” (Prov 22:29). In parable, this teaches ingenuity, patience and persistence. Jesus himself commends those who “persevere”, “stand firm to the end”, “endure”, “persist”, and “do not become weary in doing good” (Matt 10:22; 24:13; Mark 13:13; Rom 2:7).
As Christadelphians, we may not be very wise or numerous or strong. Yet if we are persistent in faith, then we may one day stand in the palace of the King. The word translated “palaces” here is the plural of “heykal”, which often refers to a “temple”; this is understandable when we realize that the temple in Jerusalem was God’s house also:
“One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple [‘heykal’]” (Psa 27:4).
The words of Paul to the Corinthians, who were often too “wise” and too “strong” for their own good, are a useful comment on this verse, and also on the theme of the whole tetrad:
“Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things — and the things that are not — to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord’ ” (1Cor 1:26-31).
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One