fair share of those who refuse to work. Recognizing these facts, Solomon, the
wise, wrote extensively on the subject. Indeed, much is said in the book of
Proverbs relative to this nefarious and deplorable disposition. In chapter 22:13
the text reads, “The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in
the streets.” This he lays down as the general line of reasoning as taken by the
slothful man. Consider an analysis of this proverbial passage.
The slothful man imagines too much. The notion was gathered that,
due to the presence of a lion, danger loomed over the city. When the lazy man is
placed into a position in which he is called upon to work in some capacity, he will
begin to imagine that there is something that will hinder him from doing the
work, and will thus decide not to do it. In this case, “There is a lion without.”
Whether or not there actually was a lion without is beside the point, for in either
case there was still work for the man to do. If it were the figment of the man’s
imagination, he would have had nothing hindering him from accomplishing his
chores, and thus would have been under the obligation to do so. If, on the other
hand, there were a lion without, he would have had the obligation to protect his
home and to fend off the ghastly beast. But the slothful man’s imagination will
have nothing to do with reality, choosing rather to remain indoors, doing nothing
whatsoever.
In this connection we cannot help but recall the account of David’s
transgression with Bathsheba. Six simple words identify the initial problem that
led to the sin of adultery with Bathsheba: viz., “But David tarried still at
Jerusalem” (II Sam. 11:1). This was a day in age in which kings went forth to
battle. But when Israel waged the battle, her king remained at home. Now, as to
why he tarried at Jerusalem, we are simply not told, but it can be rightly gathered
that David had some amount of time on his hands. He was not working as he
should have been. And, in due course, his imagination turned to lust, and his lust
into sin (II Sam. 11:2ff). The point is if we are working, we will have a better
handle on reality. But if not, then our imaginations will begin to run wild.
The slothful man will make excuses. In addition to his excessive
imagination, the slothful man will find any reason, no matter how absurd or
irrelevant, to escape fulfilling his duties.
When a certain man informed the Lord that he would follow Jesus
whithersoever he went, Jesus in turn told that man this: “Foxes have holes, and
birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head”
(Lk. 9:57-58). Jesus then told the man to follow Him. However, the man,
recognizing the tremendous cost and effort involved in following the Christ,
began to offer an excuse, saying, “Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father”
(Lk. 9:59). He, most likely, had not entirely prepared his mind to work, and thus
began to make excuses.
Laziness must be supplanted with a healthy dose of reality, and the reality is
that we cannot shirk our duties and expect all things to be well with us. Solomon
delivers a blistering indictment against the sluggard when he writes, “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. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of
thy sleep?” (Prov. 6:6-9). Surely, if we have any sense of integrity as a human
being, we would most assuredly desire to be more productive, more beneficial to
society than an ant that has neither intelligence nor guide. It is by keeping our
hands busy and having a mind to work that the vain imaginations of our hearts
and the poor excuses we sometimes offer will dissipate, and the sins that often
ensue from our slothfulness will be turned into righteousness and good works.
