“The soul of a lazy man desires and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich…The righteous eats to the satisfying of his soul, but the stomach of the wicked shall be in want” (Proverbs 13:4, 25).
There is an old Jewish maxim which declares: “He who does not teach his son a trade teaches him to be a thief.”
Such thinking is inevitable given the content and quantity of inspired proverbs which declare the wickedness of laziness. One of the fourteen proverbs which addresses laziness in this book is above. Never are those who are allergic to work, diligence, and resourcefulness ever commended.
Having a wishbone instead of a “work bone” will result in having nothing. Being in want and making your family’s name synonymous with laziness is a harsh and cruel heritage to give a spouse and children. Their unfulfilled needs are not the result of cruel misfortunes. They are evidence of the wickedness of your laziness.
The mind of God on this matter did not change in the millennium between Solomon’s day and Paul’s (from ca. 950 B. C. to A. D. 50). The inspired writer’s words in the New Testament echo the same sentiments as Solomon’s: “For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat…But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (2 Thes. 3:10; 1 Tim. 5:8).
The wickedness of laziness ought never be encouraged or subsidized.
