Proverbs 6:6–11

The sluggard has sunk so low that Jehovah tells him to learn from the tiny "ant." That teacher is enough for him. In the same way, the New Testament uses the lilies of the field to rebuke anxiety about clothing. Scripture says nothing here about hoarding for winter; in fact, like many animals, ants are mostly dormant then. But they work without stopping. They keep good order. They even care for others through the summer and harvest, while they can still be active. That may well shame the self-indulgent sleeper. … Poverty comes on the listless and lazy like a tramp, or like an armed man who will not be refused.

They work day and night. They build vast, well-shaped mounds for homes and barns, three times larger than the Egyptian pyramids compared with the size of the tiny builders. They march and labour together, have their own wars, care for their sick, and they do all of it without a chief, an overseer, or a ruler. Yet man, with higher intelligence and a higher work to do, can be a sluggard.

The Hebrew word nemalah is said to come from a root meaning "to crowd together," which fits all ants. Buxtorf traces it from the root "to eat." This insect is held up as a practical reproof to the sluggard. Scripture says that it provides its food in the summer and gathers its food in the harvest. Sceptics object that ants eat meat and could not store such food in summer. But there is plenty of evidence that they do lay up grain in the summer, and if it gets damp they bring it out into the sun to dry. Another point worth noting: they have "no guide, overseer, or ruler." Yet no one can watch this insect without seeing that they are "exceeding wise." Each one finds its own particular work and diligently does it — a profitable lesson for the saints of God to learn.

The sluggard is one given up to laziness. He might well consider the object lesson of the ant, a creature so small, yet a willing worker. Without captain, overseer or ruler, she diligently uses the summer to provide food, gathering during harvest to meet her needs for the winter. God has certainly made her to be an object lesson for anyone who wants to live in idleness.

These words give no ground at all to those who claimed a contradiction with Prov. 6:6-8. Proverbs presses the ordinary duty of industry, and so reproves the sluggard using the hard-working ant as its text. These words call the believer to rely in faith on the Father's care, without an anxious thought. The one is as true as the other. But the call to trust goes deeper and rises higher, because of the revelation of the Father's name to those who believe on the Son.

The ant rightly lives only for earth, and prepares for the only future she will have. But when a man prepares only for earth, that is folly. His earthly future is nothing compared with the eternity he must face. But the ant is meant to teach wisdom in diligence and to reprove laziness.

We begin to be slothful Christians when we fail to enjoy the love of God to us in Christ. It starts when Christ Himself is no longer the Object and Hope of our hearts. It starts when meditating on the word of God becomes tiresome and private prayer declines. It starts when private praise and making melody in the heart to the Lord stops, and we no longer overflow with love to our Saviour God, to His ways, His people, and His service.

In full contrast with the earnestness urged here is the lazy folly which is next pictured so vividly. The sluggard has sunk so low that Jehovah tells him to learn from the tiny "ant". That little creature is teacher enough for him. In the same way, the New Testament uses the lilies of the field to rebuke anxiety about clothing. The passage says not a word about storing up for winter — in fact, like many animals, ants are mostly dormant then. But in summer and harvest, while they are free to be active, they work without stopping, keep good order, and even care for one another. That may well shame the self-indulgent sleeper.

The Hebrew word for ant is said to come from a root meaning "to crowd together", which fits every kind of ant. Another point worth noting is that they have "no guide, overseer, or ruler". Yet no one can watch this insect without seeing that they are "exceedingly wise". Each one finds its own particular work and does it diligently. That is a profitable lesson for God's people to learn.

They swarm in the woods and in the fields; they work day and night… They build huge, evenly shaped mounds and use them as homes and barns. For the size of the tiny builders, these mounds are three times larger than the Egyptian pyramids. They march and work together, have their own wars, and care for their sick. They do all of it without a chief, an overseer, or a ruler. Yet man, with higher intelligence and a higher work to do, can be a sluggard.

The beginning of this chapter states two great principles of life. Do not commit yourself for the future, and do not be lazy and idle in the present. God has set us in this place; humble diligence is a duty now — His ordinance since the fall. "By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread." "If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat."

This hardly needs saying. The words give no ground at all to those who claimed a contradiction with Proverbs 6:6-8. Proverbs presses the ordinary duty of industry, and so it reproves the sluggard by pointing to the hard-working ant. The other passage calls the believer to hold on to faith's reliance on the Father's care, without an anxious thought. The one is as true as the other. But trust in the Father goes deeper and rises higher, because God has revealed the Father's name to those who believe on the Son.

The sluggard is one given over to laziness. He might well consider the object lesson of the ant — a creature so small, yet a willing worker. Without captain, overseer, or ruler, she works hard through the summer to provide food. She gathers in the harvest to meet her needs for winter… Only a little slumber — that is, the hands stopping work — will in the end bring poverty. It comes like a prowler who steals one's living, or like an armed man who strips one of all defence. Let us be workers, not drones!

The sluggard is one given up to laziness. He might well consider the object lesson of the ant, a creature so small, yet a willing worker. With no captain, overseer or ruler, she works hard through the summer to provide food, gathering it in the harvest to meet her needs for the winter. God certainly made her this way as an object lesson for anyone who wants to live in idleness.

The ant is a marvellous little creature. Modern science has studied this little insect closely. What it found is stated here in a few words by the Lord, the Creator... They build huge, even-shaped mounds and use them as homes and barns. Compared to the size of the tiny builders, these mounds are three times larger than the Egyptian pyramids. They march and work as one, fight their own wars, and care for their sick. They do all of it without a chief, an overseer or a ruler. Yet man with a higher intelligence and a higher work to do can be a sluggard.

The Hebrew word nemalah seems to come from a root meaning "to crowd together," which fits all ants. Buxtorf traces it to the root "to eat." Scripture uses this insect as a practical rebuke to the lazy man... Sceptics object to this, since ants are thought to be meat-eaters that could not store such food in summer. But there is plenty of evidence that they do store grain in the summer. If it gets damp, they bring it out into the sun and dry it. Another point worth noting: they have no chief, officer, or ruler. Yet no one can watch this insect without seeing that they are "exceedingly wise." Each one finds its own work and does it with care — a valuable lesson for God's people to learn.

The sluggard has sunk so low that Jehovah tells him to learn from the tiny "ant," teacher enough for him... The verse says nothing about storing up for winter. In fact, like many animals, ants are mostly inactive then. But in summer and harvest, while they can still be active, they work without stopping, keep good order, and even care for one another. That may well shame the lazy man who lives for his own comfort.

The ant is right to live only for earth, and she prepares for the only future she will have. When a man prepares for earth alone, it is folly. His future on earth is nothing next to the eternity he must face. Yet the ant is there to teach us wisdom in hard work, and to rebuke laziness.

It hardly needs saying that these words give no ground at all to those who claimed they contradict Proverbs 6:6-8. Proverbs presses the ordinary duty of hard work, and so rebukes the lazy man with the example of the hard-working ant. Those other words call the believer to rest by faith in the Father's care, without an anxious thought. The one is as true as the other.

The lazy folly pictured next stands in full contrast with the earnestness urged here. The sluggard has sunk so low that Jehovah tells him to learn from the tiny "ant" as all the teacher he needs... in summer and harvest, while activity is still open to them, they work without stopping, keep good order, and even care for others. All this may well put the self-indulgent sleeper to shame.

They march and labour together, have their own wars, feed their sick, and all of it is done without a chief, an overseer, or a ruler. Yet man, with higher intelligence and higher work to do, can be a sluggard.

This chapter starts with two great principles of life. Do not commit yourself for the future. Do not be lazy and idle in the present. God has set us in this place, and humble diligence is a duty now — His arrangement since the fall. "By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread." "If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat."

The sluggard is one given up to laziness. He is asked how long he will slumber. Only a little slumber — the hands stopping work — will in the end bring poverty. It comes like a prowler who steals a man's living, or like an armed man who comes to strip him of all defence. Let us be workers, not drones!

We begin to be slothful Christians when we no longer enjoy the love of God to us in Christ. It happens when Christ Himself is no longer the Object and Hope of our hearts. It happens when meditating on the word of God becomes tiresome and private prayer declines... And how serious this state is! For "slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger." Note that it is a deep sleep. It is so deep that ordinary means completely fail to wake them.

I went to the house of young Mr. Slothful. His Bible was completely buried under other books, with thick dust over the back and sides of it. His regular habits of daily prayer had quite broken down... Young Mr. Slothful had been indulging in a little more sleep in the mornings. He had been slackening off a little in the usual duties, and taking a little more self-ease in everything. And now spiritual poverty has come on him like a robber... First there was just leaving off the regular habit once. Then the same thing repeated, then again. Each time the gap between was shorter.

Think of the sluggard. When roused in the morning he only turns over on his side, and he is soon faster asleep than before. So it was with you, poor Christian worldling (what a contradiction in terms!). You were half woken from your dangerous sleep, and then you sank into a deeper one. You paid attention only to the first part of that waking call, and ignored the second, "Arise from the dead!"

A sad condition for a believer to slip into! What use is a sleeper as a witness to God and the truth? Thanks be to God, such people are not dead. The spark of divine life is there, and nothing can put it out. But they have sunk into spiritual numbness. They have lost both their enjoyment of heavenly grace and their usefulness in testimony.

The beginning of this chapter states two great principles of life. Do not commit yourself for the future. Do not be lazy and idle in the present. God has set us in this place, and humble diligence is a duty now — His ordinance since the fall. "By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread." "If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat."

The sluggard has sunk so low that Jehovah tells him to learn from the tiny "ant" as teacher enough for him... We hear nothing about hoarding a store for winter — in fact, like many creatures, ants are mostly dormant then. But they never stop working. They keep good order, and they even care for others through summer and harvest, while they are still free to work. All of this may well shame the self-indulgent sleeper.

The ant is a marvellous little creature... They march and work together. They have their own wars, and they feed their sick. They do all of it without a chief, an overseer, or a ruler. Yet man, with higher intelligence and a higher work to do, can be a sluggard.

Of course, we need sleep and rest. But it is a different matter when this marks our whole life. This is especially true when we sleep about spiritual things, and so feel nothing of serious dangers. It was "while men were sleeping" that the enemy sowed weeds among the wheat (Matt. 13:25).

The great mass of Christian men and women seek to escape their responsibility. They believe in substitution — letting someone else do it — in almost every line of Christian activity... This kind of substitution comes out of the spiritual sluggishness described in Proverbs 6:10–11.

I went to the house of young Mr Slothful. His Bible lay buried under a pile of other books, with thick dust over the back and sides of it. His regular habits of daily prayer were quite broken down... Young Mr Slothful had been indulging in a little more sleep in the mornings. He had slackened off a little with the usual duties, and allowed himself a little more ease in everything. And now spiritual poverty has come on him like a robber... First he left off the regular habit just once. Then he did the same thing again, and then again, and each time the gap between was shorter. Now the well-ordered Christian life has become a disorderly wilderness of weeds.

Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep... Notice that it is a deep sleep — so deep, sadly, that ordinary means fail to wake them.

Poverty has come "like a prowler." He comes as secretly as he can, to rob us of the wealth God gave us at the start. Or it comes "like an armed man," who steals everything he can by force.

The sluggard is one given up to laziness. He might well consider the object lesson of the ant, a creature so small, yet a willing worker. Without captain, overseer or ruler, she works hard through the summer to provide food. She gathers it in at harvest to meet her needs for the winter. God made her that way as an object lesson for anyone who wants to live in idleness.

only a little slumber — that is, hands that stop working — will in the end bring poverty. It comes like a prowler who steals your living, or like an armed man who strips you of all defense.

Their tireless work, their good order, and even their care for others in the summer and harvest, while they can still be active, may well shame the self-indulgent sleeper... on the listless and lazy, poverty comes like a tramp or an armed man who will not take no for an answer.

The careless man sleeps his life away: "a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep." He may be innocent of strong drink, or of sensual pleasure, or of wasteful company. His laziness ensures his ruin.

I went to the house of young Mr. Slothful, and his Bible lay hidden under a pile of other books. Thick dust covered its back and sides, and his regular habits of daily prayer had quite broken down... He had been taking a little more sleep in the mornings, letting the usual duties slide a little, giving himself a little more ease in everything. And now spiritual poverty has come upon him like a robber... First he left off the regular habit just once. Then he did it again, and again, and the gap between each time grew shorter — until the well-ordered Christian life has become a disorderly wilderness of evil weeds.

when we fail to enjoy the love of God to us in Christ, when Christ Himself is no longer the Object and Hope of our hearts, when meditation on the word of God becomes tiresome, and private prayer declines... we begin to be slothful Christians... Some think, "I know I am saved," "I know I have eternal life," and the like. But do we weigh, as we should, that if our life and walk grieve or quench the Spirit of God, we may lose the comfort and enjoyment of such precious truths?

The great mass of Christian men and women seek to escape their responsibility. They believe in substitution — letting someone else do it — in almost every line of Christian activity... This kind of substitution comes out of the spiritual sluggishness described in Proverbs 6:10-11.

I believe that the beginning of all decline is neglect of prayer... We read that our blessed Lord was constantly in prayer through the three and a half years of His public ministry... If that blessed Man, the sinless One, our great Example, felt the need of prayer so deeply, how great must our need be!