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The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces. 守宮用爪抓牆，卻住在王宮。
(Proverbs 30:28)
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Spiders are very small creatures of God, but they are very wise (30:24). Here is the fourth of the small things that provide object lessons for wisdom. Agur will teach you the wisdom of the spider (30:1). Instead of 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? “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning” (1:5). Are your hands less capable than a spider’s? Are palaces more closed to you than spiders? Consider it, reader.
Many think spiders are dangerously 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; and the black widow rarely bites, and not without provocation. For the most part, spiders are beneficial, eating insects and other spiders!
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 their 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 one there tomorrow! Some species spin parachutes to travel great distances! The ingenious design, pattern, and structure of webs reveal incredible intelligence from God!
Wise Agur, by the inspiration of our Creator, wants 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 them out of palaces, they are still found there! And 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 bring 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 (6:10; 19:24; 24:33; 26:15; Eccl 4:5). Use them! See the comments on 19:24.
Men do not assist 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 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 with them (31:13,19-20). You can find these women by their well-dressed children, clean and organized homes, and excellent meals. And good women with diligent hands should be rewarded (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 (22:29). Slack or lazy hands lead to poverty; but diligent hands lead to riches (10:4; 12:14,24; 14:1; 21:25; 26:6; Eccl 10:18).
Can you match the spider today, dear reader? What task do you have before you? Take hold of it! “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might” (Eccl 9:10)!
