to the Ant"

(Proverbs 6:6-11)

Introduction: There is a. principle which the Lord has buH t into Hi~;
marvelous creation bot.h i:n the materi.al as well as the spiritual realms, and
that principle is that the one who is diligent in his work wtIl prosper, but
the one who is not diligent will not. The one who toils to provide for
himself and for his family will seldom fail to accomplish \yhat he sets out
to do. The one who thinks that he can do so without much effort will ;::;oon
realize that he is digging a pit for himself. The same is true in the
spiritual realm as well. What a person sows, that he will reap. And he
will,eap in accordance \;.]ith how mner.. and what he sows. Just as the one who
sows corn may not expect to reap wheat, you cannot expect to reap the
benefits of a godly life without sowing the seeds of godliness in your life.
And just a.s the person who labors to bring his crop to full harvest cannot
expect much yield without much effort, so you cannot expect to reap a
harvest of gracious rewards on that great day of God's judgment, unless you
have sown and toiled and labored throughout your life. What yon have sown,
you will reap, If you sow and work diligently, you \yill reap mnch. If you
have not sown much or labored much, you will reap little. If you have not
sown at all. then you will reap nothing It is important, then, that we be
sowers amI !;.vorkers if we are to expect a harvest.
This is ,,,hat Solomon teaches us this morning in our passage, by pointing
us to a very small, but industrious creature, to illustrate that kind of
labor which is nec.essary for the greatest benefits. And ,·]hat he tells us is
that,

We should go to the ant to learn the wisdom of diligent Jabor.

A careLu1 study (I.f the ant {,;;ill reap many good and wise lessons.

1. He Says First of All. "GO TO THE ANT. OBSER\fE HER WAY':" AND BE
fiISE. "/
A. You Must Go to Her Before You Will Learn the Lesson.
1. One of our b.igges t prob1 ems in learning anything is to knmi wlla t
i t is that we need to learn and where to go to find .it.
a. Because of this, we often go after knowledge, which is not
really godly knowledge.
b. We imbibe things that we ought not to. And CIS CI resu.lt we
are weakened in the Christian faith.
c. Forinstal1ce, a Chdsti<'Jl1ity that does l10t urge upon us a
li.fe o.f diligent service and liv.ing by rule is a perverted
kind of Christianity • .for it does not follow the teaching of
Christ 110r o.f His apostles.
d. Paul said, "FOR WE ARE HIS fiORKMANSHIP CREATED IN GHRIST
JESUS FOR GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD PREPARED BEFOREHAND THAT WE
SHOULD WALK IN THEM" (Eph. 2: 10) •
e. After Paul (<\Irate to the ChrisUans at Corinth that there
{,'auld certainly be a future resurrection. he said,
" THEREFORE , MY BELOVED BRETHREN, BE STEADFAST, IMHOf/ABLE,
ALWAYS ABOUNDING IN THE WORK OF THE LORD, KNOWING THAT YOUR
TOIL IS NOT IN VAIN IN THE LORD" Cor. H: 58) • The
resl1rrectiol1 gut.trantees that your labor will not all be
lost. You ~vil1 be grac:ious.ly rewarded accord:ing to your
works on tha t day.
f. Our Lord Jesus 8a:id, "WE MUS,], WOPJ( THE WORKS OF HIM tlHO SENT
ME, AS LONG AS IT IS DAY; NIGHT IS CONING, WHEN NO MAN CAN
WORK" (John 9: 4) •
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2. [(nowing that we are to abound in the work of the Lord, where

shal.l vl'e go for an example of how we ought to labor? Solomon
says that r,le may learn much about the t\7.isd0111 of d.iligence, Jf ,ie
wil.l but go to the cwt.

B. But, Going Is Not Enough, You Must A.lso Observe Her. And If You
~liU Take the Time to Do S£1, You Will Not.ice Several Things.
1. First, she has no chief, no gu.ide to direct her f",ork.
a, Unlike the cHillies of IsraeJ ~¥ho lJad chiefs to direct Llu:!111 in
times of wa..1:" , the ants have none to ve them
this authoritative (Josh. 1(;'~24),
b. There are 110 supe:r:ior ants that have the power to command
other ants to do anything. They simp.ly do {",hat it is that:
they need to do.

2. Second, she has no officer, no one to oversee what she does.

a. The Egyptian Pharaoh set taskmasters over the IsraeLites: and
their foreman to make sure that they finished their quota of
bricks f.·com day to day 5: 6) •
b. But the ants do not have any overseers. They don't need
anyone to check up on them, or to keep them moUvated. They
don 't need a whip at their back to compel them to continue
woricing.

3. Lastly, she does not have emy ruler to call her into account.
a. The Je{vS were botl1 accountable to Pharaoh in Egypt and to
the kings of Israe.l, and to i';lll to wllOm they were subjected
(Is a , 14:5). If they failed to do what they were commanded,
then they ~"otlld have to .face punishment,
b. The ants have no king; they are accountable to no one. Yet
they still work ·with as much diligence as those ~vho are
accountable.

4. Not having this cha.in of accountability, the ant continues to be

a marvelous exa~rnple of diligent labor.
a. She prepares her food in the summer for her da:ily needs, at
the time when that food is al-ra.i1ab.le.
b. And she gathers her food in the harvest so thai she w.ill
have in store for the ",linter months when food will be
scarce (Keil 6:141).
c. If you've ever wa t ched ants tl1en you know this to be
true. They endlessly search for rood, and once find
it, they tirelessly drag it back to their nest. They are
models of true diligence.
cf...-~..-ftt1tf,thi slllfJdel

II. Secondly, This Model Forms the Background to Which Solomon Now
Contrasts tbe Opposite Behavior of the Sluggard.
A. Unlike the Ant, the Sluggard Has Those to Whom He Is Accol1ntable.
1, If he .1S employed by someone to work in his .field or vineyard,
he is accountable to him.
a. Anyone who is employed by someone else knows that there is
an ilccountability structure bu:ilt in to their tvork. No one
ever takes it [or granted that their employees will always
do what they're toJd.
b. When I was a custod.ian at La Jo.l1a High Selwo1, tve were
under the supervision of the head custodian and the
cre(,,~leader. Their job t,?8S to make sure that we (Lid ours
and to limke sure that :it was done neat and on time.
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2. But even i f he is self-employed, the .is still

accountable to the Lord of the Harvest, who wcltcbes alTer all
that he does, and will one day call him to account.

B. But Even Having This Added AccountabiU ,HiB Life Is SUll Not
Characterized by the Industry of the Ant.
1. He does not gather fLis food times of p.lenty, He f4astes
his opportulli Ues to prepare.
2. He enjoys his sleep too milch. When asked, "HOW LONG WILL YOU
LIE DOWN, 0 SLUGGARD? WHEN WILL YOU ARISE FROM YOUR SLEEP? He
replies, "A LITTLE SLEEP, A LITTLE SLUMBER, .A LIT'nE FOLDING Of:?
THE HllNDS TO REST."
a. "ll Little rest, that's all I ask is just a little rest!"
b. But he is only fooLing himse.lf. He :is step by step
descending down a path which leads to total carelessness.
c. The folcUng of the hands, wh.ich is to cross them OFer the
chest, or to Pllt them into the bosom, indicates that he is
idle. Solomon wJ'ites in Ecclesiastes 4:5, "THE FOOL FOLDS
HIS HANDS AND CONSUMES HIS OWN FLESH."
d. He does not pJan for tlle future" but Lives everyday for thai
day ~'tlone.

3. As a result S'o}omon says that h.is poverty f,.li1l come suddenly.

a. It will come upon him unforeseen as a vagabond fft;ho comes in
wi thout advance warning.
b. And i t w.ill come in with 110stile force, like a man dressed
in armor who comes only to attack. He {.<'ill not be able to
withstand it (Ken 6:142).

III. Seeing the End of Each Is Such, How Much Ought You to Tmi tate the Ant
and to Avo:id the Ways o[ the Sluggard.
A. It Is Because the Lord fIas Bui.lt a Godly Virtue into This 8111al1
Insect that lIe Wants You to Imitate Her. Think about how this
v:irtue cbaracterized the saints in a1J ages.
1 Paul was a hard worker. f.lhen it came to labor, he could hold
himself up as a pattern to tlle Thessalon.ians. He said, "FOR YOU
YOURSELVES KNO'kl HOW YOU OUGHT TO FOLLOW OUR EXAMPLE, BECAUSE WE
DID NOT .ACT IN AN UNDISCIPLJNED MANNER AMONG YOU, NOR DID f¥E EAT
ANYONE'S BREAD WITHOUT PAYING FOR IT, BUT WITH LABOR AND
HARDSHIP WE KEPT WORKING NIGHT AND DAY SO THAT WE MIGHT NOT BE A
BURDEN TO ANY OF YOU; NOT BECAllSE WE DO NOT H"4VE THE RIGHT TO
THIS', BUT IN ORDER TO OPFER OURSELVES AS A MODEL FOR YOlf, THAT
YOU MIGHT FOLLOW OUR EXAMPLE" (2 Thes, 3: 7-9),
2. It is a v:irtue whicl1 characterized John ~lesley. Wesley once
gave these directions to his disciples, "1, Be d.iligent. Never
be unemployed for a moment; never be tri.flingly employed. Neve.r
while away time; never spend any.more time at any place Uuw is
strictly necessary. 2. Be se:Llous, Let your motto be,
Holiness to the LOTd.Avoid all Lightness, jesting, and foolish
talk. 11. You h;:we nothing to do but to save souls. Therefore
spend and be spent .in this f,,7ork. And go always not to those who
want YOH, but to those who t.Jant you most" (Ryle Great 100-10n,
Wesley embodied tl1ese principles himself, and because of this
he was able to accomplisb a phenomenal amount of work.
3. George White.field was another example. J.C. Ryle, ill 11is book
Christ.ian Leaders of the Eighteenth Century, wrote of him, "He wa.s
a man of unwearied diligence and laboriousness about his Master's
bus.iness. It would be diff.icul t, perhaps, to name anyone in the
annals of the Churches who worked so haId for Christ, and so
 thoroughly spent 1-Limself in his service. '{enry Venn, in a Funeral
sermon for him, preached at Bath, bore the following test:imony,:
'w11at a s'ign and wonder tvas this man of God in the greatness of
his labours! One cannot but stand amazed that his mortal frarne
could, [ur the space of' near years, without interruption,
sustain the (.;eigIn of' them;' for f"rbat so trying to the human frame,
in youth especially. as • and violent
straiRing of tl1elungs? Wiw that knows their structure !<Jou.ld
t11.1nk ~it poss.il>le that: a person Little above the age of manhood
cou.ld speak .in a e week, and that for years -- in
forty hours, and in very many weeks -- and trlat t.o
thousands; and after this labour .ins tead of taking any res t,
could be offering up prayers and intercessions, w:ith hymns and
tlla] songs, as his manner was, .in every house to which be was
imrited? The truth .is, that in point of .lal}onr this extraont-inary
servant of God did as much in a few weeks as most of tlw . "e who
exert tllemselves are ab.le to do in the space of a year'" (57),
4. To see this vLrtl1e in godly men is enough of a reason to imi tate
it. But the main reason we should be(~ause .it is a v:irtue
which cl1aract:erizes our Lord Jesus Chris t" The saints of aLl
ages, who have sougbt to put all the Lord Jesus Christ have also
sought [:0 put t111..::; v.lrtue on as well.
a. He said, "MY FATHER IS WORKING UNTIL NOW, AND I MYSELF AM
WORKING" (John 5: J
b. Jesus, from the time that He t;7aS incarnated in the fATOmb of
the llirgin all, has been {-larking"
c. He kept His Father-'.e; Law perfectly to fulfill all
righteousness, so that His chi.ldren might be clothed with
tha trigh t eousness •
d. He laid down His life on the cross in order to redeem His
people fyom their sins.
e" He rose again from the grave, appeared (:0 many, ascended into
heaven, sat at the right hand of' God. And even then His .labor
f.v'as not at 8n end; He stil.l prays for His people from hea ..ren.
The author to the Hebrews ~vrites, "HENCE, ALSO, HE IS ABLE TO
SAVE FOREVER THOSE WHO DRAW NEAR TO GOD THROUGH HIM, SINCE HE
ALWAYS LIVES TO MAKE INTERCESSION FOR THEN" (Heb. 7:25).
This labor of His .is to be an example to us that. we might
[allow in His footsteps as well.

B. The Lord Calls You this [\forning, by Way of Command, and by [vay of
Example to Di.1igent Service.
1. He calls you to be .industrious ill all o.f your work, realizIng
that an YOll do :is l.;1ork for Him.
8. He has given you all occupation in life by which you may earn
your living and provide .for your household. You are to be
di.ligent in making sure that you do provide for their needs.
You are to be d.iligent on the job so tllat those who hire you
may get the very best (.{Iorker tbal: they can for their money.
c. You are to be di.ligent in managing your househo.lds so that
you t.ake the best care of the that the Lord has
entrusted to your stewardship.
d. lind you ,'iye to be diligent :in those He has
entrusted to YOUT care and to them the best and
godLiest education that you can.
e. You were created .in Christ Jesus for good works (Eph. 2: U)).
Everything that you do, "f1IHETHER YOU EAT OR DRINK OR
WHATEVER YOU DO", you are to lIDO ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD" (l
Cor. 10:31).
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g. You are to take the ta.lents that the tard has entrusted to
you and Ilse them ,,,:isely and diligently to bring an increa.se
to Him.,
h. You are to use tbose me[ws which He has appointed to help
you to do this.
) Un1ike the ant, He has given to you guides. He g:ives
you a conscience to correct YOll, to
YOll, llliniste.["s to correct you, and eldeys to shepherd
you.
) He has g.·iven to you an overseer to watch over you to
see if you are Him as best Y0l1 can. The Lord,
wh ose eyes are as a t "·,.lame
0
f f" is- 1 .
- .-u:e/~ [;late ung you
(Rev ~ 1: .14; 2: 18) • "THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE IN EVER.Y
PLACE, WATCHING THE EVIL AND THE GOOD" (Proverbs 15:3).
(iLi) You have a ruler who ~,7il1 one day cal] you to account.
"EVERY ONE OF US NLTST GIVE ACCOUNT OF HIMSELf TO GOD"
(flom. 14:12), He wiJl call you to account both for the
Lime and s lJe bas you, Don't t the
warning of the.. Pu..c~'lJ.f!.. of the talents.
(iv) AYe you ~. to":>5rbeir best advan ? Are you
s up supplies for the fut.ure t.;hen you will not be
able to work? Are you espec.iai laying up treasures
in heaven during your stay here, ,.;hieh .is the 0111y time
that you w.ill be able to? He wants you to lise the time
and energy He has given you to its best advantage, so
that you might prosper forever.
(v) Slothfulness is a sin. t service .is the fruit
of a true and lively fa:ith. Do not let s.loth gain allY
ground ill any area of your life, f-lZwther you fa.ll into
it La sleeping, in ea or in recreation. Live by
rule. Plan out your. day. Rise eaJ:'1y to serve God,
Store your mind witll1Knowledge of fIis Word and w.il1.
Put it into practice. Put: to deatb l1w deeds of the
flesh, put 011 the Lord Jesus Christ. St.rive to be like
Him!

2.. Lastly, _if you are apart from Chr_ist, this calls you to make
diligent and labor.ious use of the means that the Lord has
appointed for your salvation.
a. He gives you the same means of conscience, Scripture. and
Gospel ministers to ~.;arn yOIl of your lost condition.
b. He bas given to you a conscience to convince you that you
have s:inned against Hiin. He bas given you Scripture, which
many Christians in the past were not fible to possess, but
wh.ich sits on your she.lf or tabJe .in your houses He bas
given to you ministers to point you to Cbr.isL Are you
these means diLigenUy to enter into H_1S kingdOJl1? Are
you striving to enter onto that: narrow path (Luke 13:24)?
c. The Lord commands you this mo:rning, "Ar<1ake, tboll tJUi t
sZeepest, and Christ shall thee 1.ight" (Eph. 5:14),
The more tllai: YOll .sleep away the opportunities of your
salvation, the more LikeJy _it is tbat you ,,,LU nAVel:' awaken,
You may have yet a thousand tomorrows, but: you may still end
up perisbing in your poverty, when the Son of Man comes
t YOll as em armed man summoning you to judgment
(Br.idges 62). Awake from your sleep and trust in the
LoYd. Come to Christ, and be saved. .ArnelL