Posted on 02/19/2018 10:17:37 AM PST by OneVike
Proverb 19 (NKJV)
The Fear of the Lord Leads to Life
01 Better is the poor who walks in his integrity
00 Than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
02 Also it is not good for a soul to be without knowledge,
00 And he sins who hastens with his feet.
03 The foolishness of a man twists his way,
00 And his heart frets against the LORD.
04 Wealth makes many friends,
00 But the poor is separated from his friend.
05 A false witness will not go unpunished,
00 And he who speaks lies will not escape.
06 Many entreat the favor of the nobility,
00 And every man is a friend to one who gives gifts.
07 All the brothers of the poor hate him;
00 How much more do his friends go far from him!
00 He may pursue them with words, yet they abandon him.
08 He who gets wisdom loves his own soul;
00 He who keeps understanding will find good.
09 A false witness will not go unpunished,
00 And he who speaks lies shall perish.
10 Luxury is not fitting for a fool,
00 Much less for a servant to rule over princes.
11 The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger,
00 And his glory is to overlook a transgression.
12 The king's wrath is like the roaring of a lion,
00 But his favor is like dew on the grass.
13 A foolish son is the ruin of his father,
00 And the contentions of a wife are a continual dripping.
14 Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers,
00 But a prudent wife is from the LORD.
15 Laziness casts one into a deep sleep,
00 And an idle person will suffer hunger.
16 He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul,
00 But he who is careless of his ways will die.
17 He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD,
00 And He will pay back what he has given.
18 Chasten your son while there is hope,
00 And do not set your heart on his destruction.
19 A man of great wrath will suffer punishment;
00 For if you rescue him, you will have to do it again.
20 Listen to counsel and receive instruction,
00 That you may be wise in your latter days.
21 There are many plans in a man's heart,
00 Nevertheless the LORD's counsel--that will stand.
22 What is desired in a man is kindness,
00 And a poor man is better than a liar.
23 The fear of the LORD leads to life,
00 And he who has it will abide in satisfaction;
00 He will not be visited with evil.
24 A lazy man buries his hand in the bowl,
00 And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.
25 Strike a scoffer, and the simple will become wary;
00 Rebuke one who has understanding, and he will discern knowledge.
26 He who mistreats his father and chases away his mother
00 Is a son who causes shame and brings reproach.
27 Cease listening to instruction, my son,
00 And you will stray from the words of knowledge.
28 A disreputable witness scorns justice,
00 And the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity.
29 Judgments are prepared for scoffers,
00 And beatings for the backs of fools.
Proverbs On Laziness vs Diligence
15 Laziness casts one into a deep sleep,
00 And an idle person will suffer hunger.
24 A lazy man buries his hand in the bowl,
00 And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.
04 Wealth makes many friends,
00 But the poor is separated from his friend.
07 All the brothers of the poor hate him;
00 How much more do his friends go far from him!
00 He may pursue them with words, yet they abandon him.
When taken into context as to why so many shy away from the poor, it's usually because in the vast parts of the world a man is poor because he is lazy and never bothered to work hard enough to better his lot in life. Those closest to him understand why he is poor, and they shay away from him because a man's life is only as good as his desire to succeed allows him to live.
Now it is true that good men do stumble in life due to misfortune they cannot control, just consider Job, who lost everything due to no cause of his own. However, like Job, men of good character will eventually rise from the dust and regain that which they lost. Through hard work and diligence they will better themselves and bless there loved ones and their friends in the process. While a lazy man just drags those around him down to his level, so he has few friends, and even his family shy away from him.
The Scriptures has a lot to say about laziness, especially the book of Proverbs. Considering it is a book of wisdom, God warns man by offering his wisdom concerning laziness by giving examples to those who listen to His advice. If you raise your child up in the way of the Lord, then they will grow up to understand the blessing and curses that are offered in the 66 books that make up the Bible. They will grow up to become a good, wise, loving child of God. They will understand ;
That a lazy person hates work:
“The desire of the lazy man kills him, For his hands refuse to labor.” (Proverbs 21:25)
They love sleep:
“As a door turns on its hinges, So does the lazy man on his bed.” (Proverbs 26:14)
They gives excuses:
“The lazy man says, "There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion is in the streets!" (Proverbs 26:13)
They wastes time and energy:
“He who is slothful in his work is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.” (Proverbs 18:9)
Even when something is right before them they refuse to do what they must:
"Much food is in the fallow ground of the poor" (Proverbs 13:23)
they want, but are too lazy to achieve:
“The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing. (Proverbs 13:4-1)
And they believe they are wise, but in truth they are just a fool:
“The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly.” (Proverbs 26:16)
I always harp on people to read the Word, but not just the books you love the most, read everything in it from cover to cover. Plus I advise that everyone should read a Proverb a day, since the number of chapters almost equals the number of day in the Month. The repetition of reading a chapter a day will keep the wisdom of God at the forefront of your mind. There are so many moments in one's day that require proper wisdom to do the correct thing. Imagine how wise your child will be when they go out into the world on their own. They will have a huge advantage in a world that wants to devour those unprepared.
Unlike others who's futures will be bleak:
“The lazy man will not plow because of winter; he will beg during harvest and have nothing.” (Proverbs 20:4)
Your child will be ready to take charge and be a leader among others:
“The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to forced labor.” (Proverbs 12:24)
Their wisdom will lead them to be comfortable in life:
"The soul of the diligent shall be made rich” (Proverbs 13:4-2)
Your child will be versed in the love of Christ and have compassion, but wisdom enough to understand why many in poverty are where they are.
I went by the field of the lazy man, And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding;
And there it was, all overgrown with thorns; Its surface was covered with nettles; Its stone wall was broken down.
When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction:
< A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest;
So shall your poverty come like a prowler, And your need like an armed man. (Proverbs 24:30-34)
As a Christian, we should labor in God’s strength to evangelize and disciple others. Working hard to get ahead does not just mean financially, but spiritually also. Many men of God work hard to advance the Lords kingdom, yet they are not wealthy in the terms of the world. They are wealthy in God's sight. While being wealthy in terms of the world is not a sin, it does lead to much temptation, because with much comes much responsibility.
It takes a wise person who is grounded in the Word of God to properly balance ones wealth in the world with ones wealth in the Lord, and many a man has stumbled by putting too much significance in their bank account and not enough in their spiritual account. Preparing your child early in life by grounding their life in the Word will go a long way in assuring they will keep the proper balance throughout their life.
I pray that those who have ears to hear will hear His voice and call upon the name of the lord Jesus Christ.
Amen
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He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD,
00 And He will pay back what he has given.
Amen
I do not mean to seem unkind to the poor, it is not the poor this commentary is about, but about the lazy.
Even Paul stated that “he who will not would will not eat”.
2 Thessalonians 3:10
I believe Paul was also speaking of the lazy that can work, but refused to work. Thus the lazy I write of in my commentary.
Even Paul stated that “he who will not WORK would will not eat”.
2 Thessalonians 3:10
There I fixed it
I’m in total agreement with what you said with the entitlement mentality of “free stuff” paid by others’ blood, sweat, and tears.
I wasn’t criticizing your commentary. The poor in our country aren’t poor, if you look at the Third World. Many have gadgets, housing, food, medicine, education opportunities, heat, electricity...
That couplet in Proverbs adds another dimension - as Jesus said, “You will always have the poor with you.” And many of the working poor I see when volunteering in a soup kitchen.
I thought that, but just wanted to be sure. :)
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