The book of Proverbs is a collection of proverbial wisdom statements about life that are roughly 3000 years old. Its comparisons and contrasts, its admonitions and advice, its similes and metaphors comprise divinely-authored wisdom about life that are as fresh and up-to-date as USA TODAY. Unfortunately, many Christians pay little attention to the book. Sometimes a life of foolish decisions and needless relational pain is the result. A brief sample of four verses about laziness will illustrate the point.
“The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road! A lion is in the open square!” (Proverbs 26:13). Lazy indolent people always have a “reason” why they cannot work. In this case, the reason is that they might be eaten by a lion on the way to work. The excuse is pure foolishness, but its “their story and they’re stickin’ to it.”
“As the door turns on its hinges, So does the sluggard on his bed.” (Proverbs 26:14). First, appreciate the mental picture this verse draws. It is oh-so-accurate. Rather than getting out of bed and becoming productive and responsible, the lazy man rolls over, back and forth, on his bed—like a door. He’s not really even sleeping—he’s just refusing to get up.
“The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; He is weary of bringing it to his mouth again.” (Proverbs 26:15). The lazy man has resources, but is too lazy to use them. This is a word-picture of a man who has food, but is too indolent to get it from his plate to his mouth. He has resources—such as time on his hands and his physical ability—but refuses to use them to meet his own needs.
“The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes Than seven men who can give a discreet answer.” (Proverbs 26:16). A lazy man is committed to his own indolence. Rather than listening to the counsel of wise men, he considers his own rationalizations about why he can’t or won’t work to have greater merit than the time-honored suggestion, “Get a job.”
Before you raise an objection about how heartless these verses are (and dozens of others like them), be aware that Proverbs also speaks a great deal about helping the poor and afflicted and oppressed. We must indeed be a society that cares for the hurting, the sick, and the oppressed.
But that doesn’t mean we should not develop the discernment to distinguish between “can’t work” and “won’t work.” A truly compassionate society does not rob the dignity and moral agency from people by protecting them from the consequences of their own behavior, or by doing for them what they are capable of doing for themselves.
By the way—a quick suggestion for those who want to learn more about the book of Proverbs. First, understand that there is a reason the book is entitled “Proverbs” and not “Promises.” The wisdom of the book is geared toward how life normally works in a fallen, sinful world—it is not promising how life will work. I can illustrate this with a modern, cultural proverb: “a stitch in time saves nine.” That statement is largely true—when I deal with problems in a timely manner rather than procrastinating, I can keep the problem from growing larger. But realize, a stitch in time does not ALWAYS save nine—it usually does, but not always. This is the nature of proverbial statements—they are about how life usually works in a fallen world, not about how life always works.
Second, realize that Proverbs has 31 chapters. There’s an easy way to become familiar with the book: every day simply open to the chapter that corresponds with the date. For example, I am writing this on the 26th, and so today I read chapter 26.
Third, with the exception of chapters 1-9 and 31, realize that the book contains “one-liners”—proverbial bits of wisdom about everything from parenting to communication to the fear of God, expressed in bite-sized samples of one or two sentences. So read it expecting a succession of wisdom sayings that are not all oriented around the same topic.
There’s much more that can be said about how to interpret Proverbs, but remember this: the book of Proverbs is best known for its opening statement: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7). The proper fear of God is the starting point for all true wisdom—and that is a promise!
