The Spider
12.11.24
There are four things which are little upon the earth but they are exceeding wise. (Proverbs 30:24)
We come to the last of the four of God’s little creatures that so intrigued King Agar. He has previously drawn our attention to the ant, the conie and the locust. Today his focus is the spider. The spider takes hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces. (Proverbs 30:28)
Some versions of the Bible translate the animal here as a lizard. The Middle East is populated with many kinds of spiders and lizards. In either case the point is the same: it is a small animal that you can hold in your hands, and yet it is able to get into the palace of a king.
While we could consider the lizard, which is small, and which little boys love to catch and hold in their hands, we are going to concentrate on the imagery of the spider. Spiders come in various sizes but never are they so large that you could not hold one in your hand (not that many of us would have much desire to do so). The biblical writer is helping us to understand an important point. Even though we may not possess a great deal of strength or talent, yet we can attain great heights for God, even to the palace of a king.
The Bible is full of examples of little people whom God chose to use. There was the lad who gave his lunch to Jesus by which Jesus fed over five thousand people. Zacchaeus was a wee little man, yet he came to Christ and his life was changed. He gave back his stolen money and set an excellent example of repentance.
Shamgar was merely a farmer, but God used him to judge Israel and defeat an enemy. Gideon was a coward, yet God called him “a mighty man of valor.” With God’s help he defeated the enemies of Israel with only trumpets and lamps.
On and on the examples could go. If you are a born again believer, no matter who you are, God can use you for His glory.
Another reference to the spider is found in the Book of Job. One of Job’s friends argues with Job using many analogies from nature. He speaks of one who foolishly trusts in a spider’s web. The web is made of silk and is very strong in relation to the size of the spider and its insect captives. But in relation to man, the web is very fragile.
It is a futile thing for a man to trust in a spider’s web. In what do you trust for your eternal security? Good works, baptism, church membership, a good Christian upbringing, rituals, creeds—each of these are noble, but are like a spider’s web. They will not hold in the Day of Judgment. Only repentance from sin and faith in the Lord Jesus will bring eternal salvation.
We have come to the end of this little section in Proverbs 30. From the lessons of these four animals, we learn that weakness is no excuse for lack of industry. We have a great God. He can do exceedingly above all that we ask or think. We need to wisely appropriate what He has given us for His glory.
This is Pastor Rob Adams asking you to pause, and consider these things. If we at Immanuel Baptist church can be of any help to you, please feel free to call upon us.