Look to Christ, You Slothful

Proverbs 6:6-11

The Bible commends rest - that’s what the Sabbath day was for. 6 days to work and 1 day to rest. One purposes of the Sabbath was to teach industry - to work hard for the rest of the week because God has given us rest for 1 day. The Bible commands hard work and rest. Hard work because it’s a creation mandate - “Be fruitful, multiply, replenish the earth, subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” But rest because the Sabbath was also in part a foreshadow of the better rest we have in Christ. And the Christian Lord’s Day commands rest from the things of the world to come to God in works of worship. The Lord’s Day also reminds us of the rest we have in Christ, and rest from sin because of Christ.

God’s people will always experience that tension. We will struggle with slothfulness - we’ll not want to labor as God intended. Work’s hard after the fall - thorns and thistles will infest the ground, and by our sweat will we survive. And because of sin, we’ll shy away from hard work. But we must battle sin. And it's even harder today - there’s automation, wealth, AI, etc. We must fight to be industrious. But there’s also the opposite tension - many people work hard to build and keep wealth - like the rich fool, who labored to build barns for his growing possessions. Rest is good. Too much rest is not. Industry is good. Too much industry can be sinful. Now, our purpose is not to speak about this tension or balance. Nor is it to teach you to work hard alone. We want to contrast the ungodly character of the slothful with the godly character of Christ. And we’ll do that in 2 points. Firstly, the character of the slothful. And secondly, the Lordship issue of the slothful.

Firstly, the character of the slothful. Without listing down the characteristics, we’re already familiar with them. How many of us have said - “I don’t feel like going to work tomorrow, I’ll get an MC,” or “I have to give some input on this, let’s see what AI can do,” or “I’m too tired to deal with this now, I’ll deal with it tomorrow.” We all struggle with slothfulness because we’re sinners. But what are the specific characteristics that we can draw from Proverbs? We see that our easy choices in life. Verse 6 - “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.” The word translated as sloth or sluggard in the Bible come from the Hebrew root word – atsluoth. This word literally means to “lean idly.” The impression we get is of a person who does not have enough strength or does not want to exert enough strength to stand up by himself, but needs something to lean on so he doesn’t have to work so hard. He takes the easy way out. Hence the condition of the slothful, his chief end, is to exert as little energy as possible to do needful things. He’s doesn’t like hard work. That’s why Proverbs 6:10 says that his goal is to indulge in sleep or an activity he likes most without putting energy in to achieve it. When asked in verse 9, how long more will you sleep, he answers - “Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep.”

Now, there are many myths about slothful or lazy people. It must be that they don’t have any goals in life, or they must not be very intelligent, or that they are just comfortable where they are. On the contrary, slothful or lazy people do have many aspirations. And they’re actually quite intelligent - how else do you arrive at your goals by doing the least possible. That’s a skill - it’s a real gift. But it’s an immoral gift. We’re not talking about judicious helps or life hacks; we’re not despising those things. Neither are we praising industry that resists technology like the Amish. But it’s the attitude of not wanting to work hard to achieve goals.

Now, no one is born slothful. Yes, we all have inclination towards laziness because that’s natural sin. But slothfulness is a byproduct of those who make easy choices in life - who justify them. We make little surrenders in life - like staying in bed a bit longer, resting more during the day, waiting a few minutes before starting a project, or chit chatting more than we need to. “Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:” But what is the end result? Verse 10 - “So shall thy poverty come as a traveling bandit, and thy desires like an armed robber.” These daily surrenders come from making the easy choices. When there are adverse working conditions - we all like to make excuses. It’s raining and thundering - so we try to see if we can work from home - or postpone that meeting. When we have many responsibilities, we just want to call in sick. We don’t want to be subject to the thorns and thistles. We want to escape them. So resisting hard working conditions by making easy choices is slothfulness. Proverbs 20:4 says - “The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest and have nothing.” If one doesn’t work because circumstances aren’t right, they might never be right. Thorns and thistles will always be there. But if we don’t live and make our living by the sweat of our brow, poverty comes. And this leads to further consequences. It may not be immediately known to the one who calls in sick because there’s too much to do, but soon the such easy choices become a habit of life. Proverbs 19:15 - “Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.” It casts the person into a deep sleep – he becomes self deluded. This is in the context of riches and inheritance. Lazy sons of fathers who work hard are deluded. Things are going to be okay. No, they are not - you’ll be poor and suffer hunger.

Now, the slothful person doesn’t think he’s slothful. Proverbs 26:16 says “The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit (that is, in his own eyes) than seven men that can render a reason.” He has many reasons for not working. He will even reject the advice or concern of 7 men - meaning many people. He’ll assure you that he’d be very willing to work if there were fewer obstacles in his path. He’s only waiting for better working conditions. Maybe he’ll have a lot of excuses. The slothful farmer may say - this spring’s very hot, I’ll get heat stroke; when it gets cooler, I’ll start. But the closer it gets to summer, the hotter it’ll be. And he won’t plant when it’s planting season, he misses the rain, his crops won’t grow. He procrastinates. And he’s very wise in his eyes. The Christian who sins in this way may even say that God has given sleep to his people. And so we must have work life balance. After all, Solomon in Ecclesiastes 2:24 - “There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink.” They may even say, if I work too hard, I’ll hurt my walk with the Lord. But they forget the whole verse - “There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.” Indeed, “the sluggard is wiser in his own conceit (that is, his eyes) than seven men that can render a reason.” “Hey, Mr Sluggard, if you’re not working now, you’ll never feel like working later.” “Oh, but you are wrong, I’m just waiting for the right time to do my work; I have everything planned out already, don’t worry.”

Easy choices. As a result, he becomes a menace to others and himself - he induces his own fears. We see how he’s a menace. Proverbs 10:26 says, “As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him.” Because he’s a procrastinator with his own wisdom and reasons, and takes the easy way out, he’s not a self-starter. If he can put off till tomorrow what he can do today, he will. When it’s lunchtime, if he hasn’t finished his work that’s due, he takes the lunchtime as justification for him to put off his work. He doesn’t consider if he’s earned the right to eat. We have deadlines, but for my well-being, I can’t burn the midnight oil - my professor has to give me more time; but you didn’t start earlier. This is vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes of his bosses. But if this is the case, how do the slothful survive at all? They stick to those who are hardworking - those who understand time, urgency, and deadlines. To survive, he needs someone over him to keep him on his toes. As Proverbs 12:24 says, “The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.” It is only by their superintendence over him that he can survive. But many don’t like this and quit.

And sometimes it’s better that they do, because they are pests. They’re a menace. They’re vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes. Vinegar is astringent and erodes the teeth. Smoke burns the eyes and obscures the vision. They hurt their families and they hurt their companies. They can’t be counted on. Proverbs 18:9 - “He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.” The slothful person is a great waster. This leads to the collapse of what he’s working for. Proverbs 12:27 says, “The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious.” He doesn’t finish his tasks. He’s lethargic in all that he does. Each molehill of a task becomes a mountain for him. He’d rather let things decay than to exert energy to upkeep it. Solomon says in another place - Ecclesiastes 10:18 - “By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.” And Proverbs 24:30-31 - “I went by the field of the slothful…and lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.” The slothful is streetwise, intelligent, knows how to get out of work, and he’s a menace to others - but also to himself.

He hurts himself. Remember, the slothful person does have ambitions. He wants a nice house, a godly family, a spiritual reputation, a good job, etc. But he won’t put in the effort to do it. And when he’s really honest with himself, he knows his sloth. He knows things aren’t going to turn out. There’s a struggle between his sloth and his desires. As Proverbs 21:25-26 says, “The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labor. He coveteth greedily all the day long.” Amazing isn’t it? The thing he must do to fulfill his desires is the thing that he hates to do the most. He will have self-induced fears. Proverbs 22:13 says, “The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the street.” Such fears are based on the fact that the sluggard is a realist up. He knows that he put in effort to have returns. But he doesn’t - and he fears the day it all falls apart. He has irrational fears. William Cowper said this - “Absence of occupation is not rest, a mind quite vacant is a mind quite distressed.” But what does the slothful person do in spite of all these things? Does he apply himself? No. He will resort to more sleep to escape his fears. He will drown his sorrows. He will fill it with activities he likes. How much longer will you sleep? “Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep.” And what happens? Bad things will happen - they’ll come on you like a bandit and a robber.

Dearly beloved, I’m not trying to get you to work harder per se. I’m trying to show you the natural condition of your hearts. There are some who are lazy when it comes to your worldly vocation - your calling from God to subdue the earth. And you’re putting off repentance - you’re delaying true repentance by not going to God to subdue your hearts so that you might work hard. But there are those of you who may be very diligent and hardworking in your work and career. But what you’re slothful in is your spiritual life. And you’re also putting off repentance. The rich fool was very hardworking, but he wanted his soul to take its ease, to eat, drink, and be merry. He was not rich toward God. So yes, for some of you, you’re downright lazy work wise. You’re not looking for work, you take your own sweet time at work, you’re a menace to your bosses, you keep switching jobs. For others, you’re not rich toward God - you’re dragging your feet. “Oh, one day I’ll get right with the Lord! When I’m retired.” “Lord, I’ll follow you, let me bury my father first!” For both of these root problems - for which we’re all guilty - the gospel has a bearing.

Remember, it’s a Lordship issue. That’s the second point. If you’re saved, the Lord makes you heartily willing to live for him. And that includes the keeping of his commandments. As Lord’s Day 42 reminds us about what God requires of us in the eighth commandment - that “I must promote my neighbor’s good wherever I can and may, deal with him as I would like others to deal with me, and work faithfully so that I may be able to give to those in need.” But Proverbs doesn’t only give practical advice on how to work. It speaks directly to the heart. In our church camp, we’re dealing with the heart of the issue - it’s the heart. That we keep with all diligence the heart because it affects every area of life. If Christ is our Lord, then on both the cultural mandate - to subdue the earth - and the spiritual mandate - to believe and repent - we must be diligent. What’s the diligence of the godly? There must be a perspective change - you’re not saved simply to go to heaven. You’re saved to work hard now. While the slothful serve themselves, Christians serve Christ. Colossians 3:23-24 -“Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance; for ye serve the Lord Christ.” So a remedy to slothfulness is to know whom we serve, and to serve him - not to serve ourselves. We work, “Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men” (Ephesians 6:5). But this does not work if Christ is not your Lord. For some Christians, they’re so mystical - I’m saved, I’m going to heaven, I can’t wait to go there, I’ll live my life in quiet contemplation in spiritual things. No! You must work. But the work doesn’t suit me, the bosses are harsh, I want to do something more meaningful - and I’ll wait until I find that. No! You must work. I know my family isn’t doing so well spiritually, but I’m so busy at work. You must work at home! I know I’ve a sin to deal with - but God’s merciful - he understands how hard it is for me; perhaps in this world, this is my lot - and I’m not hurting anyone. No! You must work at your repentance! I was raised in an angry household, my wife is difficult, my children don’t listen to me; I can be angry. No, put away sloth - you must work. I need to seek forgiveness and reconcile with my ex-business partner - but it’s been so long - and it’s easier just not to talk and sweep it under the carpet. No, you must work! This is a Lordship issue. Is Christ your Lord? It’s a gospel matter. He’s saved you to be holy. Let Christ live through you. I don’t care if you’re diligent in studying the Bible, if you are bitter, unforgiving, living in sin, quarrelsome - you’ve not let the gospel work in your heart. A profession without a joyful submission and exertion may be a false one.

The remedy is the gospel. Proverbs 12:27 says, “The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious.” The meaning of the Hebrew word for “diligent” is literally “a pointed or sharp thing.” It’s used to translate a threshing sledge - an instrument with sharp teeth - the Hebrews would be up early to farm and to thresh their grain. Be sharp. Deal with your sins. Cut off the arm that sins; pluck out the eye that sins. Another word translated as diligent in the Bible means to rise early - as in “early will I seek thee” in Psalm 63:1. It means to do something earnestly. Jesus was always about his father’s business. He was up early to pray. His meat was to do the Father’s will. At Gethsemane, he cried - not my will but thine be done. For what? To save us - so that we can say not your will but mine be done? Be diligent. And we follow his example. In Proverbs 6, the slothful is told to go to the ant. Verses 6-8 say, “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.” The ant illustrates the basic characteristics which are lacking in those who are slothful. The slothful is told to go to the ant. They’re wise. And indeed ants are diligent - they work hard to carry weights fifty times their own weight. They make many roundtrips a day. They also live and work for years before they die. But Solomon uses the word “wise.” As we’ve seen, wisdom is a moral, not intellectual. And we must look to the truly wise ant. The one who was truly diligent. To the one who worked while it was day before the night came. Our Lord Jesus walked closely with his Father, spending much time in prayer - waking before dawn to pray; going apart to a desert place to find rest, worshiping God and serving him. And he did all of this work so that we can find rest in him. Did he not say - come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light? We rest in Christ, and we work. He’s our gentle master. What he calls you to do - in your worldly vocation, in your families, in your spiritual lives, in your service, in your relationships - is not hard. It was for the joy that was set before him that he endured the cross and despised the shame. Let his pleasure and this purity of conscience fuel you to serve him. When we obey him as his servants, to have dominion in the sphere of life he has called us to, when we serve him joyfully in the world, when we surrender our sinful slothful thorn and thistle adversed hearts to him, only then will he, whose head was pierced by thorns, and hands by nails, grant us joy in this messy world, holding us, working in us, so that we may until we reach the final land of rest, “eat and drink now, and make our souls enjoy good in our labour. This is from the hand of God.”

1. The Character of the Slothful

A. His easy choices in life

B. His menace and fears

2. The Lordship Issue of the Slothful

A. The diligence of the godly

B. The remedy for the slothful

Conversation for Change: