PROVERBS, March 30th

RICH MAN, POOR MAN, BEGGAR MAN, THIEF!

READ:  Ephesians 4:28, I Timothy 6:17-18, II Thessalonians 3:10-12

Paul tells us that we can get wealth in three ways:  steal it, earn it, or receive it as a gift (inheritance).  Of course, stealing is wrong, labor is honorable and “it is more blessed to give than to receive.

The sluggard or lazy person fits into these categories as well … the lazy person who never works but expects others to take care of him is a thief, isn’t he?  We are living now in an age of entitlement thinking.  Perhaps this is a long living philosophy…there have always been people who expected others to look out for them without effort on their part. 

Solomon was the most wealthy and yet he emphasizes over and over that God’s Wisdom is more important than wealth.  Proverbs 16:16, 2:1-5, 3:13-15, 8:10-21. 

Many people spend much of their time attempting to figure out how to make wealth quickly without the effort to earn it.  Proverbs 1:10-19, 10:2, 11:13, 28:22. 

Schemes work even in the Body of Christ because of that lurking desire to get rich quick.  Proverbs 21: 5-7 tells us three ways NOT to get wealthy:  hasty schemes, lying and robbing. 

The LORD teaches us to be honest in all of our dealings.  Proverbs 11:1,, 16:11, 20:10, 23. 

Another dishonest way of getting wealth is when we use our resources selfishly and disregard the needs of others.  11:15-16.  Knowing that everything we have comes from the Lord, we are to be good stewards of HIS wealth.  I Cor. 4:7, John 3:27.  Certainly in a business a man must make a profit to continue in his business, but we should not act as ruthless and selfish ones to gain at the expense of others’ pain. 

LAZY PEOPLE are the greatest thieves of all!  The sluggard and the slothful are mentioned at least 17 times in Proverbs.  Not one good thing is said about them.  A sluggard:  loves to sleep 6:9…sleep is good and it is necessary, but not to be used as an escape from working.  26:14…lots of motion, but no progress!  Laziness could run a competitive race for the most underrated sin. Wrote Ronald Sailler and David Wyrtzen. 

A sluggard who is put to work is more of a nuisance than a help.  10:26.  Vinegar on the teeth and smoke in the eyes are not necessarily lethal, but they do irritate you; so does a sluggard who won’t get the job done.  21:25.  Dreams become nightmares if you don’t discipline yourself to work. 

The sluggard has a know-it-all attitude.  26:16…he lives in a fantasy world that prevents him from living in the real world.  22:13, 26:13.  He never succeeds at anything but can always tell another how to succeed.

Sluggards are good at making excuses 20:4, 22”13, 26:13, 15:19. The diligent person can always find a reason for working, the sluggard always has an excuse for not working.  Billy Sunday said an excuse, “the skin of a reason stuffed with a lie.  In the end, the sluggard lives in poverty and hunger.  19:15, 10:4, 13:4.  The sluggard gets so lazy, that he won’t feed himself even when the food is brought right to him.  19:24, 16:15. 

The sluggard loses his freedom and is enslaved to others.  12:24.  Debts accumulate and he becomes a slave.  The easy life becomes very costly. 

The sluggard wastes God given resources.  18:9. Even if he works, the work is inferior.  He not only wastes resources, he wastes opportunities.  10:5 When the harvest is ready, you must be diligent and get to work right away.  

THE POOR AND NEEDY:  Some people are poor simply because they will not work.  10:4 20:13  Perhaps they love PLEASURE 21:17. The drunkard and the glutton are usually among the poor 23:21.  Time, energy, money, and opportunity are wasted when leisure and pleasure control a person’s life.  13:18.  Young people not disciplined can be a big problem.  Look at the prodigal:  began with “give me”, returned with “I want to be one of the servants!”  He had learned the value of discipline and the joy of hard work.

Some are poor because they had rather talk but never act.  14:23.  They may make unwise financial dealings.  Rushing impulsively into a good deal…21:5, 6:1-5  11:15 17:18, 22:26-27.  22:7

May become poor because of people and events they cannot control. 13:23, 18:23, 28:8.  When there is justice in the land and people fear the Lord, then the poor have a voice and protection from oppression.

Oppressing the poor is condemned by God.  14:31. 22:2

HOW do we help the poor?  Don’t look down on them because of their troubles, thinking that we are better than they are.  14:21. Be concerned about them because the LORD is concerned. 22:22-23.  We should see that laws are written properly and fairly and enforced justly.  29:7, 28:3, 31:9, 29:14.  When we assist the poor, we are investing with the Lord.  19:17, 11:24, 22:9.  Assistance should begin with the family, then the church.  We must not shut our ears to the cries of the poor  21:13. 

Yes, there are free loaders, “con artists”, and seldom any thanks!  Exercise caution and wisdom lest they do more harm than good, but we must also remember that we are helping truly needy people FOR JESUS’ SAKE!   Bernard of Clairvaux said, “Justice seeks out the merits of the case, but pity only regards the need.”  If the LORD dealt with me today only on the basis of justice, where would I be???

THE DILIGENT:  A diligent heart directs diligent hands…”the discipline of the inner person.”  4:23 

The reward for faithful hard work is _____  ______ (more work).  Matt 25:21.  Prov. 22:29

One of the blessings of diligent labor is the joy of developing the kind of ability and character that others can trust, thereby fitting ourselves for the next responsibility.  4:7-8, 3:35

There is no substitute for hard work!  10:4, 14:23  Frost,
“The world is full of willing people; some willing to work and the rest willing to let them.”

Diligent people PLAN THEIR WORK AND WORK THEIR PLAN.  21:5, 16:3, 24:27. 

God blesses the labors of people who are HONEST.  13:11, 16:11, 20:10, 23.  He expects us to be honest in our words 12:22. 

We are blessed when we are generous!  11:24-25. 22:9.  Ah, how different than the slothful…21:25-26. 

Diligent people are careful not to incur debts they cannot handle.  22:7.  Honest debt, yes, but… “When  your outgo exceeds your income, then your upkeep is your downfall.”

Greed can lead us into debt…overextending ourselves to acquire MORE.  Cap your lifestyle!!!  … have you discovered what financial level God wants you to live and be content with in it?  30:7-9.

“Use it up, wear it out; make it do, or do without.”  Our most important task is not to earn money, our most important task is to be the kind of people God can trust with money, people who are faithful I the way we use what God gives us.  Matt. 6:33. 

Jowett said, “The real measure of our wealth is how much we’d be worth if we lost all our money.”  Character is more important than position, and wisdom than possessions.  The LORD does not glorify poverty but neither does He magnify affluence.  13:7.

We must never think that the way of the wealthy is always easy.  There are perils…increased wealth…increase in decision making, risk taking and possibly physical danger.  13:8.  Thieves will break into a mansion as compared to a hovel. 

Wealth can give a false sense of security. 11:28…won’t save from judgment 11:4, can’t buy peace 15:16-17 or a good name 22:1 and they can fly away quickly 23:4-5, 27:23-24.

The wealthy must be careful not to become proud.  18:11.  NOT to mistreat people 14:21, 18:23  28:11 22:4.  Rich may have a lot of friends but the question comes…will they be faithful friends if all the wealth is lost.  14:20, 19:4,6, 19:7.  Wealth is a wonderful servant for humble people, but a terrible master for the proud.

Wrong attitude toward money can WRECK FRIENDSHIPS AND EVEN DESTROY A HOME.  15:27.  Expensive gifts can become substitutes for gift of themselves. “Where there is a will, there is relatives!”  The wealthy will be concerned about their children and what they will do with the wealth.  27:24

The LORD has much to say to all of us, Rich man, Poor man, Beggar man, Thief…Are we willing to receive it????

 

WORK IS NOT A CURSE!!!!  Adam had a job before sin entered the picture.