Proverbs 30:21-23

Each person in this list has suddenly become powerful. But they lack the skills that they need for their new situations. They may become proud. Their characters do not match their new situations. These events may disturb us. We do not expect such events to happen.

• The slave does not know how to lead anyone. He has obeyed other people’s instructions for his whole life. But now he is the king, and he must lead the entire nation.

• The fool is an evil man. He does not deserve a good meal. But this fool eats plenty. And he is still greedy. He has no sense. He is proud. He does not know when he should stop.

• A hateful woman has just married a man. But after she marries, she is still hateful. Her attitudes are wrong. She is a bad wife for her husband. And she will be a poor mother to her children.

• The master’s original wife deserves her husband’s love. But he does not care about her. This is very sad. We soon discover why her husband does not love her. The woman’s own servant girl has become the master’s new wife. The husband chooses his servant girl, instead of his wife. This is terrible. The two women will hate each other. (Compare Genesis 16:1-6.)

v24 There are 4 types of animals that are very small.

But they are also very wise.

These animals are:

• v25 ants, which are tiny insects. But they store food during the summer.

• v26 conies, which are small animals. But they make their home between rocks.

• v27 locusts, which are insects. They have no leader. But they advance like an army.

• v28 lizards, which are small animals. You can easily catch lizards in your hand. But lizards can even live in kings’ palaces.