Sluggard at Harvest

(Pro 20:4 KJV) The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.

Again we see poverty addressed. Again we see the focus is on being lazy. A “sluggard” (6102) is always looking for tasks to not accomplish.

There are actually two issues here. This has to do with planning ahead and not just being lazy. If I understand it correctly, a farmer will “plow” (2790a) the fields in the fall to aerate the soil. This produces a better crop. A non-farmer might not know this but in an agricultural culture people know these things. How often do we run into those little extra tasks that make the difference between success and failure? Why do some people get laid off and others are never lacking for a job? Think of the store clerk that went the extra mile compared to the one who stood talking on their cell phone as the line grew. I once visited a convenience store with a couple of guys who would never be the last fired. They observed a man frantically stocking the shelves and running from task to task. Later they could not figure out why he was working so hard, after all, he was the manager. They totally missed the point that he was manager because he worked so hard. In a time of high unemployment this is an important lesson.

How would this apply to my daily life? How many simple tasks are there that we are not even aware of, that seem to be a waste of energy? What about my spiritual life?

Begging during “harvest” (7105) seems a mark of sloth. Harvest is the time of year when the most help is needed and it is needed now. Yet this fool is standing around begging. How often do we see someone who “begs” (7592) in front of a business advertising “help wanted”.

I am guessing that this beggar “has nothing” (369) because there is so much work available that even the tender hearted can see he is just lazy. People who would normally share just want to say, “Get a job.”

Remember the words of Paul:

2TH 3:10 For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone will not work, neither let him eat.

It is strange how we overlook verses like this in our welfare culture.