The Ant
God encourages the sluggard to learn from the ant's industry and organization to become more diligent in their work.
Harriet N. Cook emphasizes the lesson of diligence and wisdom from Proverbs 6:6, using the example of the ant's hard work and constant activity to shame the sluggard into action. By observing the ants' industrious nature and lack of supervision, the sluggard is encouraged to be diligent in all tasks, recognizing that idleness goes against God's design for everyone, even children. Cook highlights the intricate and skillful work of ants and honey-bees as a testament to God's provision of wisdom and ability in His creation.
Text
If you look at the sixth verse of the sixth chapter of Proverbs, you will read, "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise." A sluggard, you know, is a man, or woman, or child, who does not love to read or to do any kind of work, but likes to sleep or be idle all the day long. Do you think you were ever acquainted with one?
Now see what the Bible tells the sluggard to do. It bids him go to the little ant, and "consider her ways," that is, look on and see what she does. Have you ever watched the ants when they were busy at work? It will give you very pleasant employment for half an hour on a summer's day. In some places you may see small ant-hills scattered about, so close together that you can hardly step without treading on them; and you may find other places where there are not so many, but where the hills are much larger. I have seen them so large that you could hardly step over one of them without touching it with your foot and breaking some part of it. And then how busy the little creatures are! Just kneel down on the grass beside them, and notice how they work! You will see one little fellow creeping along as fast as he can go, with a grain of sand in his mouth, perhaps as large as his head. He does not stop to rest, but when he has carried his grain to help build the hill, away he goes for another. You may watch them all day and never see them idle at all.
You see why God tells the sluggard to go and look at the little ants: it is that when he sees them so busy, he may be ashamed of himself for being idle, and learn to be "wise," or diligent in whatever he undertakes. I should not think he could help going to work, after he had looked at them a little while. The ants seem to be very happy, and I think it is because they are so busy. God has put nobody in this world to be idle: even children have something to do. The inside of an ant-hill is very curious, but it is not easy to examine it without destroying all the work that the little insects have taken so much pains to finish. There is a kind of ant in warm climates that builds for itself hills as high as a man. They are not made of sand, but of a kind of clay; and have a great many cells or apartments, and many winding passages leading from one part to another. All this is done, as the Bible says, without "guide, overseer or ruler;" that is, they have no one to direct them how to do it. God gives them skill just as he does to the honey-bees in building the beautiful cells which you have so often admired; all His works are wonderful.
Sermon Outline
- The sluggard's problem
- The ant's example
- God's intention
- No one is meant to be idle
- God gives skill to all creatures
Key Quotes
“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.” — Harriet N. Cook
“God gives them skill just as he does to the honey-bees in building the beautiful cells which you have so often admired;” — Harriet N. Cook
Application Points
- We should strive to be diligent in our work and not be idle.
- God gives us the skill and ability to accomplish great things, just like the ants and honey-bees.
- We should be ashamed of our idleness and learn from the ant's example to become more productive.