6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
Jesus said, Work while it is day for the night cometh when no man can work.. Jesus said Walk while you have the light.
CONSIDER:
Means the application of mind that is required in order to learn of this master:
Consider her ways diligently observe what they do, that we may do likewise,
3. that is the thing we are to aim at in all our learning, not only to be knowing, but to be wise. Wisdom = (the application of Knowledge).
#1 The ant is a small creature, it’s strength is not it’s size but it’s characteristics,
#2 The ant has no guide or overseer, or ruler =( self disciplined ) (self motivated)
No one has to wake up the ant and stand over her making sure she gets her work done.
No one has to encourage her to gather in the grain, no one has to beg her to go to church or praise the Lord, or go to prayer meeting or to read her bible.
#3 The ant makes wise use of her time, ( she is a good manager,)
One of the most important things we will ever learn as Christians is that we are stewards, which means that we don’t really own anything but God puts us in charge of managing his goods.
Time, finances, relationships, etc.
#4 What the ant does by instinct, we must do by intention.
#5 What the ant does by design, we must do by discipline
The ant prepares for the winter,= (foresight and forethought, prudence).
* From the ant We learn how to look beyond our present circumstances
(as jacob looked ahead to the blessing, but Esau was only concerned about a present temporary comfort and pleasure.
Like the ant we must take pains, and labour in our business,
Pro 13:4 the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
Proverbs 22:29 Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.
In harvester ant colonies, worker ants collect seeds and carry them into the nest. Other workers, located in chambers that are close to the surface of the ground, remove the seed’s outer husk and carry it outside. Next, workers transport the inner, nutritious part of the seed to a deeper chamber that is reserved for storing seeds. If a seed is damp and at risk for rotting, the ants carry it to the surface and wait for it to dry before bringing it to the storage
This symbolizes to me
(1) The requirement for studying the word, to gather it’s knowledge, even as the children of Israel were required to gather their daily bread.
(2) the desire for the spirit and the life of the word, and not just the shell. (The words I speak unto thee are spirit and life) The letter =the shell hull killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
Pro 30: 25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;
(1) a people not strong. ( This is an identifying mark of a true Christian, He or she knows, that they are weak in themselves, ( We realize Jesus words are true (Without me ye can do nothing).
(yet they prepare) Prepare = to be directed aright, to arrange, to order, to fix, to make ready, to provide, to provide for, to furnish.
Notice (Yet
Eph 4:16
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Ants demonstrate an unbelievable concern for one another.
(Worker ants also continually lick and feed one another.) Workers will carry one another on certain occasions, such as when an inexperienced worker must be transported to a new nest.
Gal 6:2
2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
All species of ants
(1)keep their nests in good repair
Proverbs 27:23 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.
Lu 6:48 Jesus said The man who hears his word and does it, is like the man who in building his house, digs down deep and lays his foundation on a rock.
(2) keep them clean by removing debris,. They place this refuse outside the nest or in a special chamber.
Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
James 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Heb 12:1 let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
You can learn a lot from an ant.
