Proverbs 6:6-10

 

Prov 6:6 (KJB)

Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

 

Consider - This word is in the Qal stem and imperative tense - To know and understand

 

Here Solomon is commanding his son to look at the ants. The ants may not seem like anything more than just a common insect but Solomon knows that there is something special about the characteristics of the ant. The main trait is that they are not lazy but they are punctual in their duties. This is why Solomon wants his son to study the traits of the ant and then take those traits and make them part of his life. In the previous verse we learned that Solomon instructed his son to be quick in the solution of the problem. So he does not get lazy, he wants him to consider the ways of the ant and to realize that if the ants are that industrious, there is no reason that those who are made in the image of God should not be like them in their business.

 

Prov 6:7 (KJB)

Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

 

The amazing thing about the ants is that they work together as a colony team and do not need an overseer standing over them. The Lord has placed in them tremendous wisdom and the ability to get things done. Have you ever seen a piece of food being moved by ants? They are working together to get that food closer to the ant colony so it can be stored for winter. Did you ever see any of the ants standing around and watching the others? They were all involved in the task at hand. It is a shame that all Christians do not do some phase of ministry, instead, they wait for someone else to do it. This laziness has caused breaches and where they exist, the cults or other unbelievers go in and fill the task. Then the Christians go to church on Sunday and bemoan the fact that more people have been snared into a false religion. Maybe it would not happen if Christians were like the ants! He who has ears to hear!

 

Prov 6:8 (KJB)

Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

 

The ants are very wise because while there is plenty of food available in the summer and at harvest time, they do not sit around waiting for a delivery, they are consistently working to bring the food home to the ant colony. They are wise enough to know that where and when there is plenty, that is the time to begin to store all that is needed for the coming winter. The ant was endued with wisdom to know that it is a matter of survival for them to store up as much food as they can for the whole colony for the coming winter. If there is one thing humans do not understand is that their laziness does not postpone winter, in other words, when there is plenty, we need to store as the ants. If we squander things, whether it be money or whatever, in times of plenty, when the lean times come, then laziness has its rewards with the supply of nothing. The same thing in the spiritual realm. As long as there are still good Christian books available and the King James Bible, then we need to absorb as much of the teachings as we can and commit them to memory because the days will come, and I believe they are here now, when the real Gospel and the real Bible will be quashed in favor of whatever is the doctrine of the day. Today the emerging church movement is basing itself on Roman Catholic Mysticism and New Age teachings and many Christians are swallowing the teachings, not realizing they are satanic. If we study the real Gospel in times when there is plenty of good material, then we will be able to immediately spot the danger in this and other false movements.

 

Prov 6:9 (KJB)

How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

 

Here Solomon asks a straightforward question of his son. How long are you going to procrastinate before you take care of the problem at hand? Remember the creditor who loaned his son’s friend money and the son became surety for him. Now the son of Solomon has to pay the tab and the king wants to know why he is not taking care of the problem. The situation is that too many of us think that adding time to a problem will make it go away by itself but the reality is that it exacerbates the situation. The longer Solomon’s son waits to deal with the problem, the more interest is piling up and making the debt bigger. Same with us, when a problem arises in our life and we choose to ignore it, it doesn’t go away but gets bigger and may get beyond our control.

 

Prov 6:10 (KJB)

Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

 

One of the things a lazy person will always strive for and that is a little more sleep and a little more slumber. They cannot get up at a reasonable hour but sleep half the day away. This is akin to allowing the problems to mount and turning a deaf ear to them. Sleeping, or ignoring a problem, will not make it go away. It will also prevent a person from being like the ant and storing things for themselves. If they cannot get up in the morning, they cannot hold a job, which means eventually they are going to lose everything and be out on the street. Then they will look for sympathy and hope someone will give them money to live. There is nothing wrong with a person getting a good night’s sleep but get that sleep so your body will have strength for the day’s tasks and your mind will be sharp to attack whatever problems are facing you. Never get into the lifestyle of laziness because eventually people will see you for what you are and then you will be forced to fend for yourself. Not even the Lord condones laziness, so you won‘t get sympathy from Him because He warns the lazy person of their plight. (Prov 13:4 KJV) The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.

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