Four Ways You can Become Exceedingly Wise, Part 1

February, 2006

by: Jack Hughes

• Spiritual Growth

It used to be that wisdom was considered a prized possession. But wisdom has fallen on hard times. Now what is prized is wearing the right style of clothes, being rich, being famous, driving the right car or having prestige in the eyes of the masses. Wisdom, according to the Bible, is not just having knowledge or knowledge of the Bible, but having knowledge of God’s Word and the ability to apply God’s Word to your life. The person who can do that is considered wise. God sets a premium on wisdom and understanding. In fact the Book of Proverbs, as well as many other parts of the Bible, was written for the express purpose of imparting wisdom. God wants all believers to have knowledge and understanding of His Word leading to wisdom, the application of that knowledge and understanding.

This brings us to our subject, “Four Ways You Can Become Exceedingly Wise.” Ever hear of a man named Agur? Well you are about to hear from him now. Some of his wisdom sayings God chose to include in the Book of Proverbs and this is what he said in Prov. 30:24-28:

Four things are small on the earth, But they are exceedingly wise: The ants are not a strong people, But they prepare their food in the summer; The shephanim are not mighty people, Yet they make their houses in the rocks; The locusts have no king, Yet all of them go out in ranks; The lizard you may grasp with the hands, Yet it is in kings’ palaces.

In these four verses we are given four lessons about being exceedingly wise. Each animal mentioned teaches us some aspect of exceeding wisdom. Let’s see what we can learn from each of these four creatures.

Be Wise Like the Ant

Agur tells us, “The ants are not a strong people, But they prepare their food in the summer.” I find it interesting that Agur refers to them as “people” though they are insects. And though ants are incredibly strong for their size, yet, because they are so small, compared to people, they are weak. “But” Agur tells us, they have something going for them, “they prepare their food in the summer.” Now the question we need to ask ourselves is “why is this considered by Agur to be exceedingly wise?” And the answer is rather obvious. If they didn’t anticipate winter and work hard in the summer, the entire ant colony would starve to death. But they are able to make it through the lean winter months by working diligently during the plentiful summer months.

So what is the principle or timeless truth to be taken from this? I think you can probably guess. It is exceedingly wise to look ahead and diligently prepare for what you know is coming in the future. When God created ants He created them to instinctively know that winter is coming and to prepare for it. If you have ever watched ants, they are busy little fellows, constantly moving from one place to another in search of food. When they find something to eat, they carry it back to their nest where it is either eaten or stored for a rainy day. The wise lesson they teach us is being diligent to prepare for the future.

The problem with preparing for the future is that we don’t always know what the future holds for us. Some things are not so certain, others are pretty certain and still other things we can be absolutely certain about. For instance, you know that if you keep living you will need food, shelter, and clothing. So you can diligently work to provide for yourself. Yet, you could die today. You also can be reasonably certain that you may get sick, that you may get in a car accident, or that you may have your house broken into. Because of this you might choose to purchase insurance just in case one of these things comes to pass. But still, you can’t be absolutely certain about these things. We are almost absolutely certain to grow old and die but Jesus could come back right now, stopping the aging process in our lives by giving us immortal bodies.

But since this is the Bible, surely God wants us to learn spiritual lessons from the ant. And so we might ask ourselves, what can we be absolutely certain will come to pass in the future? But there are some things about the future you can be absolutely sure will happen. Any of the prophecies or promises God has made will come to pass just as He has spoken. This means you can be sure that judgment is coming, that Christ will return, that all believers will be rescued and glorified, that there is a heaven and hell, and that those who do not repent and believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ in this life will be cast into the lake of fire. God cannot lie. All these things must come to pass.

God, speaking through Isaiah the prophet, described Himself with these words in Isa. 46:9-10, “Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.’” Paul, speaking to Titus, describes our certain future hope with these words, “in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago.” What this means is that when God predicts the future or promises something will happen, we can be definitively sure it will come to pass. It is an act of exceeding wisdom to prepare now for what you know will happen in the future.

Think about all of the parables Jesus taught which have as a major theme preparing for the future. The parables of the Rich Fool, the Minas, the Talents, the Laborers in the Vineyard, the Ten Virgins, and many others teach us to live now in light of what we know, based on God’s Word, will happen in the future. Eternity is coming. Judgment is coming and how we live today will affect what happens in eternity.

So let me ask you, are you exercising exceedingly great wisdom today in light of what you know is coming in the future? Are you winning souls to Christ through the preaching of the Gospel? Are you making the most of your time for the days are evil? Are you investing your life, your resources, your possessions, gifts and talents for the glory of God? Be wise like the ant and live today in light of what you know is coming in the future.

Be Wise Like the Shephan

You may not know what a “Shephan” is. Some Bibles translate it “coney,” others “rock badger.” But the identity of the animal being spoken of is not as important as where that animal lives. Like the ant, “The shephanim are not mighty people.” Agur is most likely referring to a small mammal that eats vegetation called a rock hyrax. The hyrax live in colonies of about 50. They are a unique species and have some very unique behavior. For instance, they use latrines and always go to the bathroom in the same location. When they venture out to feed in the morning, they all face away from each other in a circle in order to watch for danger. If danger comes, they sound a warning and retreat to their rock fortresses.

The fact that they “make their houses in the rocks” is what Agur sees as exceedingly wise. You can probably guess why living among the rocks is wise. There is probably no stronger or safer house than living in burrows among the rocks. If a fire comes, you are safe. If a flood comes, you are safe. If a predator comes, you are safe. Living among the rocks is the strongest and safest place to live.

So what spiritual wisdom do you think we are to learn from this? I don’t think Agur is trying to teach us where and what kind of house to build. I think he is trying to teach us that we need to live in a spiritually safe and secure place. The Scriptures tell us where the spiritually safe and secure place is that we should live. It is in trusting in and living for God. Consider the scary words of Nah. 1:2-8. In this section of Scripture God is pronouncing judgment upon Nineveh through Nahum the prophet. In the midst of this scary diatribe, there is a promise of security. Look for it as you read:

A jealous and avenging God is the Lord; The Lord is avenging and wrathful. The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies. The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, And the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. In whirlwind and storm is His way, And clouds are the dust beneath His feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; He dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither; The blossoms of Lebanon wither. Mountains quake because of Him And the hills dissolve; Indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence, The world and all the inhabitants in it. Who can stand before His indignation? Who can endure the burning of His anger? His wrath is poured out like fire And the rocks are broken up by Him. The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him. But with an overflowing flood He will make a complete end of its site, And will pursue His enemies into darkness.

Did you notice that the strongest and safest place to live is in taking refuge in the Lord? All the way through the Scriptures the Lord is described as “The Rock,” “A Fortress,” “A Shield,” “A Stronghold,” “A Refuge,” etc. If you want to be exceedingly wise, then turn from your sins and run to the Lord Jesus Christ. God came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ, lived a perfect life, died on the cross for the sins of man, was buried and three days later was resurrected. Those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved and rescued from the consequences of their sin and the judgment of God to come. Knowing Christ, repenting of your sin, and living for Christ is the safest place you can be.

The Apostle Paul describes just how safe it is in Rom. 8:38-39, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Those who are exceedingly wise run to Christ for safety and refuge. Have you done this? If not, what are you waiting for? Acknowledge your sins to God! Flee from the wrath to come into the loving arms of Jesus Christ. Reject His mercy and grace no longer. For in a little while His wrath will soon be kindled and then it will be too late. Be exceedingly wise like the Shephan and the ant. Give yourself to Jesus Christ and live today for what you know the future will bring.