Blog Three, August 22, 2025
“Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise:
the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer;
the rock badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs;
the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank;
the lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in kings' palaces” (Proverbs 30:24-28 ESV, emphasis added).
The biblical record does not refer to many individuals as being wise, though it promotes strongly the pursuit of heavenly wisdom. King Solomon is the obvious example, and his wisdom is a gift from God (1 Kings 3:10-12). In the same way, Stephen’s wisdom is credited to the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:8-10). Joshua receives a spirit of wisdom by the laying on of hands by Moses (Deuteronomy 34:9). Wisdom is from above, a sign of godliness (James 3:13-18) and a spiritual gift in the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:8-11).
Yet, in Proverbs, four diminutive earth creatures are not only wise, but exceedingly wise! It is a worthy exercise to study their biology to comprehend this divine trait. The ant, though not strong, is measured as wise for their uncanny ability to locate food and store it in their nests. Operating as a superorganism for the common good, they display remarkable ability to labor in multiple tasks and provide all resources required for colony survival.
What about the rock badger (possibly the Syrian hyrax or another species of that region)? These small mammals live in high places inaccessible to most. Living in groups, like the ants, they find safety in numbers and survive by sunning themselves on the rocks, conserving body heat by huddling together in groups. This species, described as not mighty, is exceedingly wise because it uses Earth formations (crags and cliffs) to provide protection, both from cold and from predators such as the black eagle.
The Middle Eastern locust swarms are legendary, both in Scripture (Exodus 10:12-15; Joel 1:4), and even in the present day (“Which Countries Are Most Vulnerable to Locust Swarms?”, May 19, 2020, Tina Huang, World Resources Institute, https://www.wri.org/insights/which-countries-are-most-vulnerable-locust-swarms). Modern reports estimate that a swarm can be large enough to consume 40,000 tons of vegetation in a day. Yet, the science of the swarm is a fascinating study – how one begins, proceeds, and ends. Proverbs rightly notes that they have no king, yet march in ranks. The swarm has coordinated precision that matches even the finest military force; King Solomon credits their exceeding wisdom.
Finally, there is the lizard, small enough to catch with your hands. Yet, it has the remarkable ability to turn up in the strangest places – even kings’ palaces. The lizard is as small and weak as the other wise creatures; its access to seats of power is a picture of influence. As a resident of Louisiana, I can testify that lizards are everywhere!
So, what is the Proverbs passage telling us? A simple zoology lesson? Yes. But a deeper truth also: “Nature displays divine wisdom”, to quote Dr. Calvin Beisner of the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation. The imprint of God’s character is seen through the natural realm, accessible and measurable in every field of study. When we seek wisdom in Creation, we find it fully stocked. We provide a range of examples from all the spheres of Earth in our book “Air, Earth, Fire, and Water: A Glimpse of the Created Earth”.
Proverbs 30 previews Church fellowship as it was designed to function using four small but exceedingly wise creatures. The ant, with its eusocial behavior, demonstrates division of work toward a common goal – meeting every need of the colony. The rock badger, likewise, finds protection by living in groups in the cliffs; these furry creatures share energy, acting as a unit. The locusts model an army led by an unseen authority, ready and able to conquer, while the lizard infiltrates every corner of its world, a picture of influence far beyond its purview.
The Church is designed to be a unified assembly, applying its Spirit-given gifts to do its work, protected by a loving Father, ready to go into all the world, as Jesus commanded. Dependent upon Trinitarian presence and power, the Church is able to influence culture like no other entity. The exceeding wisdom of four little creatures points the way.
D. E.