What Can We Learn From Animals

 Lesson #3 Being Wise (Proverbs 30:24-28)

In this lesson we are continuing our series concerning what can we learn from animals. This lesson will use four small animals which on their own are not mighty but the word of God says that they accomplish great things through wisdom. This passage features ants, conies, locust and spiders. Although many will argue about the conies from this passage they are rabbits.

It is impressive that the word of God not only says these animals are wise but that they are exceedingly wise (Proverbs 30:24). This should cause us to look very careful at these animals and ask ourselves the question what is wisdom?

Proverbs 9:10 (The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom)

One might ask how these animals fear God. When we give this some thought it is plain to see that they trust God for everything. They are totally dependent on God. They are all small and have many predators. I think one of our problems is that we trust too much in ourselves and others.

Wisdom from these small animals :

1)  The Ants (They prepare their meat in the summer)

• The wisdom found in these creatures is that they are looking down the road and not just at the present. (Colossians 3:1-4 ; Matthew 6:19-21 ; 2 John 8)
• We have eternal rewards waiting for us in glory if you are wise enough to store them there. But the time to do this is now not tomorrow for tomorrow may never come.

2)  The Conies (Make their houses in the rocks)

• The rock in scripture is a great type of Jesus Christ. Therefore the wisdom here is having your house on the right foundation. (Matthew 7:24-29 ; 1 Corinthians 3:9-15)
• Jesus Christ should be the foundation for everything from marriage, to our homes, to our jobs, to everything we do in life and especially our church.

3)  The Locusts (Having no king they go forth by bands)

• There is strength and safety in numbers and this is shown to us by the wisest man who ever lived (Ecclesiastes 4:8-12)
• For saved born again people fellowship with other saved people is critical. Satan knows this and will do his best to isolate you from other saved people.
• Now you must choose the right people for fellowship because we have to remember that iron sharpeneth iron (Proverbs 27:17)

4)  The Spider (Taketh hold with her hands and is in the kings palaces)

• Spiders are everywhere. There is probably not a house in the world that doesn’t have a spider somewhere on the premises. The wisdom here is that by taking hold with their hands they are even in the king’s palace.
• Ecclesiastes 9:10 is an interesting verse in light of the spider. It speaks of being diligent with your hands. Now obviously we are not going to take this the wrong way and use it as a verse to do evil, but what are you doing with the things that God has placed in your hands.

Many people would consider these animals to be little and of no significance but the bible warns us of despising the day of small things (Zechariah 4:10). Therefore let us really look at these animals and see the amazing things they accomplish and learn wisdom from them.

What Can We Learn From Animals

Lesson #3 Being Wise (Proverbs 30:24-28) : Handout

1)  What are the four animals that we will learn wisdom from in this lesson?

2)  What are conies?

3)  What is a good example of how these little animals fear God?

4)  What can we learn from the wisdom of the ant?

5)  What can we learn the wisdom of the conies?

6)  What can we learn from the wisdom of the locusts?

7)  What can we learn from the wisdom of the spider?