Title: The Lazy Man's Life
[Min Byeong-seok’s Proverbs Exposition] 57 The Lazy Man
Text: (Proverbs 26: 13 - 16)
Today's exposition of Proverbs will be a time to receive grace by saying that it is the life of the lazy. The Bible always condemns man's laziness. It reminds us that laziness is a sin. This is because laziness is the cause of a person's poverty and harming his life. Looking at some of the lessons about laziness, it is said in Proverbs 19:15, “Laziness puts a man into a deep sleep.” Someone once said that laziness is the grave of the living. Idleness makes a person lethargic and makes the soul weak by stopping the activity of his soul. In Proverbs 10:4, it is said, “He who is lazy with his hands will become poor.” Proverbs 20:4 also tells us, “The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; therefore at harvest time they beg, but have nothing.”
1. Characteristics of the lazy
In today's text, the four characteristics of a lazy person are described. One of them said that lazy people are good at making excuses. Let's look at verse 13. “A lazy man says, ‘There is a servant on the road, and there is a lion on the street.’” Roads and streets are places where people work. But if there were lions there, you wouldn't be able to go there. This wheat is an excuse for people to get scared when they're trying to do something and make excuses when they're not confident. Of course, there will be lions when you walk down the mountain path, but not always.
Let's look at verse 14. “As a door turns along its hinges, so the sluggish man crouches on his bed.” The doorknob is limited in his range of activity. Can't get off the hinges. Sleeping around means that you like to sleep. Proverbs 13:21 says, “He who loves to sleep will put on his torn clothes.” It is a blessing from God for a man who is tired from work to fall into a deep sleep, but lying in bed in vain will inevitably be a shortcut to poverty.
Another characteristic of the lazy person is mentioned in verse 15. “A lazy man puts his hand into a bowl, but it is troublesome to put it in his mouth.” A dislike of work, no matter what, is characteristic of lazy people. The Apostle Paul said, “If you hate to work, you must not eat.” But the strange thing is that a lazy person considers himself a wise person. Please see verse 16. “A lazy man considers himself wiser than seven who give good answers.” No one who is lazy considers himself foolish. There are always those who do not work and are the ones who make trouble behind the scenes. The hallmark of a person with lazy hands, on the other hand, is the fact that the mouth is extremely diligent. With that mouth, you boast about yourself and judge others.
2. Don't be lazy in the Lord's work
We should not limit today's words to merely being lazy in carnal affairs, but should use them as spiritual lessons.
Romans 12:11 says, “Do not be lazy in diligence, but be zealous and serve the Lord.” The work of the Lord must be diligent. In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, it warns us about what will happen to a person who is not diligent in the Lord's work and is lazy when he stands before the Lord.
The Christian life is like running a business. The three servants who received the talents traded with the talents they received from the master until the master came, teaching us how to do the Lord's work in our lives. The servants who received the two and five talents went to the market immediately after receiving the money from their master and traded diligently and diligently with the money. As a result, they soon doubled their profits. When they stood before the Lord, they heard the Lord's wonderful praise. “Well done, good and faithful servant, since you have been faithful over little things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.”
However, the servant who received one talent did not trade with the talent he received and was idle. He did not feel responsible for the Lord's work and made excuses. The man said to his master: ‘I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you did not harm, so I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground.’ What does hid in the ground mean? Even if I didn't do it, someone else would do it, so I didn't feel the need to work hard. That person is a person who has received more grace than me, so what is the need for me to do that? To say ‘I was afraid’ does not mean that I really feared God, but it is an excuse for ignoring God.
Those who are lazy in the Lord's work have many excuses. He's a healthy person, so why should a weakling like me do such a thing? It is not something you should do to such a person. That person is a wealthy person, but what should a poor person like me do with money? Since God is infinite in power and has no power, I am using the excuse that it would be more beneficial for God to perfect it than to do it hastily.
So what did the owner say to this lazy man? ‘His master answered and said, “You wicked and lazy servant, I reap where I did not sow, and I have not harmed.