Skip to content
Millington Baptist Church
Millington Baptist Church
  • C19 updates
      • Gathering Plan
        • Generic Indoor Service times 2021 169hd
      • COVID-19 Weekly Schedule
        • COVID-19 UPdates
      • MBC Unhindered
        • Unhindered 169hd
      • Give Help, Get Help
        • Give Get 169hd2
      • Pastor’s Table Blog
        • Pastor’s Table 169hd
  • about
      • Sermon Series
        • Dignity sermon Series 169HD v2
        • Up Next:
        • Promises of GodPromises of God
      • Times & Directions
        • Generic Indoor Service times 2021 169hd
      • About us
        • Expaning the Table 2018 web 169HD
      • Worship
        • Worship-arts-169HD-sm2
      • Staff & Leadership
        • Team Web Rotator
      • Baptism
        • Interested in Baptism 169HD
      • Membership
        • membership class w date 16.9HD Nov 4 2020
  • ministries
      • Kids
        • MBC KIDS Postcard 169HD
        • MBCKids 56rs 2018 16.9HD
        • Mommy and Me Music Class
        • SA ONLINE Wilderness 2020 169hd
        • Music Camp 2020 169hd STD hw
        • Trunk or Treat-2020-16-9HD
        • HIsKids 169hd
      • Teens
        • Rush logo 2018 169H-web
        • Project 56 graphic16-9HD
        • Wednesdays the Rush
        • blog menu
      • Adults
        • small groups 2018 HD16
        • womens Feature Image 2018 Web 16.9HD
        • Adult-Sunday-School 2018 169HD
        • Young Adult 2020 16.9HD generic no dates
        • senior-luncheon-Feb 21 16.9HD
        • Mens Breakfast feb 19 109 169HD
        • Yarn Crafters 2018 Master 16-9HD
      • Underground Sessions
        • US What about Race 169hd
      • Care
        • Care team 2015 169hd
      • Stephen Ministry
        • Stephen Ministry 2020 w class date 169HD
      • Missions
        • Senegal Missions rotator no dates 2018
        • WORLD partner highlight 2016 main
        • 1st Choice 169HD
        • NYCR Banner 16.9HD
        • market Street Mission 169HD
        • Feedng Hands
        • kingdom Cars
      • Little Footprints Learning Center
        • LFLC Postcard 2017 V2
  • media
      • Sunday Service Live Stream
        • Live Stream 169HD 2020 9am no time
      • Facebook Live
      • Sermon Archive
  • events
  • prayer
  • give
  • log in

Wisdom in Strange Places (Prov 30:25-28)

What do ants, badgers, locusts, and lizards have in common? What lessons of wisdom are there for us to learn from them? That’s the question I want to ask and answer in this blog post from the book of Proverbs as we look at this scripture:

Four are among the tiniest on earth, yet they are the wisest of the wise.
The ants are a people with no power, yet they prepare food for themselves in the summer.
The badgers are a people without strength, yet they make a home in the rock.
The locust has no king, yet he marches forth in formation.
The lizard can be grasped in the hands, yet it is found in the palace of the king.
(Proverbs 30:25-28)

The observation of the Sage here draws our attention to the superlative nature of wisdom found in the animal kingdom, where he has found “the wisest of the wise.”

The first group of animals are the ants (this is what the Hebrew lexicon suggests as most probable). What is striking about them is they “prepare, or make ready” food and drink. This action of the ants displays wisdom in that they show “skill” in preparing for what their needs will be in the future instead of squandering what they harvest immediately on wanton pleasures (as for example the sluggard does in Prov. 24:30-34). The wise person similarly delays gratification. 

The second animal is the rock badger, a species without strength or power, yet they “make a home” (Lit. “to set up, install, place, or lay”) in the rock or cliffs. This also exhibits “wisdom/skill” in that they are using the limited materials accessible to them but they are still able to make due quite well. This is something humanity needs to emulate. 

The third observation has to do with the locust. The Hebrew lexicon, HALOT, suggests this refers to migratory locusts which “go forth (as in to battle)” in the military sense in formation. Literally it reads they are “divided into groups.” This behavior also displays wisdom in that the locust is not in need of a king to organize themselves and delegate, rather they are skillful in that they are doing it without even being asked or commanded to do so. We can learn a lesson about cooperation and self-motivation from these bugs! 

The final lesson is drawn from the lizard, again, the Hebrew lexicon (HALOT) suggests this is “a type of lizard, or wall gecko.” The lizard displays wisdom in that it is able to navigate its way into important places despite its ability to be seen and caught easily. This animal displays both elusiveness and boldness. We need to learn to be shrewd and adaptive. 

What do we learn here? As God’s people, we can learn the value of wisdom found on display in these four animals. This wisdom is in spite of their weaknesses in both size and strength, yet they still have success in skill. Their forethought and organization displays wise ingenuity to find security, sustenance, order and cooperation to accomplish goals. Let the one who has ears, hear. 

God’s creation has so many lessons of wisdom to be learned by humankind, albeit in strange places. 

Dave Hentschel

Dave Hentschel

David Hentschel serves as Lead Pastor: Preaching, Spiritual Formation and Care at Millington Baptist Church in Basking Ridge, NJ. He is a graduate of Philadelphia Biblical University and Dallas Theological Seminary. He and his wife Juli enjoy three children.
Like what you see? Sign up to receive notifications from The Pastor's Table!
Loading

Recent Posts

Bob Erbig

Lessons from 2020: Spiritual Warfare

A Neglected Topic 2020 has many options for word of the year: “Unprecedented.” “Social Distancing.” “Mitigation.” “Lockdown.” “Unrest.” As I write these words we have come to the end of the most interesting year in my lifetime. One year ago, on Christmas Eve, who would have thought that we would be operating at 25% capacity

Read More
Bob Erbig December 24, 2020

Lessons from Kings

Have you ever felt like God was “done” with you? Perhaps you messed up really bad and you think, “This is it. I am toast. I’m too far gone. God’s done with me now.” We have spent the last two and a half months studying the books of First and Second Kings. Originally one book,

Read More
Dave Hentschel November 27, 2020

Conclusion: Two Invitations from Wisdom and Folly (Prov 7:1-9:18) – Part 3

The beginning of Proverbs contains 10 lessons of wisdom, followed by a dramatic conclusion. This blog post will examine the final part that conclusion, Proverbs chapter 9, where again we have Wisdom and Folly personified as women. Thus far, Solomon has drawn out the differences between “Lady Wisdom” and “Dame Folly.” However, you’ll notice in

Read More
Dave Hentschel August 20, 2020
Page1 Page2 Page3 Page4 Page5
  • www.millingtonbaptist.org
  • mbc@millingtonbaptist.org
  • /millingtonchurch
  • /MBCNewJersey
  • www.millingtonbaptist.org
  • mbc@millingtonbaptist.org
  • facebook.com/millingtonchurch
  • twitter.com/MBCNewJersey
  • 520 King George Road | Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 | 908-647-0594
  • C19 updates
    • Gathering Plan
      • MBC Indoor Gathering Plan, 9am & 10:15am
      • Back
    • COVID-19 Weekly Schedule
      • Updates & Connection Opportunities during COVID-19
      • Back
    • MBC Unhindered
      • MBC Unhindered
      • Back
    • Give Help, Get Help
      • Give Help, Get Help
      • Back
    • Pastor’s Table Blog
      • Pastor’s Table Blog
      • Back
    • Back
  • about
    • Sermon Series
      • Back
    • Times & Directions
      • Back
    • About us
      • Back
    • Worship
      • Back
    • Staff & Leadership
      • Back
    • Baptism
      • Back
    • Membership
      • Back
    • Back
  • ministries
    • Kids
      • MBC Kids
      • the 56rs Pack
      • Mommy & Me Music Class
      • ONLINE Summer Adventure, July 13 – 17
      • Music Camp 2020, Aug 3-7
      • Trunk or Treat 2020, Recap
      • HisKids Music & Drama, December 7, 2pm & 4pm
      • Back
    • Teens
      • Teens
      • Project 56
      • The Break
      • Rush Blog
      • Back
    • Adults
      • Small Groups
      • Women
      • Adult Education
      • Young Adults
      • Senior Luncheon: February 21, 12pm
      • Men
      • Yarn Crafters
      • Back
    • Underground Sessions
      • Underground Sessions, Saturday, March 6, 6:30pm
      • Back
    • Care
      • Back
    • Stephen Ministry
      • Back
    • Missions
      • Senegal
      • World Partners
      • First Choice
      • The Relief Bus
      • Market Street
      • Feeding Hands
      • Kingdom Cars
      • Back
    • Little Footprints Learning Center
      • Back
    • Back
  • media
    • Sunday Service Live Stream
      • MBC Live
      • Back
    • Facebook Live
    • Sermon Archive
    • Back
  • events
  • prayer
  • give
  • log in