Proverbs 30:28

Spiders are small creatures God made, but they are very wise (Pr 30:24). Here is the fourth small creature that provides an object lesson for wisdom. Spiders have a trait that you need to learn in order to be successful. The prophet Agur will teach you the wisdom of the spider (Pr 30:1). Instead of only fearing or despising spiders, learn their wisdom.

Are you too proud to learn from this small creature, which you can crush and destroy so easily? Solomon opened the book of Proverbs with these words, “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning” (Pr 1:5). Consider something carefully. Are your hands less capable than a spider’s? Are palaces more closed to you than spiders? Consider it, reader.

Many think spiders are dangerous, poisonous, or likely to attack at any time. This is not true. The only dangerous spiders in much of the world are the brown recluse spider and the black widow spider. The brown recluse is not common, especially in places of human activity; the black widow rarely bites, and not without provocation. For the most part, spiders are beneficial, eating insects and other spiders. Appreciate them for their good.

Spiders are invertebrates – they do not have a backbone or spinal column. They are also arthropods – they have a skeleton on the outside of their body, and their legs are jointed.

Spiders have two body parts – a head and an abdomen. They have eight eyes in their head; and they have four pairs of legs on their abdomen, which is larger than their head.

Spiders are mostly known for intricate webs to catch insects. The webs are made of fine silken threads produced by spinnerets on their abdomen. The silk is secreted in liquid form, which hardens when exposed to the air. Wipe a web away today, and there will be a new one there tomorrow. Some species spin parachutes to travel great distances. The ingenious design, pattern, and structure of webs reveal incredible intelligence from God.

The wise prophet Agur, by the inspiration of your Creator, wanted you to know two things about spiders. They take hold with their hands (all eight of them), and they are in kings’ palaces. Even though great pains are taken to keep spiders out of palaces, they are still found there. From these two observations, you may learn a lesson to teach you God’s wisdom for success. Faithful and diligent perseverance in a task, even against much opposition and difficulty, will eventually bring success and significant reward.

When you have a job to do, use your hands and do it. When it is a repetitious job, keep using your hands. Do not stop. Take the next object in your hand and perform the necessary operation. Do not fold your arms or put your hands in your pockets, like the sluggard (Pr 6:10; 19:24; 24:33; 26:15; Eccl 4:5). Such lazy fools end up in poverty.

Men do not assist or help spiders at all, and they do most everything they can to hinder their work and lives. Spiders are discriminated against constantly, and they have every reason to be discouraged. But they do not complain, sue, or quit. They simply keep taking hold with their hands, and they do not give up because of difficulty, resistance, or trouble.

The way a woman uses her hands reveals her character. A virtuous woman’s hands are seldom still, because there are so many things to be done by them (Pr 31:13,19-20). You can find these women by their well-dressed children, clean and organized homes, and excellent meals. Good women with diligent hands should be rewarded (Pr 31:16,31).

If you use your hands diligently, you also will end up in kings’ palaces, for kings and great men want diligent persons working for them (Pr 22:29; I Kgs 11:28). Slack or lazy hands lead to poverty, but diligent hands lead to riches (Pr 10:4; 12:14,24; 14:1; 21:25; 26:6; Eccl 10:18). This simple rule that hardworking and persistent men will be promoted is the law of the spider. If you want to rise above the crowd, then work like the spider.

Can you match the spider today, dear reader? What task do you have before you? Take hold of it. Grab it, and do it. Finish it. If your first effort fails, try again. As Solomon wrote elsewhere, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might” (Eccl 9:10).