Why “Go to the Ant”?

WISE King Solomon of ancient Israel gave this advice: “Go to the ant.” Why did he say this? What can we learn from ants?

Solomon added: “See [the ant’s] ways and become wise. Although it has no commander, officer or ruler, it prepares its food even in the summer; it has gathered its food supplies even in the harvest.” (Proverbs 6:6-8) Those words of long ago express truths discovered by modern-day naturalists.

The proverbialist Agur indicates that ants are “instinctively wise.” (Proverbs 30:24, 25) Of course, their wisdom is not the product of intelligent reasoning but results from the instincts with which the Creator has endowed them. Because of instinct, for example, ants gather their food at the right time.

Ants are marvelously organized. Remarkably cooperative and attentive to fellow workers, they assist injured or exhausted ants back to the nest. They instinctively prepare for the future and do everything possible to fulfill their tasks.

The ant’s natural course implies that humans should plan ahead and be hard workers. This applies in school, at work, and in spiritual activities. As the ant benefits from its industriousness, so God wants humans to ‘see good for all their hard work.’ (Ecclesiastes 3:13, 22; 5:18) Like busy ants, true Christians do a good day’s work. They ‘do with their might what their hands find to do,’ not because a boss is watching, but out of honesty and with a desire to be industrious, profitable workers.​—Ecclesiastes 9:10; compare Proverbs 6:9-11; see also Titus 2:9, 10.

We will be happy, indeed, if we “go to the ant” and apply what we learn from it. And the greatest happiness will be ours if we diligently do the will of Jehovah God, as revealed in the Bible.