Insects
Summary
Small invertebrate creatures, numerous species of which are mentioned in Scripture as part of creation or as instruments of divine judgment.
☩Clean and Unclean
The Mosaic law classified some insects as clean and others as unclean for food purposes. Locusts, crickets, and grasshoppers with jointed legs for leaping were permitted. Other creeping things were forbidden. John the Baptist famously ate locusts and wild honey in the wilderness.
☩Plagues and Judgments
God used insects as instruments of judgment: lice and flies in the Egyptian plagues, locusts devastating crops, hornets driving out Canaanites. The locust plague in Joel depicts both literal invasion and apocalyptic judgment. These demonstrate God's sovereignty over all creation.
☩Lessons from Insects
Proverbs commends the ant for her industriousness and foresight in storing food for winter. The bee is noted for wisdom in her ways. Moths and worms illustrate the transience of earthly treasures and the certainty of decay. Even the smallest creatures teach divine lessons.
