Proverbs 6:6 - Homiletics

The ant

Scripture sends us to nature. Even the smallest works of nature are full of Divine lessons to him who has eyes to read them. Sometimes we are bidden to consider the heavens, but now we are invited to consider the ant. The telescope has its lessons; so also has the microscope. But when a man refuses to hear the voice of God, will he hear the voice of an insect prophet? Possibly. It takes an eagle's eye to gaze at the sun; but any eye can look on the earth. If a man's vision is too weak to look at the burning bush, the fiery pillar, the mystic Shechinah, let him turn his eyes to the glowworm at his feet, and perhaps even that humble torch bearer may rave him from stumbling.

I. GO TO THE ANT , AND LEARN NOT TO DESPISE LITTLE THINGS . Of late the doings of the ant have been very carefully looked into, and very wonderful facts have come to light. Among ants there are engineers, constructing elaborate tunnels and carrying on complicated building operations; stock-keepers, guarding and feeding the aphis, like a cow, for the juice they extract from it; agriculturists, carefully clearing ground of all weeds, in order to let only certain grasses grow within the prepared area, and storing up corn underground, which by a marvellous instinct they first kilt so as to prevent it from germinating; slave holders, who attack tribes of black ants, carry off the young and keep these to wait on them and feed them, becoming meanwhile so helpless as to be absolutely unable to feed themselves, and dying of starvation when deprived of the help of their slaves; and some so far imitating our habits as to keep pet insects—insects which they feed and attend to but which apparently render them no service, As we look at the diminutive ant, we may well wonder

"That one little head could carry all he knew."

We must not mistake bigness for greatness. Tartary is bigger than Greece. Athens was a little city in comparison with Babylon. Despise not one of the little ones. And we too with our short lives and dwarf powers, may we not do something worth living for?

II. GO TO THE ANT , AND LEARN NATURE 'S LESSON OF WORK . It is with no small labour that the agricultural ant of Syria clears its field, keeps it well weeded, gathers in the corn, and stores this in subterranean granaries. Nature is a great factory. All life involves work. Even the silent forest apparently sleeping in the hush of noon is busy, and if only we had ears to hear, we might detect the elaboration of the sap and the growth of the leaf, showing that every tree is hard at work on its appointed task.

1 . Work according to ability. The ant cannot build a cathedral. But he can make an ant hill. "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might."

2 . Work in face of danger. One careless footstep may demolish a whole city of ant life, and crush hundreds of its inhabitants. Yet the little creatures toil on without heeding a danger which they cannot avert.

3 . Work perseveringly. Any one who has watched an ant struggling with a heavy load may well be rebuked by the patient insect. If the ant hill is destroyed, the ants soon set to work and commence mining and building, and reducing the chaos to order again.

4 . Work harmoniously. It is the union of great numbers that enables the ants, though a very small folk, to effect very considerable results. The Church can do what passes the power of individuals, but only when the individuals are severally doing their share of labour.

III. GO TO THE ANT , AND LEARN THE DUTY OF PROVIDING FOR THE FUTURE . The ant works from instinct, and we must admire the wisdom of the great Maker, who has taught it unconscious habits of providence. But we are endowed with powers of looking before and after, and therefore are left to our own will to be deliberately provident. It is strange that many people have no prudence in temporal things. In prosperous times they are recklessly self-indulgent. In harder times they are in destitution. These people abuse Christian charity; and unwise Christian charity is guilty of indirectly encouraging their improvidence. Thus they lose independence, self reliance, and the wholesome discipline of present restraints for the sake of future needs. But if earthly prudence is practised, shall we stop there? Are we consistent in our providence? We have provided for the natural winter: have we provided for other, more terrible, winters? We may have a philosophy of life which suits the happy sunshine, but how are we provided against the storms and frosts of the winter of sorrow? There is a wintry blast that ultimately kills the hardiest flower. Have we made provision for the winter of death? Happy they who in bright summer, and happier they who in youth's springtime, have found a Saviour who will be their Bread of life and their Shelter in the chilis of grief, in the dread winter of death!